Connect, Contribute and Care: The Collaborative Curricula of the 2021 School

When the pandemic hit schools, the lens of education became focused on an essential component of life: being human.

Ask anyone older than you and they will say don’t wish away your time. When it comes to 2020, the majority of the world can’t wait to turn the page.

What if we don’t learn from this year?

What if we don’t take away any value?

What if we remember 2020 as “what if”?

In education, we take pride in the everyday mentality of bringing something new to the table. Wearing “Carpe Diem” as a digital tattoo during distance learning allowed teachers to reinvent themselves, while rejuvenating their classroom.

What if we dismiss the hustle & grind that made us better than 2019 because of 2020? Don’t sell your mindset short!

The point is a lesson plan that should be a cliche on repeat ~ conquer complacency. The biggest mistake we can make in education, as we look to change the narrative on the last year is to master mediocrity.

What do I mean?

No matter your role: classroom teacher, support staff, B&G, transportation, nurse, administrator …. everyone was asked to pivot in a blink of an eye. Look at how your role, and the significance of any change you brought, and embrace that mindset, that work ethic, that optimism.

If you are reading this and saying “I don’t know what that was,” then start by looking at your building. Are the people inside it better because you are there with them? More importantly, how?

My entire career has been spent teaching, in the most literal sense, students, teachers, and the community to accept adversity and become its ally. No matter how “negative” a situation, find the silver lining.

As it pertains to school during the pandemic, the lens of education became focused on an essential component of life: being human. It sounds silly, but the push of ’21 starts with embracing and empathy and showing compassion towards one another.

For most, this extra-curricular is its own textbook, its own standard, focused on everyone’s Common Core.

The educators that challenge themselves to enhance the classroom experience for their students, will in turn revolutionize the culture & climate of their building, and dare I say community.

But how?

Connect

Make it a mission to build new relationships every single day — not just with your students, but with your colleagues and parents of the community. Don’t be scared to take time to make time for relationship-building. This could be a virtual ice-ice breaker, standing outside your classroom to greet students, or better yet, make positive phone calls home (a great way to end the week).

Contribute

One of the most valuable lessons a teacher can teach their students right now, and administrators can embrace with their staff, is to showcase the “love for local.” A true life skill can be taught in this current event we are living collectively.

Have homerooms, departments, teams, clubs, grade levels, even schools each choose a local business in your school’s community to highlight and support. Have each group go to the local establishment and spend time getting to know the owner, the staff, and the history behind the business.

Nothing is stronger than a community supporting each other. Think about (literally think) the value in such a project — civic education at its best. I guarantee this will strengthen the ties with local businesses any time you are looking for fundraising and community service project contribution.

Care

Be Intentional in putting your team, students, teachers, staff, parents, and community first. No matter your role, start every day by asking as many people “What can I do for you?” or “What do you need from me?”

If the person you are asking feels it’s genuine, you will be creating a learning environment, a community, where everyone feels valued and safe. During this global pandemic, this is the most important textbook. The authenticity of real relationship-building matters.

While every school wonders how we are going to get through the curriculum, it is imperative not to sell short the value of teaching life-skills. What gets us through adverse times is appreciating those who navigate us through them.

Show others how to do so and you, your team, your students, your building, your community will be better for it.

Stay Positive, Stay Driven