I Hope They Know I Care
EdCo members Anie Hall, 9th grade English teacher at Hendersonville High School, Ansley Glenn, 6th grade Math teacher at Harpeth Hall, and Amy Noon, 2nd grade teacher at Crieve Hall, were all asked, “How do you hope your students describe you?” Their answers come as no surprise. We want students to know that caring for them is the heart of our work.
It’s the end of July and schools here in Tennessee are getting ready to kick off the 2021–2022 school year. We can already feel the buzz of energy in the air and the excitement for everyone to be together again.
While teachers are planning and preparing, making sure everything is in place and brainstorming the best way to begin, what they’re thinking about most is their students. The faces that will greet them on Day 1 and the hearts and minds they’ll share their lives with for the next year.
It’s no surprise then, that when asked, “How do you hope your students describe you?” our EdCo members were focused on the way their kids feel cared about.
Anie Hall shared, “I hope they describe me as open and approachable, and that they know that I care about them.”
We heard a similar thing from Ansley Glenn, “I hope that my students describe me as relatable, innovative, and a fun teacher, someone that they like, but also someone who pushes them to be the best that they can be. I hope that they would describe me as approachable and understanding.”
Lastly, from Amy Noon, the same theme continued, “I would hope that they say that I’m a caring and nurturing kind of person.”
Elementary, middle, or high, the message is the same. We are here for the kids and we hope that they know that and see it in the work that we do everyday. In education relationships are key, especially on the tail-end of a global shut down, but thankfully, our teachers are up for the task and will be sure their students get their cups filled.
The Educators’ Cooperative is a non-profit organization that provides a professional learning community for K-12 teachers. Created for teachers by teachers in 2016, EdCo provides professional development and support for educators to collaborate across sectors, disciplines, and career stages. EdCo aims to revolutionize teacher development and leadership by focusing on the essential agency, autonomy, and common ground all teachers share. EdCo is based in Nashville, Tennessee with a reach far beyond that physical location and potential for replication in communities throughout the nation. When educators collaborate, the future of education is greater than the sum of its parts.
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