Relationship, Growth, and Wins Inside of the Classroom

I'm Brian Martin, I'm a second grade teacher who find so much joy and fulfillment in what I do. Being in the classroom for almost 20 years, I know all about the time, effort and energy that you are continuously pouring into those you serve. That's why each week, I'm going to bring you an inspiring message to give you a little joy, and help fill your cup back up. Thank you for being here, and welcome to the teaching champions podcast. What's going on everybody, I hope this finds you striving and thriving and doing absolutely amazing. I hope all of you had a blessed week and those living in the States, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of Turkey and pumpkin pie. And hopefully you enjoyed a little time to unwind and recharge, those breaks that we have throughout the year are important. And it's important to spend that time in whatever way is best for you, whatever way fills your cup back up. Now this past week leading up to break, my district had two half days with parent teacher conferences. And it was around 630 on Monday. And I had just finished up with conferences for the night. And I was waiting for my wife who's finishing up her conferences. So I decided to take a walk around the school just to decompress from the day. And a school a nighttime is so much different than a school during the day. Those busy hallways are quiet. The classrooms that are bright and filled with energy are now dark and silent. And it just had a really surreal feeling to it. And I walked around the school and I smiled as I passed our kindergarten section and saw the work posted on the bulletin boards outside the classrooms. And then a little farther down the hallway was the amazing work that the art teacher has been doing with the students and what they're creating. And then I walk past the third grade classroom. And I stop, and I look for work for my former students. And in that moment, standing in that quiet and dimly lit hallway is I'm looking at the work from my former students. I just smiled. And I was so thankful that I've been blessed to do what I do, to spend my days with these special champions, to see them grow, to laugh with them, to learn with them, and to be just a small piece of their journey. That feeling of gratitude just flooded over me. And I've tried to hold on to that feeling throughout the break. Because we hold on to those unpleasant moments, those unpleasant feelings so easily. But those moments of joy, they seem to go by so fast. And often they slipped through our memories. So I've tried to remind myself of that, especially during a week like this, when we should be thinking of how much we truly have to be grateful for. Now, the truth is, not every day is a good day. There are plenty of moments that fall at the opposite end of the spectrum. And that's why I really tried to grasp on to this moment, because I know there's going to be times when that struggle is real. And I'm going to be in a rut, and I'll need that moment, I'll need to be reminded of that gratitude for this job. I need to go back to that feeling of standing in that hallway, looking at my former students work, and being thankful for being able to do what I do, just so I can help myself out. And with that being said, let's dive into this week's episode. Last weekend, I was watching some college basketball, and the announcer was talking about one of the teams and the team that was playing had 10 Freshmen they were playing major minutes, and the announcer said that the coach and an interview prior to the game had mentioned that his focus wasn't on their record, that his main focus for the team was three things relationships, growth, and wins. And when he says wins, the coach was referring to those small achievable benchmarks that his team can strive for every single day. And if they achieve those small wins, then the bigger ones will come. And this made me Stop and think, especially with the first marking period coming to a close, and having parent teacher conferences, would if we took a little time at this stage of the game, and really looked at how we're doing in these three areas. How are those relationships with those we serve? How are we doing it taking time to stop and celebrate the growth that's taking place inside our classrooms? And how are we embracing those small daily went? So let's take a closer look at these topics, do a little reflection, and see, what are the things that we are doing? Well, what are the things that we could be doing better? What is it that we need to do more of? And what are the things that we need to stop doing? So let's take a look at that first one, relationships, you don't need to be reminded about the power of relationships and the role that they play in teaching and student achievement. It's not a bad thing, though, for us to do a check in with ourselves periodically, and really look to see how are we connecting with all of our students, like all the relationships in our lives, there are moments where we feel really connected to others. And then there are times when that connection is lacking, there's a little Abin flow to relationships. And the same can be said, for the relationships with our students. There are moments where those connections seem very strong, and other times when we're just not on that same page. And there are students who that bond comes very easily and naturally with us. But how about those other ones? Take a little time and think about how you've connected with the students who are quiet? How have you connected with the students who may be struggling in class, whether it's academically, behaviorally, or socially? How are you connecting with those students who you don't have that natural connection with? Have you connected lately, with your students over things that have been done outside the classroom, it's good for us to take time and ask these questions. Even being at the primary level, I can get so wrapped up on everything that needs to be covered. So I can't even begin to match the pressure is on those