Some “Re-Store”ation Will Do You Good
by Sarah Logan, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

  If you’ve ever driven down South Scenic Avenue, you may have noticed a large blue warehouse near the Horton Smith golf course and wondered what exactly is that place? The answer is that it’s a Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, a nonprofit home improvement store and donation center. Proceeds from their sale of donated items are invested in supporting the organization’s mission of building homes and improving lives.

  So now you’re probably wondering what this has to do with you. As educators, we share a common goal with this organization. We too are interested in building community and improving lives. Though the specific work they do is different from ours, we benefit from reflecting on connections that can be made.

1. Restock, re-shelve, and replace your inventory.

  From time to time it’s important to take stock of the resources you have on hand. This may include both physical aspects of your classroom, such as pencils and textbooks, as well as non-physical ones such as instructional strategies or person-centered relationships.
  How does what you have support you in building community and improving the lives of learners in your classroom? Identify what you need to keep, what you may need to eliminate, and what you may need to obtain in order to fulfill this mission.

2. Encourage innovation.

  Many of the items purchased at Habitat’s Re-Store are not actually used for their original purposes. A doorknob might become part of an art décor project, or a set of kitchen cabinets may be transformed into a window seat storage area. A creative mind sees what is and wonders what it may become.
  What might that look like in your role? Perhaps you can readily identify how you could repurpose resources you have on hand. Solicit input from members of your classroom community to envision creative possibilities that will be meaningful.

3. Remember your influence.

  The Habitat Re-Store is non-profit. All proceeds from their sales are invested back into the organization’s ultimate goal of helping people gain access to affordable housing. A sale is not just a sale. It’s helping someone get one step closer to realizing a dream.
  How does that resonate with you as you consider what happens in your classroom on a daily basis? Recognize that there is a much bigger picture than what is readily seen. You’re not just building community and improving lives in this moment. You’re impacting many moments in a lifetime.

On Purpose
by Alicia Moore, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

I know why you come to work every day. To reach kids. To see that spark of understanding after days of explanation, modeling, and review. To insure that the kids of Springfield have the mental tools to construct happy and useful lives for themselves. To know that there are people out there who picked up some morsel of wisdom in your very own classroom, and that they’re using that wisdom to make our society a little better.

Day after day, year after year, teachers tough out the not-so-glamorous aspects of the job because we have a purpose. Our purpose is to help young people discover their own. It’s a long journey for most students, and seeing it happen is a little like watching an acorn turn into an oak. Educational consultant Tony Wagner (2012) believes that children progress through three stages in this journey. They begin by exploring the world through play, then discover something that ignites a deeper passion, and finally gain the experience and knowledge to turn that passion into purpose. He also notes that almost every young innovator he has studied arrived at their purpose with the help of a mentor.

Teachers, it turns out, are naturally well-suited to serve in this mentor role, and not just because of the hours we log with kids each day. Our real advantage is the nature of the goals we tend to set for ourselves. Daniel Pink, author of the bestselling book Drive (2009), names purpose as one of three forces that motivate modern people. He describes one study that surveyed new college graduates about their life goals. The students’ aspirations were divided into two groups: those focused on helping others or improving the world were labeled “purpose goals,” and those concerned with status or money were labeled “profit goals.” Follow-up interviews with the graduates revealed an interesting contrast. The participants who felt they were attaining purpose goals were happier and less anxious than they had been as college students. However, those who felt they were attaining their profit goals were no happier—in fact, they showed higher levels of anxiety and depression than they had in college. As Pink puts it, “…satisfaction depends not merely on having goals, but on having the right goals” (p. 142).

So congratulations!  You chose a career that is very focused in the purpose department!  I wish you well in your role as a mentor to your students. In the playful moments and passionate discussions, you have an opportunity to steer them toward a deeper purpose in life. Enjoy the knowledge that you are creating meaning not only for yourself, but for all of your students as well.

 

Pink, Daniel H. (2009). Drive. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

Wagner, Tony. (2012). Creating innovators. New York, NY: Scribner.