Flying Together: Lifting Others as You Soar
The central theme of this discourse elucidates the profound notion that great educators do not ascend in isolation; rather, they elevate their peers as they ascend. We delve into the imperative of fostering a collaborative ethos within educational institutions, where the celebration of collective victories and the active encouragement of colleagues engender a robust culture of support and growth. By embodying the principles of interdependence, we can cultivate an environment in which every member of the educational community is empowered to flourish. This episode offers practical strategies for teachers to uplift one another, thereby ensuring that the entire flock soars to new heights. Ultimately, the message resonates: when we prioritize the elevation of others, we, too, achieve greater heights in our professional journey.
The focal point of this podcast episode is an exploration of the vital role of encouragement and collaboration in the educational realm, metaphorically represented through the imagery of eagles soaring together. The speaker elucidates that while eagles are oftentimes envisioned as solitary beings, they actually thrive in pairs or small collectives, illustrating that true strength lies in our ability to support one another. This notion serves as an essential reminder that, within educational settings, individual success is intricately tied to communal growth. The conversation emphasizes that educators should strive to foster an environment where ideas are freely exchanged and support is generously offered, thereby enhancing the collective efficacy of the teaching community.
Moreover, the podcast delves into the indispensable nature of encouragement, likening it to a vital oxygen source for teachers. The speaker reflects on the universal need for affirmation, noting that even the most high-performing educators benefit from supportive words. Through intentional acts of recognition—such as expressing appreciation for a colleague’s handling of a challenging classroom situation—we can create a culture of positivity that permeates the school environment. The discourse underscores the significance of focusing on the process and efforts of educators rather than solely their successes, thereby cultivating an atmosphere of mutual respect and encouragement.
In tandem with fostering a culture of support, the speaker advocates for the elimination of competition among educators, positing that collaborative environments yield the most fruitful outcomes. By framing education as a shared journey rather than a competitive race, teachers can work together to uplift each other and celebrate collective achievements. Leadership in this context is defined less by titles and more by one’s capacity to empower others. The podcast concludes with a resonant message that, by nurturing a spirit of encouragement and collaboration, we not only enhance our own professional experiences but also set a powerful example for students about the strength of community and support.
Takeaways:
- Eagles soar together, exemplifying the notion that true strength lies in interdependence rather than independence.
- In educational environments, individual growth is significantly enhanced when ideas are shared and colleagues support one another.
- Encouragement serves as a vital element within teaching, fostering an atmosphere where individuals feel empowered to succeed.
- Creating a positive school culture involves prioritizing collaboration and kindness, rather than competition among educators.
- Modeling supportive behavior among teachers teaches students the importance of empathy and teamwork, thereby nurturing a compassionate community.
- A culture that emphasizes lifting others up leads to shared success, reinforcing the idea that mutual support enables collective advancement.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Be a Funky Teacher
Transcript
Yeah, he's Mr. Funky.
Speaker A:He's Mr. Funky Teacher.
Speaker A:Mr. Funky Teacher inspires greatness, makes you feel good.
Speaker A:Like your favorite playlist.
Speaker A:Keeping that fresh and funky.
Speaker A:Yes, he does.
Speaker A:He got some funky cool ideas to share for all you teachers.
Speaker A:He can empower others, students and teachers.
Speaker A:It's all about hard work and creativity.
Speaker A:He brings out the kindness in everyone.
Speaker A:He's got the passion to teach you hear it when he speaks.
Speaker A:He knows how to build strong relationships.
Speaker A:If you're seeking the best, funkiest, he is it.
Speaker A:He will empower you to improve.
Speaker A:You'll be helping others and loving it too.
Speaker A:He's Mr. Funky Teacher.
Speaker A:Yeah, he's Mr. Funky Teacher.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:This is Mr. Funky Teacher with Be a Funky Teacher dot com.
Speaker B:I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast.
Speaker B:Welcome back everyone.
Speaker B:Today's episode is flying together, helping others rise as you soar.
Speaker B:But before we get into it, let's talk about three things that I'm thankful for.
Speaker B:First thing that I'm thankful for is having my wife home from her trip.
Speaker B:I'm thankful to have my wife back home after her get away with her sister because I missed her.
Speaker B:I know she didn't want to come back into the into the Midwest chilliness because she was enjoying the warm weather, but I know she's excited to be back too with us.
Speaker B:You know, it's.
Speaker B:It's those little reunions that remind me of how connection refuels the heart.
Speaker B:Even short time apart can make make a person appreciate everyday presence of a person more deeply.
Speaker B:So I am thankful for having my wife home from her trip.
Speaker B:Second thing I'm thinking for my backpack.
Speaker B:I'm grateful for my backpack.
Speaker B:The unsung hero of my daily life.
Speaker B:It carries lesson plans, podcast gear, snacks, and sometimes even hope.
Speaker B:It's a small reminder that the right tools can make the the work smoother truly.
Speaker B:Third thing, I'm thankful for a clean house.
