Ready

"Greater than the tread of a mighty army is an idea whose time has come." --Victor Hugo

Newton's Laws of Motion (for Human Behavior)

This is not so hard when I get myself to do it. It is just so hard to get myself to do it.

This reminds me of the laws of physics.

1) In the absence of a net force (like a parent or personal trainer), a body either is at rest (like on the couch or surfing the net) or moves in a straight line with constant speed (going through the motions).
2) A body (me, in this case) experiencing a force (me again, in this case) experiences an acceleration (yikes, better get that Stats homework done).
3) Whenever a first body exerts a force on a second body, the second body exerts a force on the first body (getting pushed and pushing right back). Both are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction (sounds like the definition of ambivalence or like a fight).

Summary of Newton's laws came from wikipedia.

Notes on Authority

Reevah said we all feel ambivalent about everything, including our parents - our first experience with authority and authority figures.

Nobody wants to be the "mean mommy."

Fred Jones, clinical psychologist and author of a classroom management book called, "Tools for Teaching," came up with a word to describe the refusal by authority figures (parents, teachers, supervisors) to use their authority appropriately, weenie-ism.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, likes to be told what to do. We all want to do what we want, when we want. Most of us deal with this pretty well by doing things before we are told.

Consequently, we don't like telling anyone else what or what not to do. Our dilemma is that sometimes it is our responsibility, as authority figures, to do so (no! you can't make me act like a grown up!):

• Your child doesn't want to...(fill in the blank, but homework for example)
• Authority figure(s): parents, caregivers, step-parents, foster parents, etc.

• A student is bullying another student in class.
• Authority figure(s): teacher, administrator, law enforcement (depending on the severity of the bullying!)

• A parent is abusing their child.
• Authority figure(s): Department of Children's Services (DCFS)/Child Protective Services (CPS), judge

• Spouse is abusing their partner.
• Authority figure(s): law enforcement, judge

Authority gets a bad rap because it can be misused or abused - everyone has a story or vivid memory of an experience like this. So is authority all bad and always to be avoided? That doesn't sound very integrated or balanced, either.
What if instead of refusing to make and enforce firm and appropriate rules consistently (as a parent, teacher, SW, supervisor, etc.), we agreed to use our authority judiciously and assertively for the common good? What would our relationships, families, classrooms, schools, organizations and communities look like then?
What if, like Fred Jones describes, all of us in authority "weenied" out?
Is it time to make peace with our own authority?
It takes a whole lot of courage to do the right thing - nobody wants to be the "mean mommy" - especially if we feel ambivalent about what is the "right thing." So maybe this is a moral crisis? We don't know what is the "right thing" to do?
As a Child Protective Services Worker, I was very ambivalent about my role as an agent of social control versus agent of social change. Then I realized that the abusive parent might not "change" without coming under the "control" of the court. When this dawned on me, I was able to embrace my institutional power to act for the common good.

Teacher Resilience

"it is unrealistic to expect pupils to be resilient if their teachers do not demonstrate resilient qualities. The focus on teacher resilience comes at a time when the emotional dimension of teaching has gained increasing recognition and the impact of work reforms and the continuing and continual need for change impacts on teachers’ abilities to cope."

From:
Le Cornu, R. (2009). Building resilience in pre-service teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, 717–723.

The Power and Necessity of Confrontation

"It would seem (given the inertia in people and societies against altering patterns of behavior) that confrontations are a necessary consequence of any effort to bring about change."

From my Policy course reader, Chapter 2: What is a Social Problem? (sorry, no author or publication year listed)

Artists Can Make a Difference

Another inspiring nephew reports:

I'm excited about this year! Jordan and I had the after-school art program approved for ----- Middle school, and so now we are working on a name and getting our guest speakers lined up. I really feel strong about this. I'm pretty much pursuing my dream to be an artist and entrepenuer. I'd love to see this after-school art program become a non-profit organization or something down the road with scholarships, and intern-type programs.

So proud of you, Brandon! Happy 24th birthday!

Teachers Can Make a Difference

On of my nephews is an English teacher at a middle school in Los Angeles. What he said about his relationship to students and his work inspired me, here it is...

Because of a major schedule shift and the release of some new teachers at semester, I was given all new students.

I was told bad things about my new students."They are the worst," "classroom behavior management will be your greatest challenge," and "the students don't care."

I was honest with them from day one. I told them I did not believe what I had been told and I assured them that I expected a lot from them.

It has been great. I love my students. Teaching has many challenges right now, but as long as I spend more time with young people as opposed to adults at work, I am happy and not stressed.

Happy 24th Birthday, Jordan! I am so proud of you!