Inspiring each other!

The value in searching for and finding the ‘other’

The minority of teachers who genuinely see their students in all their uniqueness inspire a very defined response in those students.  The students want the relationship with their teacher to continue – they perceive it to be of high value – so they are prompted to respond attentively and thoughtfully, minimise disruptions and do their best on the work their teacher asks them to do.

Inspire is a good word for this.

Inspire means to breathe into and, in a very real sense, the teacher’s way of being in the world is breathed into their students and they begin to see the world in the same way and behave accordingly.

I have yet to meet a teacher like this who wants to leave the classroom, who is anything less than truly content when they are there.  The environment created is ideal for both teacher and students and is self-reinforcing.  The teachers themselves are inspired by the stance and behaviour of their students.

The funny thing is, this is how we are meant to be (and I can imagine for most of pre-history this is how we were).  We are social creatures, we do shape each other’s minds, and we know intrinsically when we are in the presence of someone who can shape us in a way that is of real existential value to us.

What these teachers do is learnable – as it must be, if students can learn it from their teachers.  It is a key part of what students need and providing it makes the process of learning and the management of a school much easier.

So why don’t we focus on ensuring every educator is on this learning path?

 John Corrigan is an expert in helping individuals to bring their whole of mind to their daily life and increase their effectiveness and the effectiveness of those around them. This expertise scales from the individual to the team to the organisation. At the core of this work is the practice of encounter.  Earlier blogs can be found here.

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