Thriving through Adversity: Powerful Strategies for Educators to Ignite Hope, Inspire Students and Transform Schools

By Michelle L. Trujillo

Thriving through Adversity is a practical and heartfelt book that seeks to empower educators to remember who they are, as Ignitors of Hope, in the lives of their students, colleagues and school community members at large. Thriving through Adversity introduces five ways that educators, at all levels of a system, can foster connected and inclusive schools, strengthen classroom culture, and support the well-being of staff and students. Michelle L. Trujillo, is a life-long educator who weaves authentic stories, applicable strategies and reflection opportunities into this work, while incorporating the voice of students, family members, educators and experts in the field. Thriving through Adversity is a vital resource of inspiration, application and insight that will reach the hearts of readers while enhancing their craft, fostering their relationships and cultivating an ideal environment for collaboration, support, instruction and learning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9781312582125

Book preview

Note to Reader

A Subjective Definition of ‘Educator’

S

o as to begin this book with a common language, I would like to define the term educator in my own words, to provide context in regard to whom I am referring to when I use the term.

An educator is any adult human being who interacts with students (and each other) in an effort to impart knowledge, wisdom, guidance, or life skills; any human being who serves others within the realm of the school community. For the purposes of this book, if you are a teacher or custodian, a bus driver or a school resource officer, a nutritional aide or school nurse, you are an educator. Administrators, including principals, assistant principals, deans, and aspiring leaders: you are educators. School counselors, social workers, and psychologists: count yourselves in. If you serve as office staff or paraprofessionals, instructional coaches, librarians, or playground aides, you, too, are educators. District or county office personnel, substitute teachers, state liaisons, and athletic coaches, this definition also refers to you. And finally, for any parent, grand-parent, guardian, or caregiver who chooses to participate in the education of his or her child, you are a collaborator in the education of your children, especially if, or when, students must be taught from home. Thus, consider yourself included in this working definition of educator.

Please note: Frequently, the most insightful educators are our students! I can truly say, after more than twenty-five years in education, I am certain I learned more from my students than they learned from me. However, for the purposes of this book, we will focus on the role of adults as educators. This book is written for all educators because we are Ignitors of Hope!

We Are Educators...

We are Ignitors of Hope!

T

he COVID pandemic that plunged schools into virtual learning in early Spring 2020 left educators feeling a variety of emotions, from uncertainty, discouragement, and anxiousness to fear and frustration. The world watched as educators opened their minds and hearts to serve students, their students’ families, and each other with creativity, ingenuity, flexibility, and empathy while learning to use new platforms and programs to engage their students remotely. That doesn’t mean it was easy, and there are still challenges to overcome today in order to keep all students, families, and staff members safe as school buildings reopen. As you reflect on the complexities and uncertainties brought on by the pandemic, do you marvel at all you have experienced? Do you treasure the gems that were found in moments of joy or gratitude, hidden within the trials and tragedies? At the same time, are your emotions worn? Is your stamina waning? Has your fortitude been tested? If the answer is yes to any of these questions (or all of them!), know that you are not alone.

Like us, our colleagues, students, and student’s families, as well as members of our community have experienced personal and unprecedented challenges or traumatic events. From loss of income and thus stability, to loss of a loved one related to the virus; from addiction and domestic violence in the home to isolation, depression, or lack of food; from targeted hate and judgment to the uncertainty of what the future may hold, our students and colleagues may be struggling too. This is why it is imperative that we remember that we are resilient! And, we must have hope! We are capable of thriving through adversity! Furthermore, we have the capacity to increase the prospects for our students to thrive as well. This is not a statement I make lightly. Nor one that is born in toxic positivity. It is rather a statement of fact; one that is rooted in optimism, with the knowledge that it is genuine because we pair it with action. The reality is that life is filled with adversity.

So, I wrote this little book to empower you in the midst of adversity and to remind you that, as educators, we are Ignitors of Hope! Our students, our students’ families, and our colleagues need us to serve in this role now, more than ever before. Therefore, it is imperative that we face our trials, both those we’ve come to expect and those which appear out of nowhere and shake us to our core, with hope. I once heard Dr. Cornel West (CNN Interview, June 29, 2020) say that Hope is not only a virtue; it is also a verb. The truth of this statement is enlightening! In essence, when we focus first and foremost on hope, we are more likely to encourage, engage, and energize our students and their families.

Moreover, as a verb, hope transcends an expectation or desire for a specific action to occur and serves as a motivational impetus for attaining a goal, striving for growth, or finding purpose in life and in learning. In fact, according to a revealing study published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, research indicates that hope, which can be defined as a multidimensional positive motivational state, can impact academic functioning and student well-being. Within their study Bryce, et al. suggest that Cognitive ‬hope, ‬which ‬encompasses ‬motivation ‬and ‬approach ‬to ‬goal ‬attainment, ‬and ‬behavioral ‬hope, ‬which includes ‬regulation ‬for ‬goal ‬attainment, ‬both ‬play ‬critical ‬roles ‬in ‬promoting ‬youths’ ‬‬academic ‬functioning ‬and ‬life outcomes.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬¹ This viable phenomenon is also reflected in the title of an article in the Journal of Research in Personality: Hope uniquely predicts objective academic achievement above intelligence, personality, and previous academic achievement.² Furthermore, scientists have discovered that not only does the trait hope reside in the medial orbital frontal cortex of the brain, but as a result, it can act to mediate anxiety by increasing endorphins.³ We know that when students feel anxious or stressed, their ability to learn can be inhibited. As Ignitors of Hope, we can create the valuable pedagogical link that connects ongoing meaningful instruction and engaged learning to resiliency, agency, realized equity, and desired life outcomes. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I ask, as I did in the preface of my previous title, Start with the Heart: Igniting Hope in Schools through Social and Emotional Learning (Trujillo, 2019), that you consider this book to be a conversation between us—you and me. It is my ultimate goal that this conversation leads you on a journey that enhances who you are as a person and how you engage as a professional. I ask you to invest in the conversation by leaving the periphery as a reader and interacting as a participant. Throughout the journey, you will recognize valuable ideas or experiences that may already reside in your mind and heart. The core messages presented within each of the Five Ways to Ignite Hope will not be unfamiliar to you. Rather, each anecdote, suggestion, or strategy will validate your experiences, trigger self-reflection, and inspire your soul.

As we embark on our journey and you begin to turn the pages, you will