Tell me your story

So, it's February already and I've been in Greece just a little more than two weeks. When I first arrived, I had met only my Fulbright team and a few alumni and was worried about the logistics of finding teachers and students to talk to and schools to visit. I was worried that I really didn't know how my research would work and I was worried that I really didn't have a clear picture of what I actually was trying to learn. Don't get me wrong; the excitement over going on my Fubright adventure fully outweighed the worry, but the uncertainty was unsettlling. By now, I realize my worry was fully unfounded, and I've learned to relax and even savor the chaos and messiness of research, just as I've been telling my students to do all along.

In the spirit of exploration, I have accepted every invitation that has been extended to me. In the last few days, that has taken me to a fascinating coffee meeting with Chris, a retired educator responsible for creating the Special Education (known currently in Greece as "learning differences") structure functioning at the American Community School in Athens and for most of Greece. This pioneer is still highly sought after when it comes to training other educators and is helping to put on a conference for local educators that has drawn speakers from around the world.

Yesterday, I followed a regional director of English language teachers on her school rounds and ended up in the middle of a staff meeting conducted completely in Greek (of course). I watched the teachers discuss a student that had been having problems with behavior and although I could understand maybe 10 words of what they said, I could tell by their tone and expressions that they had some of the same concerns that teachers at Paradise High School have. I found out, though, in Greece, the decision making structure is somewhat different than the US. Whereas in the U.S., admin will take teaching feedback into account, but then the admin will have the final word in what actually happens, in Greece, the teachers meet as a staff and democratically vote on it. I am still mulling over the implications of this - but it was an interesting perspective shift.

While I was at the school, I was able to observe and talk with an English class, asking their opinions on how school has changed since COVID and how they feel about it. Today, I returned to the school and interviewed students in small groups and learned even more. Apart from the universal issues of too much homework and emotional and social adjustments required when they returned from the pandemic shut down, the most pervasive and poignant idea that kept coming up was how much they valued teachers that cared about them. Not all teachers are like this, they said; some teachers just want to teach their subject and that's it. But the teachers who really motivated them and made them want to be at school and want to learn were the teachers that asked them about themselves, that asked students what they cared about, what their interests were, how they were feeling. The teachers who let students be silly for a few minutes before getting down to work, who shared things about themselves, who didn't get angry about missing assignments and let themselves smile sometimes were the ones who motivated them to focus on academics the most. 

My next goal is to start figuring out how these teachers do it. How do they manage to connect to their students and let their students know they care about them as full human beings - not just students? 

And here's where you come in. I'm beginning to record the stories of teachers who have found ways to connect with their students - even in small ways. All you have to do is click on the link below, and follow the instructions on Flipgrid. Think of a student - maybe a tough one - who you were able to affect positively and just talk about it. I've included an example of my own, but if you have any problems or questions, please don't hesitate to contact me via email.

Click this LINK to share your story. And, thank you.