We Need Each Other

From the desk of Sebastian Witherspoon

As educators, no matter how you voted, we can all now exhale a collective sigh of relief and put the election cycle behind us! We find ourselves as educators in a time where America is so polarized and divided. If we have learned anything in this extremely trying year, it is that people need people, more importantly, students need us! Behind our most instinctual desire to survive, we are inherently wired to be in relationship with one another. Our ability to connect should not completely depend on whether or not we are democrats or republicans. If our job is to mold and shape the hearts and minds of young people, we are bound to put our personal politics aside and lead with our hearts first. We have an obligation as dedicated educators to lead our learners in the direction of being critical thinkers. We do that by modeling critical thinking ourselves.

Even in a time like this, all is not lost. Although we seem to be in a hopeless time during an unprecedented year in American history. We have to have hope! Not only because we have made it through one of the toughest times in our nation’s history, but because it is essential to be the stewards of hope to our young people. Our students are always watching whether we know it or not. I know that the vast majority believe and understand my message without me saying it. But nonetheless, we all need to be reminded that through our collective challenges in life that we, the critical mass of we, need each other to change the circumstances. We all do better when we all do better. I am reminded of an old adage that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”