The other night, my husband and I went to one of our favorite spots to eat and have some of our favorite wine. While we were talking, one of the employees started emptying the cleaned silverware into containers, and it was super loud. It was challenging to hear my husband who was sitting right next to me.

The employee was doing her job, and I’m sure it was so routine for her, that she wasn’t even aware of how she was diminishing our experience in this restaurant.

This made me think oftentimes, as educators, we can get so laser-focused on checking off everything we need to do for the day, as well. And we are responsible for so much, and the list grows every year. Sometimes we let that routine diminish the classroom experience of our students.

We’re just doing our jobs. We have to get things done. But if we do anything, without thinking about how it effects those we are trying to reach, we are diminishing their learning experiences.

This past year, if I were honest with myself, I could probably have been more rigorous in my ELA/SS classess. Some of my students even thanked me for having an easy class to go to. They weren’t trying to insult me and I didn’t feel offended.

When I went back into the classroom this past year, I did know most of my students. They were a hard group, but I applied for my position because I loved them so much. My mission was to get them to see that reading and writing was for them, no matter what previous experiences might have led them to believe. I wanted them to feel empowered when they spoke their truth. I wanted them to learn empathy through the stories we read together. I wanted them to love learning.

As a mother and teacher, relationships with my kids and students will always be foundational. It helps create a culture where young people feel safe to make mistakes and grow.

The learning experience means more than it ever did while we fight to stay relevant in our students’ lives. So, we can do our job and get all the boxes checked and hope our students cared enough to retain what we showed them.

Or we can invite them into the lessons, making it personal, knowing they will never forget the time they spent with us.

And while I’m an educator and relate my life to learning and teaching, I think this applies to anything we do when working with others. Knowing how our roles can enhance or diminish the experience of those near us is key to unlocking something truly unforgettable.