An Inaugural Poem for the Ages Challenges All Educators as the Torch is Passed:
A Lesson Plan to Help School Staff Become Part of the Solution
Dear Colleagues,
Introduction: January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021
For me. . . the past four years felt like running a 26-mile, 385-yard marathon.
And yet, this past Wednesday evening, the past four years seemed to go by faster than a sub-four-minute mile.
And in reflection, I think I understand, better, the differences between anxiety, stress, and trauma.
Anxiety was worrying that a national decision would be made that would forever affect our country’s well-being and way of life.
Stress was what I felt most nights—over the past four years—after another day of never-ending theatrics, tweets, threats, and taunts.
And, trauma? Honestly, I don’t think I experienced any trauma.
Because like Bobby Ewing on the TV program Dallas back on September 26, 1986, he didn’t die in a car crash. . . he was in the shower the whole time!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
This is NOT Political; This is Psychological
And, yes, I am talking about former President Trump. But I could be talking about any “larger than life” social influence in our students’ lives. . . and how we help them to understand this influence.
And I am not making political statements here (although some colleagues may disagree). I am making psychoeducational statements.
And, in fact, my statements have been on the record for almost 5 and a half years . . .
Because on August 9, 2015, I published a Blog, Donald Trump, Negative Campaigns, and Social Skills: Modeling Intolerance for our Students (Why the Education Community Needs to Seize this Teachable Moment).
In this Blog, I stated:
And so, let’s talk about Donald Trump. And, understand, this is NOT a political discussion or a commentary on his recommended policies, programs, and plans. It is about his process. I could just as easily be discussing Jerry Springer or any number of current TV or internet shows; some of our badly-behaving athletes, musicians, or other pop-culture figures; or any number of other “role models” that our students either look up to or are exposed to.
Bottom line: The “Donald” has crossed the line. Trump has crossed the line from (a) highlighting differences in opinion and preference, to (b) engaging in negative campaigning and personal attacks, to (c) making statements that reflect (at the very least) an intolerance of gender and race—that could easily generalize to an intolerance of age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, disability, or other differences.
And he has done this while chiding others who (he claims) are too “politically correct.” He has done this through generalization, exaggeration, and largely without documentation. And even this morning, he has defended himself, externalized his actions, and not taken responsibility for his words and behavior.
But the explicit problem, once again, is a concern that he is modeling and reinforcing behavior and actions that are inappropriate, and that contradict everything we are trying to teach our students to help them learn and use needed interpersonal, social problem solving, conflict prevention and resolution, and emotional coping skills in school (as well as in their homes and communities).
The implicit problem is that our students may be interpreting Trump’s current political standing in the polls and his apparent political popularity as a message that his behavior and positions are acceptable and, in fact, valued by many adults in the general public.
_ _ _ _ _
As so the question right now in 2021—even in the midst of a Pandemic—is:
“What do we need to do right now to ensure that our students continue to learn the interpersonal, social problem-solving, conflict prevention and resolution, and emotional control, communication, and coping skills that they need to be successful. . . now, at school. . . and later, during their post-graduation lives?
_ _ _ _ _
Significantly, my 2015 Blog answered this question.
It emphasized the importance of teaching students, from preschool to high school, the skills to:
- Communicate Clearly, Constructively, and Courteously
- Discuss, Interrupt, Debate, Agree, Compromise, and Disagree
- Collaborate, Cooperate, and Accept Others’ Input and Opinions
- Respect Others, Be a Team Player, and Take on Different Group Roles
- Ask for Help, and Accept Frustration or Consequences
- Accept Failure, Losing, and Being Wrong
- Show Confidence, Deal with Peer Pressure, and Stand up for Self/Others
- Control and Express Emotions, and Respond to Others’ Emotions
So. . . what was needed then, we still need now.
This is the universality of making sure that SEL programs include a scaffolded, instructional (not just awareness and discussion) approach to comprehensive social skills training.
