becoming a tempered radical
The actions of tempered radicals can range from quiet resistance to organizing collective action. I am at every level of this continuum depending on the people and the situation. In some situations I prefer to resist quietly when I feel that a situation requires that type of response. At times I am compelled to motivate others to act collectively. Depending on the people I am working with and the circumstances, I carefully measure when to take a riskier move and when to lay back and assess how the situation relates to my values and beliefs.
There is a critical issue at play and that is that one must assess their values and beliefs to determine if they are simply a personal agenda or are they beneficial to the common good. When I use the words common good, I am not just referring to the immediate workplace but beyond that - society as a whole. Every move I have made that resembles an act of leadership is followed by days of agonizing whether it was the right thing to do. Was I acting selfishly or did this really have to happen to make the workplace better for everyone involved?
My previous work experiences, before becoming an educator, combined with the diverse collection of school environments I have worked in provided me with a number of challenges. I can relate to almost all of the situations described by the author of Rocking the Boat. I have worked in 6 different elementary schools as a teacher and before that I worked in 12 elementary and high schools as an employee with a university program. It may only be my unique experience, but it seems that many Chicago public schools are not very welcoming places. It is very likely that teachers do not intend to create this situation but nevertheless it does exist. Rarely do teachers and other personnel reach out to help new employees navigate their way through the environment. New teachers rarely receive help from experienced teachers. The rumor mill is overactive with speculation about anything new and there exists an “insider” culture that is difficult to penetrate.
This can be a difficult experience if one enters with the perception that they are different because they identify with an outsider group. I’ve been in that situation more than once. I found myself hoping to be accepted and eventually integrated into the insider culture. What I eventually found was that my beliefs and values ultimately determined how well I would fit in. I was the determining factor all along. As a tempered radical I hope to bring values and beliefs to the forefront. As teachers we should all be looking critically at every decision we make. We are the ones who have been given the responsibility of forming the values and beliefs of generations to come. We are influential in how students perceive what it means to be an educated professional, but more important, we model what it means to be a good human being. For this, I believe it is worth taking risks.
There is a critical issue at play and that is that one must assess their values and beliefs to determine if they are simply a personal agenda or are they beneficial to the common good. When I use the words common good, I am not just referring to the immediate workplace but beyond that - society as a whole. Every move I have made that resembles an act of leadership is followed by days of agonizing whether it was the right thing to do. Was I acting selfishly or did this really have to happen to make the workplace better for everyone involved?
My previous work experiences, before becoming an educator, combined with the diverse collection of school environments I have worked in provided me with a number of challenges. I can relate to almost all of the situations described by the author of Rocking the Boat. I have worked in 6 different elementary schools as a teacher and before that I worked in 12 elementary and high schools as an employee with a university program. It may only be my unique experience, but it seems that many Chicago public schools are not very welcoming places. It is very likely that teachers do not intend to create this situation but nevertheless it does exist. Rarely do teachers and other personnel reach out to help new employees navigate their way through the environment. New teachers rarely receive help from experienced teachers. The rumor mill is overactive with speculation about anything new and there exists an “insider” culture that is difficult to penetrate.
This can be a difficult experience if one enters with the perception that they are different because they identify with an outsider group. I’ve been in that situation more than once. I found myself hoping to be accepted and eventually integrated into the insider culture. What I eventually found was that my beliefs and values ultimately determined how well I would fit in. I was the determining factor all along. As a tempered radical I hope to bring values and beliefs to the forefront. As teachers we should all be looking critically at every decision we make. We are the ones who have been given the responsibility of forming the values and beliefs of generations to come. We are influential in how students perceive what it means to be an educated professional, but more important, we model what it means to be a good human being. For this, I believe it is worth taking risks.
