Lisl

Giving kids dignity is life changing. It’s also life changing when educators do the opposite. Educators do not have the right to not give a child dignity, love, and respect. No matter the day. No matter the severity. What can this look like? 1. School supplies for all. Every day. No strings attached. 2. No public humiliation. Ever. We [the adults] don’t publicly humiliate one another. It isn’t ok to shame the little humans in front of others either - whether it be in front of coworkers or kids. If a kid doesn’t treat you with respect, handle it privately. Don’t return disrespect with more disrespect. Be the adult. Not the child. 3. Bathroom sign-out sheet/pass. Just do it. 4. Privilege the unprivileged. Don’t be the teacher who allows an underprivileged child to stand out. Extra costumes on hand on dress up days. Extra Christmas presents on hand on party days for gift exchanges. 5. Late work accepted. Grades should be a reflection of the LEARNING. Full stop. If it was important enough for the teacher to assign, it’s important to wait for the work to be completed so the learning can be graded. Don’t punish a kid for not completing work at home when you don’t know what’s going on in their home. Kids are defined not by themselves, but by their keepers. They are also defined by their circumstances in which they are obligated to live. No, you cannot control all that happens in a child’s home. But you can control what happens at school. To every administrator, teacher, counselor, paraprofessional, _______, I challenge you this week to give a kid back their dignity - one opportunity at a time. In the absence of dignity, identity is erased. In the presence of dignity, identity is illuminated. Love kids enough to redirect their pathway and change their story. That’s when you know you’re in the business of changing lives. #multiplyexcellence