My Classroom vs. Our Students
A couple weeks ago, I wrote a blog article about why schools need their own educational philosophy and the process for creating one that is purposeful and not housed in a binder for the next accreditation visit.
Since then, I have had conversations with several colleagues who asked a follow-up question. It has been worded in different ways, but here is the gist:
A school can have a fantastic educational philosophy, but what about the teacher/teachers who say, “Well, that’s just not how I do it in my classroom!”?
The question is both fair and familiar. In fact, I found myself in a meeting this week where this very idea surfaced in a discussion about grading practices.
These kinds of moments can create both tension and frustration for teachers and administrators, which is why I felt compelled to write this article. I hope it can serve to strengthen your teacher team and create important conversations. Because one of the most important ways to practice professionalism as Christian educators is to understand the difference between a “my classroom” vs. an “our students” mindset.
Individuality Isn’t the Enemy
Before I go any further, I want to emphasize that I am not condemning teacher individuality. All schools need teachers who bring new ideas and fresh perspectives. A school of teacher clones would be stale…and stagnant.
And teacher resistance does not always stem from defiance. Sometimes it comes from passion. Teachers care deeply about what they do, and may have developed successful practices over their years of experience. When a new philosophy or framework asks them to adjust, it can feel like a loss of control or even identity in who they are as an educator.
This is part of the reason why creating an educational philosophy for a school needs to be a process, not an event. Teachers need to understand not just what the school believes, but also why they believe it.
Your North Star
However, one of the most important benefits of having a solid educational philosophy is that it serves as your school’s north star. It is a public statement about what learning and teaching should look like at your school, especially when waves of personal preferences start to rock the boat.
Educational research consistently shows that the strongest schools with the highest levels of student learning are built on both shared beliefs and shared practices. John Hattie calls this collective teacher efficacy—the shared belief that together, teachers can make a greater difference for every student than they could alone. That happens when teachers trust one another and commit to collective goals rather than individual preferences.
Turning Tension into Conversation
The key to fostering a more “our students” mindset in schools involves turning teacher tensions into conversations. Here are some conversational starter ideas that school leaders can use. Don’t think of them as a checklist, but as a conversation tool to help guide understanding and unity:
How do your personal teaching convictions align with our educational philosophy?
What part of our educational philosophy challenges you?
What impact might inconsistency between teachers have on students and families?
Where might we have freedom within our shared educational framework?
What might our school look like if our entire team took ownership of this educational philosophy?
Mission Over Preference
Just this morning I was meeting with a team of educators who were discussing this topic of my classroom vs. our students. One person shared a provocative question she recently heard at an educator’s conference:
Was your school built so you could have a job, or so students can learn?
While the question may sound a tad harsh, it definitely helps hit home the idea that anything we do in our classroom should center around what is best for our students, not what is most comfortable for us.
As Christian educators, we can take this a step further and understand that professionalism is not about compliance; it’s about stewardship. We’ve been entrusted with being part of a ministry and mission that is way bigger than any of us individually. In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul described the Church as one body with many parts. The same picture applies to our schools: each teacher brings unique gifts, but all serve the same mission.
So maybe the next time a conversation gets tricky and we are tempted with an “Well, that’s just not how I do it in my classroom!” mindset, we remind ourselves: we’re not protecting my classroom; we’re pursuing our mission for our students. That’s the difference between a group of teachers and a community of professionals.
Want to build the idea of “our students” on your campus this year? Share this article with your teammates to start the conversation. Want some outside help leading change at your school? Schedule a consultation with our team!
