3 Lessons from Wicked that Educators Can Use Right About Now

There’s a quote I love that I can’t find attributed to anyone: “A tradition is a story we tell ourselves, to tell ourselves who we are.” As an adult, I’ve never lived near my parents or brothers and sisters. My husband and I moved to Buffalo, N.Y., more than 20 years ago, and despite the weather (we’ve gotten two feet of snow in the last 24 hours), we’ve worked hard to create traditions that do, indeed, tell us who we are. Some are deep and meaningful, but others are more practical. One of the understandings my husband and I have had is that distraction is a great panacea for depression. Holidays can be rough, especially for two young married folks, far from home, with no chance of the full table of relatives and festivities. So, for as long as I remember, we’ve been going to a movie on Thanksgiving. Now, we have a family of our own, and this year we even had two “extras” around for parts of it; but going to the movies on Thanksgiving is an expression of who we are, so you can probably guess how excited I was to see that Wicked would be out in time for this year’s excursion. It did not disappoint, and as with most things, I immediately thought that there’s a message for educators! Here are three quotes from the movie that can provide us with some guideposts as we navigate the end of 2024 and move into 2025. 

“The best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy.” (the Wizard)

First, let me say that you probably think you know who I might mean with this quote, but you’d be wrong. It’s not a who I’m thinking of, as I’ve spent just about all my bandwidth I can afford in that direction. A really good enemy right about now is despair. It’s hard not to feel like we’ve gone back in time, having to fight fights that we’ve already won all over again. However, it is crucial that we don’t let our despair (the opposite of the hope many of us were basking in prior to the election) impact the way we show up and fight for our students and our communities. In this video, you can hear the ways that others exalt educators and help us to stay motivated. Still though, “remember your why” can also irk some of us who struggle. My why—my students—provide real examples to teachers in their “thankful writing” that we do the day before Thanksgiving. You can learn more here about this tradition that is practical because all educators are dragging themselves to Thanksgiving every year! We must take actionable steps not to despair, and practicing gratitude and teaching my students the importance of encouraging others is one way we do this.  

“I don't CAUSE commotions. I AM one. Some of us are just ... different.” (Elphaba)               

I love this quote because it reminds me of “good trouble.” When we are willing to go the extra mile for kiddos and causes that matter, we are the commotion! Activism is an important part of my life, and though I’m not thrilled with the outcome of the election, I am confident that I myself was a bit of a commotion! We need to remember that no matter the outcome, there are many reasons for us to be the commotion—one of the main reasons being that our students and their families are counting on it! Megan Ortmeyer’s “Channeling Grief Into Action: Student Activism Resources” Share My Lesson collection is an excellent place to start. And this collection of resources from the Share My Lesson team also provides ways we can support students who have something on their mind that they need to share.  

 “Once you learn to harness your emotions, the sky's the limit.” (Madame Morrible) 

This one is interesting; I think we are all fueled by our emotions, but the key word here is “harness.” We are all products of our chemistry and experiences in a perfect potion for personality, but sometimes we have a tendency to feed off those around us in ways that aren’t healthy. Trust me, my lunch has just recently begun to feel fun again and less like grief counseling. While I appreciate my lunch besties, we could just feed the emotional reactions until we render ourselves useless. We finally reached a day where we stopped emoting and started planning what we’d do with our students to up engagement around the holidays, and the vibrancy returned. Here’s a blog with some helpful “around the holidays” resources. One of my lunch bunch said, “Imagine how confusing this all must be to a 13-year-old right now,” and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. When I recall tumultuous times from my years as a student, I do have fond memories of those who kept the days predictable and routine, infusing them with high-interest activities while also appreciating that our adolescent brains couldn’t process so much at a time.  

I’m hoping these three tips are helpful as you move toward the end of 2024. It’s safe to say, most of us felt like it was a roller coaster of a year, while also recognizing that it has been almost five years since a global pandemic. Remember to give yourself and each other, and especially the kiddos, some grace as we approach 2025. Think of traditions that your students will remember forever, and let that be what defines you and your classroom.