Has COVID Made Us Stronger?
According to Kelly Clarkson’s song, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I’ve been pondering whether that’s always true.
Think about what we’ve been through in the last two years, as individuals, as families, as communities. Are we stronger? Are you? For so many of us, this has been a stressful time of loss and uncertainty.
And how about the world of schools -- students, teachers, school leaders, and all those in the school community? It’s been hard to function in such an unpredictable world. Right? What an understatement!!
Of course, at the same time, we always have a choice. We can hunker down in survival mode and just try to make it through, OR we can take the courageous path to grow in our compassion, empathy, resilience, and connection. We can explore new possibilities for transforming schools and becoming stronger.
In mid 2020, I started asking colleagues and school leaders about the reality of their world, especially their struggles and challenges. I expanded my search for pieces of wisdom in the chaos -- participating in every webinar and virtual conference I could fit into my schedule. I collected and digested books, blogs, and podcasts on a range of relevant topics.
Bottom line - I resolved to use this horrible disruption to transform our traditional educational system. To be honest, it wasn’t working for so many students and teachers and families before. Everything was changing anyway, why not make it intentional change?
The hardest part was articulating my dream into a vision that could inspire. I challenged myself to find the words for a future that would inspire and empower others to join me in action.
So Joyful Inclusion was launched.
Let me unpack it for you:
Inclusion -- a culture of belonging where everyone thrives and where every member’s contributions are valued. In my dream “everyone” includes ALL students - with and without disabilities, English language learners, from all neighborhoods; of all races, genders, ethnicities, and cultures. But it also includes ALL faculty and ALL families. An inclusive school community values everyone.
Joyful - I like Stu Krieger’s description of joy. “Joy is that feeling that comes from deep in your gut when you allow yourself to appreciate & celebrate the gift that is your life.” Joy is not the same as happiness, which is temporary and related to your current circumstances. Joy is bigger and deeper. It is closely tied to gratitude and to a sense of knowing no matter what’s going on, there is a silver lining in this moment.
10 JOYFUL moments for a teacher:
When you wake up looking forward to teaching your classes.
When a student looks up from a challenging learning task with THAT radiating grin “I CAN do this!”
When your co-teacher gives you a high-five for rescuing him during a rough spot in the lesson.
When your principal stops you in the hall to relay a compliment from a parent.
When you catch a child inviting another who was feeling left out.
When you dropped off an unexpected homemade thank you gift down the hall.
When your students show empathy for someone who’s having a hard time.
When you figured out how to explain a complicated concept and it worked!
When you can’t wait to see what students create for their projects.
When you leave school at night with a smile, relishing joyful moments from your day.
Add your Joyful Moments in the comments below.
Would you like your school to be a
JOYFUL INCLUSION SCHOOL?
You don’t have to do it alone!
I’ve created a 5 Step Roadmap and cleared time in my schedule to have (FREE) Possibility Calls with school leaders.
If you’re a school leader and you’d like to use this COVID disruption to make your school or district stronger, let’s talk!
There is room for 5 more districts in my Fall 2022 Cohort.
Would you like to be considered?
Click here to schedule a no-obligation Possibility Call with me.
