The night before Robinson Cano returned to New York to play against his former team, Jimmy Fallon decided to help him get used to the boos Cano would experience at Yankee Stadium.
He set up a huge cardboard cutout of Cano and let New Yorkers boo at him, you know, to practice for their booing the next evening. Check out how things went:
I love the reaction that people have when they realize he’s there. How quickly did they flip from booing to embracing Cano, some of them literally giving him a hug.
Nobody thought anything of these people yelling at a cardboard image of Robinson Cano because that reaction was expected. But when Cano showed up, they changed their language and their stance.
What if we chose to speak about people only in that positive light at school this year? Think about the power there.
What conversations could you commit to starting? What conversations could you commit to ending?
What if we focused on what we trust in each other, or how we saw the best in someone recently? What if we assumed the best about each other and always extended the benefit of the doubt?
What if we decided that we weren’t going to allow others to talk poorly of students or colleagues? What if we only engaged in conversation that brought people together instead of dividing them into parts?
Think about specific conversations that you are part of at your school. What if those went differently?
What if visitors entered and left your campus knowing that they mattered?
What if students knew that they were a valuable part of the school, even as they learn to meet behavior expectations?
What if teachers knew that that risk wouldn’t be misinterpreted?
What if families knew they were invited to participate in a culture of trust with their student on campus?
What if you knew they weren’t whispering about you?
What if there were no whispers on your campus?
(Thanks to my friend @stormyhickman1 for pointing me to this video and getting me thinking about this.)
I spoke to our staff recently about how, in the eyes of others, our identity becomes the stories we tell about each other. We need to be careful that a few comments said over and over again don’t become the story of a teacher, staff member, or student amongst us.
The only time a negative concern should be spoken is when we bring it up with that person himself/herself in a private setting. And only if you have considered the consequence and carry out your task with a caring and gentle heart.
I can’t thank you enough-you’ve just given me, with your permission, exactly what I want, and what our staff needs, to start off the year. We had a rough one last year, with lots of whispers and drama, and this is a great antidote. Genius!
Be the change which makes the difference, be the model which others follow. This is so right! Thanks!