Early in my teaching career I thought that to be successful I had to do everything correctly. I soon realized that I was making plenty of mistakes ... and becoming a better teacher because of them.
I specifically recall a lesson from one of my high school courses that incorporated a social justice perspective. I responded to a question by one of my students by stating that she would not likely understand issues of poverty because she had led a fairly privileged life. She confronted me as she left class to say that I really didn't have a clue about her life. She was right. The next day I apologized to her and made a mental note never to make that kind of assumption again. I was/am a better teacher because of it.
Disruptions seem to work in a similar fashion. I have a lecture or activity or project (or ... fill in the blank) lined up. Everything looks to be in order. Then a disruption happens ... a challenging question arises ... a flat tire on the way to an appointment ... someone gets sick ... an unexpected visitor drops in. Often I get frustrated by these disruptions.
But I'm also learning that disruptions often cause me to re-think. To take stock. To re-imagine. Perhaps more importantly, to re-prioritize what is important and what is not.
It doesn't make sense in what we would like to see (or hope?) as a linear, cause-and-effect, formulaic world. Of course, life is messier and more chaotic than that. In this reality, moving backwards is often the best way to move forward.
About Me
- Steve Sider
- I have been an elementary and secondary school teacher and administrator. Currently, I am a faculty member in the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. My M.Ed. and Ph.D. had a focus on the educational and linguistic experiences of children who moved from other countries to Canada.
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