Inspiring Educators: Weekly Roundup 11/19/18
How much do students value their teacher? A recent survey found that, out of all the influences in an individual’s life, teachers overall got third place, only taking third place to parents and friends. In fact, 64% of those surveyed said that it was a teacher that had a major impact in shaping who they are today. Says Roger Pope, who is a spokesman for the Get Into Teaching campaign, “Our research underlines how teachers have stood the test of time when it comes to shaping the lives of others.” Is there a teacher who inspired you, or who you feel helped make you into the person you are today? Tweet us @enrichstudents and share your story!
One superintendent is making it his goal to push teachers and students past tradition. Traditional learning, that is. Jeffrey Thake is the superintendent of Williston Public School District No. 1, in North Dakota. He is working hard not only to help teachers understand personalized learning, how it can help students, and how they can implement it in their classrooms, even taking them to schools around the country that have had success with personalized learning. His goal? Helping students learn and teachers teach in the best possible way. Read more about his approach and why personalized learning inspires him.
Australian Principal Stacey Miller tells her story of how she made her journey ‘back to school,’ and fulfilled her dream, from age 7, of becoming principal at the school where she first attended as a child. Her childhood wasn’t easy, As an Aboriginal Wogantha, she practiced her culture growing up, but some looked down on her for her ‘Aboriginal English.” But Miller says “I just didn’t understand them and thought ‘when I grow up, I want to become a teacher and at least be able to support my own values and what I believe a good teacher should be’.” Miller dropped out of high school in grade 10 to work (as an Aboriginal and Islander education officer) but that didn’t stop her either! She went on to University and eventually achieved her dream. But how, and what she went through is truly amazing! Read her full story here.
At Tiverton Middle School, staff came together for World Kindness Day. While students were out, 50 volunteers including staff, administrators, and PTO members set to painting the school with kind, inspiring messages. This community-supported project gave evidence to students of how much they are cared for. Says Principal Susan Craven, “ It was an amazing act of kindness that we were able to develop together for the students of the middle school.” Learn more about how the project got started, and see pictures of the process and inspiration results!
