Free to Focus on Students

Western Teacher Candidates take responsibility for student learning through mastery of content knowledge, pedagogy, professional behaviors and positive teacher dispositions, with additional focus upon issues of diversity. The following article focuses on two important dispositions.

Please read through the following two dispositions and allow me to connect them in a unique way:

A. SELF-AWARENESS

2. Accurate self-assessment. Teacher leaders with high self-awareness
typically know their limitations and strengths, and exhibit a sense of humor
about them. They exhibit a gracefulness in learning where they need to improve,
and welcome constructive criticism and feedback. Accurate self-assessment allows
a teacher leader to know when to ask for help and where to focus in cultivating new teacher leadership strengths.

B. SELF-MANAGEMENT

6. Optimism. A teacher leader who is optimistic can “roll with the punches,” seeing an opportunity rather than a threat in a setback. Such teacher leaders see others positively, expecting the best of them. And their "glass half-full" outlook leads them to expect changes in the future will be for the better.

FOCUS

• The common thread that runs through these two dispositions is that of FOCUS.


• Accurate Self-awareness and Optimism can only occur where there is a focus on students and on their learning rather than upon one’s self. When we think everything is about us, we misinterpret constructive criticism and feedback as negative and are unable to see opportunities but only see threats. This deadly FOCUS ON SELF has been the cause for many misadventures in field experiences (i.e., failures).

IN OR OUT OF THE CELL

• FOCUS ON SELF to the exclusion of student learning is a kind of prison cell.


• There are two ways of seeing and being—outside of the prison cell or inside.


• When you’re in the prison cell, you see things differently than when you’re outside of it.


• When you’re in the prison cell, you behave differently than when you’re outside

HOW YOU GET IN

• The prison cell has two signs: one on the outside and one on the inside.


• When one is on the outside looking in, the sign reads “SELF.” At that point we can either turn away or enter the cell.

WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK OUT

Once inside the cell, the only sign we can read as we look outward is one that reads “BLAME.” We tend to see everyone through the distortion of blame and cannot recognize our own shortcomings and areas that need improvement. Consequently, we reinforce the bars. We make them stronger by blaming others and focusing only on our pitiful condition. As we look through the bars, everything becomes twisted and distorted.

PRISON BARS DISTORT

Through the bars, we see others and situations differently than if we were free of the cell.

• One of the most serious consequences of being in the cell is that of being cut off from helpful resources. We believe others are “out to get us” and therefore, are unable to accept their help. Because we see them as our enemy, we act differently toward them and push them away. Their response to this rejection reinforces our distorted belief they are against us. What a trap!

HOW TO GET OUT OF PRISON

• If there is a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, it is that of assuming responsibility. When we focus on others (in our case, students and how they are learning), we turn our attention to what we can do, what part we can play in making things better for students. When we accept that others are trying to help, to contribute to our maturity, we connect with others outside of the cell and are magically released from prison.

WHERE ARE YOU?

• We all trip up and put in some time behind the bars. The important thing is to be aware of when we’ve chosen to worry about and focus on ourselves to the exclusion of the students we’ve chosen to be responsible for (within the context of our teacher responsibilities).


• When we realize we’ve entered the cell, we can immediately take responsibility and deny the distortion caused by the bars and walk right out. Sometimes that’s hard to do. It’s easier and it feels better to retreat to the comfort of the cell. It initially might feel good to blame others and to not face the more difficult choice to mature into an effective, adult professional.


• In the long run, the real joy and passion comes from BECOMING a TEACHER LEADER by TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR STUDENT LEARNING and living outside of the cell.