Three Sentences
“This is important.” It’s what we select to bring into our lives and to the lives of others. We are clear about our stance, provide evidence, and articulate it.
“You can do it” means to hold high expectations for ourselves and others. We can not assume some people are smart and others less so. Carol Dweck writes in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, teachers should not think of students having a fixed mindset––thinking they are smart. They should put into practice a growth mindset––thinking they will become smarter. We would be wise to adopt Dweck’s growth mindset for ourselves. We can always learn.
“I will not give up on you” may be the most arduous. For ourselves, when we feel distracted, disturbed, downtrodden, depressed, we need to find ways out. We may have to ask for help. The main point is not to give up.
When you pay attention to Jon Saphier and Robert Gower’s wisdom for teachers and apply it to your life, you may find their three sentences to be wise. Keeping “this is important” in front of you invites you to align your priorities. “You can do it” reminds you to be your best. “I will not give up on you,” becomes not giving up on yourself.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forward” (Kierkegaard)
I write to bring ideas and methods from my life as a teacher in the latter half of the 20th century to help teachers and the public to “live forward” in this century. My latest book, Teacher in the Rye: Doing It My Way is available on Amazon. And I welcome comments here on my Blog or by email at frankthoms3@gmail.com.