_ _ _ _ _
In the end, my August 9, 2015 Blog concluded by asking educators nationwide:
While I hate to suggest this, what would you do if Donald Trump were a student in your classroom?
While you could send him to the Principal’s Office, suspend him, or put him into an Alternative School Program, I doubt that this would change his behavior.
As a psychologist, here is what I would begin to think about:
* If Donald’s behavior is simply impulsive or if he lacks self-management skills, we would need to teach him these skills. While this may need to start on a one-on-one basis, it eventually would need to transfer into the different settings and situations across the school.
* If Donald’s behavior is motivated, let’s say, for attention, we would need to ignore his inappropriate behavior, reinforce his appropriate behavior (when it occurred), and hold him accountable for the inappropriate behavior if it escalated or became too extreme.
* If Donald’s behavior is occurring because some within his peer group are reinforcing his inappropriate behavior, we would have to include them in the intervention process.
* If Donald’s behavior is occurring because no one is holding him accountable, then consistent accountability (e.g., by all staff and administration) would need to be incorporated in the intervention.
* Finally, if Donald’s inappropriate behavior has been strengthened due to inconsistent instruction, incentives or consequences, or accountability—across people, places, times, or circumstances, we would need to address this “history of inconsistency” by eliminating the inconsistency immediately, determining the best intervention, and implementing that intervention past the history of inconsistency.
Obviously, if I were Donald Trump’s psychologist, I am sure that he would fire me pretty quickly. I am also sure that we are not going to change his behavior any time soon.
But, we cannot afford to ignore his inappropriate behavior when it may be inadvertently teaching and reinforcing our students to behave similarly. And we cannot allow our students to believe that his inappropriate behavior is correct, condoned, or even celebrated.
Instead, we must seize and embrace this teachable moment on behalf of our students. It is, quite simply, our educational responsibility.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
To Start, We Need to Start with the Adults in the Room
As a practitioner who works in schools across the country about 175 days per year (pre-Pandemic), I talk with students of all ages all the time.
And I know that they have been very observant over the last four years.
And they have a lot of questions. . . even more questions now since the beginning of the Pandemic. . . since George Floyd was killed. . . since the riot and insurrection at the Capitol three weeks ago. . . and since a new President and historic Vice President were sworn in three days ago.
But to fully answer our students’ questions, we—the adults—need to first discuss them amongst ourselves—as adults.
And as we approach our students in developmentally-sensitive ways, we need to guide them, as President Biden said during his inaugural address. . . “not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.”
_ _ _ _ _
To begin this process (or, for the schools that have already begun these courageous conversations—to continue it), I would like to suggest that every school in this country conduct a Poem-Study at their next Faculty Meeting.
At the inauguration this past week, Amanda Gorman, the nation's first-ever youth poet laureate, recited The Hill We Climb on the Capitol balcony. . . a balcony that—two weeks before—was defiled and desecrated.
Here is the poem—both in video and text (and I strongly encourage you to watch the historically-enhanced video):
The Hill We Climb
When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We've braved the belly of the beast
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn’t always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished
We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one
And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn’t mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and
conditions of man
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious
Not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division
Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
And no one shall make them afraid
If we’re to live up to our own time
Then victory won’t lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we’ve made
That is the promised glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it’s the past we step into
and how we repair it
We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than share it
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy
And this effort very nearly succeeded
But while democracy can be periodically delayed
it can never be permanently defeated
In this truth
in this faith we trust
For while we have our eyes on the future
history has its eyes on us
This is the era of just redemption
We feared at its inception
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it we found the power
to author a new chapter
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves
So while once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?
We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be
A country that is bruised but whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce and free
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation
Our blunders become their burdens
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children’s birthright
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one
We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,
we will rise from the windswept northeast
where our forefathers first realized revolution
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,
we will rise from the sunbaked south
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it
_ _ _ _ _
The Public Broadcasting Service has already released a Lesson Plan for Grades 7 through 12 to help students discuss and understand Amanda Gorman’s poem.
