So the World Cup is happening - yay! I feel like I should pay attention because it is a rather major world event and because the United States doesn't do Eurovision. It's amazing how many teams I can very easily find myself cheering for, like I have a favorite in each match and we're only three matches in so far (I'm 2-0 - the third is in progress). And I have to wonder, with all of the really good looking men playing futbol, why have I not been watching more of this sport?
A couple of caveats - I don't know a ton about futbol. I know the basics - kick the ball into the other team's goal, two periods of 45 minutes (plus extra time) each, the only one who can use his hands is the goalie. I'm figuring some things out, like what offsides is, and I would be learning more if I was not listening to Spanish speaking commentators online. See, futbol is not as big of a deal in the United States as it is in other countries, so the local radio stations are not broadcasting coverage of the games. I could turn on static gameday type thing on ESPN via which I would know when someone scored. But as futbol is typically a low-scoring game, that's not very exciting. Most of the game seems to be in the technique, not in the goals. So I'm listening to the Univision commentators online and checking in on the action when it sounds like they're getting excited, because Univision is just about the only place showing all of the games. Which brings me to the second caveat - I don't know a ton of Spanish.
I am enjoying the hell out of listening to the Spanish-speaking commentators - they are passionate and involved, and it is a bit of an exercise for me in how much of my high school Spanish I remember. I can tell when they are recapping the score, and I'm pretty sure "pelota" is "ball." I can make out the names of the countries and sometimes the names of the players. I think in the game this morning, they were talking about someone doing something without pants, and they made a reference to a fast food restaurant, so I presume they're having fun. And even though there are different commentators for different games, they all have amazing lungs because when they call a goal, it lasts for twenty-five to thirty seconds. Seriously. And when Mexico was denied two goals and then finally scored on the third try, they shouted "goal" twice to make up for it.
Though, sometimes, I wish I understood better what was going on. Like why the orange flower petal fairy seems to have vomited on the pitch behind one of the goals in the Spain/Netherlands match. And I wish I understood better why Mexico was denied those two goals so I could join those on Twitter and Facebook complaining about how bad the referees are. And I wish I knew what the little gift-exchange ceremony before each match is about, and why there was a kid in a feathered headdress and warpaint releasing a dove yesterday. Ah, the mysteries of futbol.
But for the time being, I'm going to just enjoy the fact that I recognize a couple of the Dutch and Spanish players, and I'm going to pretend that the fast food restaurant reference was the commentators suggesting an alternate career for the referees. Like fan fiction for futbol.
Happy World Cup, everybody!
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Friday, June 13, 2014
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
December 4 - To Harass or Not to Harass
That's not even a question: do not harass. Ever. It's not cool, it's not fun, it's not a good idea.
That being said, I think our culture has maybe gone a little overboard in what it considers harassment. Yes, it is probably better to err on the side of caution, but it is possible to give a compliment without it constituting harassment. For example:
I happen to be wearing a rather nice dress at work today. I've not worn this dress to work before, but it is supposed to be warm enough outside that a dress with tights or pantyhose is not out of the question and frankly, I'm tired of my work trousers. With the dress, I am wearing tall boots and a cardigan, so it is attractive, but still appropriate for the office. I happen to work in an office of mostly men - there is only one other woman who works here. Now, I know that men are often clueless when it comes to women's appearances - the men I work with never notice when I cut or dye my hair - but I sometimes wonder if on occasion they do notice, but are afraid to say anything for fear it will be construed as sexual harassment in the workplace. For those men, let me offer this little bit of advice.
When a woman is wearing something out of the ordinary that makes her look nice, it is appropriate to say, "You look nice today."
When a woman is wearing something out of the ordinary that makes her look nice, it is not appropriate to whistle and shout, "Damn, gurl, you lookin' supa fine! Bring dat ass on over here so I can smack it."
I know, it's a subtle difference, but one makes a woman feel good and not harassed, whereas the other makes a woman uncomfortable. Does that help?
