If you really knew me....
Since the school I work at doesn't assign grades to work that students complete, the student are required to present their learning three times a year to an audience of parents, teachers, peers and mentors. It is basically an hour in which they have to defend their learning, to prove what they have done and what they have learned over the course of three months.
A few months ago, in preparation for these exhibitions, a teacher and I led some students in an activity that was intended to help them organize their presentations. The activity began with each of us completing the sentence "if you really knew me....".
At first, the sentence was open-ended and everyone could finish it however they wanted. But then it became more focused with statement like "if you really knew me, you would know my greatest challenge this year was..." and "if you really knew me you would know that my greatest success this year was..." Many of the students and staff that participated in the activity were deeply honest.
One staff member shared "if you really knew me, you would know that my nephew died 3 years ago and not a day goes by that don't I mourn his death".
A student shared "if you really knew me, you would know that even though I only finished one project this whole year, and I'm a year behind, I'm really proud of the project that I completed."
I shared "if you really knew me, you would know that the hardest thing for me to deal with at work is seeing students with great potential and not knowing how to help them get motivated to work."
As we went around the room in groups of two or three learning about each other, learning about the struggles and the successes, I stood in awe of the power of the activity and really what it means to me in my job and in my personal life.
What would it be like if we really knew the struggles, sadness, or fears of the people we interact with? Not just know that they are struggling but know how that struggle is impacting their lives? Would we be more patient? Understanding? Would we be more helpful or generous?
Would we treat them different if we knew their story?
If you really knew me, you would know I am broken.
If I really knew you, I would know you might be broken too.
And so I have challenged myself to learn my student's stories, to really know them and know how to celebrate them, to challenge them and to be helpful to them. And I have challenged myself to assume that most people have a story - would I treat them differently if I knew it?
A few months ago, in preparation for these exhibitions, a teacher and I led some students in an activity that was intended to help them organize their presentations. The activity began with each of us completing the sentence "if you really knew me....".
At first, the sentence was open-ended and everyone could finish it however they wanted. But then it became more focused with statement like "if you really knew me, you would know my greatest challenge this year was..." and "if you really knew me you would know that my greatest success this year was..." Many of the students and staff that participated in the activity were deeply honest.
One staff member shared "if you really knew me, you would know that my nephew died 3 years ago and not a day goes by that don't I mourn his death".
A student shared "if you really knew me, you would know that even though I only finished one project this whole year, and I'm a year behind, I'm really proud of the project that I completed."
I shared "if you really knew me, you would know that the hardest thing for me to deal with at work is seeing students with great potential and not knowing how to help them get motivated to work."
As we went around the room in groups of two or three learning about each other, learning about the struggles and the successes, I stood in awe of the power of the activity and really what it means to me in my job and in my personal life.
What would it be like if we really knew the struggles, sadness, or fears of the people we interact with? Not just know that they are struggling but know how that struggle is impacting their lives? Would we be more patient? Understanding? Would we be more helpful or generous?
Would we treat them different if we knew their story?
If you really knew me, you would know I am broken.
If I really knew you, I would know you might be broken too.
And so I have challenged myself to learn my student's stories, to really know them and know how to celebrate them, to challenge them and to be helpful to them. And I have challenged myself to assume that most people have a story - would I treat them differently if I knew it?
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