Tag: education matters

Red-Tailed Hawk: Symbolism and Lessons for School Success

by stephsimply, posted in education

“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch, but on its own wings.”–Charles Wardle

Photo by Jen Healy on Pexels.com

Frequent Encounters 👀

Lately, it seems I am regularly noticing red-tail hawks.  Sometimes I spy a hawk during my runs or walks, and other times, I will notice one while I am driving. I often see one perched on a pole or electric line. The neck tilts and turns this way and that as they take in the area, 180 degrees at a time, under their watchful eyes.  

Other times, I am able to observe the flick of a hawk’s red tail as it lifts into flight with an expansive, majestic wing span.  It will circle and soar on air currents, rising high as it gains a new perspective on the landscape below. Occasionally, I have the opportunity to watch one, with graceful power, dive, and in one fell swoop, swiftly scoop up its prey.  

Photo by Skyler Ewing on Pexels.com

Hawk-eyed facts 📝

Seeing hawks never fails to fill me with delight, no matter how frequently I catch a glimpse of one.  I often joke that the hawk is my “spirit animal,” my guide to admirable qualities. After all, hawks have excellent vision.  They can see five to eight times better than most humans.  Therefore, when they are sailing on the ocean of air currents, their accurate vision enables them to see the bigger picture.

In addition to their clear-eyed view, a red-tailed hawk can dive at speeds of up to 120 mph.  Combine a hawk’s speed with its visual acuity, a prey stands very little chance of escape.  Thus, a hawk has the ability to clearly see its goal and attain it.

Hawks are known for their ability to hunt and capture prey that can weigh as much as the hawk itself, anywhere from two to four pounds. That’s a strong lift, especially once in flight.  However, hawks mostly focus on small rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and even insects. This means the hawk is realistic about the load it can carry.

The wingspan of an adult hawk is over four feet wide because hawks are meant to soar. In the book of Job, the 26th verse of chapter 39 reads, “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings towards the south?” And, while this is a conversation between God and Job, it does seem to emphasize, to my untrained eyes, that there are times, when, like a hawk, we, too, have been gifted with the ability to spread our wings widely and leave an area/situation that no longer supports us.

Red-tailed hawks mate for life.  They build their nests together–each one gathering leafy branches and sticks. When it comes to having babies, they likewise co-parent.  Typically, the female will sit and incubate the eggs, while the male hunts and brings back food to her. Once the chicks hatch, the male continues to hunt and bring back food to the female.  In turn, she will then distribute the food in small pieces among the babies. In this way, hawks demonstrate the importance of dividing and sharing the load with one another.

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Lessons of the Hawk

Throughout the local area, students, teachers, administrators, and staff are returning, or will soon be returning, to school. Shelves of school supplies at popular stores have been wiped clean of their wares, and first day outfits or uniforms have been selected with care for annual back-to-school photos. All the while parents marvel at the rate at which their kids are growing as students–and teachers–wonder where summer went.

With the ringing of the school bells, it is worth remembering the lessons provided by the red-tailed hawk whether a parent, student, educator, or simply interested in supporting those in education.

Photo by Marko Klaric on Pexels.com

Focus on Big picture 🔎

 First, may we remember to focus on the bigger picture.  It is so easy, and even tempting, to get wrapped up in the minutiae of daily dramas.  Instead, let us be reminded of the hawk and soar above all of the little irritants that don’t add up to much of anything, and instead focus on the goal: education, growth, improvement, and so forth

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Clear goals 🎯

Along those same lines, by focusing on the bigger picture, let us be hawk-like and develop clear goals/intentions for the school year–tangible and measurable targets for success. By keeping a clear vision of these goals, students, parents, and teachers alike can adapt and adjust accordingly as we work towards them. It’s easy to get side-tracked, and it’s sometimes tempting to waiver or become distracted by some flash-in-the-pan idea.  However, by continuously circling back to the actual long-term goals, we can keep our aim true.

