When most of us think of celebrations, we likely think of joyful memories, an award, a milestone for a loved one, or a culminating event… but when was the last time you paused to celebrate learning? Not just a milestone like graduation, but the actual productive struggle of learning, and what might it mean to our educators and learners if celebration was a normal part of the learning experience?

The goal of the RIDE initiative is the transformation of systems, structures, practices, and polices to become more student-centered. However, transformation is a word heavy in meaning and implications that often feels too nebulous to actualize. It can either feel like trying to catch a waterfall, or like the onslaught of a myriad of top down prescriptive mandates that will sap the creativity of professional educators and ignore the values and voices of local communities. The approach to supporting transformation in Wyoming’s RIDE Pilot Districts is different and can serve as a model of sustainable change that is personalized and responsive to local communities.

It’s a very powerful thing when educators are allowed to dream up what they think is best for their students, even more powerful when they can turn these dreams into reality.

The title of teacher or educator is deceptively simple and often misunderstood. Even years into the profession, my own definition was rigid and held both myself and my learners back behind artificial barriers. Teachers are role models and mentors, trail guides and cheerleaders, we are counselors and experts, we inspire, and we are artists of the human mind. It is only by embracing this broader and evolving definition that educators can continue to grow, enhancing their practice to be more learner-centered to truly meet the needs of today’s students.