Sprats and Students: Don’t Let Pride Get in the Way of Working Relationships

Cover of Cover of Aesop's Fables (Owlet Book)
Aesop was a wise man:

“The dolphins quarreled with the Whales, and before very long they began fighting with one another. The battle was very fierce, and had lasted some time without any sign of coming to an end, when a Sprat thought that perhaps he could stop it; so he stepped in and tried to persuade them to give up fighting and make friends. But one of the Dolphins said to him contemptuously, ‘We would rather go on fighting till we're all killed than be reconciled by a Sprat like you!” Aesop's Fables Kindle Location 283 (link will take you to kindle and the page if you have this free book on your kindle.)

I think this should be rewritten into a modern Aesop:
Modern Day Story of the Whales and Dolphins
“The parents, teacher's union, and principals quarrelled about where the education system should go, and before long they began fighting with one another. The battle was very fierce, and had lasted some time without any sign of coming to an end
when a student thought perhaps she could stop it; so, she stepped in and said,

“Could we just make this a place where I can learn and that I am safe and want to come every day? Wouldn't you all rather work in a place where we can be friends?”  

But one of the leaders said to her contemptuously,

“these are bigger matters than you, you're just a child, what do you know about classrooms anyway? Let us adults fight this out – why would we listen to a child like you anyway?”

Epilogue
and therein my friends lies the problem.
Observation
If we cannot think like a child and look at our educational systems through the eyes of a child – the dolphins and whales will be the end of what can be a really great education system.

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Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis is a full-time classroom teacher and IT Director in Georgia, USA. She is Mom of three, wife of one, and loves talking about the wise, transformational use of technology for teaching and doing good in the world. She hosts the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast which interviews teachers around the world about remarkable classroom practices to inspire and help teachers. Vicki focuses on what unites us -- a quest for truly remarkable life-changing teaching and learning. The goal of her work is to provide actionable, encouraging, relevant ideas for teachers that are grounded in the truth and shared with love. Vicki has been teaching since 2002 and blogging since 2005. Vicki has spoken around the world to inspire and help teachers reach their students. She is passionate about helping every child find purpose, passion, and meaning in life with a lifelong commitment to the joy and responsibility of learning. If you talk to Vicki for very long, she will encourage you to "Relate to Educate" or "innovate like a turtle" or to be "a remarkable teacher." She loves to talk to teachers who love their students and are trying to do their best. Twitter is her favorite place to share and she loves to make homemade sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls and enjoys running half marathons with her sisters. You can usually find her laughing with her students or digging into a book.

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