Roberto Germán [00:00:01]:
Welcome to Our Classroom. In this space, we talk about education, which is inclusive of, but not limited to what happens in schools. Education is taking place whenever and wherever we are willing to learn. I am your host, Roberto Germán, and Our Classroom is officially in session.
Roberto Germán [00:00:28]:
Grace and peace. I'm recording this from Panama City. I landed today, and I want to be honest with you, I don't have a polished idea or a clear lesson for this episode. What I do have is a feeling, and I think that's enough for today. Right now, my body is here, but my spirit is still arriving. Travel does that to you. It disorients you in a way that's actually pretty sacred, if you will. You're forced to slow down, to notice, to listen more than you speak, to admit quietly that you don't know everything about where you are.
Roberto Germán [00:01:08]:
And as I sat here trying to decide what to talk about on this episode, it hit me. This is exactly what so many educators are living right now. We're teaching while still arriving. Arriving to new policies, arriving to new fears family are holding, arriving to new expectations, new pressures, new realities that don't come with a script. And yet we're still expected to perform. Certainty. One of the things travel always reminds me of is humility. When you're in a new place, you don't rush and pretending to know.
Roberto Germán [00:01:47]:
You watch how people move. You listen to the rhythm of the language. You pay attention to what you don't understand. Yet I wonder what would happen if we allowed ourselves the same posture in education. Not disengagement, not indifference, but humility. What if we allowed ourselves to say, I'm here, but I'm still learning how to be here? So often, educators feel pressure to arrive fully formed, to have answers, ready, to sound confident, even when the ground beneath us feels unstable. Been there, done that. But I want to offer a different permission today.
Roberto Germán [00:02:33]:
Maybe arriving slowly is not a weakness. Maybe it's wisdom. Here in Panama City, I'm reminded that learning doesn't begin with control. It begins with attention. I notice the way people greet each other, the way the language flows in and out of Spanish and English, the way history is layered into the streets, the buildings, the conversations. And it reminds me that classrooms are layered, too. Our students don't walk in as blank slates. They arrive carrying stories, fears, questions, identities that don't neatly fit into lesson plans.
Roberto Germán [00:03:13]:
And yet we often rush them. Rush to assess, rush to label, rush to get through content. But what if the work, the real work, is in the arrival? I keep thinking about educators I know who are exhausted not because they don't care, but because they care deeply while navigating uncertainty. This reminds me of when I was leading middle school in Texas during COVID Oh my goodness. Talk about navigating uncertainty and yet caring deeply about your people, students, faculty and staff, the community in general. And again, many educators are asking, am I doing enough? Am I saying the right thing? Am I protecting my students? Am I protecting myself? If that's you, I want you to hear this clearly. You are not behind. You are not failing.
Roberto Germán [00:04:17]:
You are paying attention. And paying attention is a form of care. Being here in a new country reminds me how important it is to resist the urge to perform understanding too quickly, to sit with, not knowing. To let curiosity lead instead of fear. That's true in travel, and it's true in teaching. Teaching truth doesn't always mean having the right words. Sometimes it means being honest about where you are emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and choosing presence anyway. I think about how often educators are told to be resilient without being supported, to adapt without being held, to show up without being seen.
Roberto Germán [00:05:09]:
That's not sustainable. And that's why community matters. Not community as in noise, not community as inventing, but community as a place where you can arrive slowly and still belong. As I sit here, I don't want to say I'm jet lagged, but, you know, traveling to throw some things off. I'm certainly reflective and I'm grateful for spaces where I don't have to rush my thinking, where I can sit with my questions, where complexity isn't something to fix, but something to hold together. That's the kind of space we're trying to cultivate through our classroom and through the work we're building beyond the podcast. Not because anyone has it all figured out, but because none of us are meant to navigate uncertainty alone. So if you're listening to this while feeling in between, between certainty and confusion, between exhaustion and hope, I want you to know you're welcome here.
Roberto Germán [00:06:21]:
You're allowed to arrive slowly. And if at some point you're looking for a space to keep reflecting, thinking and growing alongside other educators who are committed to equity, truth and impact, there are communities forming around that work. Teaching truth. Lead with courage. Belong to a community that gets it. That's not a slogan. That is an invitation. You don't have to decide anything today.
Roberto Germán [00:06:51]:
Just know the door exists. For now, I'll keep arriving one step at a time here in Panama City, and I hope y' all will give yourselves permission to do the same wherever you are. So listen I appreciate y'. All. Thanks for listening. Thank you for staying human in your work. Oh my goodness. We need more people to show up in the fullness of their humanity.
Roberto Germán [00:07:23]:
But until next time, keep leading, keep loving, and keep learning. Peace.
Roberto Germán [00:07:32]:
As always, your engagement in Our Classroom is greatly appreciated. Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and write a review. Finally, for resources to help help you understand the intersection of race, bias, education and society, go to multiculturalclassroom.com. Peace and love from your host, Roberto Germán.
