~:[CH12 - Day 67]:~ The Measuring Stick

 
~:[CH12 - Day 67]:~ The Measuring Stick

We continued our 1-on-1 meetings in MUN. I started this awhile back and found it to be rewarding. Giving feedback to the student to try to understand them better truly can work wonders. It also helps them understand themselves better as well. I often find that I get a range of students from those who don't see their mistakes, others who are excelling yet still critical of themselves and those in the middle. As I think about it. life is challenging because we all have our own measuring stick. How do we use our measuring stick? Tonight I was lucky to get invited to a Clippers game. The seats were incredible and I got to witness a decent three quarters (the 1st was terrible) and also one of the best performances by Westbrook as a Clipper, as he had the best +/- on the floor tonight from both teams (+12). Seeing his name plastered online with so many negative comments makes me sad for a number of reasons. I have not always been the biggest Westbrook fan as a player (shot selection, turnovers), but what I liked most about Westbrook is the 110% he lays out on the court regularly, the passion and energy he plays with, and as I learned more about him, the type of person he is. I love Westbrook when you look at the total package especially when he takes on his role as a playmaker, rebounder, and the source of energy and passion. There are stories of his generosity in the bubble, players always praise him for the type of person he is, and tonight I saw the kind of leadership he provides, as he looked like a coach as he pointed things out to his teammates. He's worked hard to adjust to fit his role and while he's made some mistakes, I'm sad to see so much directed toward him specifically. Although I've seen the up and down so far this year, with their new personnel, it's taking some time for the staff to see what works and what doesn't. Undoubtedly there were mistakes on his part, but social media and the media have placed Westbrook next to an impossible measuring stick. Much like my students who are overcritical of themselves, many have done this to him. I'm hoping we can all find the right measuring stick to calculate our progress, but at the same time, I also hope that we think about how we use that measure stick on others. Even athletes and celebrities are impacted by our comments and our words and much like as a teacher, I need to be responsible about what I say and do, I think that we also don't have the right to be so condescending to others even if they are some type of celebrity. Just like our students, our friends and our family, everything we say or do can impact them, positively or negatively. Tonight, I was happy to see him succeed and get an up-close view of things that may not be shown on TV, how he acts while playing and more so what he does when he's not on the floor. As I move forward. I'll focus more on measuring my own progress and not using it to compare to or judge others. As while I have a right to my opinion (as some would say), I also have the choice whether it's right or not to share that opinion, as I must weight the consequences of doing so and this in itself requires it's own measurement.