If you’ve ever cared so much about something that you work endless hours, dedicated to making things happen, using more energy than you even think you have, pouring your heart and soul into it, it’s probably happened to you at some point.
An eye roll. A snide remark. A cold shoulder. When you are passionate, it will offend some people. When you get recognized for your passion? There will often be a negative fallout. One that you don’t ever feel like you deserve because you’re not the one out there saying “Please recognize me.” But one that you have to deal with. One that might even make you want to crawl under the table in a staff meeting.
In a truly collaborative atmosphere, everyone’s strengths are capitalized on, weaknesses embraced and supported, and passion? It’s accepted. It’s celebrated. It’s welcome. It’s what I expect of my students, always. It should be what we expect of ourselves as colleagues. But sometimes even colleagues let each other down.
When you pour you heart into something, it can truly break it when someone doesn’t “get” it. But we’re all different. The very best thing we can do for our students is to live out loud. Be ourselves. Let our passions shine through. Never shining so they will blind others, but so they will light up learning in our schools and for our kids.
We owe it to each and every child that crosses the doorway into our schools to be authentic and we owe it to each other as colleagues to support, build up, and celebrate each other’s chance to shine. Every single day.