“Treat a man as he is and …..”

It’s strange how it can be little things said that can have the strongest impact on you.  It’s probably even stranger to realize that a few words said many years earlier in fact become the basis for a lifetime’s approach to not only work practice but life practice.

For me, it was all those years ago, when I was just starting my career in education, that I ever so nervously sat on the other side of the desk of the overwhelming figure of Dr Leo Murphy.  Whilst being keenly  scrutinized by him for acceptance into the specialist education program over which he presided, he warned me:

Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is.  Treat a man as he could be, and he will grow to be that man.”

Commonly attributed to the great philosopher Goethe, I realize today that this saying has underpinned not only my approach  to classroom teaching but also my approach to working with other professionals in the  wide range of education sectors in which I have found myself over the years.   Countless examples come to mind.  Those who have worked alongside me will recognize the many instances when I have held this approach high on my agenda.  For purposes of this blog though, it is is suffice for me to acknowledge the impact these words have had on shaping my career in the hope that these words may also impact on my readers.

Establishing goals in teaching is a given basic in education.  Goal setting and defining goals are one of the first and most basic aspects of education that we, as educators, learn.  After all, if you have not defined what it is you are teaching, how on earth can you teach it or communicate it to your students.

Establishing a teaching style or an approach to teaching is, however, more abstract and esoteric than goal setting.   While teaching styles vary greatly from one educator to another and are often dependent on our own character traits, the approach we have to our students is one that is often overlooked and little discussed.  As educators however, it is imperative for us to recognize the impact we have on our students.   As such, it is incumbent on us to contemplate our overall approach to teaching.

Do, for example, our end goals aim to develop clones of ourselves – students who can spew back to us content which has been provided to them on the so called ‘silver platter’?   Or, should our overall goal be to provide our students with the tools by which they can direct their own learning?  Do we work with our students from the base that they have no knowledge as in the controversial tabula rasa theories promulgated by a range of worthy philosophers, academics and teachers or do we hold our students in the palm of our hand and instill in them the belief that they can grow, learn and develop to great heights?

Providing our students with tools to develop as lifelong learners must be paramount in our approach to teaching.   Providing our students with opportunities and situations in which they can safely and confidently develop knowledge and skills should be equally paramount in our approach to teaching.  As I have eluded to in past blog posts, risk taking in a safe and secure environment is a wonderful way to learn.   Establishing a level playing field, in which we recognize that teachers and students are able to learn much from each other is also equally valuable.   But establishing expectations that our students can become whoever it is they wish, is really a focus that has dominated my approach to teaching.   Instilling confidence in our students that they are able to learn and achieve at a level well beyond their present level is a gift that I strongly believe is of the utmost importance in an approach to teaching.

As I now traverse the path of new learning, I feel that the value of this belief applies equally to us all, not just to our students in our schools.

If, for example, I continue to regard or treat myself as I am now, it is  apparent to me that I will remain the same as I am.   If, however, I regard or treat myself as I could be, I will be setting the scene for me to travel along the path of growth and discovery.

Thus it is that I consider the impact of the saying I heard all those years ago:

Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is.  Treat a man as he could be, and he will grow to be that man.”