I heard a song the other day that gave me pause and as I reflected it reminded me of things I tend to overlook. I grew up in about as stable a home as there was I suppose; parents married young, had a family, got jobs, and stayed with them. I lived in the same house for 17 years, went to 1 elementary school, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. Subsequently I went on to 1 four-year bachelor’s school, 1 master’s school, and 1 post-graduate degree program. I think all the stability growing up gave me confidence to pursue far and away interests. And subsequently my wife and family have called a few places home.
Elvie Shane is a new country music artist to me but apparently was competing on the biggest stage as early as 2016 on American Idol. He may have several hits but on the analog wheels I still have in my car his simple titled track “My Boy” just made sense. It’s a beautiful tribute to blended families which tends to be equally the norm.
He ain’t got my smile, that don’t bother me a bit
He’s got somebody else’s eyes I’m seeing myself in
I’m holding on to every moment, God knows I’ve missed a few
The day we met I knew I had some catching up to do
He ain’t my blood, ain’t got my name
But if he did, I’d feel the same
I wasn’t there for his first steps
But I ain’t missed a ball game yet
And that ain’t ever gonna change
I could never walk away
Yeah, he’s my son and that’s my choice
He ain’t my blood but he’s my, he’s my boy
What a heartfelt raw expression of love in about as nonthreatening a manner as I can imagine. It made me specifically think of teachers. When I was a kid my mom and I attended a nontraditional Sunday service by a Methodist minister who had grown old and ambitious. He had long led the local church and decided in his later years to do something remarkably hipster for the time. He was also a pioneer in the live stream concept to provide outreach to those who could not attend. He wrote a book about the topic of power, in the context of love and holiness, and it opens with the following:
“We are people who live in a time almost dedicated to the concept of power. We love power. If we are to believe the television commercials, we even want our detergents to have ‘bulldozer power.’ We want automobiles with 400-horsepower engines, capable of cruising at 120 miles an hour, when we know we have to drive in zones from 35 to 65 miles an hour.”
Those are excerpts from the book Dr. Dykes penned some 30 years ago. What Dr. Dykes was trying to teach me in my infrequent church attendance back then was not so much about power as it was about the collective embrace. A more notable figure to the K12 audience is Michael Fullan who has written extensively on educational leadership including a series on “What’s Worth Fighting For?” He is also often associated with his teachings on moral imperatives:
As this pandemic persists, we’re witnessing educators embrace kids like never before. I want nothing more than to be that ember for my own kids, and I want them to channel their fire in a way that improves circumstance to scale. If nothing else, I hope they come to understand this isn’t about us because “us” has a pretty good advantage; our smarts should be focused on all. And if our moral compass has room to lead a few more, as teachers keep modeling for us, what a difference that might make.
What if? Why Not? 