Courage at SGS

Courage.  It’s a word we use a lot here at SGS - in fact, our mission is to develop and inspire courageous leaders. But what does this word mean? Especially as we head into Black History Month, I remember lessons at school where courage was often assigned to acts of tremendous risk or personal sacrifice (little Ruby Bridges walking to school along a path lined with hate-filled, angry white adults) and to people of seemingly superhuman characteristics (Martin Luther King, Jr. inspiring a sea of listeners by the Lincoln Memorial). Each time I learned about acts of courage I thought, “That’s amazing, but I could never do something like that.” Courageous people always inspired me, but I placed them in the same realm of reachability as superheroes.

As I grew older, I realized the power of everyday courage. I discovered that courage is like a muscle - it can be developed and strengthened through practice. I learned that there is a world of difference between unmindful recklessness and intentional courage - and that the bravest people are often the ones who are the most scared but take action anyway. Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability solidified my understanding of courage when she said:

The definition of vulnerability is uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. But vulnerability is not weakness; it's our most accurate measure of courage… Are we willing to show up and be seen when we can't control the outcome?

And I am so proud of how we at SGS teach and practice courage every day, and how our students demonstrate what they are learning in small and big ways, too.

-5th Graders learning the differences between cultural appropriation and appreciation so they can have brave conversations when they feel like appropriation is happening

-6th Graders practicing VOMP and other conflict tools so they can advocate, apologize, and mend injured friendships

-7th Graders role playing conversations they might have as they engage across political and ideological differences in their penpal communications or the Washington, DC trip

-8th Graders studying the Holocaust - the bystanders, rescuers, and resisters, applying that understanding to the treatment of Japanese Americans in the same time period, and creating media to counter government propaganda 

-Students bringing concerns for a peer’s health and well being to trusted adults at home

-Students reporting hurtful behaviors of their peers online and in- person to trusted adults at school

-Students expressing concern over the inappropriate behavior of an external instructor

-Students advocating for themselves directly with adults, like telling a teacher that a term they used didn’t feel good

-Students and adults owning mistakes and impacts, apologizing genuinely, and demonstrating change to repair harm and rebuild trust

-Students of all grades standing in front of an audience (sometimes for the first time) and performing in the talent showcase

We need courageous leaders who think independently, work collaboratively, learn joyfully, and champion change. And I believe that we are indeed developing and inspiring these leaders, one day at a time and one act at a time.