We can do anything if we do it together. When we make “them” one of “us”. Acceptance just might be the most essential ingredient to meaningful education. When educators, students, and leaders alike feel truly seen and valued, the entire environment shifts toward growth and unity.
We are a community. Our individual fates are linked;
our futures intertwined; and if we act
in that knowledge and in that spirit together,
as the Bible says: “We can move mountains."
— Jimmy Carter
My mind was busy rehearsing the key points of the upcoming keynote address as we rode the elevator down—then the doors opened to let a large group join our party.
They started talking quietly among themselves when suddenly one of them looked at the nametag on my lanyard and enthusiastically exclaimed, "Oh, you're one of us!"
The whole mood changed in that moment of familiarity and acceptance, as their body language and enthusiasm communicated an unspoken connection together.
We are not meant to be self-sufficient.
We are meant to be interdependent.
— Henri Nouwen
Everything changes when we find points of alignment rather than reasons to reject. Connection by decree is weak compared with connection by agree. Obligated friends are no friends at all and it shows in a dysfunctional culture that's based in hypocrisy.
It's senseless to standardize association into a rubric that disqualifies differences.
Some may confuse community with proximity, but true community requires being vulnerable, becoming genuinely interested in each other, and expressing acceptance.
So that there should be no division in the body,
but that its parts should have equal concern for each
other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it;
if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it..
— 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
Shared principles are the basis for converting conflict from a contest of wills into a joint search for wise resolution — so that we fight the problem rather than each other.
Facial expressions communicate our acceptance and desire for connected fellowship. Verbal expressions of affirmation and respect let them know they are deeply valued. Rituals that promote connection remind us that we're part of one larger body, that we need each other on this journey, and that we stick together as School Happens.
Make them one of us this week. And every week. Give them an “A” everyday. It makes a difference when you use your power of authentic connections to bring the joy.
