The Abandoned Train Car - Richard Porr, Ph.D.

This TeacherLeader article focuses on the following disposition:

D. RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

3. Developing others. Teacher leaders who are adept at cultivating students and colleagues show a genuine interest in those they are helping along, understanding their goals, strengths, and weaknesses. Such teacher leaders can give timely and constructive feedback and are natural mentors or coaches

The train car above has tremendous potential but has been sidelined on an abandoned spur. It cannot move itself to the main line and on down the tracks to its intended destination. It needs an engine! However, if the engine were to pull up beside it on the main set of tracks, the ABANDONED CAR still could not go anywhere since it is on an abandoned spur and must be moved to the main line. No, the only way this car will get to its destination is if a locomotive backs onto the spur, connects with the ABANDONED CAR’s coupling, and pulls it out onto the main line and on down the tracks. If the locomotive engineer disdains the ABANDONED BOXCAR and doesn’t wish to go to the trouble of backing onto the spur and hooking up with it, the boxcar will remain off the main track and will go nowhere.

No amount of anger on the part of the locomotive engineer or cursing of all of the reasons why the car found itself on the spur will solve this problem. Only backing down the spur, hooking up, and pulling the ABANDONED CAR out of the spur will work. If the car is seen as valuable, the engineer will do precisely that and hook it up to the entire train so all the cars will reach their destination.

So it is with all the students we are responsible for leading. If we value each one, if we accept responsibility to move each student farther down the track of learning and success, we will meet them where they are. We will connect with them, with their lived experiences and ways of thinking and looking at the world, and pull them onto the main line.

As a teacher leader who takes responsibility for student learning, study each student in your classes. Learn how to connect with each one and, if any are on abandoned spurs, pull them to the main line in your classroom where students are learning and are a part of a healthy school environment.

The Application:

Meet students where they are to take them where you want them to go.

P.S.: this works well with adults also!