Speaker B:I'm thankful for a clean organized space.
Speaker B:When my surroundings feel clear, my mind does too.
Speaker B:A clean house isn't just order, it's peace you can walk into.
Speaker B:I worked with my wife being gone.
Speaker B:I even a whole new appreciation for all that my wife does.
Speaker B:My, my wife is so I mean with how she's the main person who cooks in our house.
Speaker B:I I can cook but she's such a good cook and, and she does so much for us at home and just kind of holding down things the the last week here with providing food and laundry and doing everything and without her there it just Makes me appreciate and thankful for her that much more with all she does when she's at home.
Speaker B:Because, man, she is so amazing.
Speaker B:I don't know how she does everything she does.
Speaker B:She's just an incredible human being.
Speaker B:And I worked really hard to make sure that she had actually a, a clean house coming home to last night that I wanted her to have a clean space.
Speaker B:It was funny, worse at work, but my, my, my, my kids and I ate off of paper plates last night.
Speaker B:We're like, we're not dirtying any dishes.
Speaker B:All the dishes are clean.
Speaker B:The house is picked up and clean pores are clean.
Speaker B:That laundry's done.
Speaker B:Nobody make a mess anywhere.
Speaker B:Because I just wanted her to, I wanted her to have one less thing to think that she had to worry about.
Speaker B:If she had to come back to a messy house after being gone.
Speaker B:That's not going to help with her relaxing and kind of taking the most from her, her trip with her sister.
Speaker B:If she had to come back to a messy house or, or chaos, right.
Speaker B:I didn't want her to come back to chaos.
Speaker B:So a clean house.
Speaker B:And I, I'm, I, and, and I think that we're all enjoying that.
Speaker B:It won't last long, right?
Speaker B:As you know, it's, does it take much for a house to become messy really fast for, for, if you, if you have, if you're living in it and, and have kids running around doing their thing, so it can become messy very fast.
Speaker B:All right, y', all, our main episode today here, what we're going to talk about is flying together, helping others rise as you soar.
Speaker B:So the first big idea is that eagles soar together.
Speaker B:Even though we picture an eagle flying solo in the wild, they actually often travel in pairs or small groups.
Speaker B:True strength isn't independence.
Speaker B:It's that interdependence.
Speaker B:I think where I think about in schools, in schools, no one grows alone.
Speaker B:We rise when we share ideas, when we cheer others on, and often help.
Speaker B:Without scorekeeping, it can't be about scorekeeping.
Speaker B:Teacher leaders aren't about the scorekeeping.
Speaker B:Here's an example.
Speaker B:Maybe you have a, a quick hallway conversation or checking in on a teammate after a tough class.
Speaker B:That, that really can be a lift that changes a person's day.
Speaker B:And that's, that's bringing in that mindset about ego soaring together.
Speaker B:Now the next thing is that the power of encouragement.
Speaker B:There's some encouragement, y'.
Speaker B:All.
Speaker B:It's oxygen.
Speaker B:I, I, I consider myself a pretty high performing person, but I love encouragement myself even.
Speaker B:Every teacher needs it.
Speaker B:But I think few, only few ask for it.
Speaker B:We can become the voice that says, you've got this.
Speaker B:When someone's doubting themselves, it can make a difference.
Speaker B:Be intentional about noticing efforts, not just success.
Speaker B:You might say to someone, hey, I saw how you handled that situation with your students today.
Speaker B:That was powerful.
Speaker B:See, encouragement costs nothing, but it, its ripples can reach far beyond the classrooms.
Speaker B:I've, I, I've, I've been really loving here at Winnebago.
Speaker B:I've encountered a lot of people who are bringing in encouragement.
Speaker B:I, I've had, I've been out in a playground and handled a situation and I'll never forget this teacher.
Speaker B:She said, hey, I, I really am impressed with how you handled that situation.
Speaker B:Talking to those students.
Speaker B:That was something that happened probably three weeks ago.
Speaker B:There was a situation and after I handled it, a teacher noticed how I handled it and made a comment to me and that stuck with me that those words of encouragement.
Speaker B:I've had my teaching partners, my grade level teaching partners say words of encouragement to me saying, hey, I noticed you handled something in this way and you know, and oh, you had to handle a, a tough behavior or a tough situation.
Speaker B:And just you having them come to me with their words of encouragement means a lot.
Speaker B:And I try to do the same for them as well.
Speaker B:I, I try to show up for, for my, for my grade level team also giving them words of encouragement, words of support, because I want to be there for them too.
Speaker B:And, and just as I'm sitting here talking about encouragement in this podcast, I even want to lean into it even more.
Speaker B:Is that a bad thing that I want to do more of it yet?
Speaker B:Absolutely not.
Speaker B:I think that when we're, when we're focused on encouraging each, each other as a team, we don't have time to tear each other down.
Speaker B:And I think that's true whether it be working as an adult team of, of educators.
