“Past Mistakes”: A Guest Post by Michael Earnshaw
By, Michael Earnshaw
January 12, 2021
@MikeREarnshaw
@PunkClassrooms
They say that our past is what shapes and molds us into who we become. What we choose in our younger life, choices both good and bad, lead us to make more thought out decisions to guide us into living the life that will be our legacy. Many individuals choose to hide their past, especially those decisions they may have made that would make anyone cringe and wish they could take it back for the individual themselves. This is especially true for many educators, hiding who they once were from the youth they are inspiring to believe in themselves and to change our world for the better.
Hiding who we are, trying to keep our past locked up in a costume chest in the attic, is definitely not the best approach when we are guiding our students to learn from their mistakes, being comfortable in taking risks, and falling forward. If it wasn’t for these exact same incidents in our own growing lives we wouldn’t be where we are today: empowering our students to be comfortable with themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, knowing the power of collaboration, and being determined to change our world
I spent my first few years as a principal hiding who I was, covering my past, and the passions I still held true to my heart in my mid-thirties. These first few years, when I was putting on my best stereotypical principal act, I became miserable. I dreaded going to work each morning. Speaking of work, I had never referred to my role as an educator as work until I hid who I was. Every year in the classroom, as an assistant principal, and I’m ecstatic to say these last four years as principal, I’ve been fortunate to call it school again! Not only was I suffering in the cell I had put myself in, but our staff’s morale and drive was also down. It became a clock in and clock out job for all of us. But you know who really suffered because of all of this? Not me, not the staff, but the STUDENTS!
I knew that being the leader of our great school I needed to change if I wanted to see it in others. I spent a lot of time soul searching over the summer. I wasn’t quite ready to leave the world of education, I needed one more year to see if I could find that passion, the fire I had for wanting to first get into education and then make the transition to school administration.
This was my last chance to prove to our students, staff, and myself that I was the leader they deserved. I vowed to evacuate my front office and instead, the school halls and classrooms became my office. I instituted a mobile desk and traveled via skateboard from class to class. By sharing a passion of mine with our students and staff it not only brought a smile to my face but theirs as well. It also helped to build connections with some of our most hard to reach students. I found opportunities to talk with them about skateboarding and the lessons I’ve learned from it. We talked about how when learning a trick I fall down, I fall down a lot. But I never stay down, that’s when you know you’ve lost. I always get back up, learn from my mistakes, and adapt to land that trick. We even formed a small crew where on Friday afternoons, if the students earned it, I would allow them to bring their skateboards out on the back blacktop and we would skateboard together. I taught them tricks, but more importantly, we continued those life-changing conversations we started in the halls earlier in the week.
I also began sharing my love of music, specifically punk rock with our staff! I didn’t shy away from how music was my self-care. I even learned that many of our staff had a similar interest in bands I admired! We spend mornings playing music over the intercom or having impromptu dance parties throughout the day. By sharing my passions, staff are more comfortable getting out of their comfort zones with their students.
The best part is the trickle-down effect on our students. By sharing my passions, who I was as a skater and punk rocker, someone who has always been labeled as an outcast and status quo disruptor, it empowered our staff to see the power in taking risks and being who they truly are.
By staying true to our roots, our past triumphs, mistakes and all, by sharing this with those we serve, opens up so many doors. It shows we are authentic, not ashamed to admit we are not perfect, nor have ever been. It shows that we trust others for them to see our true selves and opens the gates for them to do the same. Once those gates are open there is no limit as to how impacted our futures will be.