At times as a young mother, rather than observe, I was quick to try a number of remedies to placate a crying baby or frustrated toddler. I wanted a quick resolve.
I often see young parents doing the same thing. As soon as the child is uncomfortable, they become uncomfortable too and nervously look for a quick solution. As I watch these scenes from afar with the luxury of no responsibility to the situation or the activity of little children wanting my attention, I can often see what the child needs or wants, and notice that sometimes the parents' reaction hastily responds to something different than what the child needs or desires.
I've been thinking about situations in my midst that are uncomfortable and perplexing this summer, situations not unlike the crying baby or frustrated toddler, situations I've reacted to with haste in the past due to my discomfort, confusion, and desire to resolve. As I dig deeply into these situations, like the young parents, I'm not quite sure what these situations represent, where they come from, or why they occur? By reacting nervously with haste, I haven't given myself the time to really observe and wonder, to find out what's really happening.
I wonder how often that happens in the classroom too. Met with numerous needs, we react swiftly to a child's desire for help without taking the time to evaluate the situation with care and observation. Obviously if it's a traumatic event, there isn't time for this kind of careful analysis, but typically, when children are out of sorts, there is time to stop and reflect, research and consult, and think deeply about the best course of action.
Therefore, as the new year begins, I want to make that time to step back, observe, take notes, analyze, wonder, and reflect on situations that result in discomfort, discomfort for students, colleagues, and myself. What's really happening? What matters in these situations? How can we act to bring both development and growth with peaceful, productive resolve?
Take the time to stop and think. Observe to understand when issues are confusing. We owe that to ourselves, our colleagues, our students, and our learning communities.
