Mary’s Minute
“No man ever steps in the same river twice,
for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”
~
Heraclitus
We all have unique backgrounds and experiences,
so when are exposed to something we each see it through our own unique
lens. Scientists work hard to create experiments
that are neutral, so that outcomes can be controlled, but in real life, there
is no neutrality.
For instance, we did a survey for staff
because it is important to know how people are feeling and to gain insight
about how we can improve. People in the
same buildings, who theoretically had the exact same experience and access to
information, saw things drastically differently. Fortunately, more people viewed them in
positive way than negative, but the negative responses are equally important. All insight is important because ultimately reality
for an individual is their personal perception.
The same is true for teaching. A teacher can present material (“teach”), but
the ultimate experience that each student receives (the “learning”), can be
very different among students.
I want to constantly be aware that I cannot
assume that everyone sees the world the same way I do or has the same experiences
that I do. To be a better communicator,
I need to remember that the river and the person stepping into it are never the
same.
Have
a great long weekend!
Mary
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