The Way Things Are
I recently illustrated in a blog response to one of my classmates, how I feel that our organization gave up on moving our technology-in-the-classroom initiatives forward. Because it was so difficult to train our faculty on using a new and complex LMS environment, the solution for the organization was to just drop the project all together. A minor version of another LMS was then introduced to the faculty and it is neither fully functional, nor very useful for interactive assignments or student participation.
My own school taking this route was extremely disappointing for me. When I think of how many times I have been tempted to just maintain the status quo and stop fighting the uphill battle – it is disheartening to know that on such a large scale, this path was actually taken. Is it any wonder that the faculty are so resistant to any further technology innovations? The precedence has been set: simply resist and eventually the administration will give up and leave you alone.
As Ben Zander points out in The Art of Possibility, it is difficult to remain optimistic and positive in our competitive cultures when so much attention is given to our mistakes and everyone stands ready to criticize. Where are the cheerleaders to root us on when we succeed and boost us up when we are challenged? The naysayers’ club has way more members.
I have used the phrase “give ground to the negative and it will grow” for many years. It is an internal mantra I use on myself when I feel like everything is going poorly and my accomplishments are in short supply. It reminds me that I am in charge of my own thinking and my own results; that if I want to succeed, I simply need to state that I am succeeding – no matter how unusual it seems at the moment. I equate this to Ben Zander’s statement: “How fascinating!”
Giving Way to Passion
I recently embraced Zander’s concept of letting go and releasing the barriers of control I have placed on myself. While I consider myself a fairly good teacher, I have noticed over the years that I am not necessarily a warm, human type of teacher. Not the counseling or mothering type – I have always considered myself the drill sergeant type in the classroom. Everything organized, ordered and under control - much to the unhappiness of my students sometimes.
I have been making an effort lately to break down my controls without sacrificing classroom management. I have come to believe that I can become more human and less of an automaton in the classroom without sacrificing the integrity, dignity or learning experience within the classroom setting. I want my students to feel my passion for our field of expertise by lessening the bonds of the personal controls on my emotions. I think this will truly separate the wheat from the chaff and allow my students to ensure that they are moving into the right profession and that they truly understand the sacrifices of the field.
Pay-It-Forward
During this festive time of year, when we are overly busy and bustling about to attend to family holiday activities, we sometimes forget to pause and think about those less fortunate. I recently saw an encounter that brought tears to my eyes and made me think exactly about the pay-it-forward truth in life.
As I was leaving a local store and sitting at the traffic light to turn, I noticed the passenger in the car in front leaning out the window and appeared to be talking to “someone”. As I looked to the grass at the side of the road, I saw a middle-aged woman suddenly rise up out of the grass from where she was laying. She was thin, worn and unsteady on her feet. My immediate thought was - homeless. She wavered around on her feet, talking to the passengers in the car in front. She gesticulated a bit wildly and I thought she might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. As I watched the scene unfold, I checked to make certain my doors were locked.
As the light changed, the car in front of me moved forward as the occupants continued talking to the homeless woman and then suddenly, the car veered to the right and up onto the grass. I moved up to the light and waited again for it to change. As I sat at the light, I now had a perfect view of the occupants of the car and the homeless woman. The driver, a woman, exited the car and seemed quite calm and intent. She continued calling and speaking with the homeless woman as she opened the back door of her car and began rummaging around. By this time, the homeless woman had rounded the car and was standing next to the driver. The driver touched the homeless woman gently on the arm from time to time as she spoke and touched her shoulder when she pointed beyond us to a point up the road. I understood that she was trying to convince the woman to go to a shelter that was just a mile up the road from us. The homeless woman shook her head ardently many times and I got the sense that she was afraid. It was cold outside. I couldn’t understand why she resisted.
The driver reached into her back seat and emerged with a bag in hand and I watched her fill it with food goods and give it to the homeless woman. They continued talking as she reached into the car again and came out with a large, down-filled coat and handed it to the homeless woman. From my spot behind the homeless woman, I watched her shoulders sag and her head drop forward. The driver began hugging her and I knew the misfortunate woman was crying. It was a tender and expressive moment. My eyes welled up with tears and I wished I could be as generous and spontaneous as the driver of that car.
The light changed and I drove off, but I knew I had witnessed a true miracle of Christmas and the generosity and goodness of the human heart. I sent a grateful prayer to the driver of that car and wished her God-speed. I was thankful that I had the good fortune to witness that human transaction.
I made a new plan in that moment by the road – to search out opportunities to pay-it-forward and give to those less fortunate in myself. And...I crave that human interaction. Not just a few dollars in the Salvation Army red pot, but the kind of close, enduring human kindness that the driver of that car demonstrated to all of us that night. Life is hard...and then, we live it. The universe of possibility is not done with us yet.
My comments:
Ginger,
I truly understand your frustration. Last week we did a last minute scramble to complete required documentation that could potentially provide laptops for nearly every student in our school district. Many complained about taking surveys and made comments along the lines of “if they get them, they’ll just tear them up.” Even our technology support staff resisted the idea anticipating the long-term cost and commitment to such a large initiative. Despite the negativity, we were able to complete and submitted the documentation. The grant will be highly competitive and it isn’t likely that we will actually be awarded the grant. I just hate the idea of letting a few problems block enormous possibilities.
As I consider the reading and your comments, I see this same resistance to students that are problematic within the school. Many times student problems, such as behavior issues, cause us to overlook their potential and possibilities. That doesn’t mean allowing or ignoring the issues but simply seeing where we and the students are and as the reading mentions, what other possibilities are here with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment