When We See, They See

We can see the genius of students so clearly, how can we help them see it too? Join Molly, Dr. Eve, and guest Rich Stuart, Principal at Mattoon High School, as they explore practical strategies that help students see their own potential.

Transcript

10.17.23 When We See, They See 

Molly: [00:00:00] (1) From Leader Me Studios. I'm Molly Garcia. This is The Empowering Teacher for Secondary. We see it so clearly. So why can't they? I remember struggling with this question so deeply as a teacher, and especially when it came to those gifts and talents of every single one of my students. Their light was so bright and their potential would just make me giddy thinking about how they would impact the world.

Molly: So, how as teachers can we practically address this reality? Eve I are going down this road and I'm so excited because later on I'm chatting with Rich Stewart, Principal at Mattoon High School in Illinois, and together we're going to explore the power of students being able to see their own light and the impact it has on themselves, as well as each other.

Molly: So Eve. Let's get started. What does research tell us about the result we get when we engage in those practical strategies that really support students and just seeing their own potential?

Eve: It's important that we recognize that as we're [00:01:00] helping students to recognize their potential and how that impact will ripple through the rest of their lives, but in order to achieve this, we really need to be aware of where our secondary students are at developmentally. 

Molly: So let's talk a little bit more about those developmental differences. What are those?

Eve: Yeah, well, I think it's also important to understand the developmental differences might come through as, like, a strained relationship between the adult and the teen. And from the teen's point of view. The reason for those strained relationships comes down to a few things. When we ask teens about their relationships with adults, they say, “Well, um, they're not really interested in what I'm interested in.”

Eve: And they also commonly report feeling talked down to by adults in their lives And the issue is that we are probably treating them a lot like children when actually, as you move into the teen years, this need [00:02:00] that grows within that time is a need for status and for respect.

Molly: Yeah, previous middle-school teacher here, so this is completely connecting with me because I know that it can be hard working with our teens and this idea of aging up, in the way that we interact with them and they can still feel like kids. 

Molly: Knowing this about the brain development, my mind goes directly to what can we do as educators to improve that relationship with our teens?

Eve: Yeah, first off, just even being aware of the needs that drive them, we can really help them by tapping their sense of purpose and potential. And really respecting them, even just through small ways that we communicate with them on a day-to0day basis.

Molly: I love this because it's not a completely new way of interacting with our teens. It's something simple like, an interest in their interests, right? And those leadership opportunities, knowing that they have a need to feel respected. And I love how you [00:03:00] said “hold status with important adults in their lives.”

Eve: And that can be as simple as holding status. Feeling respected is a short conversation where you find out what they're interested in. And then. you use that interest to help build their interest in things that they're learning in the classroom, and it can serve as a pathway to seeing and helping them to see their gifts and talents and helping them to see their potential, 

Molly: You started to scratch the surface a little bit to my next question. How does this impact academics? 

Eve: So, there's a positive connection between academic achievement and a student sense of purpose and potential, right? We just sometimes need to help bring it out of them.

Eve: But here's what's really interesting when I say that, the relationship is the strongest between students and adults when the student feels like that adult sees their purpose and potential. Not only are we helping to bring it out of them so that we are [00:04:00] supporting their academic achievement, that thing that drives their motivation to learn, but it also will build their trust with us and we know that's really important, right?

Molly: I'm getting excited here Eve because we've known that the student teacher relationship, it's such a critical part of student success. So can you share just a few research backed practices with us?

Eve: Yeah. Things like providing feedback. Speaking to them like a person that you respect goes a long way. So we're remembering they feel talked down to, so giving feedback in those ways, constructive feedback, because we know feedback builds a teenager, an adolescent's sense of self efficacy.

Eve: It puts them in control of the learning. Involving them in decision making is one of the biggest practices that across the board, for all students, but especially teens, they need to feel in control. They need to feel like they are having a sense of purpose in this learning in the school environment.

Eve: And then finally, social learning—peers matter more than adults. [00:05:00] and they need to know that they have status and respect with their peers. And we can do that in so many ways in their learning opportunities and really utilize that for high-leverage practices.

Molly: Eve, thank you so much for this research. It just reminds me of the many reasons behind why this work is so important and that those tried and true strategies that you shared, They are game changers for our students. listeners stay tuned for our next guest, because I'm chatting with Rich Stewart, principal at Mattoon High School in Illinois

Molly: Rich. Welcome to The Empowering Teacher Podcast for secondary.

Rich: Hey, thank you for having me.

Molly: It is such an honor to share space with you today. And I want to begin our conversation with acknowledging that the reality is sometimes secondary students have guards up around seeing their own gifts and their talents. They may have had a lot of practice with this self-doubt or believing that they're just not good enough at something.

