Keys to Teaching Longevity, Staying Positive, and Other Lessons from a Mentor, 3 Retirees, and 6 Guests

What's going on everybody, I hope this finds you striving and thriving and doing absolutely amazing. My name is Brian Martin. I'm a second grade teacher and hosted the teaching champions podcast. And it's been a week, my friends a big week, it was the last week of school for us. So there's everything from trying to make those last few days special for the students report cards, packing up the classroom as it's going to be used over the summer for summer school. And this week has also been special, because there were some very important people to me, that retired. So between saying goodbye to the students, and the retirees, it was a little emotional. Plus, on top of that, it's the 100th episode. So there's a lot of things. And to be honest, I'm glad the 100th episode fell on this week, because there's a lot of reflection that took place. And let me say, first, thank you to all those who have listened over the course of the school year, and have gone on this journey with me. And if you're a first time listener, I appreciate you taking the time to check the podcast out. And for the 100th episode, I want to focus the first half of this episode on some really important people to me, that have closed their classroom door for the last time this week. And they're starting a brand new chapter in their life. And I'm going to share a few things that I've learned from my very first mentor who was there for me my first years of teaching, and honestly, she played such an important role in my career. And if it wasn't for her, and a few others, I would have never made it past my first few years. And then I'm going to dive into some lessons I've learned from three amazing ladies at my current school, there's so much that we can learn just from the people around us, we just have to be present, we have to be open minded, we have to watch, we have to take time to ask questions. And then we have to take that time and truly listen. And if we do this on a consistent basis, then we stand to learn more from those around us than we might from any podcast from any book from any blog. So I'm going to share some of these lessons from these very special ladies. Then in the second half of the episode, I'm going to dive into the podcast and what I've learned over the past 100 episodes. And if you're a longtime listener, then you know that this podcast is started out as a monologue. And then the last few months, I'm starting to transition into a lot more conversations with some fantastic educators. And one phrase that I'm sure you're familiar with, is if you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room. And that is the truth. And that's why I'm going to be sharing some of the things that my guests have taught me or reminded me because sometimes we might know something, but we put it on the back burner, we stop placing importance on it. And it takes the words of another to really remind you of how important these things are. And it's the 100th episode, summer vacation just started. So let's get it rolling. Now, my career started when I was 23 years. And I live in a small town. My mother taught in the district that I'm in, and I was hired at the elementary school that I attended. And my first teaching position was at the kindergarten level. And I'm gonna say this, and it's just an opinion, you can definitely disagree with me. But for myself, I have the utmost respect for educators at every level, from collegiate to high school to intermediate, and down to the primary level. But what our pre K and kindergarten teachers do is absolutely magical. With the expectations that are put on our youngest students In the sea with these teachers are able to accomplish. It's amazing. Listen, five year olds are precious, they're amazing. They bring so much joy. But until you step into a classroom full of them and spend that school day with them, you don't realize how masterful, you have to be at the art and science of teaching, in order to make it a successful classroom. In my first year, I was so far from masterful, that it's not even funny. In one of my mentors, favorite stories is, and I believe it was the very first fire job that I ever had. And while I thankfully have no recollection of what it was like, it has been brought to my attention, multiple occasions, that it looked like the scene from Kindergarten Cop that Arnold Schwarzenegger was in the alarm, bell rings. And all of a sudden, all of the students go running out of the building screaming, Arnold Schwarzenegger is right there with them. And he's running out of the building carrying students under each arm. And all of the students and the teachers and the other grades are outside of the school watching this madness. Well, that's what my first fire drill was equated till. And while it may sound funny, and worth a few good laughs, that year, pushed me to the brink. And I would go home. And I would sit in my bedroom in the dark. And I would just sit there for hours. Never in my life had I felt like such a failure. And it's one thing to fail for yourself. But when you're sitting in the dark, and you're thinking about how you're failing the students, how you're failing their parents, how you're failing your mom who works in the district, how you're failing, the teachers that you had, when you were growing up, that are teaching at the same school that you're at right now. And the principle that you have was your teacher in high school, and your family and all of them. And then a small community, the public knows so much. And nobody knows truly how close I was to quitting. Halfway through my first year. I was so close to leaving, that I had written a resignation letter. And there were a few people around me at my