Friday Frazzle
February 20, 2009
A brilliant coworker expressed a really insightful question today at lunch.
She said, “What I don’t get is why, a week after we had a thoughtful afternoon of discussion on our recent ‘half day’ inservice about discipline issues, we are still discussing the problems a week later and ruining our enjoyment of a delicious birthday cake?” (Happy 50th T.H.!)
It’s a good question. And it really deserves an answer. The source of her frustration, as is so often true, is that we all wish “they” would solve the problem, implement the plan, do the leg work, etc. I believe that it took about five years for “they” to become powerful here at RMS. I honestly don’t remember so many situations at our school when teachers looked outside themselves for “they” to change things we chose to change. This attitude very closely relates to the classical characteristics of pessimists. Pessimists always think someone else will determine their fate. Pessimists believe they cannot control events, that “they” are the cause of all their own failures, attitudes and fears. Pessimists believe forces in the world make their lives, not that they make life in the world.
I don’t think most teachers are ever truly able to wear the “Pessimist’s Mantle” very comfortably. It’s just not the nature of people who teach to tolerate lack of autonomy. So, for whatever reason we as a faculty/staff seem to be in a pessimistic period of time in our thinking, I’d like to see us put on our “Optimist’s’ Armour” and prove that our thinking is good, our goals for improved behavior and learning climate are worth the effort and be creative and assertive once more.
We have a shiny new Principal, hard-working, focused Vice Principals. We are rich with personal experience of programs and policies which have worked before and are clever enough to create new ones now.
Oh, and a week of working hard to improve the learning environment and modeling the behaviors we want to encourage can’t possibly leave us ANY TIREDER than we are on any other Friday this year! This corralling our wild ones is exhausting. I came here to teach!
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1.
tamarahill | February 22nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I agree wholeheartedly with you and not just because it is my birthday! I think that it is important to realize that the school district has entrusted these children to us, and that we are the captains of our own ships. Sometimes I am reluctant to act as assertively as I should because I am concerned about others (they) questioning my judgment. However, the longer I teach, the more I have to create an atmosphere in which I am comfortable because I am certain that this allows for more learning and definitely, more teaching. Am I able to attain this state every day, all day? No, but I am working toward this goal, and in this way, I am empowered. It is not my fault if a student doesn’t respond appropriately; but it is my fault if I allow this individual to continue to act in a way that is unhealthy for him and also for the others around him. Maybe this is where the Serenity Prayer is useful too.
2.
ebushman | March 4th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Thank you, A.B., for finding the words to sum up what I’ve been grappling with for the past 5 years. I came to this school from an elementary with such high hopes. Let’s face it, we have 10-14 year olds that can hold a real conversation, have opinions about what’s going on in the world, have a real sense of humor – this experience was going to be a blast as far as I was concerned! …Now, I believe I am a proactive person, but no matter how hard I tried to stay true to myself, I kept running full speed into the “Pessimistic Force Field” that tends to float through the building. Some people viewed my proactivity in varying lights. “Look at her go, doesn’t she know it won’t make a difference?” “Who gave her the right to take charge?” While others were genuinely appreciative, yet somehow sent out the vibe that they were glad it was me, and not them. I’m ashamed to admit it, but the exhaustion of constantly trying to be proactive in such an atmosphere took its toll on me last year and I withdrew into the safety of my room. I was tired of fighting the fight to even keep a smile on my face. (Something I usually have no trouble doing.” It took a summer break to realize that that was not who I was. So – I have placed my “Optimist Armor” back on and will forge ahead with positive baby steps. Maybe enough of us will penetrate the force field and “they” will no longer be a player, but it will be back to “us!”