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Avoid overcommitting 😮

While all those target goals are important, it’s important to be realistic about the load we can carry. Just as the hawk can only hunt and capture predators weighing no more than it does, we too must be careful not to bite off more than we can chew.  Over-volunteering or overcommitting to too many teams/committees/clubs/events can weigh down students, educators, and parents alike.  Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should do it all.  Instead, it is more important to focus on what you love, what will stretch you best, and/or will leave time for recovery and rest in order to put our best foot forward.

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Divide and Conquer ➗

One way to do this is to remember to divide and share the load.  Students can benefit from helping one another or working with a tutor.  Parents can divide and share the responsibilities of their kids’ school activities, sports, and all the home/care responsibilities that go with that.  Educators can likewise collaborate with one another and make use of resources designed to support learning.  We all benefit from helping each other make a school year successful.

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Change can be Good 👍

However, it is important for us to recognize when we have bitten off more than we can chew. Burn-out for students, parents, and teachers is a very real thing and must be guarded against.  Therefore, learn to identify and recognize those times when you need to spread your wings and leave or change a situation.  

May this school year be the year of the red-tail hawk. May students, parents, educators, coaches, and anyone else involved have hawk-like vision and acuity. May wings spread on the currents of hope, compassion, empathy, and knowledge. May our aim be true, and may educational communities around the globe support and help one another in a spirit of kinship and joy.  Most of all, may we nourish our students with small bites of knowledge and success, so that they may ultimately one day, independently soar on their own air currents of success, however they define it.

Ready for the new school year!

Educational Light: Reflections of a life of teaching

Featured by stephsimply, posted in Simple Observations and Musings

“Just as one candle lights another and can light thousands of other candles, so one heart illuminates another heart and can illuminate thousands of other hearts.”–Leo Tolstoy

Sweet Welcomes 🤗

By the time you read this, Dear Reader, National Teacher Appreciation Week will be coming to an end. However, mine began, in its own unique way, the week prior.  As I walked into the high school on a Friday  after being out for a few days, an early arriving student exclaimed, “Ms. Hill, you’re back!  I missed you!” Then, she surprised me with a hug.

Later, before the beginning of mass, our weekly church service, another student said she was happy to see me as I sat down beside her.  Two rows in front of me, an additional student, and his buddies, all started waving at me with smiles on their faces.  I was definitely touched.

The Dog Ate My Homework 🐶

There are many times, as an educator, especially in more recent years, where it feels I am engaged in a battle with a myriad of student-distraction, and I therefore wonder what kind, if any, impact I can make in my students’ lives.  Video games, travel sports, youtube, and phones are just a few of the numerous diversions vying for students’ attention. “The dog ate my homework” excuse has been replaced with more modern tales. 

 “I stayed up late playing video games with my friends and lost track of time.”  

“I didn’t come to class this morning (or yesterday) because I was so tired from playing in the tournament this weekend.”  

“I completely forgot to ________ (read, study, write) because there was phone drama last night with my ________ (friends, boyfriend, girlfriend).”

“I performed four shows (or competitions) this past weekend, and I completely forgot about __________ (assignment).”

None of their distractions are any better or worse than distractions of the earlier decades in my career.  They are simply different.

Therefore, I do empathize with my students’ level of fatigue and distractions.  My teenage world was vastly different from their current teen world, but I still recall the angst, the hormones, the emotions, and my own unique set of distractions. Plus, I am professional enough to recognize that their excuses are not personal; it’s just their reality, shaped by society, parents, and peers.  

checking in 😃

Which is why I try to work with, rather than against, the current tide, taking time to talk to the students in order to get to know them.  What makes them tick?  What are their interests?  I try to notice when one, or several, are having a bad day, so I can check in with them and offer help or a compassionate ear.

Still, I am not perfect–not by any means.  There are days where all the best-laid instructional plans go wrong, technology in the classroom doesn’t work, and/or multiple interruptions occur.  On those days, I look around the empty classroom after students have exited and wonder if I am making a difference?  Am I preparing the students, not only for the next level of English, but also, am I adequately conveying that I care even more about the type of people they are becoming?  Am I making that personal connection that communicates to them that their life matters and is important? 

