Diplomacy, Compassion, Respect.

What makes a good leader? This is not a topic I know a lot about, but I'll do my best. As an oppositional defiant person, I do not take kindly to having orders shouted at me. So don't do that if you want a hope in hell of getting me to do what you want me to do. 

Tone Of Voice

I have worked around educators, and I am a former child, so when a teacher uses a particular tone of voice on a child, it sets my teeth on edge. My blood begins to boil. My vision blurs. I cannot see or hear anything else but the abhorrent way that the teacher is speaking to a child. 

FYI, you can be firm without talking down to children. Additionally, do not shout at or humiliate a child. Especially in front of their peers. Speak respectfully, in a low voice. That is the way to reach a child. Talk to them privately, if at all possible. As a former child who was extremely defiant to authority figures, I will tell you that the teachers I gave the most respect to were the teachers who spoke respectfully towards me. 

Go on a quest to find what is good about each of your students or employees.

If you want to teach children, be prepared to find some of your students less easy to love. There will be children with behavioural issues. There will be children with a constant stream of green mucous running from their noses. Children are not always going to be cute, adorable, and obedient. You have to find the loveable parts that exist in every child. And you have to have some goddamn empathy for the kind of lives many of these kids lead outside of the school environment. 

When I was an educational assistant, I was in the staff room and overheard a teacher talking about a particular student with so much contempt. She was disgusted with the fact that this child came to school every day with green mucous streaming from their nose. That made me ever so angry. And also very sad for the child. I wish I'd been able to offer this new teacher some wisdom, but I was very young too. I had not learned the art of confronting problematic behaviour. 

Do Not Have Favorites

Teachers should never, and I mean, never, have favorites. At least they should not make their favouritism visible to the other students. Because make no mistake, students recognize this. As a former child, I will tell you that the children slipping through the cracks can see this favoritism very clearly. It hurts. It makes us feel like garbage. 

I was not an academically inclined student. I was taking seizure medication which made me quite tired. I was a daydreamer. I didn't pay attention. Everything was very boring, in my opinion. But some of my teachers were kind to me, regardless. This made a world of difference in how I behaved in the classroom. Some teachers really tried hard to find something I was good at, but were unsuccessful. 

I enjoyed choir, but when I started finding my voice, another student mocked me. This quickly silenced my singing down to a murmur. And when the choir instructor scolded me for yawning, it made me dislike her very much. I could not help but yawn, as the medication I had to take made feel very tired. But I got the overall feeling that those teachers who tried to help me, cared about me. As an adult, it means a lot to me now, that they tried. I enjoyed drama, but often froze on the stage. In high school, I absolutely loved drama club, but our teacher sadly retired.

Anyway, try and find what your students are good at and give them support and encouragement in growing their talent. Do not isolate students in the hallway. I saw the same children every single day, sitting at their desks in the hallway. I get that some children will be disruptive. Find ways to make them like you. They will listen to you if they like you. I get that managing problematic behaviours in a classroom is never easy. Educators need a great deal more support than what they are getting. I understand that this is a huge problem. This is why so many students slip through the cracks. They are left behind when, in reality, they are not given the opportunity to shine.

Just say no to behavioral charts!

Please do not use happy and sad-faced stickers. I can't stress enough how ethos-breaking this practice is for students who are having difficulty. And awards day is a joke. I sat in the bleachers feeling crappy while everyone received awards and I didn't. Besides, we should be teaching intrinsic motivation to students, not having them rely on a sticker or an award to feel good about themselves. This is a whole other topic that will most likely create in me a blind rage if I start delving deeper. 

You are more than an academic curriculum educator.

This is a problem I see in the mindset of many educators. They believe anything more than merely teaching students, is not their responsibility. No. This is absolute bullshit. And I understand fully that educators are often not given the classroom support they need. This does not mean tho, that all they are responsible for is educating students. These are children, goddamn it! They have feelings. They have bad days. Sometimes they come from chaotic or abusive home environments.

Nurture the fuk out of your goddamn students. It doesn't even have to take a lot of time. It can be using a particular tone of voice. It is offering students kindness and empathy. Bring some snacks into the classroom. Some of these kids haven't had breakfast. Notice the struggling children. Be a watchful eye for them. You may be their last resource. Advocate for their educational and emotional needs. 

See, there is a certain type of teacher that fills me with rage. They stand at the front of the classroom and bossily make demands. They do not have endearing qualities, IMO. They do not make learning fun and engaging. They expect blind obedience and compliance. They are not going to get it, especially with the attitude they have. 

They will have favorites. Those students will be successful at learning, even with this educator's lack of imagination. There will be compliant children eager to please. Eager to receive any scrap of positive attention their teacher will give them. But in every classroom, there will be challenging students. You can cut the number you are contending with drastically down with a few simple modifications in the way you teach and interact with them. 

These are the educators who believe they are paid to teach and not do anything else. Such utter bullcrap. They are with their students for a good portion of the day. Children are not merely robots, they are human beings. They have emotional needs. There is a great deal going on behind the scenes. Stuff their educators don't see. Not just stuff going on at home and personal struggles, but drama happening between the students. 

Exclusion, bullying, cliques, gossip, etc. These are teachable moments. This is where an educator's eyes must be open. They need to watch how their students are interacting with each other. They shockingly will often turn a blind eye to blatant instances of bullying. After all, they are paid to teach, not protect vulnerable students, right? I know for a fact that this happens. You are the student's only lifeline and protection; do not turn a blind eye to make your job easier. Help the goddamn children!

When I was a practicum student I was placed in a classroom for challenging students. The teacher was phenomenal. She was authoritative, yet she never spoke to students like they were garbage. Every morning before class would start, this teacher would have time for students to share how they were feeling that day. I think this practice would be beneficial in all classrooms. But alas, we must adhere strictly to the prescribed curriculum, musn't we?

I learned a great deal from this educator. It was a refreshing experience not to be confronted with having to face my childhood trauma head-on. It, in fact, was healing. I became those students. I felt, what they felt. This teacher did offer nurturing as well. She read to them every day. Keep in mind that many of these students had never once had a book read to them at home. We went on outings, we cooked with them. We took them grocery shopping. Some of these kids, sadly, are tasked with being the parents to their siblings. Some of them are left to fend for themselves. 

I wish so very much that children and youth were educated more comprehensively. There is a time crunch tho, is there not? I propose longer school days and year-round education. Students can still take time off in the summer months for family holidays. Summers would be more flexible. Thus, the proposal gives educators more time to focus on the children's overall well-being rather than simply academics. For example, to create a generation of critical, free thinkers, philosophy should be taught. In the Spring and Summer, there could be outdoor learning opportunities such as gardening. 

Additionally, these longer school days and summer attendance would keep at-risk children safe for a longer period of time. Sometimes, school is the only safe place for these students. There is so much to talk about, but I must reign myself in.

Oh also, building teamwork is important. Offering students an opportunity to interact and work with peers they are not normally spending time with. Having everyone working together as a team to accomplish something makes a good educator/leader.

Oh and children and youth should be fed at school. Some of these students come to school hungry. How can they learn if they have not been fed? A good leader makes sure their team is fed, lol! 

Thank you all so very much for reading my stuff.