Wk3 Reading - Building the perfect sandbox city...
Rule #6, Lighten Up. Taking yourself, your goals, your end-game a
little less seriously is good advice. This is not to say that the
end-game isn't important or doesn't require undying tenacity, rather it
indicates that the trip is the thing. My goals are just that. Mine.
No one will ever be as invested in my goals as I am, but I have an
opportunity to inspire, observe and revel in many beautiful things along
the way. I am a biker. I love to ride to new or familiar
destinations with my friends. The destinations can be awesome and
bragg-able, but the trip is the thing. Getting there, the ride, the
filler (the stuff in between) is the real destination. Allowing things
to surprise you, allowing the people and happenings around you to
inspire or enlighten you will make you a better person. When the deal
is done, when the thing is built, when the degree is earned, when the
dream car is in the garage, when the license is in your wallet, when the
perfect sand city exists in your sandbox…what do you do? You go right
back out and do it again. You build another thing, you make a new goal,
you flatten the sand and you take another ride.
Making a move: the idea that a person can lead from anywhere or even
better, allow, encourage and facilitate non-leaders to lead from their
own perspectives. Through teaching, we have this opportunity every day.
It doesn't take any preparation or set up. It simply requires the
teacher to pay attention. As soon as you notice a student surprising
you with an answer, meaning something that is off target but intriguing
(like they are looking at the issue or problem from a different
perspective), stop teaching and ask the student to teach you. "I hadn't
considered it that way, what do you mean?" Listen with the rest of the
class and ask for elaboration. While you listen, ADJUST your lesson or
your point. Not to the extent that you aren't teaching the same topic
(unless you have time to make it up), but enough to teach it - or learn
it - from a different lens. With your new perspective, ask the student
with the different perspective to teach what they know or explain their
idea. Lead or guide the discussion based on the new ideas. This is
incredibly empowering for all of your students and leads to new
possibilities.
Give up your pride - reveal truth. Allowing students to see that you
aren't perfect and have all the answers seem easy, but when a teach is
struggling to maintain management of a class, it is very hard to show
weakness. This was one of my personal struggles. I wanted to remain
aloof. Coming in front the corporate world, I thought some teachers
revealed too much about their personal lives (probably to kill time) and
that this was less-than-professional. Over the last few years, I've
learned that revealing some personal difficulties makes the teacher less
over-bearing and more relatable. Students learn that navigating the
issues in life requires help and advice or input from the people around
you. Just because you are in a position of authority doesn't mean you
have all of the answers. Letting your students in a little allows an
intimacy that you will create buy-in you may need at some point down the
line.
Downhill Challenge - ride with the ice. Welcome the difficult
situations. They make life interesting. The challenges are where we
learn what works and what doesn't. They are our practice. Again, enjoy
the ride.
My response:
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Hi David,
I agree with you that the journey is the fun part. The relationships and creating memories are what makes things interesting. I am glad to read that you chose to deviate from your corporate persona, even corporations are beginning to realize that good relationships are what matter when trying to accomplish great things!
Lori
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