The Impact of the Grownups We Remember - The Legacy of Great Teachers

TWO PEOPLE WITH HUGE IMPACT IN MY LIFE

This is the second part of an interview I did with two of my very favorite people, who have each had a tremendous impact on who I am – my siblings, Amanda Spell & Aaron Webb. If you caught the last episode you know that in this particular discussion, we’re talking about the grownups we remember – specifically:

The teachers who impacted us positively growing up How they impacted us The way their impact played out in our lives How we're still experiencing that impact now Why they're the grownups we remember

Last week, Amanda and I shared the teachers who most resonated with us and why; this week, we’re talking about Aaron’s favorites.

HOW MY SIBS IMPACT THE WORLD

Amanda Spell

If you didn’t catch that episode, I want to tell you a bit about my incredible siblings.

Amanda is a small business owner and runs Amanda Joy’s Catering and AM Health coaching. She’s been on a health journey this last year and has lost 114 pounds since January! Her newfound health has given her a new lease on life. Married to Mike for 20 years, she is Mom to two teens, Jacob and Sydney. She is the middle child (that’s something she wanted me to be sure to include. 😉)

Aaron Webb

My brother is a husband, stepdad, brother, and son. He is a Senior Chief in the Navy Reserves, with 16 years of service and 5 deployments to the Middle East. He is a creative and artist who found his voice through painting. His work is currently showing in multiple galleries and private collections throughout the United States and Europe.

Interested in their work? Check out the links below.

THE IMPACT AND TENSION OF EXPECTATIONS

Something I keep going back to is that all three of us felt like there was a tension inside us, between the expectations put on us of who we’re supposed to be and how we're supposed to be vs. who we actually are.

It’s a universal feeling for most teens, this tug of war as we discover and emerge into our true selves.

The teachers who acknowledged that true self in each of us became the ones we remembered.

Here are some other takeaways I’d like to call out, especially if you are a teacher working with teens.

7 THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU WANT TO IMPACT TEENS

What we say to teens and how we say it matters. We can help our teens find their voices. Being yourself can blaze the trail for your teens to do the same. Providing context for our content is powerful. Your passion can open the world for your teens. Your students know when you’re a beginner – so own it. Students know when you really care – and when you’re just checking your boxes.

FAR-REACHING IMPACT

I graduated 30 years ago, Amanda 27 years ago, Aaron almost 25 years ago. Sit a moment with the fact that we’re still talking about the teachers who impacted us – across all grade levels.

They’re the grownups we remember because they made an impression on us, whether because they truly saw us, or because they marched to their own drum without apology, or because they inspired us and expanded our possibilities.

WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN IMPACT?

If you’d like to be the grownup your teens remember, I’d love for you to join my Meaningful Mentor Workshop. you can register for it by following the link below.