The Educator Well-Being: From Principles to Practice podcast series is co-hosted by Dr. Stacey Ludwig Johnson, WGU’s Senior Vice President and Executive Dean of the School of Education, and Abby Cox, First Lady of Utah. The sessions are facilitated by moderator Marty Carpenter from Northbound Strategy. The most recent episode features Milton Collins, principal of Lincoln Elementary in the Granite School District in Utah.

Milton is known for his contagious passion for the education profession. Though he originally had his heart set on becoming an NBA star and even qualified for a full basketball scholarship in college, he realized about halfway through the pursuit of his bachelor’s degree that the NBA was a long-shot goal he was not going to make. He felt devastated and lost, and considering leaving college.

Fortunately, his mother was a strong influence in his life, and she encouraged him to continue his studies. His coach saw promise in him and offered him a summer job working with children who were under-resourced at a sports camp sponsored by the college. It was then that Milton found his spark, and a passion for teaching was born. His coach encouraged him to pursue a teaching degree. He graduated in June 1987, and by August, he stepped into his purpose– leading his first classroom of 30 third-graders. He has been a vocal advocate for passion and leading from the heart ever since, and the effects on his students, teachers, and community have been profoundly positive.

Today, that fire still burns brightly and can be witnessed any Monday through Friday at 8:20 a.m. as he does the rounds to check in on every teacher before the kids arrive for the school day. He makes sure they are ready for the day, they have what they need, and that they are excited about the school day ahead.

In this podcast, Milton talks more about the importance of leading from the heart with passion and the critical role administrators play in supporting teachers. He references a book on this subject for a humorous and yet educational view into the importance of making teachers feel that they are seen and valued. He shared how he models the behavior he wants his teachers to have with the students and the results are classrooms where everyone is thriving, teacher and students alike.

The podcast hosts and Milton speak to many strategies or practices teachers and administrators can do to ensure the teachers have the care they need so they can take care of themselves and their students.

Milton says central to a teacher thriving is remembering your “why” for becoming an educator. Sometimes when the sparks of professional purpose fade, we can turn back to our memories and recall what ignited that spark in the first place. For many teachers, it can be very uplifting to momentarily cast their focus from grades, curriculum, and policy, back to the profound impact they are having on the lives of others in their community and classrooms.

The podcast panel discusses ways that teachers can be mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared for the challenges and rewards they will face every day. The panelists also share practices that build student belonging from recognizing which students the teaching staff do not know personally and turning a collective focus on them, to starting a practice of greeting students at the door with personal and enthusiastic greetings.

Sure to inspire listeners, this episode is packed with passion for the teaching profession and is highly recommended not only for teachers, but also–and perhaps even more so–for the administrators who lead them. Take a listen and remember what drives your passion for the work that you do.