That being said, I think our culture has maybe gone a little overboard in what it considers harassment. Yes, it is probably better to err on the side of caution, but it is possible to give a compliment without it constituting harassment. For example:
I happen to be wearing a rather nice dress at work today. I've not worn this dress to work before, but it is supposed to be warm enough outside that a dress with tights or pantyhose is not out of the question and frankly, I'm tired of my work trousers. With the dress, I am wearing tall boots and a cardigan, so it is attractive, but still appropriate for the office. I happen to work in an office of mostly men - there is only one other woman who works here. Now, I know that men are often clueless when it comes to women's appearances - the men I work with never notice when I cut or dye my hair - but I sometimes wonder if on occasion they do notice, but are afraid to say anything for fear it will be construed as sexual harassment in the workplace. For those men, let me offer this little bit of advice.
When a woman is wearing something out of the ordinary that makes her look nice, it is appropriate to say, "You look nice today."
When a woman is wearing something out of the ordinary that makes her look nice, it is not appropriate to whistle and shout, "Damn, gurl, you lookin' supa fine! Bring dat ass on over here so I can smack it."
I know, it's a subtle difference, but one makes a woman feel good and not harassed, whereas the other makes a woman uncomfortable. Does that help?
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
July 24 - Business Calls
If you have ever worked in an office, you probably know how to answer the phone. "Hello. Thank you for calling [company name], this is [your name]. How can I help you?" Or something to that effect. If you work somewhere "fun," you may get to say something like, "It's a bazongo day to get blasted at Blitz Farmers. Can I offer you a blitz blaster bonus pack?" But in any case, you have likely received some sort of instruction on how they would like you to answer the phone while you are at work.
Where much of society fails us, however, is in teaching us how to place a phone call to a business. I'm not talking about telemarketers - those people have computer screens in front of them that tell them what to say in a "choose your own adventure" sort of format so they know how to respond when you tell them the person they are trying to reach has recently passed away. I'm talking about regular people. Customer service people. Accounting people. Customers needing assistance with a product they purchased. Sales people looking for information from the factories they represent. So today, I would like to offer these simple tips to make calling a business a little easier, a little less frustrating, and a little more pleasant for everyone involved.
1. Find a quiet place with the best cell phone reception you can find to place the call. I know, this may be asking a lot, but if the person on the other end can't understand what you are saying, you are both going to leave the conversation frustrated and annoyed. If you have to shout over people in the background and can't hear what the person on the other end is telling you, you'll just get pissed off. I know the pace of our crazy work-a-day world says everything has to happen right exactly now, but the call will go much smoother if you are both able to hear and understand one another on the first try. So find somewhere without a carnival in the background where you have at least two bars on your phone so the call will be clear and understandable.
1a) Do not place the call while driving. Let me say that again: Do not place the call while driving. I know, I know, you're thinking, "But it's okay! I have a hands-free device so I can legally make calls from my car!" That's only half the issue. While you are driving, you should be focused on driving. If the person on the other end of the call needs information from you, you may not be able to provide it because you don't have access to that information in your car, so you end up wasting your time and the other person's time. If the person on the other end needs to provide you with information, you may need to make a note of what they tell you, which you should not do while you are driving because you should be paying attention to your driving. Yes, traffic sucks. But a phone call to a business requires your participation (see points 5 and 6), so it is best to make the call when you can participate fully. Which is never when you are driving. Do not place the call while driving.
2. Wait for the person on the other end to answer the phone and introduce him or herself. Honestly. This seems like a no brainer, but you would be amazed how often (as a customer service representative) I have answered the phone to someone who is mid-sentence explaining their problem to me. When you're calling a business, the person you are calling is going to have their schpeil that they have to say when they answer the phone, so let them say it. Not to mention, if you didn't hear someone answer the phone and greet you, who are you talking to? Wait for the intro, then proceed to step three.