Molly: [00:06:00] So in your experience, Tich, what do you think holds students back from seeing their own potential?

Rich: Yeah, great question and a very real and current issue. I think for teenagers, and adults, there's a false perception of false reality out there for so many people, including my students. Everything you take in, right? 

Rich: If you're constantly listening to people tell you how perfect, , their dinner was, their trip was, their sleep was their everything was, and hey, it's great to celebrate things, but it seems like some people have gotten caught up in everything has to be perfect.

Rich: And there's this false reality that's forming, and so I think that has a lot to do with it. Our students are so connected now. sSome of them have stream of images and voices telling them what to think and how to think. So [00:07:00] everything's crowding in there for attention, so then we get the opportunity right to help them make hopefully conscious and good decisions about who they let in their mind, what they let in their mind, and how they use that. 

Molly: Yeah. And that's really resonating with what you're sharing right now, Rich, around just what, I don't know whether it's just the idea of media, what it's having them think life should look like or what their life should look like and then them having that moment by themselves to think, I, I don't know if I reached that.

Molly: And what does that do to their internal mindsets and their thinking of how they're viewing themselves as a human being? What are some of those just practical strategies or routines that teachers do on a daily basis to help students discover their genius, their authentic genius, not, a genius area that someone is telling them they need to have, but what is truly inside of them.

Rich: This is not a shocker. but it is backed by research [00:08:00] relationships. Relationships are so critical and nobody can learn and grow in isolation. So that relationship with a trusted adult or adults, someone who can be that sounding board, who can really listen and give patience and grace and just that opportunity for things to bounce back and forth and to ask important questions. But you don't get to ask those important questions. You don't get to connect if you don't have a relationship first. And sometimes our toughest customers usually require the greatest patience and grace, because life's experiences maybe have taught them that they can't trust people, that they can't show who they are.

Rich: You really gotta dig in and know that. And if we can get every teacher every day, and not just teacher, adult…

Molly: Yeah.

Rich: Trying to connect, then there's that many more opportunities for them to be seen and heard [00:09:00] and recognized, and that greatness be spoken back to them.

Molly: Telationships having patience and asking questions when people show a true interest in us as a human being, that connection piece helps really build that foundation we need. By implementing these strategies, what results should teachers expect?

Rich: They're remarkable in my opinion, because what you have then is an honest conversation and a level of trust to where you can take risks, where you've built an environment and that relationship where they'll try something that, yeah, they might fail and they know that actually that's okay.

Rich: We're not gonna ever achieve anything great if we don't take risks. But that's a safe place and they've got somebody there that has done just that, modeled that for them and will help lift them up and see what the difference was that they're chasing. 

Molly: What does this look like on a daily basis? Like where are kids sharing their genius [00:10:00] areas on your campus?

Rich: I'm excited because, we are a group that works with media and technology and some of their passion is on the hardware side, and some of it's on the software and the production and interacting kind of like in a format like this. 

Rich: And then our action teams, we have historical, NHS student council. These are great organizations doing great things. But one of our students says, you know, the action teams, we're taking on and we're doing new things and solving new problems and creating, new solutions and recognition, and all those great things.

Rich: I always listen to the kids. And so I, I share that ‘cause I think that's a pretty cool way they do it.

Molly: Yeah, I love that, that action teams give them a pathway to find what problem do we need to solve and we are the solution. And so it opens up that gate for them in secondary. So powerful.

Rich: One other great piece from the students, one of the students, [00:11:00] She's very passionate, she's a, a go-getter, high achieving, hard worker, and you know, she really pushes back with her fellow classmates. It's like, “Hey, you are gonna sit there and complain about X, Y, or Z? Well, hey, why don't you get involved and let's do something about it, because I'm on a team and we're fixing problems.”

Rich: Come be part of the solution ‘cuz they're listening and they'll work with you. I know it can be a struggle sometimes. I know like part of being a teenager is being yourself and you know, they've gotta form that identity.

Rich: And so sometimes as adults we can get our feelings hurt, or bruised because they're like, oh, well they said they didn't like Leader in Me, or they didn't like, well, teenagers say lots of things they don't like, okay, but maybe it was because we didn't ask the right question. Maybe we didn't ask it in the right way.

Rich: Maybe, are we really giving them opportunity to be heard? Because the way we hear it and the way they hear it isn't the same. And you need to be able to have that open and honest dialogue, and they'll tell you the [00:12:00] good. Hey, ask for the good and then ask for how we can get better.

Rich: And they'll tell you both. And when they see you listen and you act, they're gonna buy in. 

Molly: Rich, thank you for bringing the light to just what happens when we help our students shine the light on themselves. And of course, a big thank you to our listeners. Remember, you matter. You make a difference. And you've got this.