Meetings or Meanings?
Meetings or Meanings?
When I think back to starting in my educational pursuit, I dreamt of becoming a singer, sharing songs with those that would listen. I loved music, any music, singing it, playing it on my french horn, or even practicing the piano when I had time in college. I think now to teaching, the expectations whether it's meeting the demands of the curriculum, more and more meetings with colleagues, or student's music learning, developing their ideas into realities: educating turns into and is born from a meeting. I know that we are bound by obligations. Meetings are one of those expectations. It is possibly out of obligation to meet that meetings have turned from deep and meaningful conversations and sharing of ideas and dreams into many other things. Some colleagues may really look forward to meeting and discussing, learning from each other. I know from my very first two weeks of teaching that was what I looked forward to. My best colleague in the whole world turned out to be an amazing sounding board. We planned to meet, discussed our week, gained knowledge and ideas from each other. But it was with an intention to meet and not miss one week. It was because of this investment in time by both of us we grew quickly and into educators that many admired. We continued to meet many more times through the years and still to this day share a very deep bond because of our meetings.
Meaning has come from those meetings.
What I want to share with others in meetings was born of learning how to build one another up in these first years. Sure we talked about our frustrations and shared some deep thoughts as well, but mostly when we walked into the next week of teaching we worked at finding the positive or finding solutions. Meaning.
Meetings have hidden meanings now. The "me" agenda or the "my time is important" agenda, are very important perspectives. If meetings are required, isn’t it the meaning we should be looking for and searching for? How do educators get past the required part, the detriment, or the lack of desire to commit to meeting with their PLC? If forced to meet, the attitude may take on negative characteristics, like "no I don’t want to learn from you" or "no, I don’t think you have anything to share with me". Here we are, educators, teaching kids ways to empathize and telling them how important it is to seek their passions and dreams. PLC can become meaningful if we embrace the organic ability to discuss data, discuss new ideas, and wait for the information to seep in. If we can turn meetings into meanings and ask ourselves to leave the hidden agendas aside, think of all the good that will abound. Taking the time, allowing people's thoughts to be organic, unique, and accepted. Imagine the possibilities then. The empathy for colleagues grows out of giving your time. Meetings can become the norm, and the meaning of the meeting will be born.