3. Introduce yourself. Honestly. While many businesses have caller ID, often times, that caller ID only shows a phone number, not a name like your cell phone does. The person answering has likely not memorized every phone number in the country, so they only know upon answering that they're receiving a call from, say, Florida. It is your job to tell them who in Florida is calling. And I'm not saying you should say, "It's Fred and I want to talk to Larry," unless you know for a fact that the person who answered the phone knows who Fred and Larry both are. If you have done step two correctly, you will know who you are talking to. It is only polite to let that person know who they are talking to, so they can begin to get an idea of the context and purpose of the call. And unless you speak to this person on a daily basis, it is best to state not only your name but the company you are calling from. There are a million Johns and Susans and Bills in the world; if you let them know which one you are, they will know how to interact with you appropriately.
4. State the purpose of your call clearly and concisely. If you have a question, ask a question. Do not assume that the question is implied. "Hi, this is Sally and I bought something from you that doesn't work." This is not a question. "Hey, it's Mark and I placed an order the other day." This is also not a question. These are statements that could each be followed with a myriad different questions. It is your job, as the caller, to let the person who answered the phone know why you called.
5. Listen to what the person on the other end of the phone is saying. If you ask a question, wait for the answer. If they ask a question, try to answer the question they asked, not the question you wish they had asked. There will be time for further discussion, but phone calls work best when both parties are engaged in the conversation. This means both talking and listening in turn.
6. Be prepared for questions. If you are calling with a question about some specific thing, have as much information as you can about that specific thing available when you call. For example, if you are calling to get service on your cell phone, have your cell phone handy so if the person on the other end needs a model number or serial number, you can provide it, or if they tell you to try something with the phone to get it working, you can try it right then and there. If you need to follow up on an order, have the order number handy so they can find your order quickly. Know your own contact information when you call so on the off chance they need a billing zip code or contact phone number to get back to you later with a status update, you can provide that information. Phone calls are conversations, which means both parties must participate. Calling a business to ask questions is not a passive activity - be prepared to participate in the conversation.
7. Remember that you are talking to a person. We've gotten used to automated phone answering systems now that when you do actually get through to a live person, you're often so frustrated you just want to scream. I get it. I've been there. But the live person you're talking to on the other end has likely not been involved in your frustration to this point and needs a moment to catch up. Yes, they are an agent of the company you are calling, but he or she may need a moment to familiarize him or herself with your specific situation or the specific product you are calling about and it is not a plot to make you even more angry. You know why you're calling; they don't yet. Give them a moment to catch up before you start berating them for their ignorance.
8. Know what information you are looking for. This way, you will know when the conversation is over. Say "thank you" and hang up.
I hope these tips have been helpful and that they will make your future business calls more pleasant and more productive. Join us again next week when we explore how to use the antiquated piece of office equipment, the land-line phone.
Where much of society fails us, however, is in teaching us how to place a phone call to a business. I'm not talking about telemarketers - those people have computer screens in front of them that tell them what to say in a "choose your own adventure" sort of format so they know how to respond when you tell them the person they are trying to reach has recently passed away. I'm talking about regular people. Customer service people. Accounting people. Customers needing assistance with a product they purchased. Sales people looking for information from the factories they represent. So today, I would like to offer these simple tips to make calling a business a little easier, a little less frustrating, and a little more pleasant for everyone involved.
1. Find a quiet place with the best cell phone reception you can find to place the call. I know, this may be asking a lot, but if the person on the other end can't understand what you are saying, you are both going to leave the conversation frustrated and annoyed. If you have to shout over people in the background and can't hear what the person on the other end is telling you, you'll just get pissed off. I know the pace of our crazy work-a-day world says everything has to happen right exactly now, but the call will go much smoother if you are both able to hear and understand one another on the first try. So find somewhere without a carnival in the background where you have at least two bars on your phone so the call will be clear and understandable.
1a) Do not place the call while driving. Let me say that again: Do not place the call while driving. I know, I know, you're thinking, "But it's okay! I have a hands-free device so I can legally make calls from my car!" That's only half the issue. While you are driving, you should be focused on driving. If the person on the other end of the call needs information from you, you may not be able to provide it because you don't have access to that information in your car, so you end up wasting your time and the other person's time. If the person on the other end needs to provide you with information, you may need to make a note of what they tell you, which you should not do while you are driving because you should be paying attention to your driving. Yes, traffic sucks. But a phone call to a business requires your participation (see points 5 and 6), so it is best to make the call when you can participate fully. Which is never when you are driving. Do not place the call while driving.
