Tag: Vulnerability

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Looking back and ahead #Oneword 2022

Elyse Hahne

Looking back on this year, I can’t count the amount of people who taught me something as well as who continued to embrace myself through thick and thin. Professionally, teaching during a pandemic continued to push me through thick and thin. It was not easy and continues to be the case today. The year of the continued pandemic, hardships, teaching, and finishing my Masters in December (post coming in January) continued to teach me things that I am grateful for today such as balancing personal and professional life, giving myself grace, and leading with grace.

I have always struggled and avoided talking about personal struggles from my professional life not wanting to cause extra attention but this year taught me to be honest, open, and let people in to see the whole picture of who I am. The whole picture this year caused a lot of stress, frustration, and struggle. Personal struggles included our house flooding and no power for 5 days in February, packing up our entire downstairs and all our belongings and leaving for 9 months, and home to unpack and still be under construction today. I will admit that the boxes that still sit in our halls today remind me that there is progress from last month and at the beginning of this year. Please understand, though, that telling my struggles on a blog made me a better person I am today going through them and seeing the progress of the year (almost) behind me.

One of my biggest takeaways for the 2021 year has been the amount of support and connection felt and how much grace was needed for others and myself. Focusing on others comes very naturally to me. Focusing on myself is a challenge at times aside from self care. However, it’s a continued journey to improve on and embrace. Professionally, seeing the power of connections as well as support truly allowed me to see the good in others as well as the helpful spirit too. Making connections and learning from one another worldwide was amazing. Keeping those connections and learning to grow forward is something I will to continue do day in and out as well.

Moving forward to 2022, my #oneword2022 will be embrace. Embrace will center the work I do in my classroom and with my students as well as how I work to continue to embrace in collaboration and support with colleagues, staff, and teachers. Personally, embracing boundaries and limits for my own sanity and life is a continued work in progress too. In 2022, I look to embrace the struggle that is ahead as well as the journey to embrace the unknown. I also plan to embrace blogging more as an outlet as well as to share my thoughts. Livia Chan, Teacher & Digital content creator for TeachBetter, reminded me today in a live PD that “instead of worrying about what others say about content, just focus on yourself.” Moving into 2022, I hope to share more as well as focus on embracing what’s to come.

Embracing the unknown, the productive struggle, the connections, and the days ahead in the coming year of 2022. Happy New Year to you and wishing you a wonderful start to 2022.

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Reflection of 2020 & #oneword2021

Elyse Hahne
Confused Clip Art - Royalty Free - GoGraph

I am going to be perfectly honest and truly thought my word for 2019 and 2020 was BE. I am not sure how I mixed them up since intentional was supposed to capture 2020 but I took BE one step further in 2020. I truly had the presence and ability to be fully be in tune to what others were saying as well as putting in writing.

I am not going to lie. 2020 was truly a blur from March to October. The ever changing mandates, the changes, the fear, and the whirlwind so many educators and people were on was exhausting and, at times, paralyzing. While the days continued to pass, it did get easier by the end of 2020 to BE intentional about listening to others who had a different perspective or notion. I learned so much about bias that occurs by our nation as well as teachers and how to respond appropriately all while the pandemic occurred.

One of my biggest takeaways in 2020 was the fact that there are people who want to support teachers and teachers who want to learn more no matter the circumstance. I learned how to connect through zoom and have tough conversations about the inequities in education and what we are doing about it. I learned so much and also took away the fact that we are truly better together by listening, reflecting, pausing, and asking questions. I truly hope this collaborative discussion and community continues moving forward and even after the pandemic.

Moving forward to this year, 2021, my #oneword2021 will be intentional & I can’t wait to see the journey unfold through each memory. I want to focus on the extent and depth of intentional & in the different areas of my life.

Intentional focus on the planning of my lessons for my students as well as focusing on what is truly important to me by investing time and energy into these areas. Intentional direction of how I support my students, staff, colleagues, and family each day. Intentional commitment to what is important in my life. Intentional reflection by blogging more. Not only do I want to reflect and take time to truly listen and learn but I also want to have intentional voice by allowing others to read longer than 240 characters on Twitter. Intentional vulnerability by opening up on a platform and inviting feedback to help me grow as well as intentional purpose in what I do each day and along this journey in 2021.

Do you have a yearly goal or #oneword2021? I’d love to know more.

2021, let’s do this and I hope to continue to be intentional with the days ahead and the moments in between.