school, thankfully, that rallied around me. And one of these people was my mentor. She was always positive. She always used encouraging language to help me. And when someone is down, the words that others use is so important. And if she had ever shown any doubt in me, if I had ever walked into her classroom, or into the teachers lounge, and heard her putting me down, then that would have pushed me over the edge. But that's not who she is. She encouraged me. She welcomed me into her classroom. She modeled for me what a master educator looks like. She came and she observed my classroom. And she walked me through ways that I could get better. And she never gave up on me. And if it wasn't for her, and a few others, there is no teaching career. For me, there is no teaching champions podcast, in the lessons that she offers, is how powerful the belief in someone is. We don't always know where others are at mentally. And if we can pass that power of belief on others, it's so impactful. And she also talked about the importance of patience, of modeling, of offering advice. And even to this day, she's role model, and I've transferred to a school Crosstown but it's a small district. So everyone has a pretty good idea what's going on. And let me tell you, she was just as passionate about the craft of teaching in her final weeks of her career as she was 20 years ago when she was my mentor. And that's impressive. So as those new teachers entering your school next year, show them a little compassion. Remember what it was like when you were beginner, offer them encouragement, be patient, let them know that you believe in them, offered a model, the things that you've learned, give constructive advice. And always remember that the words that you speak, they're powerful. And your words can pick somebody up, and they can bring someone back from the breaking point are your words can destroy someone. And in some cases, they may or may even end their careers. And I was absolutely blessed to have one of the best. And I'll forever be grateful. Now, I've been in my current school for several years, and have formed some pretty special relationships. And this past week, on the last day of school, we had this special tradition, all the students come out into the hallway, music comes on over the loudspeakers, and our oldest students, which is third grade for us. They take the last lap around the school, and we celebrate them. Well, this year, we had five people who work within our school retiring, and we call them the Fab Five. And they did their last lap around the school. And with all the students in the hallway, the music was going, we clapped as these amazing women walked by. And honestly, it was a little emotional. And between the five of them, they had over 175 years in the school district. Each one of them brought something special to our school, and they're going to be missed. And when you start talking about people who have had that longevity, that bring the level of excellence that they brought. But also, after all that time, they still bring the love, they still bring that joy, they still bring that passion to their craft, then we should pause, we should listen to what they say. And we should take notes. So while I was unfortunately, not able to get to sit down with two of them, because as you know, that last week of school is a lot, I was able to connect with three of them. And I was able to pick their brains and learn from them. And the all of these individuals, they walked out the door their final day, saying that they had no regrets, and that they loved what they did. And if someone says that after being in this field for over 40 years, especially after all that we've gone through the past couple of years, and they say that they still love their job, we should probably sit up, we should probably take out a notepad. And we should probably write some things down. So if you ever quest, if you will be able to make it another school year, listen to a few tips and tricks from these amazing ladies. And the first step comes from the school secretary at my school. And when you think of some of the most vital roles in the school, the role of the Secretary is so important. And the one at my school is just unbelievable. And one of her special gifts is she's able to handle those difficult conversations. As we all know, the building secretary has to deal with a lot of people from administration to staff, to students, to parents, to community members. And not every phone call. Not every conversation is pleasant. But this woman is so unbelievable. She is so adept at defusing tough situations. She is so good at making something that is very tense, calm. And I asked her what her secret is to this. And her response. It was simple, but it was profound. She said, I listen. She said people just wanting to be hurt. And if you do that, then you can handle most situations. She is so wise and so good. Allah was just wanting to be hurt. And when someone is elevated, sometimes our natural reaction is to get defensive, and we meet them head on. But this is a master lesson for us. Listen, acknowledge what others are saying, Stay calm, put the ego to the side and hear what people are saying. And if we do that, maybe we can be like this amazing woman who is so talented. And the best person that I know. I also sat down with two ladies that are very special to me. One was my grade level partner, and the other top first grade. And these ladies are top notch. And they've taught me so much. And they've both taught for over 40 years. Both of them come into school. And they fill it with joy and love every single day. And they've handled every obstacle, especially everything that's been thrown at them throughout the pandemic, with grace. And they were a common force at our school. These