“All that is valuable in society depends on the opportunity accorded the individual.” – Albert Einstein
I was speaking with my wife this week about my job for the school district. I was feeling some frustration and a lack of clarity. Something was below the surface that I felt I was losing touch with, something important to me as an educator and as a person. Then it hit me. Every child is a natural resource that serves a sacred purpose on this planet. When I lose sight of this, I lose sight of my role as an educator.
As the Inclusion Specialist, my job is to include all of our students in the culture of our district. Regardless of learning style, past performance, or present challenges, my job is to see our children as a valuable resource to our world and then help integrate that child into the flow of life in our schools. By shining a light on the gifts that our students bring, it allows them to remember their own value, and ideally, supports them in stepping into a brighter future.
It gives me great pleasure to work with students who are not yet living up to their full potential, helping them to uncover who they really are. I encourage my students with confidence because I have faced challenges and misunderstandings about my own value. I have learned that the lens through which we focus has a major influence on what we see. Believing that all people are a unique expression of love and intelligence gives us a wonderful vantage point for supporting them in achieving their potential.
This way of looking at people does not remove the responsibility they have in their own success or failure. It simply presents a vision that motivates students if they are willing to go for it. Without an inspired vision for what is possible, it is hard to find the resolve to actually do what must be done to overcome an obstacle. The solutions are often more simple and obvious then we make them out to be. I have students, for example, who are enrolled in independent study programs to address their unique learning styles. In several cases, the students are very behind in units. In the past, I would focus my energies on talking to them, trying to figure out why they are not getting their work done. Recently it occurred to me that those discussions were often fruitless. I realized that the feeling of completing their work would bring with it a natural momentum to complete more work.
This simple approach lead me to realize that completing some work would also reduce the amount of negative attention these students had been receiving from the adults in their lives. As a result I have started making simple plans that involve completing at least one assignment every time we meet. That could include the simplest assignment available, so long as something is getting completed. This method has been working really well so far.
People are a complex web of motivations and perspectives. Getting lost in sorting out all of those intricacies is more than I am capable of doing. Instead, I assume that all of their quirks and all of their strengths play a role in a larger picture that is beyond me to understand. I assume, to the best of my ability, that they are here for a purpose and that we are all in this together. You may find it helpful to reflect on your own life. Are there parts of yourself, or your own children, that you have been trying to change lately? What would happen if you shifted your focus into assuming that there is something going on that you do not yet understand? Notice how the dynamic in your relationships shift from struggle to cooperation, and do not be surprised if things start getting better in unexpected ways.
Edward Biagiotti is the Inclusion Specialist for Culver City Unified School District. He is also co-host of the popular radio show, Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed, live each week at 3 pm on www.UnityOnlineRadio.org. Visit www.TappingIntoGenius.com for more articles and a free, inspirational parenting download.