Are you a help or a hindrance?
This is a good question to consider about your work and the work of others.
Then, once you make that consideration veer your teaching/learning ship towards helping and helpers.
There are some incredible helpers in my midst.
First of all, the students help me all the time. They are quick to provide suggestions, corrections, and ask questions. They are also wonderful at noticing what is working and giving compliments. They are enthusiastic about learning and creative with their learning endeavor. They are earnest and hard working. They are truly helpers when it comes to teaching and learning well. This is awesome.
My grade-level team is very helpful too. We divvy up the work, help one another, and provide a teaching/learning program that is child-centered and based on the best that we know. We are always reaching out to learn more, try new ideas, and support one another. This is very positive too.
The parents are helpful too. They want the best for their children and they team with us to teach their children well. We could not do the job we do without that teamwork.
There are some, however, who are not helpful. They demonstrate no real care about what we do or how we do it, yet they may be quick to give advice and direct what you should do. There are others whose lack of help demonstrates itself with passivity or turning a blind eye to your questions, outreach or ideas.
Bottom line we have to steer clear of those who don't help--we waste our time getting upset with them, and instead steer towards those that energize, invigorate, and contribute to the work we do. Onward.
