Summary

The article suggests that politicians could benefit from adopting the interpersonal and professional skills that teachers use daily to manage their classrooms and foster learning.

Abstract

The article "Politicians Could Learn from Teachers" argues that the skills essential for teachers to succeed in their challenging environment are also crucial for politicians in public service. These skills include poise, kindness, a love of learning, a sense of humor, interpersonal skills, self-evaluation, and the ability to manage without resorting to external forces. The author draws parallels between the initial resistance teachers face from students and the public's current disillusionment with politicians. The article emphasizes that just as teachers must establish a positive environment, reassure their students, and inspire a love of learning, politicians should handle stress with grace, address societal issues with compassion, listen and learn from their constituents, use humor appropriately, work collaboratively to resolve conflicts, and engage in self-evaluation for professional growth. The author opines that most politicians would struggle to meet the high expectations and daily challenges faced by teachers in public education.

Opinions

The author believes that recent political behavior has negatively impacted the face of democracy.
Teachers are seen as adept at identifying who will succeed in the face of challenges, much like politicians must do in the public eye.
Politicians are expected to handle stress and world issues with a level head, similar to how teachers must reassure and create a welcoming environment for their students.
The author criticizes the lack of compassion and trust in political discourse, contrasting it with the supportive approach teachers take with their students.
A love of learning is highlighted as a key trait for both teachers and politicians, with the latter needing to listen and learn from others to serve effectively.
Humor is considered important in teaching to promote a positive environment, but it should be used carefully to avoid misunderstandings.
The author points out that interpersonal skills are crucial in education to resolve conflicts without resorting to drastic measures, and the same should apply to politics.
Teachers are held accountable for their performance and are expected to manage their classrooms effectively, which the author suggests is a model politicians should follow.
The author expresses skepticism about whether most politicians could withstand the scrutiny and demands that teachers face regularly.
The article concludes with a call for leadership that embodies responsibility, ethical reporting, and respect for reality, implicitly critiquing the concept of "alternative facts."

Politicians Could Learn from Teachers

These skills are necessary to for public service

This morning while watching the news, my husband stood up and walked away from the TV muttering, “Politicians would never survive in the classroom.”

I giggled at his humor and then realized; he wasn’t attempting to be humorous; he was disgusted. Since we both work in schools, we have seen our share of poor educators. No professions is free of the human element and humans are flawed. However, recently politicians in the news are creating a blot on the face of democracy.

When a new teacher walks through the school doors, students begin scheming of ways to unify their peers to mutiny. Their eyes sparkle as they work harder to sabotage learning than they have worked on any previous assignment. They are like sharks in the ocean who smell blood; if they sense weakness, they go in for the kill.

Veteran teachers quickly identify which adults will survive the biting student comments and sharp behaviors and who will go down with the ship. For a body to find success in the dark, cold waters of the public, whether a teacher or a politician, certain traits are essential.

Poise

“Fake it until you make it” and “never let them see you sweat” identify the two most important mandates for any adult employed in public service. If the dog puked on the carpet or your child spilled the entire gallon of milk before your workday started, those become events of the past. Upon entering the work building, the role of teacher requires a display of confidence, a positive attitude that all is right with the world.

Just as it is the teacher’s job to reassure and establish a warm inviting environment, constituents deserve representations by leaders who can handle stress. The world is a big, scary place filled with problems but success in public service requires a level head that accepts challenges as opportunities to find solutions instead of barriers to progress.

Kindness

Students come to school carrying baggage from daily concerns just as each American currently struggles with economic, emotional, and physiological problems. An expression from the 1800’s “handle with kid gloves” references gloves made from the soft lamb’s skin allowing the wearer to manage a situation with compassion. Teachers address issues with kid gloves because they recognize each child struggles and needs to be supported.

After watching press briefings or speeches from government personnel, my shoulders tense, nerves become shattered, and my mind is marred by scars as if recovering from a celebrity roast filled with insults. Adults are not very different from youth. A foundation of trust and compassion must exist before structure can take form.

Love of Learning

The ability to inspire students requires teachers to model a love of learning. As an English teacher, teaching my two favorite texts The Diary of Anne Frank and To Kill a Mockingbird provides opportunities to explore life from the past and make connections to the present while forecasting the future. The adage, “The past repeats itself,” states the reason to celebrate the messages of these narratives.

Each year in the classroom, conversations with students shine new perspectives on old themes. Though I am the teacher, I never stop being a student simultaneously. Strong leaders recognize the value of listening and learning from others. Public servants’ duties are to serve not to push a personal agenda.

Sense of Humor

One of the first and most important lessons a teacher learns is to refrain from using sarcasm. When it is misunderstood it becomes mockery and if the joke must be explained, it is not funny. Successful teachers use humor to promote a positive learning environment:

To laugh at themselves when they make a mistake so errors accepted as inevitable and chances to grow
By allowing students to share their creative sides
When creating connections between content and life events
Redirecting attention from inconsequential comments or behavior

The intent of humor is to produce positive feelings, to lighten spirits, and unite individuals. If it produces the opposite of any of these, the possible positive effects become lost.

Interpersonal Skills

Education demands all people work in collaboration to support a positive outcome. When conflict exists, the response can’t be to fire the students, the parents, or the teachers. All parties must compromise to resolve problems.

If government’s response during conflict prompts further resistance, compromise is nonobtainable. Casting blame divides. Pointing fingers creates discord. Ignoring opinions invalidates. Strange how two public entities that are both expected to function in the interest of society display such a dichotomy of management techniques.

Self-Evaluation

Teachers are required to participate in annual self-evaluation as well as a system of observations and assessments by an administrator. Feedback is provided and used for professional growth. Politician receive feedback with each election cycle when they win or lose an election. However, elections do not provide constructive criticism for improvement.

Possibly one of most important jobs of a teacher is to manage the masses. Disruptions impact learning negatively. When the teacher in the room relies on an outside source to maintain order, they lose control and are viewed as ineffective. Seldom, if ever, does a competent, qualified instructor relinquish management of their command because in so doing, they surrender power.

Effective leaders possess the tools to supervise without calling in the National Guard or military troops. Teacher do not have the option to retreat from conflict. In fact, teachers are trained to attack if an active shooter enters the building and they are held accountable for inappropriate behaviors.

School do not use electoral colleges to promote teachers. Teachers are hired for skills, experience, and knowledge. They are constantly under scrutiny to perform professionally, disperse accurate information supported by science and follow a code of conduct that identifies ethical norms and standards of behavior. Teachers are expected to use researched based strategies, follow best practices, and gather statistical data to support their effectiveness.

From my observation, most politicians would not survive the keen senses of American teenagers, the expectations of a school board, or the demands of parents of student in public education.

Leadership holds incredible responsibilities. Media has the responsibility to report the news with bias. The phrase alternative facts warps reality.

A Button on the TV Remote Changes the Facts

Humanity requires respect, teamwork, courage

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