The Bat-Signal Was Batman's Calling, What Is Yours?

The iconic Bat-Signal is a beacon of hope to the citizens of Gotham that Batman will be there in their time of need. We often discuss what the Bat Signal meant to the City of Gotham, but what did it mean for Batman? The simple answer would be that there was a problem, but I believe it is deeper than that. The Bat Signal provided Batman with PURPOSE!!! What separated Batman from the ordinary citizens of Gotham, was his commitment to bring about change in situations that appeared to be insurmountable. Batman chose to take action rather than admire the problem. Batman is a SUPERHERO due to his willingness to embrace his purpose of protecting the citizens of Gotham. What makes you an #EDUHERO is how you nurture and protect the academic, emotional, and social needs of your students. 

Purpose

In the world of education, we have all heard the outcry of too much test taking, not enough funding, not enough time, too strict or too loose curriculums, too many meetings, homework, grading, and the list goes on and on. When you entered education, how many of the aforementioned topics determined why you became an educator? Yes, the items above are concerns in our profession. However, they often become the grey clouds that begin to dim the light of the purpose for many of our colleagues. How do we navigate this ambiguity? Purpose allows us to be the lighthouse that safely leads the ships to harbor in tumultuous storms. This is what makes you a SUPERHERO or better yet an EDUHERO. You are a SUPERHERO/EDUHERO because you made a conscientious decision to take action in the ongoing Knowing-Doing gap that encompasses our future leaders and most valuable resources; our students. 

In my career as an educator, one of my strengths that I have always relied upon was keeping a focus on my purpose. I never viewed teaching as a job. To this day, I do not consider educating future leaders as a job. It is my purpose. Every day parents give me their most prized possessions to nurture, protect, and advance their academic outcomes and possibilities. We must find a way to prevent the confusion of our occupations with our purpose. There are times when I am called to perform as Bruce Wayne (occupation), and there are times when I am needed as Batman (purpose).

Have you ever tried to imagine your life without your education? How different would your life be? Would the difference impact your livelihood? Your family? Was the purpose of your education to memorize facts? Was it to get an A on the test? For me, the purpose is to ensure that every student no matter the school they attend, has the opportunity to assess the resources needed to become productive members of society. (I can write another blog defining what productive members of society means to me, but I will save that for another day). Unfortunately, many of our students expected outcomes are predetermined through a systemic cycle that my PURPOSE wants me to break.

Two months ago, one of my former students reached out to me on Twitter. The next day, my secretary gave me a message that she called me. When I checked my email, I had an email from her. I was impressed because one of the lessons I try to teach my students is persistence. She is a senior in high school and wanted to invite me to her graduation. She shared with me that she has been accepted to two colleges and is eager to attend. She stated to me that her graduation was a significant moment in her life and she wanted me to share that moment with her because I believed in her and helped her reach this accomplishment. It would be safe to say that initially, our relationship began with a rocky start. This young lady did not like school when we were together. She swore that she would never attend college. Initially, she did not want to participate in class or engage in her learning activities. This made me more diligent. Why you may ask? Her education aligned with my purpose. When I am working with students, I do not always see them for who they are at that moment; I see them for who they can become. I feel obligated to leave no stone unturned to ensure the success of all students that are under my care. Every student wants to go to the board, they just lost their way, and it is an honor to help get them back on the right path. I have not had any correspondence with this young woman, but our collective purpose kept us connected. I shared this story with my staff to let them know that often in our lives as educators we do not feel the sensation that comes with immediate gratification. However, if we are led by our purpose, the fruits of our labor will manifest in time, and it hardly aligns with a test score.

Purpose Is Always Supported By Personal Reflection

Every SUPERHERO has a moment of reflection that made them stare at themselves in the mirror and they knew that their lives and the lives of others would be forever changed by what they decided to do or not do. Yes, there is always the initial "this will help the world be a better place." Yes, there is the "I know that I can make a difference." If you continue to peel back the layers, you will find other reasons that enhance the commitment to their purpose. Batman had the experience of seeing his parents murdered. Batman did not want anyone else to experience the pain of loss that he felt. I had labels placed upon me when I was a student that were often unwarranted, and I wanted to prove everyone wrong. One of the reasons for this was my parents. They were very open and direct about the challenges that I would encounter due to various stereotypes that run rampant in our society. My parents made many sacrifices for me, and I refused to allow those sacrifices to be made in vain. In my mind, the only way I could pay them back was to ensure that I overcame the obstacles and stereotypes that people tried to attach to me. I believe that education is a fundamental right of the populace. The cycles of poverty and crime that were perpetuated when educational opportunities were not equitably accessible became very clear to me prior to becoming an educator. Not only were they perpetuated, I wanted to make sure that they were not self-fulling. I never wanted a student to leave me thinking that the paradigms of the world had absolute control over their reality. 

Answering The Call Is Not Easy

Answering the initial call is exciting, and we are often full of glee. To this day I still remember my reaction when I received the phone call four years ago, that informed me that I was going to be a principal. There were many things that I was unaware of when I entered this role that presented a wealth of new challenges for me. (I will share those in a later blog). What we need to remember is that finding your purpose is a gift. Many people do not accept their calling due to the criticism and critiques that could potentially come from family, friends, and members of our society. Answering the call might result in a change to oneself and challenging the status quo. For some reason, we believe that when we find our purpose, our lives will become more comfortable. I would argue the opposite. When you identify your purpose, you experience life beyond your wildest dreams, and you will also encounter challenges that you could have never imagined. With that being said, you must have faith that following your purpose will make a difference. If you do not believe that you can make a difference following your purpose it will not happen. 

Every signal and every call is not intended for every person. Purpose orders your steps, keeps you up at night, and makes you restless. You begin to feel that there is something more for you to complete. You want to take action. You are eager to learn. It feels like the box that you currently occupy is going to burst because it can no longer contain your growth. Purpose connects you with people that you were destined to meet at precisely the right time. Many people have tried to assign purpose to others, but unfortunately, that can never happen. We can place expectations, aspirations, and high hopes on others, but we can never assign their purpose. Purpose lays at the center of our hearts and minds.Batman always answered the Bat-Signal because it was not just about protecting others, he was fulfilling his purpose. Will you answer your calling?