Staying Engaged

It was 5:00 pm on a Friday afternoon.  We had just completed week 5 of the new school year at Altamira.  As a brand new campus, there is always something that is calling my attention.  I have struggled more and enjoyed more this particular position and school than anything else I have experienced.  There I was however sitting at my desk, eyes closed, exhausted and on the verge of tears,... thinking... decompressing... overwhelmed with the task that I had chosen confront.  This was the latest of many similar experiences I have had over the last few months as I have worked to get our campus up and running.  It wasn't the first nor was it the last time that the thought crept into my mind, "What am I doing here?"  And then I remembered.  I'm here because of the students.  Not because of all the other things that make my job more stressful than it needs to be, but because there are students out there who need people committed to helping them learn to be successful.

See education can be a challenging and difficult career.  I have known many educators, and ready about others, who at the end of the day just couldn't do it anymore.  They couldn't play the political game, balance the demands of state testing while instilling core values in their students, deal with outdated evaluation systems, and just work harder to get paid less than they could doing something else.  It's sad when I see good people leave education.  Is the system perfect?  No, but that is all the more reason why we need good educators to stay engaged and keep working hard for the kids.

Staying engaged is easier said than done.  For me I have tried a few things everyday to keep me going:

1. Have fun!  Everyday I try to do something with the kids that is just fun.  At Altamira Academy, we start everyday with a morning dance party where students get to wait for our morning announcements by doing Just Dance videos (Thank you Seth Boynton for the suggestion).  I love seeing the students smile and laugh as we start each day.
2. Get to know the students.  The better relationship I develop with my students and the more engaged I am in their lives, the easier it is to wake up each morning and know I have to be there for them.  It keeps me focused on what is really important.
3. Set student centered goals.  It is important for me to focus my goals around the students.  This helps me stay energized on what I need to be doing and keeps me focused on my purpose as an educator.  That has changed as I have changed roles, but what is always constant is the focus on the student learning.

We can try to improve education in many different ways, but if our best teachers do not stay engaged in the system, it is going to be difficult to improve.  In what ways do you as educators work to stay engaged as you hit bumps in the road?