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Perspective through my student’s eyes

Elyse Hahne

It’s the end of October and we’re knee deep into the first semester of this year. The first few weeks of school are behind us and fall has finally hit in the southern part of Texas for a few days. My days are full of memories and challenges. They are also full of self-doubt and questioning if I am doing what’s best for my students. 

My students, though, set me straight every single time without fail.

Their opinions are RAW, REAL, and really put me back in my place. They really don’t hold back and know when to give their two cents and when to give me that reality that they see more in me than I see in myself.

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I have students that take the imperfect me and build me up daily. They show their true skills that define who they are and use them to communicate with me. I also have students that make me proud to be their teacher. The imperfect me, the always questioning what I can do to help them me, makes a difference in their lives daily.

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I am reminded daily how my student’s perceive me. My students are really with it and make my world go around and around. They make me smile and sit back and wonder how I got so lucky to have them. They show me grace and accept that I am who I am. They give more grace than I give myself and are learning at their own pace and time. They also color the world with art and notes to make my day.

My student’s perspective has changed me as an educator. It’s inspired, it’s uplifted, and it’s defined who I am today. My students know I love handwritten notes and love it when I make them “famous” by sharing on social media. If that’s what it takes to make that connection and impact them just like they’re impacting me, I am all in.

Everyday may not be peaches and roses but I am grateful to have the opportunity with students who show me grace, a different perspective, and inspire me to do more than I could have ever thought I could do. Through my student’s eyes, I am their superhero and their teacher. I am someone who makes them smile and laugh. I am also someone who brings learning alive. It helps that my students build me up and think I am a superhero, who goes and helps other kids, who saves the day.

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Perspective through my student’s eyes varies student by student and day by day but their input makes me stop and wonder. It’s not about me. It’s about them learning, becoming aware of what’s around them, and moving forward as a student in this world of learning. The extra perspectives our students give are priceless.

The next time you’re doubting yourself or wondering if you’re doing a good job, sit back and watch how your students perceive you. It means the world to them & it might just change your perspective too.

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Lead like a Pirate: Challenge Accepted

Elyse Hahne

New Challenges on the horizon.png

Challenges, we all face them. From the classroom to school to our daily lives, they’re present. They’re unavoidable for the most part and we have to solve them daily. It’s nice when challenges are portrayed as something fun and you can choose to join or let the opportunity fly by.

Recently I participated in a twitter chat that challenged the participants to stay connected and share their journeys that come our way. When I first heard about Lead like a Pirate, I was excited. A book by the Dave Burgess Company (which is amazing by the way) never disappoints and the authors are Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf. I participated in the chats that lead up to this challenge and I leave inspired, uplifted, and grateful to have an opportunity to collaborate with people who care about education and want students to be successful.

Lead like a Pirate opened many doors and windows for me while reading and participating in the chats. It provided me with inspiration as well as an opportunity to ditch the doubt. It has also given me a chance to commit to five things I will do differently as a result. The five commitments are apart of the challenge accepted.

Commitment #1: Build up Students: Every students that walks through the doors of our school deserves the best. Whether they’re in my class or not, they must be built up. They deserve the best and my goal is to make each interact the best I can for them. Kids deserve it!

Commitment #2: Ditch the doubt: Doubt goes along with fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of change. Fear of the difference. My commitment to ditch the doubt is easier said than done. However, I am committed to ditch the doubt with my students and colleagues I work with to lead to newer and different ideas to support my students this year.

Commitment #3: Owning my decisions: There are often times I will apologize for a decision I made that’s best for my students. It’s time for this to come to an end and to lead my students to greatness or, at least, the classroom. My students have multiple needs but I make decisions for them. Gone are the times of apologizing for a need being met or a decision that looks different on the outside. I am owning my decisions.

Commitment #4: Spread positivity: It’s a mindset. Positivity meets negativity and goes farther. It’s time to squash the negative feel, if there is one, and spread positivity to allow others to THRIVE. Staff and students know if it’s a positive environment and it’s time to make a change for the better. A smile goes a long way.

Commitment #5: Support: Support has many aspects. Supporting my students, staff members, and myself. Realizing that I have to have some help every now and again and prioritizing tasks to get them accomplished. My passion is to support and uplift all.

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Five commitments I plan to take the challenge head on with this year. I can’t wait for the new year to start and to put these into play. Even if I don’t arrive at the greatness this year, I will commit to do great things for my students, staff, and school every year and make an impact on those that I meet daily.