Stop Thief!

OS20059Luckily, I can only count on one hand the number of times someone physically stole something from me. Regardless of the number of times it’s happened, I felt violated, frustrated, and angry. The nerve and audacity of someone to take something that doesn’t belong to them is baffling. While I’ve experienced this only a few times, others may have experienced this more often.

There is another type of thievery that exists by those who intentionally or unintentionally steal joy, happiness, or peace from others. They don’t just steal it, they rob it. The difference between a thief and a robber is proximity. Thieves take things when no one is around. They sneak around and look for opportunities to pounce so they can leave unseen or unheard. Robbers have little regard for the individual and take things by force, yielding their arrogance or greed and forcibly take what they believe they should have. Both are selfish acts.

These thieves disguise themselves as policy makers, concerned friends, concerned parents, naysayers, or so called “realists.” They lurk among us with a critical eye waiting to suck the life out of a well- thought out lesson plan, creatively designed unit, or a new idea, all in the name of preservation of the past or fear of change. They steal joy with words of doubt, critique in the form of unsolicited feedback, or a relentless list of questions. After too long it becomes more difficult to bounce back from such acts of thievery. It requires more energy to fend them off, energy that should be used on something much more productive or positive.

As educators, this can happen almost on a daily basis, yet there are four things we can do to positively respond to such acts:

1. Make sure you are not a thief. When others enthusiastically share ideas or take calculated risks by trying something new in the classroom, speak words of encouragement and support.
2. Daily recharge your battery. We have a finite amount of willpower each day. Focus on things that speak life to you each day and get the necessary rest to be able to face new challenges the next day.
3. Develop a Personal Learning Network of trusted colleagues who not only believe in you, but also will be a critical friend to help you become the best you can be.
4. Become a trusted and critical friend to a colleague in your building. Your experience can be a valuable resource for others and just the support they need to grow.

Stop the thief, but also make sure you are not the one who needs to be stopped. Note to self: don’t be “that guy.”

Be Great,

Dwight

Photo credit: http://www.movingtomerida.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/stop-thief.jpg

One thought on “Stop Thief!

  1. Dwight,
    Thanks for sharing and so on point! I will be sharing this with my staff tomorrow:)

    – Olympia

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