In today's episode, Patrick Harris II, author of The First Five: A Love Letter to Teachers shares the importance of being intentional about choosing the right school, much like finding the perfect home. He emphasizes the need for teachers to align their values with those of their schools and provides valuable tips on how to identify and vet potential schools.
In this sample of the audiobook, you'll learn how to reflect on your values, practical steps to assess if a school aligns with those values and why new teachers should be particularly discerning about their first schools.
Below is a full transcript
Patrick Harris:
Here are a few truths. If we want to truly make a change in education, we need a school to call home. This means we have to kick our feet up and stay a while. This also means that we should be intentional about what homes we enter. When I was younger and asked if I could go over my friend's house, my mom went through a vetting process. Who all going to be there? Would their parents be home? Then to my embarrassment, she would ask to talk to my friend's Mom. I need to know what they about before I let my firstborn son over there. I understood. My mother loved me and wanted to know that wherever I was going would not have drastically different values than the ones we had in our own house. She was intentional.
As teachers, we too should feel empowered to be intentional. First, this means we need to look inward. We must always hold our whys close to us. Understanding our why and where we come from helps us to develop our own set of values. During my first five years of teaching I did not think about my own values until I knew they were being violated. All teachers, regardless of the number of years in the profession, should know what they value. I now know that I deeply value autonomy. I deeply value schools with decentralized leadership. I deeply value schools committed to equity and justice.
Then you must search, find and vet schools. This is where we determine if a school is right for you. If it is a place where you have room to make change long-term and grow along the way. I will never tell you what to look for in a school. This is your decision. Every institution is different, varying histories, flaws, opportunities, strengths. Believe me when I say there is a school out there for you in order to find it, we must do our homework. I will say it again. Do not settle for a home in which your values are directly violated.
This work is especially important for new teachers. As a new teacher, I was often told that I just needed to sit back and learn for the first five years no matter where I was. Most times when we talk about the needs of new teachers, we think about them from a deficit mindset. But new teachers have value. They walk in the door with strengths and experiences. Teachers within their first five years should especially be picky in choosing their institution as it will shape how long they stay in the classroom and the profession overall. We are like sponges in our first years and incredibly sensitive.
Our first schools play a large role in shaping the educator we become. As new teachers, we have to choose our schools wisely. There's no perfect school, every school has its flaws. But what we have to determine in these first five years is whether the institutional issues at your school are in direct conflict with your values as a teacher. And if so, do you have the room, the group, the capacity to create change. When teachers make a long-term commitment to their school, it allows them to grow as professionals. Students are more likely to have greater academic and social gains, and communities and families are guaranteed to benefit. It's not just better for you. It's better for your students and it's better for the community you serve. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and our communities to find a school to call home.
Big question. Why is it important to see school as a home in this work? How can you make sure you're at home before you move on to the reflection? You can take three approaches. You could answer these questions from the perspective of identifying your dream school. This is a helpful first step because it allows you to have a clear understanding of what you're looking for. You can answer the following questions and use a scale to determine if a school you're actively considering is a good fit for you. For example, maybe you could use a scale divided into three parts. One, it gives me confidence. Two, it's not perfect. There's room for change. And three, this is in direct conflict with my values. Or you can assess your current school to determine if you should stay or leave.
Your why. Let's start with you. Reconnect with your why. What teacher did you need as a child? What school did you need? What brings you to this work? What are three truths or values you hold tight for your work in education? Who are they? What is the history of your school? When was it founded and why? What is the history of the land it sits on? What is the mission and vision of the school? Do they have a list of values for their students? Are they who they say they are? How do students describe the school? Who are their favorite teachers? What have been some of their favorite memories? What is a typical day for a student? How does this reflect the mission and vision? Where has your school allocated funds over the course of the last few years?
Do you know your school community? How many teachers are on your team? How long have they been there? How would they describe the school? What frustrates them? How do they work to solve problems in the school? What does autonomy and teacher leadership look like in your school? Who are your administrators or your leaders? How long have they been there? How do they describe the school? What frustrates them? How do they work to solve these problems? When your school makes a mistake, how do they address it?
Asking questions does not stop when you are hired. Being in conversation with yourself throughout the year, particularly your first year, can help you decide if the school is home.
You and your home. How have you been welcomed into the space? What has orientation, onboarding, mentoring been like? Where has your school allocated funds over the course of the year? What does connection feel like to your school, to your students? Do you share similar values with your colleagues? Who's willing to join the fight towards a more just and equitable world with you?
