Embrace your TRIBE!

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL…Last DAY of SCHOOL…Last Day of School…last day of school…last day of… Okay, I know if you are a teacher or a student or a parent or have ever been one of these things you get it!  You understand the joy that accompanies the last day of school-at least for a little bit.  I am extra excited this year because my summer is chock full o’ goodness.  My daughter will be starting at my high school, and she and I are celebrating this gigantic life change with a European girl vacation-seriously blessed for this gift of time and learning!  I’m still pinching myself.  I am also going to be going to a few professional development major things which I am giddy about. 

At my school, the last day for teachers is not the last day for students-they had their final hoorah yesterday.  There is a reason we spend the last day together, without kids, and today I want to write about why teaching rocks and it isn’t because of the students or parents or lessons or cool projects (okay, it is kinda about that stuff).  My team is the reason I could never imagine leaving my school.  Being a teacher means being on your own, with 150 teenaged, hormonal, lethargic, troubled (often beyond your control), frustrating teen-aged human beings 80% of the time.  Don’t get me wrong, for some sick twisted reason, I love this!  But what makes it really work, is that for most of the other 20% of the time, I get to hang out with the most incredible people who get me and who make me a better person.  Today, on this last day of school, I want to explain why my tribe is so incredibly important-and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.

First of all, in each tribe you need an elder-the wise one whose feathers don’t ruffle and who keeps his stuff together.  It is my honor to have one of these on my team.  This person always knows what to say, I’d take him with me into any battle-he is cool and collected.  In fact, when I was asked to what school I wanted to teach at, being in his classroom was a huge reason I wanted to teach at my school.  He can entrance students by his wit and wisdom.  His classroom is an amazing place where some of the most profound learning takes place.  He taught my son, and I am blessed to be a part of his tribe.

Every tribe needs a peace maker. My tribe has the peacemaker that everyone in the school envies.  She is hilarious and kind and her classroom is a place of extraordinary safety.  She brings people together like you can’t image.  I got to co-teach with her for a year (dear Lord, thank you for that year) and I learned more about acceptance and finding common ground and respect than I imagined would be possible.  She taught my nephew, and I am blessed to be part of her tribe.

Every tribe needs young, vibrant, bold people with new ideas.  My tribe is blessed with some amazing young teachers who constantly amaze me.  They push me to want to think in new ways and discover new ideas.  These tribe members connect with our students and have energy I can only dream of.  Our tribe is blessed with people who have different experiences from all different places.  They remind me to be thankful for what I have and give our students a point of view that helps them appreciate the world.  These people make me feel inspired and thankful.  I welcome their students and share my students with them, and I am blessed to be a part of their tribe.

Every tribe needs the level headed leader. The tribe is going to go through trials, and there always needs to be that one person that steps up in chaos and says, “Fire exits are to the left, get in a line, and be calm.” And for some reason everyone does it.  My tribe has the most extraordinary calm leader.  In one of my first years of teaching, I got overwhelmed with a group of really difficult students.  I told her, “If we have a tornado drill, they can have anything in the room, but I need protection,” and I knew she got me and would keep me safe.  I survived, but I have seen this person handle sophomores, guiding them into people I actually want to teach, calming quelling the tumultuous waters of being a 16 year semi-human being. She teaches next door to me, and I am blessed to be a part of her tribe.

Every tribe needs a communicator, someone who can make it work and smooth the waters.  My tribe’s communication guru is so good other tribes try to use her mad skills.  She understands how important this is to make our entire school function.  She encourages every single student and attends or has eyes at even the smallest victory my school achieves.  She cheers for everyone and she had mad grammar skills (sorry about the blog friend-not my strength).  I have watched her with students who did not understand they were valuable, laughing and celebrating life and success.  I pray she will teach my daughter, and I am blessed to be a part of her tribe.

And me-do I belong in this tribe?  Every tribe needs a weirdo.  A person that defies explaining, who can’t seem to quite do exactly what is asked at exactly the right time, but seems to be okay.  Every tribe needs a person to offer a perspective that doesn’t really exist-a dreamer-a person whose brain is spaghetti and whose mind runs 100 miles an hour.  I guess that’s me.  The dreamer relies so very much on their tribe, because dreams can’t succeed without the amazing people who surround me and encourage me and help me realize ways we can do the impossible.

So, on this last day of school, I want to embrace my tribe.  I am sure there are people I am forgetting, but it’s the last day of school, and I’m getting ready to have a glass of wine, and celebrate! To my Wildcat family-thank you for fantastic year-I am blessed to be a part of our tribe.  Happy summer!