Since before I can remember, you have been “an open book”. You have always been willing to share about anything, especially if that information helped someone else. However in the midst of that openness, we’ve learned that “letting people in” opens us up to a whole can of insecurities, vulnerability and being known. It is evident now more than ever that we all have an innate desire to know others and to be known by others. Remember - before stepping foot into a classroom, the thought of letting an eleven year old know you sounded terrifying and somewhat ridiculous. Being known by closest friends, yes. Church small group, yes. Family, yes. But students - no thanks. Don’t forget that they’re humans too. They too want to be known and to know others. And when a teacher opens up their life to their students, something amazing happens - real, authentic relationships. Don’t forget that these relationships are the start of it all and being vulnerable and “letting them in” is the only way to make this happen.
So, take the plunge and prioritize “letting them in”. Here are a few no-stress, easy ways to “let them in”:
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Last week, I listened to the Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey podcast featuring Jenna Kutcher. I know this podcast wasn’t on your radar, but - go listen NOW. It will surely challenge you, make you think and ignite change in your life. It’s amazing! My absolute favorite thing about Jamie's podcast is how every word encourages me to self-reflect while listening to someone's unique story or perspective. A lot of the topics of discussion got me thinking about a few things: my dream job, my gifts and how to leverage those to create change.
My dream job - well you know since I was a little girl all I wanted to be was a teacher. In fact, this week a student asked me “What would you be if you weren’t a teacher?” and I honestly felt trapped answering that question. I love being able to say that I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and now I’ve accomplished that dream. But this also made me think about how our dreams should evolve as we change. Yes, I’ve accomplished being a teacher, but now, let’s use that dream to change in the world. Don’t ever become stagnant. You were made for so much more. Speaking of knowing I’ve always wanted to be a teacher...remember when you turned your large, upstairs bathroom into your class? Remember when you persuaded your younger sisters to endure being students in your bathroom classroom? Remember all the “parent conferences” with your mom? Remember teaching them how to add? Remember giving your students (sisters) tickets when they were doing good to motivate them? Can we just take a second and die laughing at the fact that this was your childhood? Hilarious! I mean come on. My poor sisters and mom. But nonetheless, it was just another reason why I knew I was born to be a teacher. My gifts - I am a teacher through and through. I am creative. I am a relationship builder. I am a connector, a communicator, an activator, a wooer. I have been affirmed over and over again since I was young that these are a few of my gifts. These are some of the things that make me unique. Find your gifts. Listen for people to affirm them. And then choose to walk in those gifts to create change. Creating change - this is something that I have recently become passionate about. Not necessarily change itself, but actually being intentional to create change. Every interaction you have with a staff member or student creates change. Either negative or positive. You don’t choose if you have impact, you just control what type of impact. So leverage your gifts and your passions to make a change in the world. This week, I kept repeating to my students “If you do the little things right, then the big things come!”. That phrase is resonating in my head reminding me to make small intentional moments count. Choose positive change. Choose intentionality. Choose to embrace your dreams - big and small. Choose to leverage them for change. |
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