2. Wait for the person on the other end to answer the phone and introduce him or herself. Honestly. This seems like a no brainer, but you would be amazed how often (as a customer service representative) I have answered the phone to someone who is mid-sentence explaining their problem to me. When you're calling a business, the person you are calling is going to have their schpeil that they have to say when they answer the phone, so let them say it. Not to mention, if you didn't hear someone answer the phone and greet you, who are you talking to? Wait for the intro, then proceed to step three.
3. Introduce yourself. Honestly. While many businesses have caller ID, often times, that caller ID only shows a phone number, not a name like your cell phone does. The person answering has likely not memorized every phone number in the country, so they only know upon answering that they're receiving a call from, say, Florida. It is your job to tell them who in Florida is calling. And I'm not saying you should say, "It's Fred and I want to talk to Larry," unless you know for a fact that the person who answered the phone knows who Fred and Larry both are. If you have done step two correctly, you will know who you are talking to. It is only polite to let that person know who they are talking to, so they can begin to get an idea of the context and purpose of the call. And unless you speak to this person on a daily basis, it is best to state not only your name but the company you are calling from. There are a million Johns and Susans and Bills in the world; if you let them know which one you are, they will know how to interact with you appropriately.
4. State the purpose of your call clearly and concisely. If you have a question, ask a question. Do not assume that the question is implied. "Hi, this is Sally and I bought something from you that doesn't work." This is not a question. "Hey, it's Mark and I placed an order the other day." This is also not a question. These are statements that could each be followed with a myriad different questions. It is your job, as the caller, to let the person who answered the phone know why you called.
5. Listen to what the person on the other end of the phone is saying. If you ask a question, wait for the answer. If they ask a question, try to answer the question they asked, not the question you wish they had asked. There will be time for further discussion, but phone calls work best when both parties are engaged in the conversation. This means both talking and listening in turn.
6. Be prepared for questions. If you are calling with a question about some specific thing, have as much information as you can about that specific thing available when you call. For example, if you are calling to get service on your cell phone, have your cell phone handy so if the person on the other end needs a model number or serial number, you can provide it, or if they tell you to try something with the phone to get it working, you can try it right then and there. If you need to follow up on an order, have the order number handy so they can find your order quickly. Know your own contact information when you call so on the off chance they need a billing zip code or contact phone number to get back to you later with a status update, you can provide that information. Phone calls are conversations, which means both parties must participate. Calling a business to ask questions is not a passive activity - be prepared to participate in the conversation.
7. Remember that you are talking to a person. We've gotten used to automated phone answering systems now that when you do actually get through to a live person, you're often so frustrated you just want to scream. I get it. I've been there. But the live person you're talking to on the other end has likely not been involved in your frustration to this point and needs a moment to catch up. Yes, they are an agent of the company you are calling, but he or she may need a moment to familiarize him or herself with your specific situation or the specific product you are calling about and it is not a plot to make you even more angry. You know why you're calling; they don't yet. Give them a moment to catch up before you start berating them for their ignorance.
8. Know what information you are looking for. This way, you will know when the conversation is over. Say "thank you" and hang up.
I hope these tips have been helpful and that they will make your future business calls more pleasant and more productive. Join us again next week when we explore how to use the antiquated piece of office equipment, the land-line phone.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
March 15 - Tips
If you are driving, and approaching an intersection, and there is not enough space on the other side of the intersection for your car, DO NOT GO THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
I cannot stress this enough. If there is no space for you, I don't care what color the light is, don't go.
As much as we would like to think driving is a personal experience, it is not. It is a shared experience. As a driver, you have to share the road with other cars, bicyclists, pedestrians, construction crews, and occasionally wildlife. The best way to keep things running smoothly for everyone is if everyone works together to keep things running smoothly. This means if there is no space for you, don't go. If you go, you'll end up filling space that should rightfully go to someone else, so they'll honk and get irritated and the people in front of you will try to inch up because they feel bad that you're being a dick but they've go nowhere to go so they get impatient, or you'll move into the bike lane preventing cyclists from going on about their day and they'll yell nasty epithets at you, and the people in the houses and businesses around the intersection will have to listen to the honking and the yelling which disrupts their day, so really all you're doing by going through the intersection when there is no space for you on the other side is being a dick. And as our beloved Wil Wheaton says, "Don't be a dick."
