Sunday, September 5, 2010

Kindness Blog Obsession

My sister sent me the link to a blog the other day. I can't stop looking at it. I HAVE to find ways to use kindness the way she does. Unbelievable. I am totally inspired and I can't wait to try some of these things out.

See, it's like this...
I work in a little charter school. The first charter school in Charlotte, NC in fact. I knew many of the founding members of the school. I worked with several of the women who helped write the charter and open the doors. They fought hard to open that little school of mine and I desperately want to honor it's Progressive Educational philosophies. The problem is this...many of the other staff members don't share my ideas on the original philosophy OR share my ideas on any kind of philosophy...I don't think. I am sort of viewed as a hippie chick radical who needs to keep that Positive Discipline crap to myself. We have some seriously challenging behavior problems at our school and their idea of letting kids have MORE freedom....TERRIFYING. Sadly, I understand their fears. I do accept their differing opinions sometimes...I know I have to be respectful. They are just as certain their traditional ways are the way to go, ya know? We all wanna be right. So there is a great divide that unfortunately affects the children and the whole school. The Star Bellied Sneetches are officially having a stand off with the ones without stars upon thars!
SO...I am going to do some thinking and try and find a way to use these kindness techniques to make some sort of small difference. Not sure what yet. But I am gonna come up with something.
I will keep you posted.

5 comments:

Pat said...

Go for it! You WILL make a difference.

Anonymous said...

I'm all for it sista! Whatever you find out let me know.... I'm in!

Juliana said...

Oh, I do wish you all luck in this! I was in a similar -- though still very different -- situation before, and I don't think I handled it right, though I did stand up for what I believed in. It sounds like you're doing the same!

Much love,

Juliana

kendalee said...

As I was reading this Suzy, I thought of the e.e. cummings quotation:

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting."

If one can do this, and do it with kindness, what an achievement! Go girl... I look forward to seeing how you do it, 'cause I am sure you will :) xx

Jen Hunter said...

Suzy,
You have made many, many differences.
In a small/huge way...you have impacted each of my girls lives in so many great ways. Part of the best part of who they are is because of you.
<3
Keep fightin' the fight! ;-)