Speaker B:When we do that, where we have students working together collaboratively or whatever space we're in, if we're focused on encouraging each other and supporting each other, that, that tearing each other down is, is, is so much less likely to be there.
Speaker B:And encouragement, it costs nothing.
Speaker B:The, the, it, it can go far beyond the classroom or hallways or school, though the encouragement can make a huge impact.
Speaker B:So the third big idea, building a culture that lifts flying together means creating a climate where others can spread their wings too.
Speaker B:See, in a healthy school cultures teachers share, they don't compete.
Speaker B:I tell my, I, I've said that to my team all the Time that hey, we're not, we're not in competition, we're not competing against each other.
Speaker B:This idea of one teacher being better than another teacher, absolutely not.
Speaker B:Like this isn't a competition.
Speaker B:And so I, I try to bring that mindset that hey, we're in this together.
Speaker B:I, I love sharing things with my team.
Speaker B:I love when they share things with me and we're a team.
Speaker B:I, I, I've really enjoyed working with my team this year and, and I think we've set a, created a space where feedback feels safe, wins are, are celebrated collaboratively.
Speaker B:I, I believe because leadership isn't about titles, it's about attitude.
Speaker B:When we, when we lift others and so for examples when we lift others, we, we listen without judgment, we share strategies genuine, generously, we give credit publicly and often.
Speaker B:And I'll be the first if I encounter, let's say a new teacher who tries something creative.
Speaker B:I, I will highlight and celebrate that that teacher say hey, this teacher tried this and what a cool idea.
Speaker B:And I, and it sounds like it was very impactful.
Speaker B:I'm going to try this too or hey, I think the rest of our team should try this.
Speaker B:I, I also, you know, if I'm thinking about even like little post its like a post it to a team member, lifting them up or a thank you card or just even stopping into their classroom, stopping in the classroom.
Speaker B:One of my what am I, why I, I have my teaching.
Speaker B:I'm just thinking about my teaching team.
Speaker B:A lot of times they'll just pop into my classroom and it seems like they always have words of affirmation, words of encouragement words.
Speaker B:They'll share ideas.
Speaker B:I'll stop into their classroom too and share ideas.
Speaker B:And it just reaffirms this idea that eagles soar together, eagles fly high together.
Speaker B:And then think about our teaching team as a group of eagles just flying high.
Speaker B:So a fourth big idea that I want to share is that teaching students to lift others is important.
Speaker B:Modeling kindness with colleagues teaches students how to, it teaches students how community works.
Speaker B:So when kids see adults collaborate, they learn empathy and teamwork themselves.
Speaker B:And so when we can encourage students to notice when peers are succeeding and to speak encouragement aloud, that can make a big difference.
Speaker B:When we can remind students that lifting others up never make us smaller, that's gonna, that's gonna create that ripple effect that we're looking for.
Speaker B:Also it goes back to when we teach students to lift each other up and encourage each other.
Speaker B:They're more focused on encouraging and supporting each other than tearing each other down.
Speaker B:Will it take away all of the.
Speaker B:The meanness that sometimes kids will try to do.
Speaker B:It won't, but it'll certainly create a culture in the classroom that tearing each other down is not tolerated, tearing each other down is not tolerated, and that we're stronger together.
Speaker B:We're stronger when we lift each other up and we can soar together.
Speaker B:That's the type of culture that I create in my classroom that I really work hard on lifting each other's up.
Speaker B:And I really spend a lot of time developing student collaboration skills because I want students to work collaboratively with others.
Speaker B:They might have had a lot of experience not working collaboratively in past years, and that's okay.
Speaker B:However, in my classroom, when I'm working with them, the students that I work with will learn how to work collaboratively because that's how strongly I feel about it, though.
Speaker B:That's how strongly I believe it is to their future success too, knowing how to work with others as a team without being mean or cruel or making fun of or being demeaning.
Speaker B:So teaching students to lift others up matters.
Speaker B:It does start with teachers, though, and adults in the education space where they see the dolls, adults interacting and working collab collaboratively.
Speaker B:They can learn a whole lot from that as well as they and then purposely having conversations with students about collaborating and working as a team to support each other.
Speaker B:So some reflective takeaways here in this episode is that you can fly higher alone, but you can go further together.
Speaker B:A strong flock isn't built on competing.
Speaker B:It's not built on competition, y'.
Speaker B:All.
Speaker B:It's not.
Speaker B:It's built on compassion.
Speaker B:So when you lift others up, you rise too.
Speaker B:Well, I hope you found this episode valuable.
Speaker B:If you did, jump on over to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcast podcast episodes and hit me up with a five star review, y'.
Speaker B:All.
Speaker B:And as you go into your day, I want you to remember to inspire greatness in young people.
Speaker B:And don't forget to be a funky teacher.
Speaker B:Bye now.
Speaker A:He's Mr. Funky Teacher yeah.
Speaker A:He's Mr. Funky teacher yeah, yeah, yeah.
