I was recently asked the question: What is your message to educators who seek to be “excellent”? After some thought, I decided my message is that every educator is an excellent educator in their own way, but you can’t do it alone. Excellent educators support one another. They advocate for one another. Educators cannot do the work we do day in and day out if we try to do it alone, and sometimes that means asking for help.
Ask for help? For many of us that is a very hard thing to do. That’s okay, but it’s something we must practice if we are going to be able to meet all the needs of our students. The holiday season is upon us, and we are nearing the end of the semester. All of the extra school festivities and holiday gatherings compete for our time with end of semester tests and final grade submissions. While there should be lots of joy, the growing demands can be overwhelming. Educators are all asking the same question; how am I going to get this all done? Well, you can start by making an ask of those around you…making the ask for help.
I can’t do that you say. Yes, you can. I know that seeking help from others is especially hard during this time of year because we know everyone around us is also busy and we don’t want to burden them. However, if you don’t receive the support you need from your colleagues, friends, and family, you might find yourself, like so many others, burnt out and exiting the doors of your schools for good. That isn’t good for you, and it isn’t good for our students. So, make the ask, because when you ask for help, even for just the small things, you are giving permission for others to do the same, and that can be a gift for all educators.
Another way of making the ask for help is by encouraging other educators to join the Association. Why? Because more educators working together to advocate for the needs of our schools and students can accomplish so much more than when we try to go it alone. Our main message of great public schools for every student becomes more amplified with each new member who joins, and each new member strengthens the support system that our educators need. Right now, to keep great public schools, we must be a collective voice and oppose the proposed social studies standards. When you ask others to join our Association, you are asking for their help in making our schools better and our profession stronger. Yes, it’s hard, but we must make the ask.
My ask of you, as the President of SDEA, is to remember you can’t do it all alone – your fellow educators are here to support you, we are here to advocate for you, and we are here to help you. So, don’t be afraid to make the ask.
