Personal & Authentic - Thomas C Murray

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was my world at that moment.

      Bill went on to share additional details of what they knew about how the death occurred. “I’m so sorry, Tom. I know how close you were with him.”

      Cody was ten.

      The flashbacks began immediately. I remembered spending lunch with him, kicking the ball with him at recess, and his beautiful smile. Closing my eyes, I could hear his laugh from the day before. I had flashbacks of the times he mistakenly called me “Dad.” I recalled the ten-year-old boy in my class that I’d grown to have a personal and authentic relationship with, a student that I had loved.

      I never had the chance to return Cody’s essay to him. I was never able to share with him how much his words and encouragement meant to me.

      If I’d only had one more chance. If I’d only had one more opportunity.

      Police ruled Cody’s death due to “accidental causes.” To this day, I hope and pray that was the case. For a child who was dealt a very tough set of cards in life and for all he shared, I’ll forever wish I did more for him.

      As a brand-new teacher who was already struggling emotionally due to the loss of my mentor and friend, I went from heartache to feeling like I couldn’t go on. I can honestly say that I didn’t believe I had the strength or the courage it takes to be a teacher.

      The following Saturday, I went to another funeral—my second in five weeks. This time, it wasn’t for a well-known teacher whose life was celebrated by thousands and thousands of people. This time, it was a small service with a handful of family members, a few neighbors, and a few classmates with their parents, who exhibited far more courage than I could have dreamed, to pay respects to their fourth-grade friend.

      Saying goodbye to Cody that final time was another defining moment for me as an educator. As I stood there saying goodbye, tears for this boy I had grown to love streaming down my face, I promised myself that no child would ever come through my doors without knowing they were cared for and loved. No child would ever walk through my classroom door without being told, and more importantly shown, that I’d do whatever it took to show them how much they mattered.

      Mark’s relationships with others defined who he was and helped me see who I wanted and needed to be. Cody’s relationship with me helped define who I was and who I needed to be—for him and for every child who walked through my classroom door.

      The best thing that we can give kids this school year is not a new curriculum or technology; it’s an empathetic heart that sees and hears theirs.

      As we begin our journey to make learning personal and authentic, know that the work starts with us. If we want to leave a lasting legacy, as every educator does, the work begins in us. The best thing that we can give kids this school year is not a new curriculum or technology; it’s an empathetic heart that sees and hears theirs. The foundation of creating learner-centered, personal, and authentic experiences is, and always will be, relationships.

      It is our mindset. Our lens. Our way of thinking. Our relationships. That’s where learning that is personal and authentic begins. Education begins and ends with people, and we must own our roles in this process. When we become more concerned about what we teach than who we teach, we have lost the purpose of the work. We must look deep inside ourselves and discover who we are before we can impact anything outside ourselves and, ultimately, who our students will become.

      We must love our kids more than we love our pasts. We must love our kids more than we love our habits. We must love our kids more than we love our own egos. We must love our kids enough to change ourselves when needed.

      The work is hard. The work is stressful. The work is emotional. But our kids are worth it.

      Together, we can do this.

      Stop & Reflect

      How would you design a student learning experience if the quality of the relationship was at the core? What personal and authentic experiences have impacted you as an educator? Share them on social media, using the hashtag #AuthenticEDU.

      When we become more concerned about what we teach than who we teach, we have lost the purpose of the work.

      Try This

      Ask the previous year’s teacher, or a family member if necessary, the proper pronunciation of the child’s name and what she prefers to be called.

       Be vulnerable and authentic with students and don’t be afraid to be transparent about your own struggles and challenges. Such a perception makes you approachable and relatable.

       Begin the day with three Post-it notes on your desk. Over the course of the day, write a brief note to three different students, highlighting something you appreciate, recognize, or that makes you proud. After students have left for the day, place the three notes in a creative place where the student will find it the next day, such as inside a locker, on the textbook page he will open to next, or in a folder inside her desk.

       Designate a classroom greeter who is responsible to greet each student at the door each morning or before the class period every day for a week. Students enter with their choice of a handshake, high-five, or fist bump, and a hello by name.

       Early in the day (for elementary students) or at the beginning of the class period (for secondary students), provide a “one-minute reflection” opportunity. Students can ask a question about the previous day’s content, reflect on what they just learned, or share something currently on their hearts with the teacher. Handing in the reflection can be optional or completed through a digital tool such as Google Forms. This allows every student to provide confidential feedback in only a few minutes.

       Don’t simply tell students that you care; show them that you do. Empty words become meaningless, whereas modeling through your actions enables personal and authentic connections.

      A Closer Look

      For a deeper dive into Chapter 1 as well as free tools, resources, and study guide questions, visit thomascmurray.com/AuthenticEDU1.

      We may not get the chance to choose which kids or families to serve, but we do get to decide what kind of climate we want to serve them in.

      —Jimmy Casas

      For learning to be personal and authentic, a dynamic learning culture must exist. Developing such a culture, whether as a teacher in a classroom, a principal in a building, or a superintendent of a district, becomes possible when four core pillars are solidified. It is on these pillars where such a culture can be built. Ultimately, it is within this culture where a shift in the learning experience for kids becomes possible.

      The four pillars to create a dynamic learning culture:

      1 Leadership

      2 Interactions

      3 Trust

      4 Risk-taking

      For learning to be personal and authentic, these pillars must be intentionally reinforced and done so regularly. A culture for learning is bound in the strength of these pillars.

      Stop & Reflect

      Which of these pillars is strongest in your classroom or school? Which needs to be solidified the most?

      Leadership Starts with You

      “What you do has far greater impact than what you say.”

      —Stephen

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