Love Cultivates a Sense of Belonging in Schools
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February is technically the shortest month in the year, but for educators, it can feel like the longest. However, this February, every event I attended reminded me of how much love educators pour into their students across Illinois. From amplifying student voices in Naperville to sharing strategies for fostering belonging in Berwyn, Plano, and Bloomington-Normal, to connecting with the State Teachers of the Year in California, my journey this month has been fueled by a deep love for teaching, for our school communities, and especially for our educators. In fact, it's been a month of intentionally sharing a message of love with educators. In case you need to hear it, I love you and thank you for all the love you give to our profession and our students.Â
February 4, 2025- Stillman Valley & Byron High School Visits- Making my way up north, I had the opportunity to visit Stillman Valley High School. There, I met with Illinois State Teacher of the Year (ILSTOY) President Bill Polasky. He graciously allowed me to participate in a Socratic circle within his AP US History class. Following the class, we toured the school, surprising and celebrating several exceptional educators. In the afternoon, I continued to Byron High School to visit Angie McHale, the 2024 Northern Illinois Region Teacher of the Year. I had the privilege of observing her AP English course and subsequently toured the school, again honoring and celebrating educators who are fostering a strong sense of belonging. Check out the Belonging Stars page to see photos of the educators honored on this trip!
February 7, 2025- Amplifying Student Voices- I had the privilege of joining the Amplify conference in Naperville District 203. It was truly inspiring to witness 100 students come together to champion student voice, mental health awareness, diversity, social justice, and community building. Hosting a world cafe allowed me to listen deeply to their ideas on creating a sense of belonging within their schools. We also honored some amazing 203 educators with Belonging Stars !
February 8, 2025- Building Inclusive Communities- The following day, I returned to Lyons Township High School's Building Inclusive Community conference. Sharing insights on misidentifying cultural behaviors as problem behaviors through two breakout sessions was a powerful opportunity to promote understanding and empathy.
February 13, 2025- World Cafe, Joliet Public School District 86 - On February 13th, I traveled to Joliet to facilitate a world cafe with the dedicated certified and paraprofessional staff at Edna Keith Elementary School in Joliet. We discussed the strengths and challenges of fostering belonging in their school through our collaborative conversations.
February 14, 2025 - Lake County Institute Day- Valentine's Day, February 14th, was a truly special day at Lake High School. Addressing over 500 educators, I shared five strategies for shaping a culture of belonging, concluding with a heartfelt expression of my love and appreciation for their work. The day ended with warm hugs and the distribution of "You Make a Difference" pins, a beautiful reminder of our shared commitment.
February 17-19, 2025 - National Teacher of the Year, California: I embarked on an incredible journey to Santa Clara, CA to meet my fellow State Teachers of the Year. By some crazy luck, I was seated next to the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, Missy Tesserman on the plane! This gathering, part of the National Teacher of the Year Program, was filled with invaluable professional development, including social media training, advocacy workshops, and networking opportunities. Our visit to Google headquarters provided insights into AI in education, Google for Education apps, and the latest Chromebook features. More importantly, I found a community of kindred spirits, a group of "teaching soulmates" whose passion and energy were truly infectious.
February 25, 2025 - Berwyn South School District 100 & Plano School District 88 - February 25th was a day of community engagement, beginning with a world cafe for 400 certified staff at Heritage Middle School in Berwyn South School District 100. We ended the world cafe celebrating 11 amazing educators dedicated to building belonging. The day culminated in a dinner world cafe with teachers, parents, and administrators in Plano School District 88. We also had a chance to wrap up the world cafe celebrating 8 amazing educators in Plano! Head over to the Belonging Stars page to see the educators we honored!
February 26, 2025- Downers Grove High School District 99- On February 26th, I had the wonderful opportunity to return to my alma mater, Downers Grove North High School, to teach a future educators course. This was my third trip back to this class to share strategies and stories of becoming a teacher. This season was focused on teaching strategies for communal learners.
February 28, 2025 - Teacher Leadership Summit, Bloomington, IL -Â I concluded February at the inspiring Illinois Teacher Leadership Summit in Bloomington-Normal. This conference empowers school district teams by providing a unique structure: each team brings a specific problem of practice, and then receives targeted strategies, dedicated time, and expert coaching to develop solutions right there at the conference. I was honored to deliver a keynote address on cultivating a culture of belonging within our schools, a message that I hope inspired the educators who were there to work on improving their school communities.
