The caption under this picture: “I dreamed a dream. It was horrible.”
I have been seeing pictures of, “Tardar Sauce; The Grumpy Cat“, all over the Internet and there is just something about this cat that is adorable. There have been a ton of images recreated of this cat and because of it’s facial expression, and many of the memes generated have gone viral.
Then I saw this video (below) today and it actually brought me to tears. Partially because I am an animal lover but also because I think often of how in education we have sometimes we have placed kids in certain categories as the “bad ones”. The young individual narrating the video gives a much different view of the “Grumpy Cat”.
STORYBOARD: Tard the Grumpy Cat from Tumblr on Vimeo.
I remember earlier in my career, we would have meeting about placing students in the next grade and you would get the “warning” about the kids that were a handful in the class and I always cringed at that notion and shut down. Talk about a kid starting in a hole with a new teacher. There were known as trouble-makers before they even walked in the door. I always gave kids my trust and care before they earned it. As a student, I was a pain in the butt to select teachers. Those teachers usually had some pre-conceived notion of how I would act in class, and I ensure that I lived up to that reputation. Isn’t it easier to prove someone right than it is to prove them wrong?
The thing that I have learned in my career is that kids usually live up to your expectations, whether they are positive or negative. People are often shaped by their environments and if we simply can give them the love that all people need, and try to always focus on looking at them in the positive, they will do better.
I will forever look at Tardar Sauce from now on and smile at how sweet and loving he truly is. I will also continue to look through that same lense with our kids.
AWWWWWWW
In my last school, we were required to fill out a paper for each of our students. We had to put a bunch of information about them; academic level, who they should/shouldn’t be placed with and anything else we thought the next year’s teacher needed to know. I honestly never put anything that wasn’t factual (grades, demographics, etc.). And I never read the ones given to me by the previous teachers. It’s quite unfair to base opinions off of preconceived notions with anyone, especially children. Even though it can sometimes be extremely difficult, we have to start each day with fresh eyes. Our students deserve that. Everyone deserves that.
“People are often shaped by their environments and if we simply can give them the love that all people need, and try to always focus on looking at them in the positive, they will do better”.
Another powerful post, George.
I couldn’t agree with your comment about students living up to our expectations, be they positive or negative. It is crucial that we have high expectations for all of our students. Students who truly believe that their teachers believe in them open up to learning, and are more willing to take risks in learning. Great post!
This post really struck me today George… most especially as I sit working through my thinking and learning coming through two graduate level classes this fall.
I am in awe that in this day and age we still sift and sort learners, based on what they know, how and what they show, and how they interact in the classroom. I fear sometimes too that we do the same thing with adult learners/teachers in our profession. Whether it is a snapshot from a school or participation in a workshop we make a judgement about who they are as a learner and what they can contribute to the conversation.
A community that is diverse and divergent will get us closer to where we want to go much more often than one that thinks the same way.
So glad you shared…