About VL0

I am Dr. KGP, the creator of Voice Level Zero (VL0). I have a Bachelor's Degree in English, a Master's Degree in Elementary Education, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership (K-12). I've been in education for 8 years. I taught for 5 years. I was an instructional coach/MTSS specialist for 3 years. This year, I returned to the ring (aka the classroom).

I created Voice Level Zero for teachers. VL0 is a space for us to laugh, cry, scream, flip chairs, and grow together. Yes, I said flip chairs. If you have never flipped a chair, flip chair Friday is the thing to try. It is the best stress relief headed into the weekend. Granted, I engage in flip chair Friday any day of the week, but it is the best on Fridays.

              The idea of VL0 stemmed from countless venting sessions with my friends. Venting is a great stress release; we all need to do it so we aren't holding on to it. However, it feels good for a split second because the reality sets back in. The cycle resumes tomorrow. It brings a feeling of helplessness, like there is nothing you can do but try to teach, vent, and repeat. Of course, there is the option to leave the profession entirely, which is what most do. Hence the ever-growing teacher job listings. I say job listings because there is a sufficient number of qualified teachers. There is a shortage of people willing to do this job under these conditions.

For some of us, leaving the profession is not an option. I will go on record and say I formally resigned from my position every single year. I sent my resignation letter to HR and everything, but I rescinded my resignation every year. I just cannot quit this job. More specifically, I cannot leave the community I currently serve. I feel connected to them, so I continue to serve them. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Most currently teaching in these conditions feel similar, which is why we continue to serve despite the inequity and absurdness. So, how do we overcome the helplessness we feel regularly?  To address our feelings of helplessness, my friends and I started to engage in reflective conversations after every vent session. Now, I am dramatic; when I vent, I aim to entertain, so I had to do my daily bit for my friends before any serious conversation. We deserve to experience joy and laugh at work, so I take it upon myself to bring the drama and provide the entertainment. After the show, we would challenge each other. When I say challenge each other, I mean really challenge each other. It was very uncomfortable, which is how growth starts. After every conversation, we all left with something actionable to try the next day. The significance of this was that we could do something to improve our current situation instead of solely ruminating over our distress, which was empowering.

              There is enough negativity surrounding education. Here at VL0, we provide a balanced perspective. Teaching conditions are atrocious. We all know this. I am ready for the next Red for Ed movement. But in the meantime, what's next? Do we continue repeating the cycle while our joy and mental health decline? Or quit doing the thing we love to do? To that, I say no. I hope you say no, too, and join the VL0 community. We will laugh because I have to bring the drama, and let's be honest, the things we see and hear daily, you just cannot make that stuff up. We will cry because we care, and teaching is hard. We will scream because I know we all have DMX's "Up in Here" song on repeat in our minds all day, every day. We will flip chairs because why not? Most importantly, we will support each other and grow together.

              I will be vulnerable and share my transition back to the classroom with all of you. To sum up how it is going, administrator karma. If you know, you know. I will be launching my administrator karma in the VL0 podcast. Stay tuned for the VL0 podcast release date. If you have any administrator karma stories, I encourage you to share them here: Administrator Karma Stories Form.

Teaching is one of the hardest jobs, and it is even harder when you do it alone. We are better together. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you, hearing your experiences, and growing together. Welcome to the VL0 community, where teachers' voices are amplified, not drowned out by the noise.

VL0 is always looking to improve and best serve you. Please leave your feedback and suggestions here: Feedback and Suggestions Form.