Educational Civility and Citizenship
The etymology of civility is from the Latin civilis “relating to a citizen, relating to public life, befitting a citizen; popular, affable, courteous”
I’ve done many blog posts on creating a more positive, nurturing, courteous, friendly, civil classroom or school culture.
I am going to take another pass at it again, but this time, through the lens of a classroom or school culture as it relates to a civilization.
The famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead, was once asked by a student what she thought were the first signs of a civilization in an ancient culture.
One would expect her to answer with things like pottery, tools or everyday objects like statues or jewelry or utensils.
Well, much to everyone’s surprise, Margaret Mead replied that the first sign of a civilization in an ancient culture is actually found in a broken human femur bone that has healed.
What? Quoi? Huh?
AND how does this relate to this blog topic of “educational civility and citizenship”?
Margaret went on to explain that in ancient cultures and the animal kingdom, which dominated in these cultures, if you broke your femur (thighbone), you die because you are not able to run away from danger, hunt or meet your basic survival needs of food and shelter.
So, a broken femur bone that has healed is evidence that someone stayed with you and helped you. They carried you to safety and tended to the wound and to your needs through the healing process, which takes time.
This is the same in the classroom and in a school.
Teachers, staff, administrators, parents and an entire community needs to help and support each other.
It is not about the survival of the fittest or who is recognized as Teacher of the Year or who is further ahead in the book or who has the highest student test scores or a higher degree or…you get the picture!
Competition, egos and “every man for himself” mentality has created a classroom/school culture of toxic behaviors that are slowing poisoning the educational system.
What we need is a more cooperative, collaborative, affable, courteous and friendly culture of civility toward ourselves and each other.
No more defensiveness.
No more passive-aggressiveness.
No more attacking, accusing or throwing each other under the bus.
No more pitting one teacher, student, parent, admin, etc against each other.
No more spying, tattling, undermining, gossiping, showing favoritism.
No more jealousy, resentments, anger and other toxic behaviors that spark and promote a negative attitudes and behaviors.
WE ALL HAVE (metaphorical) BROKEN FEMURS…especially after the pandemic!
We all have wounds that need to heal.
This requires time, kindness, compassion, empathy, love, grace, equanimity and a whole lot of positive, nurturing healing “balms”.
Check out some of them here and add them to your daily lesson plans and intentions.
To be a citizen of a civilization means that you feel a PART of that culture and that you feel like you BELONG there.
Maybe, just maybe, THEN, this school culture will advance to a civilization of enlightened, educated, empowered citizens!
Margaret Mead’s final comment to the student was this:
“Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization begins”.
Wow…just WOW!!!
You can read more about the amazing and wise Margaret Mead here.
Image credit:
Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash
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