Picture this: The clock is ticking down; your team is down by one in the basketball game. The fans are going crazy! The ball is passed around. You have it in your hands. The shot is yours. You’ve made it thousands of times! In a split second, you pass the ball to someone else. The clock expires. Game over.
Lately, that’s been me. Ever since my life changed positively a month ago, the noise from others has drowned out my excitement to come to school. The negativity from the opposers has caused me to feel unwelcome and lonelier than it was already. I see them (the teachers) chatter. I wonder if it’s about me or just teacher talk. I’ve tried to remain quieter and just “pass the ball” (fit in.) It’s been hard on me. That’s not me.
I show up to daily team lunches and it’s rare more than a sentence is spoken to me, or more than a sentence leaves my own mouth. At recess for the last month the teachers don’t sit in their normal spots on the bench near me. I feel like I’ve been benched while they’ve been their own game elsewhere.
The moment I do share a play (an idea), it’s meant with skepticism and pessimism. That’s been the case all year. A new, talented player (teacher) joins a veteran team is overlooked. This happens to teachers and athletes all the time. It’s the unfortunate norm. Everyone brushes it off and keeps showing up with a smile on their face.
The thing is, in education, your biggest fans are with you for 180 days. They’re the ones that listen to (almost) every command you give them. You spend hours with them daily growing them as much as they grow you. By the end of the year, you wonder where all the hours went. You dread the last day with them despite summer looming. These fans are your STUDENTS!
In a profession that can be met with lots of stress and mandated scripted curriculum, your students are the most important audience you can play for! They’re why you’re in the game (education) to begin with.
We often to focus on the coaches and owners (school leaders), instead of ones we’re playing for; the fans (the students.) I’m guilty of it. It’s easy to give in to what others want from you. It’s hard to be different all the time and not want to sit on the bench and blend in after you’ve been questioned and booed enough times.
You look up at the stands and see that one fan staring right at you. They’re smiling at you. They’ve been there the whole game. You gain a little confidence.
But you show up the next game. That fan who showed up the day before brought a new fan! Your confidence continues to grow. You smile a little a bit more. You perform a little bitter. When you felt alone in the game, you think back to the two fans that cheered for you.
You show the next game. The fans have tripled! You decide to play offensively faster. You’re a little more vocal. You get the foul call. You miss the free throw, but proud of yourself for getting to the foul line.
The next game comes, the fans show up in the bunches. You’re playing faster and more decisive. You hear the coaches but make the right play because you’re in the game viewing the game live. The fans are cheering. But the coach benches you.
The following game, the fans are in the dozens! You’re as confident as ever despite starting from the bench. The moment you get into the game, you make a steal. You grab a rebound. You take a charge. You pass the ball with precision. The crowd is going wild!
We have the most incredible fans inside our room daily. They’ll be with us on our best days and on our worst days. But most importantly, they’re the ones we’re playing for; not the (test) score at the end of the game (school year). Our fans don’t care about the outside noise, they care about YOU as their teacher. They love when they’re acknowledged, learning, and having fun! Those are the three very least things we can do.
It's so hard to block out the loud naysayers on the other side. It’s hard to change the play the others want you to go with. But the fans believe in you! They want you to be the person you were meant to be, not just like the others. They’ll support you no matter what. Always remember they’re the ones you’re showing up for.
Dress up! Make a last-minute switch in your lesson plan! Go buy butterflies! Do a classroom transformation! Play line tag with them! Beat them in a game of Blooket! Show up to their after-school events! Laugh with them!
I’ll ask you again… the clock is ticking down; your team is down by one in the basketball game. You have the ball. The shot is yours. The home crowd is chanting your name! What are you going do with the ball? The choice is yours!
