STILT: Patience, Compassion, & Calm
Today I was reminded how important patience, compassion, and calm are in making sure that those you love understand how much you care about them.
This morning my two year old was not thrilled. He’s going through a bit of a thing, which kids do. I understand. He called out just after seven o’clock (better than just after four o’clock). “Mommy…Mommy!” Technically, that’s better than “Daddy…Daddy!” However, given that my incredible wife does the great majority of the “wake up in the middle of the night and service our children” duty (and that seven o’clock slept me in for two hours as it was) I headed to the scene.
For any two-year-olds reading this post, you understand that Daddy is an entirely deficient substitute for Mommy. For those of you who are not two…take my word for it. Regardless, I wasn’t met with, “Thank you for coming to my aid father,” or, “welcome to my room Dad, it’s a pleasure waking up with you…shall I give you hug?”
Instead, a nasally, screeching bellow forcefully rose from beneath the covers of my darling child’s bed. “No,” he protested (with considerable fervor, if I hadn’t made that clear), “I want Mommy!” On it went from there. Turns out, he came around after a while, some apple sauce, a cup of milk, an English muffin with grape jelly, and lots of patience from his mother. And guess what…we still love him – maybe even more!
I’ve been thinking a lot about the learning that accompanies life. I’ve been working to reflect on, synthesize, and communicate that learning as it relates to me, my personal and professional paradigms, and anyone else who wants to share it. I’ve been using this blog, Twitter, conversations, and varied other forms to engage in that communication. I’ve played with multiple formats. You are reading the latest incarnation of my growth, development, and wellbeing process. I’m calling it STILT (Something That I Learned Today).
The word stilt has multiple definitions, including one about a bird with long reddish legs. However, there’s a common theme among those definition, and that theme is support. A stilt is a thing that supports something else. Critical reflection has been an incredibly important, impactful, and significant support for my personal and professional learning, growth, and wellbeing. It is a stilt. So, after about a full year of following through with my self-commitment to blog regularly, I’ve decided to take it to the next level.
Look for regular STILT posts right here on Berg’s Eye View.
Join me for #STILTchat, a new half hour Twitter chat (short but sweet – and, if all goes well meaningful) on Sundays from 1-1:30pm eastern standard (nap launch for the brood).
Tweet your daily learning anytime using the hash tag #STILTchat (if you don’t mind me stockpiling and sharing it out via the brand new Berg’s Eye View STILT archive at https://bergseyeview.edublogs.org/category/stilt/)
Follow this simple format (and adapt to meet your needs):
1. Briefly explain something that you learned (or were reminded of) during any given day. It can be something momentous, something lighthearted, or something that falls anywhere in between. Just make it something that you find meaningful.
2. Describe the situation in which the learning took place.
3. Give one or more suggestions as to how you (and those who read/hear about your learning) can apply it.
Above, I described a situation in which I was reminded that children don’t always ask for our love, attention, guidance, or compassion in direct ways. Sometimes they scream, throw things, and act out. As a parent and an educator, it’s my job to remember that they need to know how much I care about them through it all. In fact, maybe even more so during the rough times. Some suggestions:
Be patient
Listen well to the message behind the noise. People from two-years-old to ninety-two-years-old get frustrated. They feel frightened somtimes, they’re sad when they feel lonely, they might have trouble expressing themselves in kind ways when there’re tired or hungry. Patience and understanding go a long way to confront those and other challenges with positive relationship building and emotional growth opportunities.
Show Compassion
We are more alike than we are different. Be relatable to students, friends, and others that you spend your time with. It could go a long way to foster growth, productivity, self-actualization (for all involved), and even joy…a wonderful thing to feel!
Stay Calm
Whatever is happening is happening whether you’re overwrought or calm. If you’re like me, you think more clearly, act more decisively, and simply feel better when you’re able to stay calm. Be intentional about your mood, energy, and attitude at school, at home, and everywhere you travel. It could make a positive impact on your life and the lives of others.
Dream Big. Work Hard. Be Well.