Reflecting in Indi
Just finished presenting/consulting teachers at an institute in Indianapolis. I love working with teachers. I always count on the first day being one during which teachers vent their frustrations and shoot a couple of arrows at me – the messenger. But I don’t take it personally and I try to create a calm and safe presence in the room by modeling it myself. I need to be anchored during those times; otherwise, I will take their comments personally and begin to become anxious, irritated, and frustrated myself.
I decided early on in my teaching tenure that I would refuse to treat others in an undignified manner, even if that is what they demonstrated and possibly expected in return. I believe that paying back someone’s negativity with negativity is a way of degrading their humanity, and it says something about me. All humans have dignity, even if they don’t believe it. I think that the Christian symbol of the cross is all about God demonstrating His belief in their dignity, even when they did everything they could to prove otherwise. I want to mirror that perspective to others.
After a first day of really tough teacher attitudes, at least 5 of my participants came up to apologize for themselves and their peers, and to thank me for my patience. This was the worst possible time of the year for us to come to them. They are only a week away from major tests, 40% of the teachers in their district were just informed that they may not be coming back (including some of those attending), and they have come to see professional development as just another way their district chastises them for not doing their job. As a whole, they were demoralized. They love teaching, they love people, but many of them have lost sight of those things because of exhaustion, disillusionment, and unfulfilled expectations. On that first day, they just needed a space to be real, to be honest about how they were feeling, to vent without being chastised.
And after that, many of them found an inner guide directing them to find solutions, to make the best of the situation, and to do what they could to make things better. For those who were less in tune with that inner guide, others in the group voiced such guidance.
By the second day, participants were able to move on and what appeared to be a tough situation turned into my favorite group of participants. I really miss seeing them today as I sit reflecting in a Starbucks outside of my Indianapolis hotel. We went through some rough waters together and by the end of our three days we had grown close to each other.
I left absolutely energized!
I also became more aware of my passions. I love working with teachers, encouraging them through hard times, and celebrating with them when they come through the tunnel. Teaching high school and middle school students was exhilarating, but I can see that one of my niches is working with adults. I absolutely love the challenges adults bring to the table and I love walking beside them as they struggle to find a positive resolution. Teaching and guiding is what I was created to do. I am people-powered as much as I am solar-powered. Put me with people and I am in the right place. Add the sun and I’m in the perfect place!! My heaven is going to be SO full of people and sunshine. Not that I can’t be alone or that I don’t like being alone. However, I realize that alone time is something I need as it relates to recharging for people time. On the other hand, people time recharges me for alone time.
One of the highlights of the institute was a 62 year-old teacher named Jim. Jim came up to me after the first day and said, “Dave, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve never been a workshop guy. In fact, I’ve never enjoyed a workshop in all of my years of teaching. But I have thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. I will never forget your presence with this group. I won’t remember the name of the Embedded Whatever It Is but I will remember the essence of what you modeled for us.” And then we talked about pedagogy our philosophy of education. It was invigorating to see someone in their 30th+ year of teaching still absolutely excited about teaching. On the third day, he reiterated his first-day thoughts and said something I will never forget: “Dave, I’ve got to admit that I have allowed myself to get beaten down. I’ve moved my students out of groups and put them in straight rows. I have removed many of the relational elements from my classroom in order to try to control the classroom. I have lowered my expectations and become somewhat disillusioned. But the past three days have been an awakening and I feel truly inspired to go back into the classroom. Thank you!” Talk about humbling. I’m 28 and perhaps know 1% of what Jim knows. He has been a coach a master teacher and an inspiration to others throughout his career. I count it a privilege just to have gotten the chance to meet him and his colleagues.
Along those lines, I expected great things of my participants. And they showed greatness. They showed parts of themselves that have been dormant or suppressed. They came up to me afterwards and expressed thanks for giving them space to vent their frustrations and encouragement to move through those frustrations. They left with an increased sense of dignity and encouraged my own. Truly, it was a spiritual experience for me. I love what I get to do with this life! Give me people or I will shrivel.
I decided early on in my teaching tenure that I would refuse to treat others in an undignified manner, even if that is what they demonstrated and possibly expected in return. I believe that paying back someone’s negativity with negativity is a way of degrading their humanity, and it says something about me. All humans have dignity, even if they don’t believe it. I think that the Christian symbol of the cross is all about God demonstrating His belief in their dignity, even when they did everything they could to prove otherwise. I want to mirror that perspective to others.
After a first day of really tough teacher attitudes, at least 5 of my participants came up to apologize for themselves and their peers, and to thank me for my patience. This was the worst possible time of the year for us to come to them. They are only a week away from major tests, 40% of the teachers in their district were just informed that they may not be coming back (including some of those attending), and they have come to see professional development as just another way their district chastises them for not doing their job. As a whole, they were demoralized. They love teaching, they love people, but many of them have lost sight of those things because of exhaustion, disillusionment, and unfulfilled expectations. On that first day, they just needed a space to be real, to be honest about how they were feeling, to vent without being chastised.
And after that, many of them found an inner guide directing them to find solutions, to make the best of the situation, and to do what they could to make things better. For those who were less in tune with that inner guide, others in the group voiced such guidance.
By the second day, participants were able to move on and what appeared to be a tough situation turned into my favorite group of participants. I really miss seeing them today as I sit reflecting in a Starbucks outside of my Indianapolis hotel. We went through some rough waters together and by the end of our three days we had grown close to each other.
I left absolutely energized!
I also became more aware of my passions. I love working with teachers, encouraging them through hard times, and celebrating with them when they come through the tunnel. Teaching high school and middle school students was exhilarating, but I can see that one of my niches is working with adults. I absolutely love the challenges adults bring to the table and I love walking beside them as they struggle to find a positive resolution. Teaching and guiding is what I was created to do. I am people-powered as much as I am solar-powered. Put me with people and I am in the right place. Add the sun and I’m in the perfect place!! My heaven is going to be SO full of people and sunshine. Not that I can’t be alone or that I don’t like being alone. However, I realize that alone time is something I need as it relates to recharging for people time. On the other hand, people time recharges me for alone time.
One of the highlights of the institute was a 62 year-old teacher named Jim. Jim came up to me after the first day and said, “Dave, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve never been a workshop guy. In fact, I’ve never enjoyed a workshop in all of my years of teaching. But I have thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. I will never forget your presence with this group. I won’t remember the name of the Embedded Whatever It Is but I will remember the essence of what you modeled for us.” And then we talked about pedagogy our philosophy of education. It was invigorating to see someone in their 30th+ year of teaching still absolutely excited about teaching. On the third day, he reiterated his first-day thoughts and said something I will never forget: “Dave, I’ve got to admit that I have allowed myself to get beaten down. I’ve moved my students out of groups and put them in straight rows. I have removed many of the relational elements from my classroom in order to try to control the classroom. I have lowered my expectations and become somewhat disillusioned. But the past three days have been an awakening and I feel truly inspired to go back into the classroom. Thank you!” Talk about humbling. I’m 28 and perhaps know 1% of what Jim knows. He has been a coach a master teacher and an inspiration to others throughout his career. I count it a privilege just to have gotten the chance to meet him and his colleagues.
Along those lines, I expected great things of my participants. And they showed greatness. They showed parts of themselves that have been dormant or suppressed. They came up to me afterwards and expressed thanks for giving them space to vent their frustrations and encouragement to move through those frustrations. They left with an increased sense of dignity and encouraged my own. Truly, it was a spiritual experience for me. I love what I get to do with this life! Give me people or I will shrivel.
posted by Dave Jones at 11:00 PM
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