As I do when my brain needs a break, I was scrolling through social media and saw this wonderful video from Monroe Local Schools, with a microphone placed in the middle of a hallway, celebrating and asking students to “Tell us something good that happened today.”
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The range of answers in the video is really powerful. Some students share success in school, some share personal moments like hanging with family, starting a new relationship, but my favorite moments are when one student shares her elation that her teacher “missed her” and another shares how her teachers seemed really excited to see them. Maybe I am just a big sentimental guy, but some of the student answers brought me to tears. As I have shared before, the following are my “Hopes for School,” and you can see many of them reflected in the students’ answers in the video.
When people feel valued, whether students or adults, they are more likely not only to show up but also to do so with enthusiasm.
As I shared this video with a group of administrators, one of them shared something to the point of, “This already happens in our schools all of the time, so why would we need to share it on social media?”
I appreciated the candor and agree that in some places, the most innovative aspect of their organization is their communications team. They can make things look really good, but in reality, what is communicated on social media isn’t necessarily the experience for the majority in schools. No matter what any school or district shares on social media, if a kid comes home and shares with their family that school sucks, they aren’t likely to respond with, “Well, I doubt that because it seems really good on Instagram!”
As I have shared before, “Branding” should be a byproduct of creating an amazing organization, not the focus.
Given that creating a fantastic experience for your school community is more important than telling a good story, why share videos like these?
Here are three reasons I thought of after I left that day, upon further reflection.
1. If you think that people outside education dominate the narrative of what is going on in schools, and then you choose not to share, we lose out on an opportunity to share a more accurate account of the school experience with our communities. In a reflection after participating in the Walton County Schools (Florida) professional learning event, I was reminded that we often hear about the few negative experiences but have to be coaxed to share the positive ones.
I do not believe that all experiences in schools are positive, but I do think they get way less attention unless we are intentional in shining a light on them.
2. Sharing these powerful narratives of what is happening in our schools is not only about connecting with the outside, but also with the inside.
When I first became a school administrator, my mentor said to me, “You will become a much better teacher now because you get the best PD that other teachers wish they had; you get to see others teach.”
The amount of incredible practice I saw within my own school was wonderful, but in reality, I wasn’t teaching anymore. So instead of keeping it to myself, my goal was to illuminate this practice with those outside our schools, as well as the staff and students within them. It is hard to know what is going on across the hallway, let alone the world, but if you can consistently highlight what is happening in your school community, it might spark better conversations with your staff. One of my focus areas for the past decade has been answering the question, “How do we make great learning go viral?” This is not just about across the world, but more importantly, within our own community.
Some of the greatest experts in education are across the hall, and when we illuminate, we also elevate.
3. This one is a little personal.
Do you know what is really cool to do on social media?
Trolling.
Dunking on people.
Just being mean in general.
We often complain about this with the kids, but I watch it frequently with the adults.
And the kids are watching.
But there is one conversation in particular I remember having with a group of students when I was discussing the idea of “Digital Leadership” with them, and how we could use technologies to lift ourselves and others.
One student appreciated the idea of lifting others by leveraging these technologies, and enjoyed this video of a student using social media to compliment others.
She did have a concern, though.
She was worried that being kind to others would almost look bad and make someone look weak. Trolling people on social media is cool. Being kind to them, not so much. I remember that she was shaking at the thought of being teased for being kind.
That bothered me so much.
You often hear people say, “You should have a thicker skin” when dealing with jerks online, rather than “You should be a better person” to the person attacking. I have been adamant for years that we have to teach and model to our students the power of leveraging this technology to uplift others.
The video from Monroe Local Schools was a bright light that we can aspire toward.
Before I sat down at Starbucks to write this post, I called home, and my wife mentioned that my oldest daughter (aged 9) had referenced something I had written in one of these blog posts, since she is subscribed to my email list (Love you, kiddo!).
I had no idea that was happening until that moment, and as much as I love reflecting through this blog or elsewhere, my view on my social media presence is that it is a diary I am leaving my own children after I am gone. What do I want them to see?
It was a sobering reminder that kids are always watching, whether you know it or not.
When you create the story (together) you aspire toward, and then share it with others, locally and globally, you have no idea who you are influencing to make a positive impact on the world.
It could be someone closer than you ever expected.
