What I learned from this experience was the value of the unofficial mentor.

Hey Advocates,

I hope you had a fantastic week and are keeping up the momentum during the final weeks/months of the school year. A special shout goes out to Kristine McLane and her work at the North Beach Elementary School. I had the honor of facilitating their fourth Leading Equity book study session.

Next week, I'll facilitate the final book study sessions with Arlington Heights School District, St. Louis Public Schools, and Ames School District. If you are interested in a book study group this summer or fall, feel free to reach out to me, I'll sign the books and send them to you as well :)

I'm already gearing up for the summer and can't wait to share all the future programming from the Leading Equity Center.

Free Course Coming:

Are you interested in going gradeless next year? Well, I got you covered. Actually, my good friend Deanna Lough has you covered. We are putting together a course on ungrading in your classroom. It will be available next month. Stay tuned.

Free Webinars Coming:

Sense of Belonging has been the focus of my next book, and I'm inviting you to take a journey with me as I share this content with you. I'm hosting a series of webinars with strategies, resources, and tips for you. Starting on June 8, we will kick off this series. You can register for free here.

Are you interested in becoming a keynote speaker or consultant? I got you! One of the most asked questions I receive outside of equity-related questions is, "I have an expertise/skillset and would like to share it with schools/organizations. How can I become a consultant?" The second common question I get is, "How to write and perform a keynote?" I'll be doing a webinar next month to teach you how to get started and the steps you need to take right now to stand out in this space.

I'm offering this webinar three times:

• June 9, 6:30 PM Eastern
• June 10, 2:00 PM Eastern
• June 12, 6:30 PM Eastern

Choose the time that works best for you and please share!

This week, I have been writing about the Unnoficial Mentor. Let me know if this sounds familiar. You are an educator or staff member at your school, and students come up to you between classes, before or after school, just to hang out. They may find time to tell you about their day, weekend, and even their challenges. When we have created strong bonds with our students in this way, it means that they see us as empathetic.

Being a mentor does not require an official application or joining a program. We engage with students on regular bases. They look at us as models and often seek our advice. We may not be able to relate to their situations personally; however, we can empathize. 

A few years ago, I had a student that I was close with who was having some challenges at school and home. He decided to join a youth mentorship program on the other side of the state. He and his mom asked me to sponsor him, and I gladly agreed. The bond was already there, and now we would correspond more formally. 

It was nice, but it could have been more convenient with the amount of paperwork/documentation that came with the program (I'm not the biggest fan of paperwork). 

What I learned from this experience was the value of the unofficial mentor.

Whether in or out of school, I applaud my unofficial mentors as part of the fabric of our schools for fostering a sense of belonging.

In the first session of my Sense of Belonging series, I'll share more about the value of just being you. Many students tell me, "We don't need no superheroes, we just want to belong." I'll be sharing three ways that we can do this.

Please share this with your colleagues, and I hope to see you there!

Content Created This Week

Those are my thoughts this week. Make sure you check out Monday's podcast episode next week.

Have a great weekend,

-Sheldon

Book Dr. Eakins

Check out what the LEC has to offer!

P.S. Would you take a moment to write a review of my book on Amazon?