Evaluation. How does it feel when you're in the building? Are you able to be your full, authentic self? Are all of your identities honored and accepted?
Teacher reflections. Heather L is a kindergarten teacher in Seattle, Washington. Heather has been in the classroom for 15 years. Let's start with you. Reconnect with your why. What teacher did you need as a child? What school did you need? What brings you to this work?
Heather:
I've had to really examine my why the last eight years. I've been in a school where I am a white teacher, teaching kids of the global majority. I've had to evaluate my why through the lens of a savior. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was a little kid and I was here to turn the world around. There's an excitement I get from a light bulb moment and the friendships they make. In kindergarten it's amazing how they play and grow and develop. They have so many ideas in their heads and teachers can squash a lot of those things. They're too young for this or they're too young for that. I continue to question why I am doing this and who I am doing it. For me, it's about being there to push them further and let them think and affirm the ideas they have as little people. Their ideas are big and outside the box. Long-winded answer to say, I want to be able to help kids so they feel affirmed.
Patrick:
Why is it important to see school as a home in this work?
Heather:
I think teaching can be so personal. It is not just a job where you follow the protocol. There is so much wrapped up in how you teach. If it is not home, it is not going to feel right. It is going to feel like a constant push. When you think of family, there is always space to push because it's family. If you don't have that in a building, there's a disconnect.
Patrick:
Ben W is a high school teacher in Michigan. Ben has been in the classroom for seven years. What is the mission and vision of your school?
Ben:
Together, teaching with excellence. It's a community mindset. Everyone is in this together. A place where professionals are valued, respected, and given meaningful PD.
Patrick:
Do they have a list of values for their students?
Ben:
Working together, excellent, inspiring students for life.
Patrick:
What is the history of your school? What land does it sit on? What is the history of the land of the community?
Ben:
I teach in a small city in Michigan. The board just voted to remove the chief mascot. We have had several conversations with Indigenous people about how our school sits on their land.
Patrick:
What is a typical schedule or day for a student? How does this reflect the mission and vision?
Ben:
A typical day would be math, science, social studies, English, one class each. There are usually electives. Students will double up in the sciences to make room for AP courses later in their high school career. There's a high focus on AP and colleges. There's also a growing population of students who are in a lot of remedial classes. There's an unspoken tracking system. Remedial classes cover the basics of reading, writing, speaking. The classes are primarily filled with ELLs, refugees, students of color. Then there's the AP track.
Patrick:
Has your school ever made a mistake? When your school makes a mistake how do they address it and recover?
Ben:
I would say with mistakes, we are working to fix them. The whole changing of the mascot has been helpful. The school brought in a Native leader and had an open Q&A forum. With discussion and public comment, they were able to share their grievances. There have been types of town halls where race and equity issues were talked about. You can see the concern on the superintendent's face, wow, we really messed up face. The district has a well thought out response to address mistakes.
Patrick:
Are you able to be your full authentic self? Are all of your identities honored and accepted?
Ben:
90%, yes. As a cis white straight male, I am able to be myself 100% in that regard. I don't have to hide anything, change anything really. One thing that I do think about is my journey with cancer. I have not felt comfortable enough to share this with the community. It's just personal given the stigma of what it means to be a cancer survivor. I have shared it with some students who needed someone to identify with. I wanted to let them know that there is someone there with them.
Final reflection. I am in a school that has some strengths, but room for improvement. I feel empowered to make that change. This exercise definitely makes you think about you and yourself and how you fit. I was looking up information. You have to make sure it works. You want to be happy in your paying job, your happiness and your willingness to put in energy, it's important.
Edie:
That's it for our commute today. To hear more from Patrick, you can stream or download his audiobook, The First Five: A Love Letter to Teachers wherever you get your audiobooks. Thanks for listening and let us know what you'd like to learn about in our time together. We really appreciate your feedback. You can learn more about Heinemann's audiobooks at Heinemann.com/audiobooks.
About the Author
Patrick Harris II is a Black queer writer, storyteller, and middle school humanities teacher. He has won multiple national teaching awards for his leadership and innovation in the classroom, including recognitions from NCTE, ASCD, and ILA. Teaching and creating is only part of who Patrick is. He is a big brother, a cat dad, lover of all things horror, a WWE fanatic, and is obsessed with scenic hikes.
Find Patrick on Instagram @PresidentPat.
