Why I Do What I Do: Reconnecting with Your Personal Mission
/“The melody starts when you synchronize your mission, vision, passion, compassion and action together.”
Yesterday, I felt weighed down by the turmoil and sadness in our world and in my own life. One of my responses was to let myself feel the fear and let myself cry. Another was to lean on the important figures in my life who give me strength–I thought of my grandmother Ida and her unconditional love and kindness. I thought about my mom Phyllis: her idealism and tenacity to believe we can make a difference, and her pioneering an integrated Montessori school in Newark, NJ in 1963.
It is easy to get caught up in the hectic scramble of new challenges that continue to present themselves this year. In order to be our best selves, both as human beings and educators, it is important to reconnect with touchstones- the people and stories that give us inner resourcefulness and resilience, that help us remember why we are serving students and staff: the “why I do what I do.”
Your personal mission, as well as your school’s mission statement will guide you through new challenges and highlight what is most important right now. Students and staff have inevitably faced instability in their past, and this extended period of uncontrollable uncertainty, grief, loss, trauma of both COVID-19 and exacerbated racism can be re-traumatizing. During all of the turbulence in the world and in the US, recentering on your personal mission and purpose is necessary to stay strong for yourself, your team, and your students.
Reconnect to your own WHY, understand it and lean on it – Ask yourself these questions: Who inspires me, and what is it about them that moves me? Was there an educator/coach or a social justice role model who made a difference for me? What are 3 values I learned from these people? How can I recall those stories during the day when I need courage?
Practice how to effectively communicate your WHY – Is there a story of a time when your values crystallized in your past, or you were inspired by a student, staff member or community member that overcame obstacles? Tell a story to your staff of an early experience that connected you to social justice and education.
Help staff reconnect with their mission and WHY – In 1-on-1’s, refer back to the school values to help staff see and name how their actions are both reflecting and furthering the school mission. Ask staff about their own mission as educators, and about moments when they felt that mission was fulfilled. Start staff meetings with team members sharing inspiring stories that illustrate their vision for student success.
