I shared a poster this morning on Facebook about being normal.
Some questions arose:
- what does normal mean to different people?
- If everyone were the same, would they have the same normal?
- How do you teach people who have different normals?
Think about your normal, how you were raised, and what seems just “normal” to you. Your normal may be to be quiet, be safe and secure, not take any chances, and enjoy each day. You may like to “smell the roses” and meditate. You’re just happy to wake up each day.
Another person’s normal may be to get up early and take on the world. Their mantra is “to make a difference” every day. To challenge everything and take risks. They rarely take time to sit. Every minute needs to be scheduled.
Is one of these normals you? Is one wrong and the other just perfect?
To personalize learning for each student, we not only need to understand their learning style but their normal. The one thing that is difficult to not do is judge someone’s normal.
- Can we teach that?
- Can we teach how to accept people as they are?
- Can we teach how to be tolerant of people’s differences?
A great addition to our curriculum would be to teach empathy and compassion. Figure out your normal and understand other people’s normal. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
