We are so glad to have welcomed a new daughter to our family that just turned one month old this week. Georgia and Kallea have been such a blessing in my life, and I am appreciative of this time that I get to be home to catch moments I feel I missed in the past.

As I think about my dual role as an educator and parent, I have shared these two things that I feel are necessary for all parents to know about their child’s experience in any school:

In my most recent podcast, I discuss these two items, as well as what I hope my children feel about their school experience.  You can watch the full podcast on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Soundcloud, or Apple Podcasts.

 

 

You can also check out the original post from July 2019 that this podcast is based on below.

 

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My daughter Kallea is almost three, and being a father has been the greatest blessing of my life.  Being a dad is tough, and I feel like I have been crying non-stop for three years with either sad or happy tears.

Watching her grow up is fascinating, and I notice how incredible of a learner she is and how she has moments of great independence already, but can be followed up immediately by a need for support.

Here’s the deal…I have no clue how well she will do academically in school. She is incredibly smart in my eyes, but I genuinely believe that some of the smartest kids in school may struggle academically, and we need to appreciate and celebrate the intelligence and gifts they bring to our communities every single day.

Here are three things that I hope for my own children, as well as all learners, feel in their school experience.

 

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1. Will she feel valued in school?

2. Will her teachers look to find and bring out her talents and strengths, or only focus on developing things she struggles to do?

3. If she misses time in school, will she feel that her contributions are missed?

 

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These are hopes I not only have for my daughters, but they are things that I strive for in my work for every single student during their entire time in education.

I know nothing is ever that simple, but these are three questions I think about often. Of course, nothing will ever be 100%, and we all struggle to be the best we can be (I have realized this as a parent), but these three questions are ones that I believe could have a significant impact on all kids, as well as our staff.