TL;DR:
- What legacy message would you like to impart upon your students?
- Consider what message you would like to put on a billboard for your students to see.
- Students can create their own legacy messages too.
- In a year where many educators have felt like they’re not doing enough, reflect on what your students HAVE accomplished.
As we wrap up probably the hardest school year any of us has had, I’d like you to think about a message you can leave your students with as you send them off for the summer. How will this year’s legacy message sound different than one you may have given students in previous years? How will your experiences of growth from this past school year reflect in the message you impart upon your students?
What message would you put on a billboard?
I was recently a guest on a podcast where I was asked which type of message I would put on a billboard if I were able to put up any message. I answered that I would say “Don’t hold back; go for those things you want to pursue in order to accomplish greater things.” My message is especially important as we think about the innovations that have occurred in the last year.
We have seen more young people this year than ever become inventors, activists, and gather followings on social media in pursuit of spreading the knowledge of an important topic or cause. Before the pandemic, many people put off a dream they wanted to pursue. I think many of us agree now that there is no better time than the present to “go for it.”
Think of the great impact you've made on your classroom, your school, and the greater community this year. Be proud of your contribution. Click To TweetStudent Legacy Messages
Legacy messages could also come from your student leaders. Now is the time to have conversations with those leaders on what their legacy message to their peers or future students of the school could be.
Do you have a student who has made a significant contribution to school culture this year? Perhaps they have helped launch a club or volunteered for tutoring/homework help? Were some of your student leaders key in assisting in preventing the spread of the virus by volunteering to help sanitize desks or tables? Did they encourage their peers to remember to sanitize their hands often? Have they reminded peers to have their face masks covering both their nose and mouth? Do you have students who have helped with classroom jobs during periods of remote learning, such as letting you know when students logged on late or monitored the chat?
Think of the impact a few of those student leaders have had over the course of this difficult year. How can you help them form their own legacy message? How can you recognize the smaller, day-to-day contributions of less outspoken students? Each of your students should feel like they had an impact in some way this year, no matter how small.
Creating a legacy statement is something you can work with your students on throughout the year. The Edutopia article “Have Students Create their End-of-Year Legacy Now” provides teachers with ways to incorporate the works of authors, artists, and other famous people in inspiring students with the creation of their legacy message.
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Your Legacy Message
In leaving your legacy as an educator, reflect on these words by George Couros: “Your legacy as an educator is determined by what your students do.” In a year where many educators have felt like they’re not doing enough, reflect on what your students HAVE accomplished. What kind of social-emotional connections have been strengthened both with your students and with their parents? What have they learned to do more independently as a result of your classroom procedures during remote and hybrid learning?
Leaving a legacy could also become a personal, a class, or a family project. Check out “10 Creative & Meaningful Projects to Help You Leave a Legacy” which provides you with ideas on how to get started. If you do this as a personal project, it may even propel your start on a book or genealogy research!
Words of Wisdom
However you would like to leave your legacy upon your students, know that those words will often be something they remember for years to come. Think of the great impact you’ve made on your classroom, your school, and the greater community this year. Be proud of your contribution. Don’t shy away from going big and reaching high in the parting words you impart upon them as you wish them a great summer!
About Dana Goodier
Dr. Dana Goodier has 20 years of experience in education. She has taught World Languages and English and worked as a middle school administrator. She completed her doctorate degree (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership early 2020. For her dissertation, she researched reasons parents were opting their students out of high-stakes testing at middle schools and how that affected the district accreditation rating. She often speaks at conferences, providing educators with techniques to minimize off-task behavior and to increase time on task. She is the host of the “Out of the Trenches” podcast, which features educators who share their stories of resiliency. Follow her on Twitter @danagoodier and visit her website at: www.danagoodier.com
