Brave spaces start with being vulnerable

I'm beyond excited that ex Fabula, Milwaukee's non profit storytelling organization, will begin workshops with my students on Monday.  
Our goal is to help my 8th graders find their voices.  Step one is to create a brave space together.

On Friday I decided to take a risk. It only makes sense to me that I should be brave if I'm asking my students to be brave. I shared the essay I wrote to serve as my platform as teacher of the year.  In many ways this move seemed an obvious one. Every Friday we do some reflection and on this Friday I wanted students to know that I see them as more than a grade and more than their reading level. My students were preparing to evaluate their cometency as communicators, collaborators, readers, writers, thinkers and makers. To lay the foundation for their work, they might as well know what my philosophy of education is. 
I asked each student to follow along as I read the essay. They were to annotate or make edits, ask questions or clarify.  I asked them for feedback. I was brave. They were generous and thoughtful.  
Only one student told me it was "cheesy," so that's a win!

Is it really brave to tell students that you want to see them a whole person and you are trying to push against a system that wants to quantify them as data? If you don't follow through on your words and they think you are not true to your word then it isn't brave at all. The brave comes after. The brave is now.

Yesterday was Eleanor Roosevelt's birthday and if I could tea with anyone in history it would be Eleanor.  Her bravery inspires me. Her dedication to human rights inspires me. Her willingness to carry on and get things done while also pursuing her happiness inspires me as well.