The poignant testimony delivered by Mr. Funky Teacher Nicholas Kleve at the Nebraska State Capitol serves as the fulcrum of a profound discourse on the challenges besieging the teaching profession, specifically the pervasive issues of teacher burnout and identity erosion. In this reflective episode, he elucidates the emotions and insights garnered from this impactful experience, particularly in response to Senator Conrad’s incisive inquiry regarding the frequent scapegoating of educators. Kleve emphasizes the urgent need to shift the narrative from blame to belonging, advocating for a recognition of teachers as indispensable partners in the educational ecosystem rather than mere targets for societal frustrations. Additionally, he highlights the voices of fellow educators, including 2023 Nebraska Teacher of the Year Renae Joens, celebrating their collective efforts in addressing these pressing concerns. Ultimately, he expresses a renewed sense of hope for the future of the teaching profession, underscoring the necessity of restoring teacher identity to enhance student opportunities.

Nicholas Kleve's profound reflections on his testimony at the Nebraska State Capitol illuminate the pressing issues of teacher burnout, identity erosion, and the systemic blame placed on educators. In this episode, he articulates the emotional weight of sharing these truths in a space where policymakers convene, emphasizing the significance of advocacy grounded in authenticity and collective strength. Kleve recounts his interactions with fellow educators, including the esteemed Renae Joens, Nebraska's Teacher of the Year, highlighting the camaraderie and shared purpose among educators fighting for their profession. The episode poignantly addresses the misconception that teacher attrition is merely a vacancy issue; instead, it is a narrative of identity loss that reverberates through the educational system. Kleve's message resonates with urgency, as he calls for a shift from blame to belonging, advocating for a collaborative approach to solving the challenges faced by educators. The thoughtful discourse presented in this episode serves as a clarion call for all stakeholders in education to engage with the issues at hand, fostering an environment that nurtures and values the contributions of teachers.

Takeaways:

• The experience of testifying at the Capitol highlighted the importance of advocacy for teachers' identities and retention.
• I learned that teacher burnout is not merely exhaustion but a profound erosion of identity within the profession.
• Senator Conrad's inquiry into teacher blame emphasized the need to shift perceptions from blaming educators to recognizing their invaluable contributions.
• The collective power of educators' voices, as demonstrated by Renae Joens and others, inspires hope for the future of teaching in Nebraska.
• The atmosphere during the testimony was charged with both heaviness and optimism, signifying the importance of addressing educational issues.
• Restoring teacher identity is essential for nurturing student opportunity and ensuring the vitality of the education system.

Links referenced in this episode:

• beafunkyteacher.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Be a Funky Teacher

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I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast.

Welcome back, everyone.

This episode is called after the Testimony what I Learned from Speaking Truth at the Capitol.

I am recording from a quiet corner of the Nebraska State Capitol.

The hearing room has emptied out, the echoes have faded, and I can finally exhale.

What a day.

I actually ended up leaving with.

My superintendent was here too, offering support, and it was great to have him here.

He took me out for lunch and so I left for a little bit.

And I did come back here just because I wanted to record this episode in the building where I testified.

It was a pretty powerful experience.

I wanted to come back here.

Before I get into it, though, I want to talk about three things that I'm thankful for.

First thing, that I'm thankful for a positive and receptive experience.

The.

The.

The senators didn't just listen.

They leaned in.

Their questions were thoughtful, their tone was respectful, and it reminded me that advocacy works best when it becomes a conversation, not a confrontation.

Second thing, I'm thankful for a supportive district.

And Superintendent Turner, Mr. Turner, so supportive of me being here, my school district, very supportive of me being here and having leadership that trusts, teacher voice, everything.

Support like that turns one person's courage into a district's collective strength in a lot of ways.

Third thing that I'm thankful for is the privilege to advocate.

In a democracy, anyone can speak, but not everyone does.

Teachers must.

Because when those living the story stay silent, others rewrite it for us.

Well, let's get into the main topic of this episode, which is after the testimony, what I learned from Speaking Truth at the Capitol.

First and foremost, let's talk a little bit about the energy in the room.

Now.

The.

The.

The committee room had a lot of people in it, a lot of teachers, principals, superintendents, advocates Each holding a piece of the same truth.

The.

The air.

I don't know what it was.

Something about that air in there.

It felt both heavy and hopeful.

You could sense that everyone knew that this issue, it mattered.

And I actually got to run into Renee Jones.

I had a chance to meet her this summer at National Teacher Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, and I ran into her.

And that was powerful too, because not only was I testifying, she came and she was testifying also.

So it was great to hear her perspective and her thoughts as well.

She testified right after me, echoing many of the same themes about respect, retention and restoration of teacher identity in a different angle, but still addressing it, still the same.

And it.

It felt like a.

A relay of passion, one voice passing the baton to the next.

And then there were.

There were some.

Several other teachers that spoke to.

And then we had some administration so powerful, you know, and, and not a.