So listen to Wil Wheaton* and the transitive property. If you go through an intersection when there is no space for you on the other side, you fuck things up for everyone else; fucking things up for everyone else is something a dick would do; so by going through an intersection when there is no space for you on the other side you're being a dick. Q.E.D.
Don't be a dick. Wait until there is space before you proceed.
*This message has not been endorsed or approved by Wil Wheaton in any way.
I cannot stress this enough. If there is no space for you, I don't care what color the light is, don't go.
As much as we would like to think driving is a personal experience, it is not. It is a shared experience. As a driver, you have to share the road with other cars, bicyclists, pedestrians, construction crews, and occasionally wildlife. The best way to keep things running smoothly for everyone is if everyone works together to keep things running smoothly. This means if there is no space for you, don't go. If you go, you'll end up filling space that should rightfully go to someone else, so they'll honk and get irritated and the people in front of you will try to inch up because they feel bad that you're being a dick but they've go nowhere to go so they get impatient, or you'll move into the bike lane preventing cyclists from going on about their day and they'll yell nasty epithets at you, and the people in the houses and businesses around the intersection will have to listen to the honking and the yelling which disrupts their day, so really all you're doing by going through the intersection when there is no space for you on the other side is being a dick. And as our beloved Wil Wheaton says, "Don't be a dick."
So listen to Wil Wheaton* and the transitive property. If you go through an intersection when there is no space for you on the other side, you fuck things up for everyone else; fucking things up for everyone else is something a dick would do; so by going through an intersection when there is no space for you on the other side you're being a dick. Q.E.D.
Don't be a dick. Wait until there is space before you proceed.
*This message has not been endorsed or approved by Wil Wheaton in any way.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
February 19 - Public Speaking
Public speaking is a lost art, and one that I would like to see recovered. I'm not exactly sure what caused the decline in oration skills. If you look back to Kennedy and Dr. King, you'll find a decade full of great speakers. When Shrub Jr. was president, I cringed every time he opened his mouth, afraid of what idiocy was going to come out. What happened?
I know that a lot of our current communication is done electronically, and that may be the culprit. It is easy to edit out the incorrect words and stutters and guttural noises when you're typing. There also seems to be a move toward brevity, as nobody has an attention span longer than three minutes anymore. If you can't say what needs saying in sixty seconds, it's not worth saying. I think there are times, though, when good public speaking skills are important, and they may not even be the times you're thinking about right now. Yes, if you're running for public office, you'll have to make speeches and it would be nice if you didn't sound like a nincompoop. If you are an expert in your field and you are invited to do a TED speech, you're going to want to practice what you're going to say before you get there. But what about when you lead a team meeting at work? What about when you're walking a colleague through a new piece of software or a new work procedure? What about when you're toasting your friends on their birthday? I think that all of these situations count as situations wherein oration skills are important. You spent three weeks putting together a PowerPoint presentation at work to demonstrate why your ad campaign is the best way to go, and when you get up there to speak about it, you stumble and fumble for words, spit out "um" and "er" and "ah" every third syllable, and you let your sentences get away from you to the point where you start and end them with the same prepositional phrases. Why? Why shoot yourself in the foot like that? I think this sort of presentation or teaching opportunity is much more effective if the presenter sounds like they know what they're talking about. Which is where public speaking skills come in very handy.
I took a public speaking class in high school. It was more an intro to theater class than a public speaking one - we played theater games and did improv. But I have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way when I have had to present myself appropriately to people whose respect I was seeking. Ready? Here we go.