were individuals that people came to for advice. They were people who brought out the best and others who raised others up. And they were also two people. One their very last day, their teaching career, said that they wouldn't change a thing that they loved every single minute of what they did. And we should listen to those who walk out the door on the last day, after 40 years. And they have a smile on their face. And a few things that they said that were key to their longevity was first laughter to have fun, to not take yourself so seriously, and to find things throughout the day to laugh at. And that's so true. How often do you find yourself all stressed out bogged down by the demands that are put upon you burnout by expectation, student behavior, state testing, etc. And the list could go on and on. And the hard truth is, that's not going anywhere. But amidst all of that, there are moments for us to laugh at. The key is to be open to it, to see it to embrace it. Sometimes, you just gotta throw your hands up in the air and laugh at some of the things that are going on. And these ladies embody it. And their story is unique. Because for the past 29 years, they have teamed taught in an open classroom. One was first grade, one was second grade, and they were a duo. So find those people in the school that you connect with those people that you can laugh with. Those people who went that's a really bad day, and you go to him, they don't bring you down farther. But they're able to lift you up, and they're able to make you feel better. And finding that team was one of the keys that these ladies said was pivotal to their longevity. And when they talked about the school, they didn't refer to the other staff members as colleagues. But they said they were family. And they said, when you teach for 40 plus years, that you go through life with some of the people that you work with. Think about everything that happened this year. Think about everything that's happened over the course of the past two years in your life. None think about five years, 10 years, 20 years, and so on. There are major life events, not just school events, but life events that happened over the course of that time. And we all have varying degrees of how much of our personal life we share with others, and how close we allow ourselves to get with others. But no matter what level we share, we can always support we can always encourage, we can always lift each other up. Because we all need that. And these ladies did this for everyone. And they said that was part of what made coming to work over the past 40 years so special. And there are three other pieces of advice that I think are important to share that they bestowed upon me. And the first One, my friend said that you need to know when to walk away. She told me that there was a time that she was having a conversation with the administrator at the time. And she was upset, she was emotional. And she said that the principal even asked her if she wanted to continue this conversation back in the office where it was more private. And she said, No. And she went on to say, because I know I'm going to say something that I will regret. And she decided it was better to walk away at the time. And in that moment, she showed unbelievable self awareness. She recognized that in an emotional state, she wasn't thinking as clearly as she wanted to. And she may say things that she would not want to say. And this is a valuable lesson for all of us. Because who hasn't given into their emotions, who hasn't said things send attacks sent an email that we would later regret, because I know I have. So recognize when it's best to just walk away, recognize when it would be best to revisit a conversation once both parties have calmed down. And both parties are less emotionally driven. Now another jump, that one of these ladies gave was, she said, the key to staying positive amidst everything that goes on, and that's all the negativity that can be within the school is that she was really good at leaving work. At work. She said that once you walked out those doors, most days, she was able to leave it there. And when she walked through the doors of her home, she was home. And that that was family time. And that's not always easy. But it's something that all of us should strive for, find a way to leave work at work. And when you're home, you're home with your family. And the last piece of advice to share from the special ladies, is the about the purpose that you bring to your day. My one friend said, I may not have been the best teacher. And let me just say for a second, she was a master educator, she was unbelievable. She said, I may not have been the best teacher, but I love the students. And they always knew it. And seeing her in action, day after day for several years, I can say that this is the absolute truth that she showed that she loved those students with her words, she showed that she loved those students with her actions in those students absolutely knew. And I can't speak for you. But at the end of the day, I want my students six out. But even more importantly, I hope they walk away with a feeling that they're seen that they're heard that they're valued every single day. And I just want to say to my two friends, you are two of the very best. And thank you for being you. And I told you a lot of reflection was taking place this week. Now I want to get into some of the gems from doing 100 episodes. Like I said at the very beginning. The best episodes were the ones where there was a guest, we can learn from everyone we meet, and each guest were unbelievable. And they dropped some absolute gems. And the very first guest that I had was Alex Calderon on episode 71. And I owe Alex a lot. Because I had always said that I wanted to do interviews, but I always