BFTP: The professional stick

A weekend Blue Skunk "feature" will be a revision of an old post. I'm calling this BFTP: Blast from the Past Original post, October 24th. I dearly love my job, but these past couple of weeks I've felt like I'm being pecked to death by chickens - everybody needs some small thing or has some small complaint. A couple times I've wished I'd had my professional stick...

Wanted: One professional stick that would have the following effects on the person struck:

• Whack! would be able to work with others despite personal dislikes.
  
• Whack! would be unable to whine, only offer practical suggestions for improvement.
• Whack! would not race the kids out the door at the end of the day and actually attend training outside the contract day.
• Whack! would never again mention how many days (hours, minutes, seconds) he/she has until retirement.
• Whack! would actually try something before complaining about it.
• Whack! would actually try to fix a problem before complaining about it.
• Whack! would read a professional book or journal once in a while.
• Whack! would frame all arguments in terms of what is best for kids.
• Whack! would join a professional organization and not complain about paying for dues.
• Whack! would volunteer to do some work for said professional organization.
• Whack! would act happy to be alive.
• Whack! would treat kids and fellow workers with the same respect she/he would like to be treated.
• Whack! would not comment on the lack of professionalism of others. (Ouch!)

 

Why yes, it has been that kind of week. Thanks for asking. And I know I need a good whack myself now and then.

Add your own powers to the "professional stick." I'm taking orders - want one? 

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I loved the comments from this original post:

Sounds a little like you are adopting 2500 year old thinking here, Doug.

"#27 Every walking animal is driven to its purpose with a whack" - Heraclitus In Expect the Unexpected Or You Won't Find It - A creativity tool based on the ancient wisdom of Heraclitus by Roger Von Oech

I've just been reading Robert Genn's latest newsletter on the 5 principles behind Starbucks empowerment of people. I've been thinking that we'd be in a good place when teachers and students saw learning in a similar way:

1. Make it your own
2. Everything matters
3. Surprise and delight
4. Embrace resistance
5. Leave your mark - Artichoke

This is the exact reason I walk around with the Thinking Stick. :)

• whack! Get over it.
• whack! Work is hard...that's why they call it work.
• whack! Some days you might have to work late.
• whack! Summers are for recharging and relearning.
• whack! If the district gives you a PD day use it to learn, not complain.
• whack! Assume good intentions.

Interesting! Must be the moon it's been one of those weeks on this side of the world as well. - Jeff (Thinking Stick) Utecht

Comments

[Ms. Serdy]

I LOVE this post and I'm hanging it up in my room / computer lab! I not only want to make this clear for my colleagues, but also for myself. This business of being human tends to weigh heavily on us at times and this will be a not-so-subtle reminder of what we can be. Thank you! :)

[Len]

I must be transforming into a curmudgeon - depressing, since I'm only 36.

I am fortunate to work with a young, dynamic staff of teachers who are often confused with our students. There are many benefits to having such a young staff, but some of the drawbacks include:
-- Many of the noobs take every Friday off (or as many as they can
-- Many of the noobs are impressionable, and they start to adopt the nihilistic attitudes of crusty old farts like me
-- Many of the noobs are unwilling to work, and want an instant answer for everything
-- Many of the noobs walk around like they have the weight of the world upon their shoulders
-- Many of the noobs have the gall to complain about their jobs, not realizing there are thousands of teachers in Texas not teaching this year, and would LOVE to have their job, their 180 students, their assistant principal breathing down their necks, etc.

OK - done complaining now.

I love my job, I love my school, I am happy to be employed, doing what I love most.

I am handing out smiley face buttons to our staff next week, and my school - wide email messages from here on out will be uplifting, positive, and (hopefully) funny.

[Rob]

I found myself laughing out loud and thinking of people in my own life who needed a WHACK. Then I realized I probably needed the biggest WHACK of them all! Thanks for sharing. Always appreciate your candidness.