Talk So They Can Help You

I once talked with a band teacher who told me his secret to happiness as a teacher.

“Make friends with people,” he told me, “but especially make sure you’re friends with the lunch lady, the secretary, and the custodian.”

His meaning is not at first apparent, but the wisdom behind his words soon becomes clear: spending that extra moment to be kind to those who work around you and with you will help you, besides making your life (and theirs) in general a much less stressful series of events.

            When you make time to chat with the lunch lady, she will start to save you extra bread rolls.  She will let you know when your favorite meatball subs are coming every month.  She will give you her best portions.  When you appreciate her work, she appreciates you.

            When you take time to greet the secretary every morning, she learns your name.  If you remember her birthday, she will remember you when it comes time for red tape and forms.  A good secretary on your side can win you any war.  Everyone knows that it’s not really the dean or the principal or the president that runs an office – it’s the secretary!

            And if you love the custodian, the custodian will love you back.  Got teen vomit on hallway 3 outside your door?  The custodian won’t find other duties to do first if you took the time interact with him or her in the past.

            In Arlene Anderson’s article “Can’t We All Just Get Along?” she expresses much the same idea.  She works as her district’s educational technology specialist.  She is the one who speaks “this foreign language of IT” in layman’s terms for the teachers.  She conveys what the teachers are actually asking (and failing to ask coherently, let alone politely) to the IT crew.  It’s a new position that’s growing by leaps and bounds – and causing the education system to grow and improve as well. 

            Essentially, she’s not a technology specialist – she’s a people specialist.  She understands the most fundamental concept of any social group.  In order for anything to be accomplished, we all have to get along.  Most of the problems that the IT crew and the teachers had were generic communication difficulties. 

            Like your mom always told you “Treat others like you want to be treated.”

            It works – wonders can be accomplished.  Even, and especially, for your school.

Anderson, Arlene.  “Can’t We All Just Get Along?”  Learning & Leading with Technology 37.4 (Dec2009): 21-23.  3 February 2010 .