EDUCATORS FIRST...TEACHERS SECOND

I am convinced there is a grand divide from what we mean by educator and what we mean by teacher.

We think they are one and the same, but they are not

What typically passes for “education” in modern, traditional schooling involves a teacher “teaching” content to students in order for them to consume it and regurgitate it in some way, typically in a quiz, worksheet, or test

And while this may certainly pass for “teaching”…it is not what is meant by education

I have written in previous articles that schools have always had an educative purpose (see “Why Educators Matter Now More Than Ever”)

Schools have always been places where the formation of human beings in their most critical developmental phases occurs

Indeed, when we look at the etymology of the word education, we see that it literally means “to bring out” in the way the chrysalis brings out the butterfly: taking one thing and helping it become its truest, deepest, most flourishing self.

From the very beginning, to educate has always meant to “bring out” that which is best and most true in students

Education has never meant merely cramming skulls full of Pre Calc or British Literature

Instead, education has always been in the business of what the Greeks called poiesis—human making

Education as human making is to help bring out in students that which is uniquely valuable, uniquely human, in their lives

That is what education means…and that is what educators do

Unfortunately, the structure of modern, traditional schooling leaves little time for this educative work to be done

Faculty are hired to “teach”: to pass out and deliver content and then assess the students’ recall of the content in a way that not only leaves little room for flourishing and human making…

it actually leads to high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, isolation, and self harm (something I have addressed in this article “The Urgent Need To Reimagine Schools”).

What is needed in school reform and site leadership is not more doubling down on “teaching” but unleashing the power of educators to do what they really do best…educate

How many of us (and how many of our students) have felt that school itself was uninspiring, disconnected, boring, and irrelevant, except for that one teacher who somehow stood out for the way she inspired us; the way she called out some deep sense of purpose and meaning in the course and, deeper still, in us?

How many of us made it through school because of the educator who saw something in us we did not yet see in ourselves?

How many of us had a coach, a band teacher, a drama director, a vice principal who made us feel seen, valued, heard, and special far beyond the academics and the assessments?

How many of us would not have made it if it had not been for that educator who greeted us at the door, who talked with us about our interests at lunch, who told us we had something unique to offer the world?

THAT is what education is.

It is a subtle yet significant switch in language and role identity to move from “teacher” to “educator” and yet that is the very step I invite us to take as we reform and reimagine schools as places of care, belonging, support, innovation, hope, and purpose

School administrators: When you hire, hire for educators first and teachers second.

Let your staff know their primary role is not to disseminate information but to facilitate the in-formation of the human beings in their care

Make it clear in faculty development meetings that grades, test scores, and output data come secondary to student flourishing

Create a culture of care and community that fosters belonging

Promote student voice and learner centered practices that invite students to bring out the best in themselves (for more on this, see my article on transforming schools from subject to learner centered)

Care for the educators in your building as they are the ones who shoulder the burden and carry the weight of the development of living human beings every single hour of the day

Let students know that your primary focus and interest is their flourishing and well-being in every school assembly and pep rally

Celebrate the intrinsic Good in your students the way you celebrate football victories and academic All Staters

To the best of your ability and as often as you can, err on the side of discipline rather than punishment when students falter

Use language that ensures everyone knows you care far more for the humanity of those in your care than you do the data points and metrics

Educators: Embrace your role and identity as the one whose very purpose and mission is to call out that which is true, good, and praiseworthy in every student

See yourself as far more than “teacher”. Run towards your place as the difference maker, the one whose words and actions speak blessing and life over your students

The research is very clear on this: the difference between a student making it and not often comes down to knowing that there is one caring person in their life, one person who believes in them, sees them, knows their name, and is always glad they came.

Be that person

Ditch the desks and rows to create circles of community and engagement

Greet your students at the door every single time they come in

Ask them about their passions and interest, hobbies and talents

Call home to brag on them

Shout them out publicly for the Good you catch them doing

Let them know you see them as they are, in all their wild uniqueness and in their not-yet-fully-formed selves

Imagine what a school would look like if this vision of education replaced that of teaching.

A school where every student knew they mattered

A school where the words used in faculty lounges and departmental meetings celebrated the Good in every student

A school where the administrators took their role as care-giver seriously and greeted students every day at the front door when they walked in

A school where the craving to know someone sees you is met by the caring adults in the community

A school where faculty knew in their bones their administration valued them, believed in them, and supported their professional and personal growth

A school that created time and space to express gratitude to each other on a consistent basis

A school that communicated home to parents positive news about students far more than negative

A school where students had a literal voice in the shaping of the learning environment itself

How great would such a place be to work as an educator and how great would such a place be to walk the halls as a student?

Teachers have the power to pass on information but Educators have the power to in-form lives

That is the difference and that is what is desperately needed by the students in our care

Schools that embrace this difference, that move towards being places of education and not merely institutions of subject oriented academics, foster deep rooted purpose, identity, meaning, passion, life, and joy as they walk alongside students in these critically formative years.

They come to see students not solely as brains on sticks but as fully integrated persons, consisting certainly of intellectual capacity (IQ), but also of emotional, psychological, relational, moral, and communal capacity as well

They create places of affirmation, blessing, encouragement, gratitude, optimism, validation, and hope, weaving spells of belief over students that transform the inner dialogue in students’ heads to uplift, inspire, influence, and encourage them on their journey through life

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