For my educational colleagues, I would like to suggest that our Faculty Meeting Lesson Plan include some of the following discussion questions—as connected to the poem’s text:
1. When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
How has the Pandemic affected you personally and professionally, and what are your students telling you as to how it has affected them? How do we ease the pain?
_ _ _ _ _
2. We've braved the belly of the beast
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn’t always just-ice
What are the norms—of communication, collaboration, and collegiality—that we want to establish and maintain in our school. . . from staff to staff, staff to students, students to students, and staff and students to parent and community?
_ _ _ _ _
3. And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished
We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one
How do we feel about Kamala Harris being our new Vice President? And how do we resolve (if they exist) any issues from the now-past 2020 Election that may be impacting our personal relationships and professional interactions at school?
_ _ _ _ _
4. And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn’t mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and
conditions of man
How do we recognize the impact of 400 years of Black American History in our students today, and how do we create school and class climates of equity, empathy, and excellence for all?
_ _ _ _ _
5. And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious
Not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division
What are the strengths, assets, common philosophies and orientations, and shared experiences across the faculty that can be the foundations of a “more perfect union” in the school?
_ _ _ _ _
6. Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
And no one shall make them afraid
If we’re to live up to our own time
Then victory won’t lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we’ve made
That is the promised glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it’s the past we step into
and how we repair it
How do we help everyone on the faculty feel that they can safely share their thoughts, beliefs, and aspirations for the school and themselves as educators?
_ _ _ _ _
7. We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than share it
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy
And this effort very nearly succeeded
But while democracy can be periodically delayed
it can never be permanently defeated
In this truth
in this faith we trust
For while we have our eyes on the future
history has its eyes on us
This is the era of just redemption
We feared at its inception
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it we found the power
to author a new chapter
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves
So while once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?
What did and do the events at the Capitol on January 6th mean to us personally and as educators, and how do we help our students to understand these events in-the-moment, in the context of history, and in the aspiration that history not repeat itself in the future?
_ _ _ _ _
8. We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be
A country that is bruised but whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce and free
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation
Our blunders become their burdens
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children’s birthright
How do we encourage true “student voice” in our schools, how do we help students to be accountable for their (positive and negative) behavior and interactions, and how do we allow students to be full participants and leaders in their education and in the culture, climate, and their own choices within the school?
_ _ _ _ _
9. So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one
We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,
we will rise from the windswept northeast
where our forefathers first realized revolution
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,
we will rise from the sunbaked south
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful
How do we identify and face the weaknesses and limitations in our school, classrooms, instruction, and social interactions with courage, candor, and collaborative problem-solving so that we create realistic action plans for improvement, change, and “next level” success?
_ _ _ _ _
10. When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it
How do we maintain our student, staff, school, and system commitment to continuous change and improvement? How do we “reward and reinforce” individual and collective strength of will and perseverance? And how do we share in this process—so that everyone is empowered, and no one shoulders a singular burden?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Summary
These questions are just a start.
They cannot be posed nor answered in one faculty meeting.
And the momentary answers will necessarily change over time.
But we know that every journey begins with its first step.
In many of the schools where I work, there are educators who were once students in the same classrooms that they now lead. While some look at them incredulously (as they remind us of the quick passing of the generations and years), their presence reinforces the good. . . the impact. . . the continuity of education.
We cannot ignore, roll-back, or minimize the many historical events of the past month. . . the past year. . . or the past four years. In some way, we can only seek to understand them, personally and professionally and, as educators, seek to understand how they have impacted our colleagues and students.
Stephen Covey asserts, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
If we do not address these issues—first, as a faculty, and then, with our students—the next generation of educators will be less prepared to lead their next generations.
And so:
Will we climb this Hill?
Will we be “brave enough to be it?”
Will we become part of the solutions needed to create the “power of our example?”
Best,