Words Matter 🗣️

As a writer and educator, I know that words matter. Words are tools.  Words can be used to build up another person, encourage a hurting soul, and foster a healthy relationship.  Likewise, words can deeply wound, leaving scars that can be felt for years. Therefore, when those students used their words to tell me that I was missed, it felt as if, perhaps, I do make a difference, even in a small way.

Later, that same day, I ran into a national chain store to pick up a couple of items.  As I was darting to the self-checkout station, a young lady greeted me with, “Hey, gorgeous!”

Now, at my age, that is not a line I often hear, but I also know from being around teens that is a phrase females will sometimes use with one another.  The speaker’s face was familiar, but my brain struggled to match the face to the correct moment in time. Then, I looked at her name badge.

It was a former student of mine from over 20 years ago during the time period in which I taught kindergarten. We talked for several moments, and she shared pictures of her two sons.  She caught me up on the lives of her siblings and parents. Listening to her talk, I took in her smile and dancing eyes.  I could tell she was happy, which, in turn, made my heart smile because, ultimately, I want all of my students to have an overall happy and successful life, however they define it.

Unforgettable Moments 🙌

As I prepared to walk away, I thanked her for stopping me and marveled that she would even recognize me. 

“How could I forget you?”

Those five words may not seem like much. They won’t grab national headlines, and they won’t earn me a six figure income.  Nor will her words put my name in lights.  Still, those words lit me up from within. Her words touched  me in ways headlines, money, and fame could never feel.  To know I made a difference with at least one past student, and to hopefully continue to affect current students to feel empowered about their own future choices is what continues to motivate me all these years later.

Thank you, Teachers 👩‍🏫 👨‍🏫

To all the educators who taught me, thank you.  I don’t need National Teachers Recognition Week to remind me of the impact your teaching had on me.  I continue to carry the torch you lit within me in your classrooms of long ago.

To all the educators in the trenches with me, thank you. Teaching is a challenging and often undervalued role, but the light you bring to your students matters.  And that is why we teach–to pass on the light to our students that was given to us. 

Thank you, Students 🙇 🙇‍♀️

Finally, to all of my students, past and present, thank you.  Thank you for sharing your light with me. You make my life richer, more interesting, and definitely a more engaging experience!  Never hide your light, continue to shine it, and may you bless the future world with your many talents and gifts.  Heaven knows, this ol’ world needs more light.

If you look closely, you can see, this student’s book, (Madelyn) was truly “eaten” by her dog. He took several bites out of the tops of the pages of the novel she was reading for my English 9 class.

Teachers Matter: Welcome to the Next Generation of Educators

by stephsimply, posted in Simple Observations and Musings

“So enter that daily thou mayest grow in knowledge, wisdom, and love.” –Alumni Gateway, Ohio University, entrance view.

May 2017.  Upon high school graduation, like many, my daughter, Madelyn (Maddie), thought she had an idea regarding the direction of her adult path.  However, once immersed in the pursuit of this path, biochemistry/chemistry, despite excelling at it, she was miserable. Midway through her undergraduate studies, after much reflection, discussion, and contemplation, Maddie bravely decided to pivot.

Her decision to change course was not a simple one.  And while I do not want to speak for Maddie’s experience during this process, I do recall her stating that the one class that truly brought her joy during her first two years of undergraduate work was an art course.  Art was her minor, but in the decision to switch, art became her major, and biochemistry/chemistry became her minor.  

Like all change, there was some catching up to do and several adjustments, especially since she switched locations of study. Then COVID, and the ensuing pandemic, hit, impeding progress as the railways of education greatly slowed in an attempt to switch tracks.  This meant virtually navigating coursework meant to be completed in an art studio.

As the pandemic’s impact grew, the staggering blow of life-interrupted affected all, especially those between 18-25 years.  Daily living went upside down and sideways for this age group as the so-called normal way of interacting and connecting with friends, family, and mentors was often lost during times of isolation.  Even as restrictions gradually eased, those last two years of undergraduate study, while simultaneously working part-time, were not the typical college-age experiences for Maddie and her peers.

