Becoming a 'Badass' Teacher
“You are the only one in your school to speak up at faculty meetings (although many people who remained silent come up to you afterward to tell you how happy they are you did).”
“You tell administrators at your school what you really think, not what they want to hear.”
“Your colleagues come to you constantly with problems with the administration that they are afraid to raise themselves.”
Mark Nason, founder of the Badass Teachers Association, wrote these words to describe the teacher many of us want to teach with, want to be, want our children to have. They describe a teacher who is courageous, connected, creative … and so much more. I’m not personally a member of the BTA, and in fact I disagree with many of the group’s initiatives. But I appreciate Nason’s description of an outspoken, driven educator. As I read it, I remember admired colleagues, friends, and teachers of my own that perfectly fit the bill.
But is ‘badass’ something one just is as a teacher? Is it an inherent quality that one either has or doesn’t have, like being tall, musically talented, or athletic? Is badass a binary proposition—on or off, no in-between? Can one become badass, learn to be what Nason describes, and build conditions in which these qualities can develop naturally?
Personally, I think so. I think badass isn’t something one is by virtue of membership in a group or by ascribing to a certain set of specific beliefs or behaviors. I think it’s something one becomes. I think that teachers and educational allies who are described by their peers as badass tend to develop, both through personal initiative and experience, the following qualities:
1. Creativity: Badass teachers know that the best way to solve a problem is often the unexpected path. They cultivate a creative spirit both personally and professionally. They also have a sense of humor and they apply it liberally in all kinds of situations because they know that we can take the work seriously without taking ourselves too seriously.
2. Courage: Badass teachers know that being brave and being stupid aren’t the same thing. They know when and how to take action in ways that will help students—and teachers—to be successful. They’re brave enough to connect, to be vulnerable, to take instructional and professional risks. They know that courage is doing what needs to be done because the action that needs to be taken is more important than the fear—but sometimes the bravest thing one can do is wait, watch, and go back to school each day.
3. Personal Identity: Badass teachers know who they are when they aren’t being Becoming a 'Badass' Teacher - Education Week Teacher:
