THE BOUGIE INSTRUCTOR

Recapping Part 2, you were introduced to three steps on becoming and staying INIMITABLE:

STEP 1: Know your PURPOSE and marry your PASSION

STEP 2: Integrate your personal and professional VALUES

STEP 3: Be a SPONGE. Inherit ideas from other instructors, even if those ideas do not seem to be a perfect match for your class. You can always give it a twist of lemon or lime to make it your own...the perfect match for your class.

Secure your seatbelts, because I'm about to take you on the ride of your life...down the road to INIMITABILITY. It might get a tad bit bumpy along the way, so make sure you hold on tight!

Let me tell you a little bit about💏 "COMPASSION". According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, COMPASSION is defined as a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress, together with a desire to alleviate it. Imagine this: You're walking to your car when Mother Nature decides to open the sky's doors and let it rain...I mean, really rain...thunder...lightning...rain drops the size of half dollars. You quicken your pace. Then...it happens...you feel no more raindrops knocking on your head...someone who was walking in the same direction greeted you with their UMBRELLA.

Now, this person did not have to share their umbrella with you. They could have just as well scurried pass you, while allowing Mother Nature to beat up on you. But...they didn't. They sheltered you from the storm by sharing their umbrella. This person was sympathetic towards you getting pounded on by Mother Nature. So sympathetic, they felt the need and want to relieve your suffering.

STEP 4 to becoming and staying INIMITABLE...yep, you guessed it...COMPASSION...sharing your UMBRELLA with your students when you see that they are struggling. Now, I'm not telling you to bow down to their every woe, but what I am telling you is that having and showing compassion for your students' learning path, shows that you are SINCERE and that you care about their PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.

You have to keep in mind that everyone has a story...EVERYONE. Some of these stories are public knowledge, while others remain hidden deep within an 8-inch thick steel vault...under lock and key...mind you. And, without your students knowing that you are compassionate about their stories...whether you know their stories or not...they will eventually divorce their PASSION for learning.

There may be times when it is extremely hard for your compassion to emerge due to you not knowing your student's story, or maybe you do know their story but you feel as though they may be using their story as a crutch. During these times, I want you to think about your primary education journey. Did you have a teacher that you believed was not compassionate about your learning progress? About your future? How did this make you feel? What did you do or not do? Looking back, what would you have done differently? Did this affect your compassion for learning the specific subject that was being taught to you. Did you ever say, "When I get older, I'm definitely not going to be like her or him."?

Knowing and understanding your students' stories, whether it be a learning deficit or difficulties at home, work, or school, will help you to be compassionate about them. Teachers who consciously exert compassion, have higher student engagement. Teachers with higher student engagement, yield higher results.

So, how can you show compassion for your students' learning progression without bowing to their every woe?

1 - TELL THEM often that you care.

2 - Give REWARDS & GENUINE PRAISE for tasks completed and for effort on tasks not completed.

3 - DISCIPLINE when necessary. Doing so will teach your students about "ACCOUNTABILITY".

4 - ASK QUESTIONS about their day (school, work, and home), and SHARE with them tidbits about your life.

5 - RESPECT their opinions, even when they differ from yours.

6 - Allow them to PARTICIPATE in the declaration of classroom guidelines. Doing so will give them a sense of validity and also hold them accountable when in violation of guidelines.

These are just a few ways that you can show your students you care about their well-being and are invested in their future. Compassion is not only a part of classroom management, but a vital life skill. Demonstrating compassion for your students will give them the opportunity to trust your guidance, respect your requests, and follow your lead without hesitation.

Continue reading my stories and 💗heart💗 them if you are enjoying the read and gaining knowledge and understanding of the topic matter. I look forward to seeing you in Part 4 of "THE BOUGIE INSTRUCTOR".

Julie Ann Reynolds, LVN, C-NM, QCP