great.

I love teaching for numerous reason. Definitely one of the benefits of teaching are all the breaks. I have enjoyed my summer break, but am excited about starting a new school year.

Having taught at many preschools and in Metro for one year I have seen some good schools, but many bad schools. I am extremely lucky to be teaching at a school that I enjoy working at, but more importantly one that a truly great school. Even though we lost everything in every classroom due to the flood, we have persevered. Our staff has worked hard over the summer to get everything in working order so we can start back strong in August. This will be my third year teaching at St. George’s. The first year I was an educational assistant to a special needs child. The following year, I transfered with him to MNPS to help him adjust to kindergarten. After working in Metro for a year, I decided to go back to St. George’s. I did not do this because working in a private school is better or more comfortable. Because you can have a private school be neither one of those things without  all the pieces that make a school a great school.

I have been in the education field for about 9 years. Some of that was training in school, working in a church nursery or daycares. The thing that can make or break a great school (or business for that matter) is good leadership. Good leadership is essential to a successful school. And in a case of a school system you cannot just strictly have a good principal. You need good leadership from the board. A good principal can only lead as good as they are being led. I saw this in Metro. Despite having a school in a rich and “comfortable” area, the school still suffered because of the leadership within MNPS and not necessarily because of the administrative staff at the school. The school still had teachers that just showed up to get a pay check and students that did not care about learning. Children that often fell between the cracks because no one was there to motivate them. If you do not have good leadership everything below will suffer.

At my school we have great leadership. We have a group of individuals that strive for excellence and put in everything they have to make our school great. They empower their employees. The teachers feel like they are an integral part of the school. The leaders acknowledge the fact if they didn’t have the great teachers, they wouldn’t have the great school. The teachers feel like they are more than just a test score number they are trying to achieve. They know without them a piece of the puzzle would be missing.

When you have employees that are empowered, you have people that are also striving for excellence for the greater good of the school. They show up to work enthusiastic about making a difference. They are committed. Some schools may have great teachers, but without the proper leadership these people will begin to feel discouraged. They won’t feel like they are making a difference. And a lot of them will stop trying so hard. When you have great leadership paired with great teachers, you are always going to be benefiting the very thing that they are all there to do: the students.

The students will get an exceptional academic experience. They will be thriving in their school environment. The good thing about private schools versus public schools is a smaller classroom size. Instead of having 22+ students you will only have around 15. That way the teachers can give each child the individual attention that they need. Do I think that a classroom has to have only 15 students in order for the children to receive individual attention? Definitely not. But it helps. When you have students that are thriving, the parents will notice. When the parents feel good about their child’s education, they will want to be involved as well.

The parents are every bit of this education community as the children and the staff are. They want what is best for their child. And when they see the child is getting the best, they want to be a part of it. They will be more involved at home as well as at the school.

You can take this equation and strip away one thing and it won’t work. All of these parts are an important part of the school being successful. And great leadership is vital. It is the backbone. The teachers are the heart and the children and parents are the life blood that runs through it. Every part matters.

I am extremely blessed to work in that kind of environment. Not because it is a private school in the wealthy Belle Meade area. But because it is a great school. We were stripped of all of our possessions. The flood left us raw and exposed. But what happened from that was a very beautiful thing… and it was because it is a great school. Because we have great leaders. We have teachers that care. We have a strong community of students and parents. It works whether we have a lot of have little. It works in Belle Mead and out of it. It truly is a great school.

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