I know that a lot of our current communication is done electronically, and that may be the culprit. It is easy to edit out the incorrect words and stutters and guttural noises when you're typing. There also seems to be a move toward brevity, as nobody has an attention span longer than three minutes anymore. If you can't say what needs saying in sixty seconds, it's not worth saying. I think there are times, though, when good public speaking skills are important, and they may not even be the times you're thinking about right now. Yes, if you're running for public office, you'll have to make speeches and it would be nice if you didn't sound like a nincompoop. If you are an expert in your field and you are invited to do a TED speech, you're going to want to practice what you're going to say before you get there. But what about when you lead a team meeting at work? What about when you're walking a colleague through a new piece of software or a new work procedure? What about when you're toasting your friends on their birthday? I think that all of these situations count as situations wherein oration skills are important. You spent three weeks putting together a PowerPoint presentation at work to demonstrate why your ad campaign is the best way to go, and when you get up there to speak about it, you stumble and fumble for words, spit out "um" and "er" and "ah" every third syllable, and you let your sentences get away from you to the point where you start and end them with the same prepositional phrases. Why? Why shoot yourself in the foot like that? I think this sort of presentation or teaching opportunity is much more effective if the presenter sounds like they know what they're talking about. Which is where public speaking skills come in very handy.
I took a public speaking class in high school. It was more an intro to theater class than a public speaking one - we played theater games and did improv. But I have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way when I have had to present myself appropriately to people whose respect I was seeking. Ready? Here we go.
- Breathe. Number one in importance is to breathe. Nobody expects you to spit out your three hour presentation in one breath or in one sentence. If you breathe normally, you give off the impression you know your subject so well that this public speaking opportunity does not rattle you in the slightest. Breathing equals confidence. It will naturally slow down your speaking rate, and it allows you time to think of the next words that are supposed to come out of your mouth.
- Don't be afraid of silence. I'm not talking about taking a six minute pause in the middle of a sentence. I'm talking about those guttural noises we all make to fill up the dead space we use to think. The "um"s and the "er"s and the "ah"s, or whatever your noise of preference is. You don't need them. They actually get in the way of your message, by giving off the impression that you are unprepared or "winging it." I realize a lot of us make these noises without realizing it. That's okay. The way to fix it is to start realizing it. Tape yourself talking. Talk to yourself in the mirror. Every time you hear an "um" or an "er" or you feel an "ah" coming on, make the conscious choice to not make that noise, but to take a breath instead. The breath serves the same purpose - it takes up space, it gives the impression you are not done speaking, and it allows you a moment to think of what you are going to say next. Finish the breath and keep speaking without uttering the "um." If you practice this in your everyday life, the next time you have to teach someone something, you will naturally avoid the guttural noises and sound more knowledgeable.
- Think first, then speak. Again, think first. Then speak. Another common misconception in presentational situations is that you have to have an immediate answer for every question. You should have an answer for every question. If it takes a moment (not a minute, but a moment) to figure out how to properly formulate the answer, take that moment. Think about how you are going to answer so that the inquiry is satisfied, take a breath, then speak. You will give the impression that you honestly listened to the question and gave the answer some consideration before responding, as opposed to spitting out some prefabricated response to similar questions that have been asked before.
- Enunciate. You have this whole beautiful mouth and throat full of muscles that can help you pronounce words in a way that makes it easy for other people to understand what you are saying. Use them. Warm them up beforehand if you need to. But take the time to enjoy the feeling of all of these words in your mouth, and let the people you are talking to enjoy hearing them pronounced correctly.
- Forget the thing about imagining people in their underwear. I don't know who came up with that idea, but I think it is a terrible one. I, for one, am not made more comfortable by the thought of my colleagues, coworkers and superiors running around in their skivvies. I am made extremely uncomfortable by the thought of being in the same room as my coworkers while they are severely underdressed. That is not a mental image I want. What helps me is to remember that everyone I am talking to is a person. They all got up and had breakfast or coffee that morning. They all went through the "do I need to press this shirt before I can wear it out?" dilemma. They all want the meeting or the presentation or the class to go well. They are on your side. They are rooting for you. They are hoping the information you have to give them is useful and well organized. And since you took the time to prepare beforehand, it is. So there is nothing to worry about. And go ahead and compliment your boss on her new necklace because it really is dazzling and everybody likes a compliment.
