Two Questions on the Road to Awesome

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. And today, I want to take a few minutes and talk about the way in which we view our students because it matters. And recently, I was reading this great book called The road to awesome by Dr. Darrin Peppard. Now he's a former principal of the year. He's currently a superintendent. He's an author and speaker. And in his book, he talks about two questions that really changed him in the way that he leads. And I want you to think about these two questions and what they mean to you. In the book, they're talking about a time when he was a principal, and he's leading a faculty meeting. And like every faculty meeting, he's plowing through the items on the agenda. And then they start talking about student behaviors, the dress codes, the compliance issues that they're having during the school day, and the consequences that they can use to help enforce those rules. And we know about those faculty meetings, because we've been there. And we know, once we start talking about the student behaviors that you can feel, and you can see the energy in the room start to shift, you can start seeing people get worked up. And it's like that snowball effect, where it starts small. And then it grows, and it grows, and it's gross. We've all had these meetings. And they're in the middle of this meeting. And they're having this discussion. And all of a sudden, the school social worker raises her hand. And she politely asked, why does it always have to be about what they do wrong? And then she follows it up with? Why can't it be about what they do? Right? Listen to those two questions again, and feel the meaning in that. Why does it always have to be about what they do wrong? Why can't it be about what they do, right? We've all had those students in class, the ones that push the boundaries, they don't always follow the rules, they have that uncanny ability to push your buttons just the right way. And the moment they enter the classroom, our eyes on them. And we're waiting, and we're watching like a hawk out of the corner of the eye. Because we know they're gonna break the rules, we know they're gonna say something inappropriate, that they're gonna fool around, that they're not going to do the work. So we wait. And we watch. And sometimes we do this consciously. And other times we do it at the subconscious level. But we wait for them moment. And then just like we knew what was gonna happen, there's that moment where we can say, I got you. But what do we prove in those moments? What do we gain? Do we have a sense of power of strength? The students don't walk away feeling good. My students don't ever say at the end of the day, I'm so thankful. Mr. Martin pointed out everything that I did wrong today. I'm feeling like a really good person. They don't. And it's not rewarding for us either. So what if we pour just as much energy into what they do, right? What if, in the moment that they enter our classroom, we still watch them like a hawk. We still wait for that moment. But instead of waiting for that moment where they mess up, we focus on paying attention to what they do, right? The Times that they show the kindness and empathy for their peers, the moments where they show grit and hard work, where they follow the directions. And for some of them, it might be something small, but we can build off the small things. We can start stacking those small wins on top of each other, and start creating momentum and work off of that. And think about the message that we send to our champions, when we start praising them for what they do, right? Because some of these students, especially the ones who struggle to hear so often about what they do wrong, they're reminded day in and day out of their struggles. What do you think that does their self identity? What labels they start placing on themselves? What stories do they start telling themselves about who they are, and isn't an amazing that once we start believing something about ourselves, that our identity starts to get shaped around those beliefs. So let's look for the best and let's make it visible and pointed out to them. And think about the fact that it's going to have on our relationship with them. When we start consciously seeing and recognizing the good and others, that relationship is only going to become more positive and strengthen. And I know in my own life, I feel so much happier. When I'm seeing the good in people and not focusing on the wrong. We're gonna feel better. And our champions are gonna feel better, too, when we focus on what's right with them, when we focus on their strengths. Now, are they gonna slip up and make mistakes? Yep. Listen, even though I'm a young 41, I still make mistakes all the time. And I'm sure there are moments throughout the day, when there are things that you say you do that you regret. And if we have these moments as adults, then we can't expect our champions not to do the same. So let's show them grace. Let's see the greatness within let's let them know, because they have so many people in their lives, who are willing to point out what's wrong with them. So let's be the ones that let them know how much they shy, the greatness that they have within them. And these two questions, they're just one of so many great takeaways in the book, The Road to Awesome, so check it out. It's a great read. And Darrin's doing some great things for educators. So look for him on Twitter and Instagram. I'm going to leave his information in the show notes. And remember those two questions? Why does it always have to be about what they do wrong? Why can't it be about what they do, right? So let's focus on what makes our champions amazing. And let's help them see their shine. And I appreciate you for your time and for being part of the teaching champions community. And if you think anyone would benefit from this message, I truly appreciate it if you could pass it on. And always remember, it doesn't matter if you're from rural America, to urban America, to Canada, to Spain to Bahrain. We're on that same team. We're all on that same mission. And we're always better together. My challenge for you this week, take those two questions and extend it beyond the classroom to the others in your life. So often, we get caught up and looking at the faults in our colleagues, our friends, and sometimes even our own family members that we forget about what's right with them. So let's focus on their shine. So take time this week, and look for the good because there's so much good all around us. Keep being amazing, my friends. And as we go out into this week may step into your strength, may you step into your shine, and let's build these champions up. Have a great week, everybody