As I was driving to the store today, I saw a small protest beside the highway. It was a political protest and those in it were holding signs with slander and derogatory name-calling. I have no idea what they politically stand for but I know what they hate!
This made me remember something my pastor once said. He said, “We should be known more for what we STAND FOR, rather than what we STAND AGAINST.”
This is also true as educators. We can be so passionate about our educational philosophies and ideas that we have to be careful not to come off like these protestors. I have been doing some self-reflection since this morning and know I have been guilty of stating my viewpoints the wrong way. For example, I am VERY passionate that math should be taught differently than the way I learned. I was an “A” student because I could spit out math through algorithms but I didn’t understand the math behind them or why the they worked. Sometimes I find myself saying, “We need to teach students differently than how we learned. It’s not good enough.” Well, if you only teach that way, I probably just made a mental protest sign stating that you aren’t teaching math well.
Instead, I should be a cheerleader for teaching math with understanding. I should say, “Here’s an activity I did yesterday with my students and I was amazed at the mathematical understanding happening in class.” Now, I’ve offered a possibility or an idea with no judgement about how they teach the same skill. Hey, they might even try it!
I am a very positive person and I really hope that I am known more for what I stand for rather than what I am against. However, I am sure I have failed at this many times. To help with this I have made these goals for education discussions:
- Focus on and share what I stand for without instantly comparing it to the opposite view.
- Be excited for what I stand for- passion is contagious!
- Let the little things go- everything is not a “us” against “them”
- Really listen to an opposing viewpoint without thinking of my rationale against it or how it won’t work. I might learn something or change my mind! 🙂
Something to ask yourself: Am I known more for what I stand for or for what I am against?