Image Source: Corwin Press
By The Educator Collaborative Fellow Dr. Keri C. Orange-Jones
Recently, I co-authored a book entitled Learners First: Purpose and Practicality in Your Early Years of Teaching. It is a love letter to aspiring, novice and even veteran educators. More importantly, the purpose of the book is to inspire educators to look at the students in their midst through an equitable and culturally responsive lens. Ultimately, what does it mean to put our learners first?
Being in the education profession means being creative, flexible, and innovative. Ours is a vocation that is ever-evolving. Currently, we are experiencing changes that are beyond our control. However, we are charged with doing the important work of educating our students every day. In order to be effective, we must ask ourselves, what does it mean to put our learners first?
- Create a classroom environment that addresses the learning needs of all the students you encounter. Students want to be appreciated for the gifts and talents that they bring to the classroom. Each student has a special trait or characteristic that they want to share. As educators, it is our duty to nurture those gifts and allow students a safe space to be authentic. Students will flourish when they feel that they can share themselves with their teachers and peers.
- Find ways to survey your students and discover what their learning needs are. Use a tool such as Google Form to ask students what their learning preferences are and to give you information that you can use to connect with your students. You can also use the form to obtain other useful information such as hobbies, favorite song, preferred nicknames and other details. In addition, talk to your parent partners. Parents are one of the best resources when it comes to trying to gather information about students and it will foster a relationship between you and the parents, as you work in tandem to ensure their child is successful.
- Be open to trying new innovations. There are a plethora of tools available that can be used in the classroom and beyond. I recently watched an episode of “Shark Tank”, which highlighted a teacher using the show to teach about finance in her classroom. Doesn’t that sound interesting? In my personal practice, I have used podcasts, graphic novel creators and other tools to engage students. By offering students various tools for learning, you increase the probability of having students access learning. Student engagement is key, and in the age of technology, it is important to increase your teacher toolbox!
- Check-In with your students regularly and incorporate social-emotional learning into your daily and/or weekly procedures. When I was a classroom teacher, on Monday mornings, students took post-it notes to share how they were doing. We would post them on what I called our SEL Wall and they were color coded:
- Green: I am great.
- Yellow: Proceed with caution.
- Red: Not today!!
Students would write additional messages on the post-it sharing why they were feeling a particular way. However, it was an option, especially for the red post-its. Then on Friday, we would revisit that post-it and see how they progressed. These post-it notes gave me important insight and helped me navigate the week with my students.
- Self-Care! Wait, isn’t this all about putting our LEARNERS first? Well, yes but…..
- Teachers are learners too! We are constantly packing our teacher toolbox with new ideas, plans and other innovations that will positively impact student learning. Thus, when we say “learners first”, it includes the teachers as well as the students.
- Being an educator can take its toll on you. Educators wear so many hats during the day: teacher, nurse, parent, counselor, tech support….it runs the gamut. If you don’t nurture YOUR spirit and take care of yourself, the students will not benefit. You want to be able to give 100% every day and ensure that you have a healthy balance, mind, body and soul!
- This isn’t much fun, but become a data analyst. Data is not all about numbers and assessment information. Data is anything that will help you create an understanding of the students you are with daily. Monitoring moods and emotions, “reading the room” to see if students are comprehending instruction, noticing body language when students engage with each other, and more. Having a discerning eye will enable you to have a better understanding of the students in front of you.
- Leave your biases at the door. We come from different backgrounds, cultures, socio-economic statuses and more. Sometimes a teacher will share an experience they had with a student with their colleagues, especially if it was negative, which may cause the next teacher to already have a bias towards a student. That is unfair to the student. There are other incidences where bias can lead to experiences that are unpleasant. Everyone deserves a fair chance….students AND teachers alike. Be intentional when it comes to checking your biases at the door.
What I have shared is a small part of what we must do as educators, to ensure that all students are seen, heard and nurtured. It is more than just meeting students where they are. It is embracing each student in your presence, bonding with your students and creating an environment that positively impacts your students. Be intentional. Be caring. Be FUN. Be YOU….and always, put your learners first!
