Task Zero, Review:
Debra Meyerson, Rocking the Boat- How to Effect Change Without Making Trouble, is focused around two key questions, "how do individuals effect meaningful change from within their organization? and How do organization members express identities and values that are different from the majority culture while fitting into that culture?" (xi). It gives several examples on different ways/approaches that different people in different positions of an organizational hierarchy tries to infuse their belief/change within the company. There are individuals that have small isolated effect of change. Also, those that is very open with their personal agenda/belief and have very noticeable effect of change. Meyerson uses the term 'tempered radicals' to describe these individuals that, no matter what measure they take to make change, they try not to cause any conflicts with their current position at their company.
Debra Meyerson, Rocking the Boat- How to Effect Change Without Making Trouble, is focused around two key questions, "how do individuals effect meaningful change from within their organization? and How do organization members express identities and values that are different from the majority culture while fitting into that culture?" (xi). It gives several examples on different ways/approaches that different people in different positions of an organizational hierarchy tries to infuse their belief/change within the company. There are individuals that have small isolated effect of change. Also, those that is very open with their personal agenda/belief and have very noticeable effect of change. Meyerson uses the term 'tempered radicals' to describe these individuals that, no matter what measure they take to make change, they try not to cause any conflicts with their current position at their company.
Task One, How am I different?: In chapter 2 Meyerson discusses three ways people experience 'difference' from the majority:
- "Those who have different social identities from the majority and see those differences as setting them apart and excluding them from the mainstream
- Those who have different social identities and see those differences as merely cultural and not a basis for exclusion
- Those who have not cultural but philosophical differences, which conflict with the prevailing value, beliefs, and agendas operating in their organizations" (20).
Task Two, Becoming a Tempered Radical: As I look at the spectrum on page 8, I can see myself in the middle, "Broadening the impact through negotiation". As previously noted I will present my beliefs to my counterparts during meetings. The modeling I do always include an explanation of the 'why' behind the purpose of the activity. This way they can see how taking 3-5 minutes to incorporate different SEL activities will have a positive impact on the learning in the classroom. I can often times fall into the spectrum of leveraging small wins when I give teachers specific task that mandates them to practice an activity with their class and report back on it. Several occasions I had teachers to report back how well the activity went and how they will continue to incorporate it and ask for additional resources to use! My Goal is to be on the far right of the spectrum so that I can help put the passion back into the teachers so that they can remember why they came into the profession. I will continue to incorporate SEL activities in the classrooms and model them in my weekly meetings. I will track my students academic progress as well to have data to show how teacher/student relationship, teaching the whole child, and showing empathy can better a learning environment.
Task Three, Facing challenges: Meyerson discussed four challenges that tempered radicals may face: ambivalence, incremental lures of co-optation, potential damage to reputation, and frustration and burnout. I find myself facing two of the four challenges, damage to reputation and burnout. I have always been accepted and liked by practically anyone that I come into contact with. I am looked upon by many as a 'peoples' person. So when I am adamant about the change that I want to see within my organization I know that it may rub some people the wrong way. For example, I truly believe that implementing writing into the math class will have a positive impact on students understanding the math that they are doing. However, many teachers see that as being an additional task so they were quick to shoot down that idea. If I openly push the topic in meetings, I can see the faces of some of them and they are not happy about it. Thats when the frustration/burnout occur. I know that the scores that students receive reflects our school as a whole, not individually. So when I see the students I teach scores are where they should be, while the other students scores are low it frustrates me. I feel that if some of the teachers adapt some of the strategies that I pose to them, we as a school will look a lot better. When we have data meetings I sometimes feel like I want to stop trying because they will not try my strategies out, but then that other side reminds me that all things are possible.