A random thing happened to me today, and oddly enough made me reflect upon my "teaching career" so I thought, hey, since I have this blog thing and all, why not write about it. It frustrated me, and perhaps writing about it will make it less frustrating. --I think i'm starting to understand why people actually enjoy blogging-- Anyways ... so, as several know i'm in a sorority, however I am what you would call "inactive" this year. Basically, what this means is i'm obviously still a member and I still pay my national fees, I just don't participate in the meetings and activities anymore. Several factors played into this inactive status such as my job this semester, block, student teaching in the spring, my dad had surgery and is out of work, and other odds and ends, but either way i'm not really "participating" for my last year. I give you the background of my involvement in the sorority because that's kind of where my reflection comes from. I may be inactive from my chapter, but I am still a member. I still love my chapter and love my sisters. We recently went through recruitment and during this time you chalk the sidewalks around campus. Well, apparently one of our girls, while chalking, misspelled a word. I know .. it seems like such a small error right? Oh wow .. a word was misspelled .. big deal. Well you would be surprised at how much criticism i'm hearing about it. The word misspelled was "their" .. and it was spelled "thier". I had a conversation with an old friend from highschool about it today who didn't realize I was a member, and did apoligize for the rude comments about it once he found out, but some of his obnoxious friends were being very mean about it .. saying that person is dumb and our chapter is dumb .. etc ..
That's where my reflection came in ... oddly enough. There are chalkings all across campus. Beautiful ones ... from all chapters and all other organization .. however no one ever stops to praise the good work. They are up and ready to jump on the mistakes, though. Thinking as a teacher .. in a classroom point of view, you see that happen a lot. Often times, the good and great work gets looked over. Never intentionally acknowledged. Never praised. But when a mistake is made, it is the first thing to be brought up. The first thing to be pointed out. Thinking in that point of view, I don't want to be that kind of person, and I don't want to be that kind of teacher. I don't want to be the one who seeks out the mistakes and only points them out. I want to be the one who praises the good work, while weaving in how an "accident" could be corrected.
I know ... it was a rant .. but it was good to get it off my mind :) It was just an accident that could have been corrected. Nobody's perfect, adults or children, and those things happen. And I think we'll see that often. We just have to go about it in a kind and understanding way.
*Sorrrrrrry for the rant :)*
Very interesting insights, Rachel. I totally agree. We tend to want to criticize before we pat someone on the back for a job well done.
ReplyDeleteI hope I can remember to look for the good in EVERY one of my students. Some days will be more challenging than others!