In the shadow of the COVID cloud, Maddie was also reflecting, examining, and embracing a greater understanding of herself to best determine what her next steps into adulthood would look like.  Again, I cannot speak to her internal experience, but from the outside, her contemplation process appeared deep, honest, and, at times, painful.  I wanted to help ease the discomfort of this transitional process, but as with any metamorphosis, only the person within the cocoon can undergo the change.

Beside a bright green cap, you will see Madelyn looking up at us with a glowing face of pride.

May 2023. John, my husband, and I waited as the candidates for Doctoral and Master’s degrees from Ohio University, our alma mater, made their way into the Convocation Center.  It was a long procession with Patton College of Education entering as the next-to-last school of candidates. Finally, we spied Maddie with a smile for miles, waving at us, face glowing with pride.  She had not only emerged victorious from the cocoon of young adult transition, but also, she had successfully earned a Master of Education degree during this transformation and appeared ready to take flight.  I hoped that like a sponge, she soaked up all the joy, hope, and satisfaction relegated to such a momentous occasion.

Celebratory milestone moments of life are few and far between.  These cherished junctures of life mark a moment in time when one can say, “I did it.  I put in the work.”  Or, as Maddie likes to say, “Nevertheless, she persisted.”  And persist, she did.

And so, as John and I sat there, tears frequently slipping out of our eyes, I reflected over the ways in which this moment could potentially impact her life.  You see, our daughter is now a fourth generation educator, the ninth teacher of our collective families.  Education is not an easy career, and often the rewards are not, per se, tangible–at least if you measure monetarily.  Instead, the rewards are more intrinsic.  It is a calling to go forth and make a difference in the lives of others.

It struck John and me that these hundreds of candidates, no matter their field, present in full regalia, were there, in part due to their past teachers.  In fact, though teachers are often at the bottom of the pay scale, there isn’t a single adult, or child over the age of five, whose lives have not been impacted by a teacher.  As with any field, there are always going to be some bad apples, but the dynamic teacher, the teacher who cares, who is passionate about his or her students and subject matter can truly make a difference, and, in some cases, be transformational.  Call me biased, but there is not a doubt in my mind that Maddie will be the latter.

I have often shared a story about my Papaw.  He once pulled me aside and said, “Stethie,” (that is how he said Stephie), “Your ol’ Papaw only got a 5th grade education.”  

Papaw then spoke proudly of his sister who had gone to college, earned her degree, and went on to become a teacher. 

“Don’t be dumb like your ol’ Papaw.  Get your education.  Go as far as you can with it.” 

He went on to encourage me to be a teacher, like his sister, and later, his daughter, my mother.  

“There’s no greater job.”

Papaw and me when I was around two years old in his backyard in front of his garden.

Little did he know that I would not only go on to become a teacher, but also marry an educator who was from a family of teachers.  Therefore, I can only imagine the smile on Papaw’s heavenly face, knowing his belief about education still inspires and motivates today.

This story will be published in May on the final day of National Teacher Appreciation Week. Numerous colleges and universities will be graduating more educators around this same time period, but the fact remains that the long-standing shortage of teachers that has been increasing since before the pandemic, will continue to grow. In fact, according to the Economic Policy Institute, this is not a result of the number of qualified candidates as much as it is the working conditions and lack of compensation.  

I am hopeful this will change for my daughter and her educational peers, but I am often discouraged by current political culture and societal trends, especially with regards to the importance of education.  Nonetheless, Madelyn comes from a long line of people who knew, know, and believe(d) in the merit of quality education and the impact of a positive teacher. My prayer is that she, along with the newest class of teachers entering the field, will proudly stand on the shoulders of those who came before them, and bless this world and its children, with their many gifts in even greater and more innovative ways than their predecessors could have ever dreamed.

“So depart that daily thou mayest better serve thy fellow man, thy country, and thy God.”–Alumni Gateway, Ohio University, exit view.