found reasons to push them off. Because to be honest, I am much more comfortable doing a monologue than taping a conversation. And there was just a lot of self defeating thoughts that I had about doing interviews. And it may sound silly to you, but I'm just being open and I'm being truthful. And he came to me about collaborating on each other's Podcast where he would be on the teaching champions podcast. And I will be on his podcast, the first generation teaching lens, which is a great podcast. So definitely check it out. And he pushed me outside of my comfort zone. And I'm forever grateful for that. And he has such an amazing story. And I can't do it justice by telling it here. But he dives into the history of his family, and the journey that he has taken, which is truly amazing. And one of my favorite gems from this episode is he talks about how his mom didn't speak English very well. And one of his teachers took the time to write comments on his report card that was in English, and in Spanish, so that his mother could read it. And he talked about how that meant the world to his mother. It was such a great reminder of how powerful the little things are. And this whole story is amazing. And just hearing the love that his mother had, the sacrifices that she made. It just reminds us of the difference that those who love us make in our lives. And it's just an unbelievable episode. And my second interview was with Dr. Darren pepper. And he's such an awesome guy. He is someone who is a friend to me, he's a mentor. He's a coach to me. And he was on episode 79. And he talks about two questions that changed his career. He talked about how he was in a faculty meeting. And they were talking about some issues that they were having in school. And then he said all of a sudden, a member of the staff raise their hand. And he called on her. And she said, Why does it always have to be about what's wrong with the student? Why can't it be about what is right with them. And I was familiar with these questions prior to the interview, because I read his book The road to awesome last summer. But there were moments this year, when I wasn't on the same page as my champions. And I had to make that conscious effort to really focus on what they did right inside of the class. And that's pretty profound. Because where our focus goes, our energy is going to flow. So if all you're doing is focusing on what is wrong, then that's all you're gonna see. But if you focus on what is right, then you're gonna see what is right within your champions. And my third interview was episode 85, when Melissa Hayes and if you don't know who she is, let me tell you, she's an absolute Rockstar. And she's a second grade teacher like myself, and she just motivates you. I see what she does inside of her classroom. And it's constantly making me think of how I can bring some of the magic that she has to my students. And one thing that I absolutely love is how she brings technology into the classroom. And one of the things that she does that is unreal for her second graders, is what she calls mystery zooms in this is amazing. She uses social media to connect with people all across the country, and honestly, is all over the world. And then she sets up a Zoom meeting, that her students can meet them and try and figure out where these individuals are from the engagement, the exposure to people from all over the world, the things that they learn from them. It's everything that learning should be. And she just has so many amazing ideas. And I'm gonna leave her information along with all my guests information in the show notes. So be sure to check out each and every single one of these individuals. And my fourth interview was on episode 91. And it was with the 2022, Arkansas Teacher of the Year Jessica song. And let me tell you, this interview hit home with me. Jessica is a military wife, and part of her platform is building awareness for military children. In this episode was personal with me because of my military background. And the conversation brought up so many special memories and one thing What I love that she said, was to embrace the military children. A child that grows up in the military family is very different than a child who grows up in a civilian family. Due to the nature of the military, these families are very transient, and they move around a lot. But this also means that they have been exposed to a lot of different things, that they may have a lot of different background experiences. And in the interview, Jessica said that if you have a child from a military family, you should embrace them into your classroom. And understand that these children may have experiences, they're very different from the other students in the class. So use these experiences in a positive way. Welcome, those life experiences from the military students, see if you can use it and highlight that in your class. And after having this conversation with Jessica, I went and talk with one of my colleagues at work. And her father was career military. And all the experiences that Jessica discussed, my colleague face. And she said, it was hard moving around every few years, especially the older she got. And when you came to a new school, she said it could be lonely. So she's taken that experience. And she's made sure that any new student that transfers into her classroom is greeted and welcomed, and that she gives the new student, a buddy to sit with at lunchtime, so they're not sitting by themselves, and that she helps them throughout the initial first few days. And as we grow older, sometimes we don't realize the burden that some of these kids carry. And I think just because lesson transcends not just the children of military families, but all students that move around a lot. Think of ways that we can welcome