Not a irresponsibility that.

That I took very seriously having that when I was in the room.

So I want to talk about some key nuggets from my testimony.

I talked about burnout.

Today is not just exhaustion.

It is identity erosion.

See, you cannot ask teachers to be willing to die to protect children and then at the same time distrust us to teach them.

And that was a message I tried to echo and when I was sharing and I also talked about when teacher identity arose.

Roads retention collapses.

And I encourage to them to restore teacher purpose and we can keep teachers in Nebraska classrooms.

It's crazy to think about like around 10% of Nebraska teachers leave the profession in a period on a regular basis.

And it's like that.

That is just shocking to me, but yet also something that I think the, The.

The.

The state legislature does need to take a look at and needs to be aware of.

So as I spoke the.

Spoke my lines, there was a stillness in a room and heads lifted, hands paused.

And ultimately it wasn't the volume that carried the message was the res.

Resonance.

People could feel that these words were coming from the trenches.

Not a textbook, y'.

All.

And, and afterwards several senators.

Well, all the senators were very appreciative and.

And thanked me for putting words to what many educators had, had, have.

That they know have been feeling and then sometimes not always saying out loud, so let's talk about why teachers get blamed and what that must.

And why that must change.

There was one senator.

Her.

Her name is Senator Conrad.

She.

She looked me in the eyes and asked, why do you think teachers are Blamed so often.

And really my answer came from the gut because it's easy.

Teachers are the most visible part of the system, so we become the easiest target.

Blaming a teacher is simpler than fixing a structure.

We show up every day with hearts wide open, not armor.

And because we show up with hearts wide open and, and with not the armor not around us that makes us vulnerable in society, y' all has, has learned to offload his frustration under the nearest space of education, the teacher in the classroom.

But as I told her, when you blame the people who care the most, you're really breaking the foundation holding these kids up.

And we have to.

It's time to move from blame to belonging.

And teachers must be seen as partners in solving problems, not the problems themselves.

And so I'm so grateful for Senator Juarez for bringing this teacher retention teacher burnout issue to the education Committee and getting some more conversation going around this critically important issue.

So let's talk about the identity erosion in the pipeline crisis.

Because I talked about the pipeline crisis, I talked about identity erosion.

Every teacher who leaves isn't just a vacancy, y'.

All, it's a story.

Interrupted burnout and attrition are surface symptoms.

The deeper wound really is that identity loss, y'.

All.

When teachers stop seeing themselves in the mirror of their profession, they start planning their exit.

Restoring identity means restoring humanity.

Teachers who trusting teachers expertise, giving grace, allowing creativity, valuing time.

Those matter and those go a long ways to restoring identity.

The, the teacher pipeline doesn't just dry up from a lack of talent.

It dries up from a lack of trust, y'.

All.

So I want to talk about collective advocacy and gratitude here now in the episode Senator Juarez, she, she deserves immense credit for bringing LR204 forward in the state of Nebraska.

Her courage created this opportunity for this conversation for me to be here in the state capitol today, right now.

And Senator Conrad's follow up question showed genuine curiosity.

She wasn't defending the system, she was trying to understand it.

And seeing administrators testify alongside classroom teachers was powerful as well.

It reminded me that real progress happens when all levels of leadership pull in the same direction, y'.

All.

Afterwards, my superintendent, Mr. Turner, took me no hunch.

We, we, we didn't, we talked about a lot of things.

We didn't even really talk politics.

We, we talked, we talked about people, we talked about mentorship, workload, mental health, morale.

And that meal reminded me that, that changes made in conversations just like that.

Honest, hopeful and inhuman, y'.

All.

I just want to talk about now what, what this whole experience has taught me advocacy, y', all is contagious.

Once teachers see it's possible, they start to find their own voices.

There is no single right way to lead.

Only showing up with authenticity and heart is the way.

This, this day reaffirms something I've always believed that teachers aren't the problem.

They are the pulse.

The heartbeat of education isn't found in policies.

It's not found in buildings.

It's found in the people.

When we, when, when we restore teacher identity, we.

We restore student opportunity.

So as I reflective close here, I'm just, as I'm thinking here, you know, I'm just sitting here right now in the Capitol.

And as things are, you know, there's.

I hear some faint hums of footsteps echoing through the Capitol halls, quiet voices in the distance.

As I sit here on this bench, in this little corner area on the main floor, I realize that advocacy doesn't end when the mic turns off.

It continues in every conversation, every classroom, every community meeting.

Today, it wasn't about applause.

It was about alignment, aligning words with purpose.

I'm so grateful, I'm hopeful, and I'm even more convinced than ever that if we keep showing up with authenticity, Nebraska's classrooms and classrooms everywhere will keep finding their rhythm.

I hope you found value in this episode.

If you did, jump on over to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts and hit me up with a five star review and let me know what you think, y'.

All.

And remember to inspire greatness in young people.

And don't forget to be a funky teacher.

Bye now.

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