“A
creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat
others.”
Ayn
Rand
By
Tommie Saylor
Kennedy
High School Principal
When
you’re an educator and your dealing with students, it is often better not to go
strictly by the book, but by the heart.
A
student is sent to the office by an angry teacher, declaring that the student
refuses to dress for physical education class. When the instructor
challenges the student about not dressing, the student becomes “lippy,” even
disrespectful. By the book, the student is charged with insubordination and being
disrespect to a staff member, and given a long-term suspension from school.
Judged
by the heart, the administration discovers that the reason why the student is
not dressing for PE is because the student’s family cannot afford gym
shoes. In addition, the student does not want to be embarrassed by being
the only person in class wearing socks – besides, all the student’s socks have
holes. So, the administration gets the student a pair of gym shoes and the
next day sends him back to class.
Sometimes
the rulebook just doesn’t apply. It isn’t about being soft or losing
control, it’s about being human. It’s about looking past the negative behavior
and resolving the problem. As I have stated before, student discipline
isn’t about getting even, it’s about showing the students a better way to
resolve a problem. It’s about taking advantage of a learning opportunity, it’s
about helping a student to grow up and become a productive member of our society.
A
student becomes upset, gets up from her desk and heads for the door. The
instructor tells her to have a seat, but ignoring the instructor, the student
walks out the door and heads to the office to speak with her counselor.
The instructor, understandably angry, charges the student for insubordination,
disrespect and leaving class without permission.
By
the book, the student is charged with insubordination, being disrespectful and
with leaving class without permission, and is given an extended suspension from
school.
By
the heart, the counselor discovers that the student became upset because the
lesson of the day, and ensuing discussion, hit a little too close to home. It
reminded the student of her parents impending separation. So, the
counselor introduces the student to the social worker recommending services,
and advocates for leniency with the administration.
Not
everything is black and white. We live is a society mired in shades of
gray. Understanding a student’s pain and motivation behind the behavior
is key to truly helping the student through the pain and modifying the
behavior.
Simply,
Social Studies and English just doesn’t seem very important when the student
feels that their life is falling apart. It’s at that point in time the schools
resolve is to become the student’s safety net, the student’s safe harbor.
As
Ronnie Dunn’s lyrics say, “We all bleed red, all taste rain, all fall down,
lose our way. We all say words we regret, we all cry tears, we all bleed
red.”
Understanding,
compassion and empathy are often the difference between a good educator and a
world changer.
Helping
a student survive through a difficult situation and survive high school, truly
changes their world. Our legacy will not be written by the number of
doctors, attorneys, or senators we help to create, but by how many worlds we
touch along the way.
How
and where will you lead them. Making Kennedy the school of choice. Excellence
by design.
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