Only the Sith Deal in Absolutes

Dear colleague,

In a recent post, I shared this JFK idea that truth is more threatened by myths than by lies. Today I want to share a related thought, not from a notable president, but from a notable Jedi: Mr. Obi Wan Kenobi.

In Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (hot take: the best of the nine episodes), Obi Wan Kenobi delivers a rhetorical light saber right into the newly dark heart of his former pupil, Anakin Skywalker.

Anakin: Don't make me kill you.

Obi Wan: Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy!

Anakin: If you're not with me, then you're my enemy.

Obi Wan: Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must.

It's an epic line. (Just don't think about it too much.)

What is your point, Dave?

My point is that I often think about this line when I encounter the following kinds of beliefs about students:

• “He's just not AP material.”
• “She's a terrible student.”
• “That kid is lazy.”
• “Our administration is the worst.”

When we reduce students down to the problems they present us with, we're going further than reality will let us. Better instead to shift our beliefs to things like this:

• “He's not studying or asking questions or engaging in class activities. I need to have a conversation with him about the specific concerns I'm having and see what his thoughts are about the AP course he's signed up for.”
• “Right now, she's doing a lot of things that aren't helping her or others. She's distracting her peers. She makes loud comments before tests about how she's going to fail. I need to address these with her, document the behaviors, and see if a new tack might work better (e.g., maybe try a 2×10).”
• “I'm not seeing much effort out of ol' Johnny. Let's see what might be going on here. It could be something physiological (e.g., lack of sleep) or volitional (e.g., perhaps he thinks school is pointless, in which case I can target the Value belief).”
• “These recent admin decisions really bother me. Do I think it might be useful to let them know? If not, what else can I do? Do I need to quit? Do I need to reorient my perspective?”

In teaching and life, the “dark side of the force” tends to look like reducing people down into caricatures. We take the problems folks present us with and make it the totality of who they are in our hearts.

And we all know where that will take us: limbless and on fire beside a river of lava with our mentor screaming, “You were the chosen one!”

I'm goofing off a bit… but I'm serious, too.

Teaching right beside you,

DSJR

P.S. I'm hosting a live session for school leaders on April 20 called “The Will to Teach.” It's about the Five Key Beliefs applied to teachers — and what leaders can do when the will to teach starts to erode. $29 for individuals, and $99 for a team. [Details and registration here.]

P.P.S. The Student Motivation Starter Kit is my best tools reduced into teacher-focused one-pagers. These are the strategies that have proven to me that it's best to think of student capabilities/dispositions in shades of grey rather than in absolutes. [Get it here, pay what you want, and thank you for your support of my blog.]