My inspiration for today’s post came this week as I watched several different scenarios unfold across our school buildings. (Side note: the title for today’s post popped in my head earlier this week. I had completely forgotten that I had used this same title with a similar theme in my October 3, 2021 blogpost!) The scenarios that unfolded all had to do with the return of the school year and people’s reactions to that return. Inevitably, people have different reactions: some positive, some negative. Just as I get frustrated with the negative reactions from others, I get frustrated with myself for being frustrated with those people! Afterall, everyone has a right to their feelings.
But I can’t help but think that we are writing our own stories. When the inevitable struggles arise, we get to choose how we react. If we react with anger (understandable) and stay there and tell others about the situation and how “stupid” and “ridiculous” it is and perpetuate the negativity, we are choosing to tell that story. However, when the inevitable struggles arise and we choose to react with anger, but then move on through awareness, analysis, reflection, and a problem-solving attitude, we are choosing to tell that story.
Think about what type of conversation your words inspire. It’s so easy to pile on the negatives – they are everywhere, and they work like magnets. They just keep attracting. But so do the positives.
Perhaps the question we might ask ourselves is something along the lines of “How are my words and actions inspiring others in a positive way?” And perhaps this question is most important during those challenging times.
There is nothing more inspiring than watching colleagues respond to challenging situations in a positive way. I saw this in Lisa when she described being called a “m– f– b–” by a five-year-old. The very next day, he said it again, but this time to the wall. Lisa’s response: “That’s growth! He didn’t say it to me!” And she meant it.
I saw this in Nita when she reflected on how tough the El Education curriculum is for both teachers and students, and how this “toughness” is truly a good thing. She talked about the importance of having patience as we wait to see progress in student learning. She described the thrill of watching a normally quiet 8th grade student explain the connection between three vocabulary words from their Module work, as part of Nita’s “Word Wednesday” routine. Nita’s enthusiasm when telling this story was contagious: she was absolutely giddy!
I saw this in our new instructional coaching staff members when they described the challenges that come with their new position and how they look forward to continuing to work through those challenges and grow as educators. When reflecting on implementing new initiatives/curriculums/career paths, they said things like, “It takes years, not days, to be really good at this,” and “We’ve gotta’ put the years in…”
The stories we tell impact our own mindsets and the mindsets of others. The stories we tell have to power to break down or build up. The stories we tell are a reflection of our character. What stories do you tell?