of you who are at the upper levels. But if I'm not consciously aware of it, I can get so caught up in my own agenda. And I can forget that these young champions are so much more than just bodies that fill up our classrooms to learn. There are people and they need to feel seen, they need to feel heard, they need to feel valued, they need to feel important. And they need to feel more than just a student. And with the positions we hold. In many ways, it's up to us to drive and to tend to those relationships. So periodically take stock into how those relationships are going. And I just want to add on one more thought about relationships. There was a post on Twitter the other day, and someone mentioned that their first year teaching, their mentor teacher told them, you're not going to like all of your students. The key is that you treat all your students to say, and this individual said that after 26 years, she's approach to relationships with the students as always looking for the bright spots that they have. And by focusing on the bright spots, she has always liked all of her students, and has developed relationships with all of them. The relationships with our students are not the only relationships that we need to be cognizant of though, with parent teacher conferences wrapping up, it was a great reminder of the importance of establishing those relationships with the parents, asking ourselves, How often have we connected with parents? Have those contacts been about something positive that happened within the classroom? Or are they only the negative? We should also ask ourselves, what are ways that we can build stronger connections with the parent over the next 10 weeks? Now let's talk about growth. And this is a big one. It's easy to get caught up on how much more our students need to learn from now until the end of the year. It's easy to look at a group of students whose education has been greatly affected over the last two school years and see the effects that it has had on their education. And it's also easy. If you take the time to take a step back. Look at where your students started this school year. And look at where they're at now. It's there. It's taking place every single day in your classroom, and it's important that you recognize that growth. And it's even more important, it's vital that we take time. And we make that growth visible for our students. Think about how much more motivated we are. When we see growth in our own lives. That sense of accomplishment. It feels good. It breathes life into us, it motivates us, and makes us want to do more. And the students, they're the same way, as we move into December is a good time to take pause, and think of how we are at letting our students see the growth that is happening for them. How can we do this even better, focus on making that growth visible. don't always get so locked in on where you need to go, that you miss out on how far you've come. Always remember, little by little, a little becomes a lot. And our champions show up every day. You show up every day. And little by little, our champions are growing, our champions are thriving, and our champions are excelling. Take that time and celebrate that growth. And with growth, we need to take time and celebrate the wins. author John Gordon says, If you want to know the culture of a place, look at what they tolerate, and look at what they celebrate their wins that are happening every single day in your classroom. There are big wins, and there are small wins. There are academic wins, there are behavioral wins, there are social wins. And if you take a look at your classroom culture, and think about the things that you are celebrating, how are you making the students feel seen, heard, valued? What are ways that you're bringing joy into the class, think of the culture that you create within the classroom, when you are taking time to celebrate the students. Think about the relationships that you're forming. When you take time to celebrate the students for the wins that they are having outside of the classroom. Those big goals that we have for our students, they're achieve my small daily actions. So think of how you celebrate those small wins, and the ways that you can do it more that classroom culture is formed by what we tolerate, and what we celebrate. So how are you celebrating those small wins for your champions today. And reflection leads to growth for all of us. And when our plate is full, it's not always at the top of the list to reflect on areas like relationships, growth, and wins. But if you just take five minutes every week, and do a check, what's going well, what's not going well, what do I need to do more of? What do I need to do less of these reflections can have a tremendous impact on your classroom. Thank you for being here for being part of the teaching champions podcast, I appreciate you. And if you think someone would benefit from this message, I would be grateful if you would share it with them. It's all about trying to help one another navigate this school year. And the teaching champions community supports it encourages and it lifts each other up. And always remember, whether you're from rural America, to urban America, to Canada, to Spain to Bahrain, we're all on that same team. We're all on that same mission. And we're always better together. And my challenge for you this week, is to take some time and reflect what were the moments that you've had recently that filled you up that conversation you had that laugh that you share that aha moment, that kind word or note that was given to you. Our days are filled with these moments. And if you're open tomb, you'll see them and these small reminders are all around you. And as those moments come to you look to cherish them, hold on, tuck them away, for there's gonna come a time when you need a little pick me up. You need to feel that moment. Again. Keep meeting amazing, my friends. And as you go out into the week, May you step into your strength may step into your shine, and let's build our champions. Have a great week, everybody