Head Up

It’s hard to see what is happening around you when your head is down. As a matter of fact, keeping your head down is one way to appear isolated in the presence of others. As teacher-leaders, we should aspire to keep our heads up and look for opportunities to examine, engage, and explore. Examine our surroundings to identify what is happening, engage with those in our proximity, especially those whose presence can easily go unnoticed, and explore what is working, what needs to change, and what alternative options are available. Keeping our heads up in our classroom or outside lets others know that we are interested, present, and available.

Examine

Early in my teaching career, while on recess duty, I was standing alone in my allocated location when, out of nowhere, my principal approached and sternly reminded me that I needed to pay attention to what the children were doing. She directed my attention to a child who had climbed up the fencing of a baseball backstop. Thankfully, no one got hurt, but this was a safety concern I should have noticed. This moment has remained with me for more than 20 years. Even though I was technically present, I was not examining my surroundings. I had drifted into a blank stare, going through the motions of recess supervision. How often do we catch ourselves drifting into thought, checking our phone, or catching up with a colleague when we should examine our environment? We find ourselves on a mission to get from one place to another, and we miss the student with tears in their eyes. We are listening to or scrolling through our messages and miss the unkind words spoken between people. Or we are talking to a colleague, and we miss the student who would like our attention. Let’s not exclude metaphorical heads-down behavior when we pop in a set of earphones or take a call on our way from one location to another. Honestly, a heads-down approach is anything we do that presents as unavailable to a passerby. We can engage in meaningful ways when we pull ourselves out of the distractions and intentionally examine our surroundings.

 

Engage

For all the space given to student engagement, it is fair to spend some time recognizing what teacher engagement can be. A district I served had the mantra, “Take a second, make a difference.” It seems so simple, right?

Take a second to pick up a piece of trash and make a difference by beautifying the campus.
Take a second to smile at students, ask them how they are doing, and make a difference by letting them know they have been seen.
Take a second to hold the door open for someone behind you and make a difference through a simple gesture of kindness.
Take a second to compliment someone for their effort and make a difference by praising perseverance.
Take a second to recognize and clean up the mess you and your class have made in a communal space and make a difference by valuing the time of those who should not have to clean up after you.
Take a second to call or write a note to the parent of a child you know does not get good notes home often and make a difference by reminding the parent that someone at the school sees the goodness and beauty in their child.
Take a second and have your students write notes of appreciation to the classified staff on campus and make a difference by modeling the importance that, in all things, it takes a village.
Take a second and notice someone who is always alone and make a difference by using your influence to connect them with activities or peers you know will be inclusive.
Take a second and help someone you see struggling in a rush or frustrated and make a difference by lightening the burden, if only for a moment.

It is easy not to take a second when we routinely keep our heads down, which will likely mean we don't make a difference. Oh sure, one could argue that they are making a difference because they are deep in thought over an issue that has landed on their plate; they are making a difference because they are reading a book or an article on the latest engagement or intervention strategy; or maybe they are convinced that they are making a difference on a grander scale beyond the confines of their current space. But the fact is that when we keep our heads down, we cannot attend to what is taking place right in front of us, and we miss opportunities to affect change. One of the most famous biblical sayings from the old testament book of Esther, is, "For such a time as this." Esther could have kept her head down, but Mordecai knew that by keeping her head up, she would be positioned to explore the possibility of saving her people. Have you ever thought I'm just going to keep my head down? Well, maybe you are placed at your school for such a time as this. Don't let an opportunity pass you because you kept your head down.

Explore

Taking a second to make a difference can create patterns that turn into long-term change, and as teacher-leaders, we should look for in-the-moment opportunities to step in and step up. We should also be exploring ideas that challenge the status quo. Ideas that push against systems that perpetuate exclusionary ways of doing and thinking. However, I have realized that my amazing innovations of change fall flat when I do not do my due diligence of exploration. More importantly, I have learned that when my innovations are led by untethered emotion, I get caught up in a whirlwind of chaos that often leads to nowhere. Exploration as a heads-up action supports and strengthens the integrity of the initiative. I am a person who tends to lead with emotion. So, I often need to start with an exploration of my why. Why is this change important to me, and why do I feel deeply about this issue? When I explore and define my why, I explore how others have worked toward a similar change. I read, I visit, I talk. I learn what works, the challenges I will face, and the obstacles I should avoid. During second language acquisition, there is a period where the learner is acquiring the second language but is not using it. This is called pre-production or the silent period.I have learned that contemplative silence often generates ideas supporting the foundation of the change I want to enact. Keeping my head up, my mind open, and my ears listening provides opportunities to avoid mistakes and setbacks.

Being a head-up teacher-leader allows us to examine our surroundings. We walk into spaces with intention and alertness, we make a point to be in the moment and purposeful about limiting distractions and we recognize what is working and not working which enables us to be change agents. This has been the first of three brief writings. Look for more on layering the concepts of being a head up, heart out, and smile on teacher-leader.

  

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Dr. Sara Morgan began her career in education as an instructional assistant at Salem Lutheran in Orange, California, before pursuing a teaching credentials in multiple subjects and education specialist fields. She obtained a Master of Arts from Chapman University and an administrative credential before serving as a Program Specialist for students with autism. In 2012, Dr. Morgan transitioned to full-time work at Concordia University. In 2023, she achieved a Ph.D. in Education focusing on Disability Studies.

At Concordia, Dr. Morgan teaches in the credential program, catering to students aiming for multiple subjects, single subjects, and education specialist credentials. She celebrates that the program is designed to integrate all candidates, fostering a comprehensive understanding of child development and providing opportunities to incorporate inclusive teaching practices. Concordia students are uniquely positioned to grasp the nuances of the Establishment Clause and Dr. Morgan is dedicated to debunking misconceptions and fears surrounding religion in public education.