JKLTip What rules in your school, or business could be re-evaluated because they should be broken anyways?
When we create a system, we begin building a house of cards. Each and every rule becomes a part of the system. As we add rigidity rule by rule, we had fragility layer by layer. The cards grow to greater heights, increasingly at risk of collapse. This is deadlines that get pushed back, telling people they eat only at a certain place and time, or telling someone the medium that “everyone” has to use to complete a project. As soon as there’s “exception to the rule” the house begins to fall. Reasons for rules, in school, business, or life are so often fear or tradition based, perhaps there’s no real answer at all. We need to find ways to build systems where each person gets what they need, rather than being covered by a blanket with everyone.
Social media is relatively new, and in schools there is an expectation that teachers don’t interact with students, in many places it’s a rule. Yet, when something catastrophic, or sad takes place; suicide; cyberbullying; death threats, the adults go right to the Facebook page and start scrolling around searching for evidence. All of a sudden we’re there anyways. What if the caring adults had been there in the first place, two weeks ago before it gained momentum? Might there have been a difference in culture and atmosphere in their world?
We tell students there is an “extension of the school” and if you do something punishable online, you can be punished for it impacting the climate of the school. In leadership, teacher, and coach training we also learn that proximity and modelling behaviour are the best ways to prevent bullying, but it’s hard if we are not present. What about the possibility of being role models, setting a positive example online and maybe, in some cases being there to know when someone’s struggling, not just after it’s too late? I guess the real question is what is there to be scared of?