In this job as an educational technology coach, I get to deal with a completely different clientele. No longer am I managing 185 teenagers all hyped up on hormones, drama, activities, drama, and successes. No longer am I trying to persuade an adolescent that he or she is smarter than they put off, that the content isn't as mysterious as they perceive it to be, that school really isn't as terrifying as it may seem. No, instead I'm doing something similar with 1100+ adults.
In a classroom setting, I enjoy the times when students plow through content and become experts themselves. I enjoy the times when students struggle through content and maintain the vision of the objective. I even enjoy the ones who try initially and begin to lose steam. The harder ones to deal with are the ones who throw up their bunker defense mechanism upon entering the door.
Me: Is there something that I can do to help?
"Bunker Defense Mechanism" (BDM): No. I don't get it.
Me: Well, where are you stuck?
BDM: Everywhere
Me: Alright, what is the last thing you remember doing in the process?
BDM: Nothing. I hate/suck at/don't get __________
Me: Is there something that I can do to help?
"Bunker Defense Mechanism" (BDM): No. I don't get it.
Me: Well, where are you stuck?
BDM: Everywhere
Me: Alright, what is the last thing you remember doing in the process?
BDM: Nothing. I hate/suck at/don't get __________
"TAKE COVER!!! THERE'S SOMEONE TRYING TO HELP ME REALIZE THAT I CAN ACTUALLY DO IT!!!"
Now, replace classroom setting with adult workplace. Replace student with adult. Repeat conversations with an engrained and seemingly fixed mindset. As teachers, we get so excited about working with kids who show up and want to get better. We can only expect the same from ourselves, even if the task at hand seems like it's out of reach at the moment.
In education, we get upset when kids are happy with getting a grade of their choice and then shutting down. We rack our brain trying to figure out what to do with the students who walk through our doors and have a fixed mindset. Then we roll into a professional development and close ourselves off to the presenter as if what he/she is saying has no relevance to our profession. There is a sad similarity in these two cases and quite ironic.
I went to college to learn about math, not just to get a degree. When that degree was mailed to me (skipped the graduation, long story), it was not this sigh of relief that learning had finally culminated. I can only hope that we don't settle for a piece of paper as the end of our journey.
Happy Fishing
In education, we get upset when kids are happy with getting a grade of their choice and then shutting down. We rack our brain trying to figure out what to do with the students who walk through our doors and have a fixed mindset. Then we roll into a professional development and close ourselves off to the presenter as if what he/she is saying has no relevance to our profession. There is a sad similarity in these two cases and quite ironic.
I went to college to learn about math, not just to get a degree. When that degree was mailed to me (skipped the graduation, long story), it was not this sigh of relief that learning had finally culminated. I can only hope that we don't settle for a piece of paper as the end of our journey.
Happy Fishing
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