Grace
One of my favorite quotes, and one by which I try to live my life is:
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.
You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.
You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I tried to live by this wisdom in the classroom and teach it to my students as well.
To me, grace is the sweet nectar that can bring bliss to our lives. It is what makes us whole.
Another quote about grace that has had an impact on me too is from Anne Lamott.
“I do not understand the mystery of grace –
only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us.”
I believe that grace is one of the greatest needs we have in the classroom today in order to achieve real growth and learning gains as human beings.
We don’t need more technology, testing, checklists, standards, evaluations or money.
We desperately need more grace in the classroom…especially now as we move forward after a very difficult school year trying to make our way teaching and learning in a pandemic.
“Grace” comes from the Latin word “gratia” meaning “favor, mercy, good will, gratitude”.
In Spanish, the expression for “please” is “por favor” or “by favor”. It implies the potential “pleasing” or “favorite” nature of the act.
In French, the expression for “thank you” is “merci”. In Italian, it is “grazie”; in Spanish, “gracias”.
Grace is an interaction, a communication, an intention from the heart.
Grace is the love and mercy we have received from others and that we, in turn, give back to the world.
Grace is a choice that we make in every single moment of our lives.
Grace is a conscious choice we make to bring more mercy, goodwill and gratitude into the world through our thoughts and actions.
So, what does grace look like in the classroom, and why is is so critical?
Grace comes into play when we become more aware of who we are, our purpose, our values and how we want to show up in the world.
Grace comes from a place of our intentions.
“Pay attention” is a common phrase associated with the classroom setting. Usually the teacher uses it when the student is daydreaming or not being mindful of their choices, actions and behaviors.
Well, the same goes for us as teachers. We need to become more aware of our choices, words, actions and intentions and how we want to truly show up for children.
And…where our attention goes, our intentions flow…all through greater awareness.
And…through greater awareness, we can choose to show more mercy, goodwill and gratitude for the humanity that is showing up every day in the classroom…in ourselves and our students.
Grace in the classroom looks like this:
A teacher who sees when a student is struggling, distracted, overwhelmed or just having a bad day for whatever reason and gives that student space, time, support, understanding and encouragement to “re-group”, make a different choice that will help them move forward.
A student who sees that their teacher has made a mistake, and instead of pointing it out in an affront or a joke in front of the class, slips the teacher a little note afterward written with “I” statements rather than “you” statements.
A teacher who personalizes and individualizes student learning by asking for their favorites, preferences, hopes and dreams rather than favoring a generic, impersonal curriculum or one that is preferred by the teacher or textbook.
A student who finds a gentle and kind way to give feedback and input to the teacher that expresses their needs and expectations rather than making demands or accusations.
A teacher who offers to spend extra time, energy, resources, guidance and patience with students and meet them where they are and not where they think the students should be.
A student who stays open and receptive to doing what the teacher is asking, and then, in a kind and compassionate manner, lets the teacher know what is working and what still needs to be improved or changed in order to move forward.
A teacher who gives positive and empathic feedback that will lift the student up rather than tearing the student down.
A student who is willing to acknowledge and recognize all the teacher is doing for them and to respectfully and kindly seek to communicate that through words and deeds.
A teacher and a student who work daily to maintain a nurturing relationship through positive, kind and respectful interactions and whose intentions are to always show/demonstrate connection, goodwill, mercy, compassion and gratitude.
Suggestion: Add this to your lesson plans every day:
Today, GRACE visited my classroom, and it looked like this:
As a teacher:
1.
2.
3.
As a student:
1.
2.
3.
Here are a few resources to help you become more enlightened and empowered to bring more GRACE into your classroom:
https://agracefilledclassroom.com/what-is-a-grace-filled-classroom/
https://www.teachingchannel.com/blog/teaching-with-grace
https://everydaypower.com/grace-quotes-2/
Inspirational song:
Amazing Grace (what you feel in your heart when listening to this song is grace! – It makes me weep every.single.time as I am overwhelmed by this feeling!)
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