Back to School with Dignity
By Kori Smith | Team Lead K-12 Education, Dignity.Us
I shouldn’t have been so confident at the beginning. At just 21 years old, I really had no idea how much I did not know, how many lessons I had yet to learn. Being fresh out of college and now an official 5th grade teacher, I was overflowing with excitement, purpose, and dedication. Fuel that energized me for many years to come.
It did not take long for reality to hit. My first-ever principal’s declaration during a preservice faculty meeting stopped me in my tracks: “No textbooks or worksheets for the first three weeks of school.”
“Excuse me, sir? What was that??”
This was 1998. Google was in its infancy, and AI existed in sci-fi movies only. Technology was not coming to help me. Not at all. And even though I felt rudderless then, I now know just how instrumental that experience was in creating the educator I am today.
Mr. Beard, my beloved first-ever principal with very high expectations, prioritized relationship building. He challenged us to start by getting to know our students and take the beginning of the school year to foster a connected classroom community.
And because my in-depth knowledge of childhood development theory did not prepare me at all to meet this tech-less moment, I relied on the community of experienced educators, now colleagues, for guidance, resources, and support.
Our K-12 team at Dignity.Us has the honor and privilege of supporting schools and districts across this nation poised to do just what Mr. Beard taught me to do; create connected communities through strong relationships. It is not uncommon for our initial conversations with administrators to center around support for students both in and outside of the classroom. However, it is not long into most discussions that our focus pivots from direct student support to enhancing the school culture, including strengthening the connection between the educators that guide our students.
Enhancing school culture through a lens of dignity starts with learning the language and practice of dignity, which is the power of the Dignity Index. Members of the community are then able to debate with dignity and solve problems more effectively, all while easing divisiveness. For leaders, building a culture of dignity means observing, measuring, and supporting the existence of all 10 Elements of Dignity, as captured by Dr. Donna Hicks. By focusing on these ten elements, we can ensure that all children and adults know their dignity is honored, while simultaneously honoring the dignity of others.
Schools across this nation will open their doors to a brand-new school year this fall. Like always, educators, new and veteran will smile at the scent of freshly sharpened pencils, and identify the latest and greatest organizational hack to make their lives a bit easier. They will love the kids on their roster before meeting them, and set large ambitious goals for the year ahead. They will be selfless and steadfast in all they do for their students.
Dignity is “The mutual recognition of the desire to be seen, heard, listened to, and treated fairly; to be recognized, understood, and to feel safe in the world.” (cite Donna Hicks).
When I look back to my first year teaching, I can easily connect the elements of dignity to my own experience. They weave together in a beautiful memory of how I was treated, how I was able to stretch and grow and learn. How I came to see my coworkers as family, and my students as little people filled with their own stories. Most of all, I walked away from my first-ever school and my first-ever classroom as an educator who will forever-ever prioritize relationships and connection. Just like Mr. Beard.
I hope that educators everywhere have the time and space to be recognized and understood. That they feel safe enough to take chances and grow in new ways. And by doing so, they not only model for their students how to honor one’s dignity, but create classrooms where students construct dignity-centered classrooms simply because they know they deserve it.
In fact, we all do.
Kori Smith
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