Another amazing song from Hamilton the Musical is “Wait for It”. Aaron Burr makes you catch all the feelings in this song. There are so many moments in this song that I cannot get enough of, so many things that make it exceptional! To be honest, I really just want to clap this one out every time it comes on! Beware, it will get stuck in your head! Check it out below, or for an edited version, click here.

Love doesn’t discriminate

As educators, we must not discriminate against any student in our classroom. I know this may seem obvious, but in some places in the world, this needs to be explicitly stated. No matter what, we must love every single student who walks through our doors. Period. Find a way to love every kid. Love doesn’t discriminate.

We keep loving anyway

Even when our students do things that are against our norms/rules and when they are tap dancing on that very last nerve we have, we simply must keep loving them anyway.

We laugh and we cry and we break and we make our mistakes

Creating a family atmosphere is so important in our learning environments. There will be days we laugh together, and days we cry together. What’s most important about the family atmosphere is the safety of making mistakes. This is when learning can truly happen. The sense of resiliency in making mistakes and tweaking our iterations until we experience success creates life-long learners and students who are ready for anything.

I am in the one thing in life I can control

I cannot control standardized tests. I cannot control the budget (or currently the lack of in NC). I cannot control a student’s home life. I cannot control the attitude of others. I am the one thing in life I can control. By being positive, kind, and being a place of stability for those I serve, I can take some of those things I can’t control and make the best of them, for myself and for others.

What is it like in his shoes?

Be empathetic. Let’s teach our students empathy through modeling and conversation. Point out moments of empathy when you see them. Celebrate those with students. The reality is that we don’t have to agree with everyone we meet; we don’t even have to like everyone we meet. However, if we take the time to show empathy to others around us, we give ourselves the opportunity to better understand those we don’t agree with, and yes, even those we don’t necessarily like. Imagine what the world would look like if we all just practiced a bit more empathy.

What other educational truths do you find in “Wait for It”? How can you apply the lyrics to this song in your profession? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!