I had the nicest experience at work the other day. It started during a tiger class (for 5-7 year olds) that did not go well. The kids were squirrely and unfocused. While they had a nice enough time, most activities ended with no results of learning. It was frustrating. I’ve been teaching one thing or another for over 20 years, so I knew a “dog” lesson when I gave it. For the next 2 days it was all I could think about, but I couldn’t come up with any answers.
In a word, I was completely “stuck.” No ideas, no creativity, no “fix,” despite 20 years of teaching.
Then I called a colleague and talked it over. We talked through the lesson, batted a few ideas back and forth, and before long I had some new ideas to bring to the table. I put the new strategies into play, they worked, the kids had a great time, and there was measurable evidence of learning.
Not much of a story.
But I realized a couple of things about what had happened, and it helped me to appreciate my colleague a bit more.
- We veteran teachers need to be humble. With gray hair comes a healthy dose of confidence in our experience, founded or not. I’ll admit, it was hard to make that phone call at first. I’m much older than this guy, so it easily could have become one of those conversations where he threw out ideas and I explained, in a professorial voice, how they wouldn’t work in “my situation.” We old people are good at that.
- Get over yourself. Martial arts teachers, like many teachers, fold a certain degree of the “superhero” into their teaching persona. That image can help sometimes, because it buys some quick credibility while our students get to know us and realize we really do know what we’re doing. However, disaster always follows the moment we think we actually ARE the person we project. Conversations to get us “un-stuck” sometimes make us feel silly, or embarrassed, or sometimes even stupid. (If it seems like I’m saying the same thing two different ways, I am.)
- Everyone needs to have colleagues who can also be mentors, at any age. This colleague is much younger than I am, but that doesn’t matter in our professional practice. He’s a good teacher, has lots of experience in the martial arts, and runs a successful studio. More importantly, he listens well, which is a lost art nowadays. He doesn’t judge. He’s a professional, through and through. It’s not about being “friends,” but about being true colleagues.
- If the first conversation doesn’t work, have another one. You may need to look at the problem in several different ways. You may not be ready to hear what you need to hear in the conversation. Just keep turning the problem over and over, in multiple conversations, until it works.
- These conversations aren’t about YOU, they’re about your students. The conversation to get “un-stuck” is more than a good idea. It is our professional responsibility, and we owe it to our students. If you’re stuck and hesitating to make the call, there are only two reasons. It’s possible that you’re calling the wrong colleague. But, if you’re not, the problem is likely with the person you see in the mirror.
- If a class doesn’t go well, it’s our fault. Period. Sounds harsh, I know, but it’s true. We chose to accept the mantle of teacher. We chose a profession in which we have to make learning an engaging experience. It’s fair that people expect to observe learning in our students, and we know students won’t learn until they are engaged. All the whining in the world about technology and the Facebook generation won’t change that. What would we think of a doctor who thought he or she would be so much better if it weren’t for all the “sick people”? Blaming our students for a bad class is like blaming the tree for jumping out in front of our car. Both should result in a breathalyzer test.
