Time to get emPowerED with the UCS TIP

What does it mean to be empowered? By definition: it is to make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights. I love a good definition but what is the meaning between the lines? To be empowered means to give yourself back the power of your natural self. Empowerment is not something that can be given from someone else. Our power is fully contained within ourselves, and it is our job to accept full responsibility for it. What does empowered mean to us?

We see empowered as a result, a result of guiding you to becoming the teacher, facilitator, and learner that you are striving to become. We've been in the classroom, that amazing space where you and your students make magic happen. We know, because we 've been there too, sometimes that creativity and enthusiasm to share the love of what you know with your students can be smothered to the point that it almost goes out. Papers to grade, questions to answer, data to review, high stakes assessments to give, standards to meet, classes to sub for, and more, much, much more are just a few that can dim that oh so precious light. The light that makes us, and our classrooms great. It's oh so easy to be buried under a mountain of responsibilities (most of which do not reside within the classroom walls) that picks away at our time and slowly snuffs out our light. We've all been in that rut where we are doing everything we can just to stay afloat.

Papers to grade, questions to answer, data to review, high stakes assessments to give, standards to meet, classes to sub for, and more, much, much more are just a few that can dim that oh so precious light.