new students into our classroom family. How can we highlight? How can we welcome the knowledge that they bring from their own life experiences. And my fifth interview was episode 95. With Dan Wolf, and Dan, you can hear it in his voice as he goes through the interview. He's just a phenomenal guy. He's an administrator. He's an author of a new book becoming the change. And he dropped some wonderful gems in this interview. And one of my favorites was when he dropped the reminder that we need to look for the positives, to look for the positives in our day, to look for the positives in our students. And we talked about this before, but what you look for, is what you're going to find. And if you look for the negatives, if you focus on the things that drive you crazy, then that's what you're going to find. But as Dan reminds us, if we're conscious of our thoughts, if we focus on the good, the great things that are all around us, the great things there within our students. That's what we're gonna find in my latest interview was episode 99, with Terry Watson. And in this interview, Terry and I discussed everything from project based learning to service learning to the food that our kids are consuming at school. And one gem that I love from Terry is that he said that in every project based learning project, there should be a component where the student is looking to reach out to someone who's a specialist in that area. And Terry talked about how he's reached out to several different authors, and that he's received responses from them. And I think this is such an important lesson for not just the students, but for us as well. There are so many people that are willing to help, but they're never going to help if we're not willing to ask. So think about the seed that we're planning in these students at a young age. And we're having them reach out to experts and get that knowledge. And I just want to say thank you to Alex, Darren, Melissa, Jessica, Dan and Terry, for taking that time to share the wisdom with us. And it's hard to believe that this is episode 100 And hopefully we can Keep the podcast rolling for another school year. And there are so many of you out there that have a story that have wisdom to share. And hopefully, this podcast can be a platform that highlights you, and highlights the great things that are happening inside your classrooms. And my challenge for you, is to take some time today, and use your words to elevate someone. A week ago, one of my good friends sent me a link to an obituary of a gentleman that I used to work with. Every summer when I was in college. I worked for the city during the summer in the parks department, I would drive around all the parks. And we would take care of all the lawn care, the maintenance, we would weed whack, and just make sure the parks were ready. And my main supervisor, who was with me all day long throughout the summer, who was almost 30 years, my elder was this gentleman. And we spent the day laughing, cracking jokes, we would tell inappropriate stories from my college days, and he would share some stories from his adventures and Vegas and other stories from his youth. And we just always laugh. And as I grew older, and I stopped working for the city, I would run into him at the YMCA. And we'd always jump on a treadmill next to one another. And we would share a few more laughs. And since the pandemic, I haven't seen my friend in a couple years, and he's passed now. And whenever someone passes, you always get that feeling inside you. Where you say you're going to stay in contact with your loved ones, that you're going to reach out to your friends more often. But too often life happens when we stop reaching out. So my challenge for you is once you stop listening to this episode, if you're driving once you finish driving, if you're doing housework, once you stop with that house where you take that time you take that moment, and you reach out to someone, anyone. And you just let them know that you're thinking about them. If you get the urge, tell them that you found this amazing podcast that they need to listen to, and that they're so lucky, because there's 100 episodes. So that means that they have a whole summer worth of podcast episodes to listen to. But all joking aside, let someone know today that you care about them. And let someone know that you appreciate them. Some attacks about a funny memory. Because who doesn't love that? When you hit stop, let someone know you're thinking about them. Then see if you can do it tomorrow, in the next day. And the day after that. Life is short. Remind those you love that you love them. As I wrap up, thank you for being here. If you're new to the podcast and made it all the way through. Thank you. And through for everyone who has been a longtime listener. I appreciate you guys so much. Thank you for going on this journey with me. I've been blessed to connect with people all across the country. And I've even made some connections with some amazing people on the other side of the world. And it just reinforces that were a global community. That it doesn't matter where we're from. And then all of us were just looking to encourage to support to lift each other up. And like we always say, it doesn't matter whether we're from rural America, to urban America, to Canada to Spain to Bahrain. We're all on the same team. We're all on that same mesh. And we're always better together. And I just want to say one more time. Thank you to each and every single one of you. In my man Jimmy I hope those slot machines keep ringing and I hope you Keep smiling. Thanks for all the good times, brother. Keep being amazing, my friends, and as you go out into the week, May step into your strength may step into your shine, and let's build our champions. Have a great week everybody