AN EDUCATIONAL CUP OF TEA

The Enduring Wisdom of the Marigold

Although the initial post published in 2013, I came across it a few years later once I moved into a teacher supporting role and out of the classroom. The idea is wonderfully unique: marigolds are helper flowers when grown near other plants. In the same way, a new teacher thrives when “planted” near supportive veteran teachers making it imperative for a new teacher to select “marigolds” when looking for peer support. It reshaped my entire perspective on how all support should look in addition to that of new teachers. I also thought about my past experiences as a classroom teacher and if I was a marigold to others or a walnut tree. I didn’t like where that reflection took me and decided to live a marigold life from then on.

Fast forward to 2025 past a pandemic, the explosion of generative AI, teacher shortages, budget cuts, and more. COVID-19 changed educators’ relationship with technology. What happens when new teachers want to embrace something perhaps veteran teachers are exhausted from? Demands on all teachers are beyond overwhelming. What happens when we are overcome with walnut trees simply because the system is so hard on teachers? Retention is an issue meaning large overturn of new teachers each year. What happens when there aren’t enough marigold veteran teachers to plant near new teachers?

Fortunately, the wisdom of the marigold endures, and the principle of the concept is definitely more critical than ever. We should look at it this way: the garden has expanded. Today, your marigold might be a click away. To understand this better, I look to George Siemen’s Connectivism Theory and its 8 Principles, specifically “Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill” and “Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.”

Identifying Your Marigolds in a Digital World

A digital marigold exhibits the same qualities as an in-person one: they are positive, experienced, and focused on growth. The skill we need now is recognizing them online. The best place to start online is through social media. I understand social media is wrought with negative connotations especially when engaging in the infamous “doom scroll.” However, the opposite can be true if we cultivate our digital garden correctly. This isn’t to say we are sticking our heads in the sand to ignore the negative, weeds will happen and must be addressed. It is more of making sure our marigolds outnumber the opportunities for a walnut tree to take root.

It is always best to start simple then simply start. Pick one platform to venture into. Find a spot where you are comfortable navigating features and finding marigolds. If it is a platform like X, Bluesky, Instagram, or TikTok; you can check out educational hashtags such as #EdTech #Learning #EdChat, etc. to see what comes up. If you prefer LinkedIn or Facebook, there are so many educational groups you can join. It is 100% okay to simply “lurk and learn” when getting started. You should not feel pressured to engage until you are ready. Learning comes from being connected to the information flow. This aligns with Connectivism, where the network itself is the source of learning.

Another great way to find marigolds is by participating in informal learning networks such as #CoffeeEDU, started by Alice Keeler, or join a Google Educator Group. These are casual meetups, sometimes online, where you select the topics of discussion and simply connect with others. Additionally, you could join an organization like TCEA which has a large online community for asynchronous connection.

Moving from Digital to Personal

In my next post, I will share another way to approach finding your marigolds in the digital age through a “support-stack” which ties into some of the ideas presented here. The ultimate goal is for digital connections to become real, supportive relationships. For now, I encourage you to take one small step this week by joining one new online professional group or following an educational hashtag of choice. I also invite you to share groups or hashtags you found helpful in the comments.