I hope these tips are helpful. Breathe. Be aware of your "um"s so you can stop them. Think. Enunciate. Relax - we're all just people. Public speaking doesn't have to be scary, and it doesn't have to be difficult - if I can do it as in introvert, so can you. And remember - I'm cheering for you, too.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
February 17 - Teaching
Good teachers are national treasures. They should be respected and revered and paid the astronomical salaries that professional sports players get. They excite students and inspire young minds to change the future. Good teachers are worth their weight in gold.
I have been fortunate to work with many great teachers in my life. My elementary school started me off right with teachers who recognized that the regular curriculum wasn't challenging enough for me and came up with other ways to stimulate my intellectual growth. My second grade teacher got us all excited about science and the world around us. My third grade teacher excited us about life. Our music teacher made sure our lives were full of artistic creativity. To this day, I feel like I was blessed to go to the elementary school I went to, and I wish every kid could have the same elementary education that I did.
As I've gotten older, though, I have found good teachers to be fewer and farther between. Not to say there haven't been amazing ones - I had excellent English and History teachers in high school, a couple of amazing acting and theater professors in college, I found probably the best independent acting school in Chicago, and the most amazing Shakespeare teachers one could hope for. These people have done their jobs and done them well. They inspire me to this day, and I carry the lessons they taught me with me everywhere.
But in trying to find these teachers, I have also run across quite a few who just don't care. Those who focus on the wrong information, those who are so hands-off they might as well be absent, those who do the absolute minimum that is required, those who forget they are working with human beings who want to learn things. It makes me sad that these people have lost their passion for knowledge, and it makes me sad that their students have to pay the price for that. I try very hard in my daily life to stay in the moment and focus on the relationship at hand - if I'm angry at a coworker, I try not to unleash that anger on my friends. If these teachers who are supposed to be inspiring the next generation to do great things can't prevent themselves from unleashing all of their frustrations from students past on present students, what can present students really learn from them?
To all of the amazing teachers I have worked with in my life, thank you. Thank you for helping make me who I am. To all of the teachers out there who have lost their way, lost their drive, lost their focus, or lost their passion, I hope you find it again someday. You are not only letting your students down, you are letting down the version of you that once loved the pursuit of knowledge. I hope you find a way to inspire your better self again.
I have been fortunate to work with many great teachers in my life. My elementary school started me off right with teachers who recognized that the regular curriculum wasn't challenging enough for me and came up with other ways to stimulate my intellectual growth. My second grade teacher got us all excited about science and the world around us. My third grade teacher excited us about life. Our music teacher made sure our lives were full of artistic creativity. To this day, I feel like I was blessed to go to the elementary school I went to, and I wish every kid could have the same elementary education that I did.
As I've gotten older, though, I have found good teachers to be fewer and farther between. Not to say there haven't been amazing ones - I had excellent English and History teachers in high school, a couple of amazing acting and theater professors in college, I found probably the best independent acting school in Chicago, and the most amazing Shakespeare teachers one could hope for. These people have done their jobs and done them well. They inspire me to this day, and I carry the lessons they taught me with me everywhere.
But in trying to find these teachers, I have also run across quite a few who just don't care. Those who focus on the wrong information, those who are so hands-off they might as well be absent, those who do the absolute minimum that is required, those who forget they are working with human beings who want to learn things. It makes me sad that these people have lost their passion for knowledge, and it makes me sad that their students have to pay the price for that. I try very hard in my daily life to stay in the moment and focus on the relationship at hand - if I'm angry at a coworker, I try not to unleash that anger on my friends. If these teachers who are supposed to be inspiring the next generation to do great things can't prevent themselves from unleashing all of their frustrations from students past on present students, what can present students really learn from them?
To all of the amazing teachers I have worked with in my life, thank you. Thank you for helping make me who I am. To all of the teachers out there who have lost their way, lost their drive, lost their focus, or lost their passion, I hope you find it again someday. You are not only letting your students down, you are letting down the version of you that once loved the pursuit of knowledge. I hope you find a way to inspire your better self again.
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