C17: Taking Simple Actions Now

by Lu Gerlach

​Upon reflection, I realized that my so-called easy action was probably still hard for many people to begin with students.  This started me thinking of how we can break action down to a 1.5 level.  Not too easy and not too hard.  To be honest, this is harder than you think.  How do you make it harder than the easiest level, but not as hard as the medium?

For some reason, this reminded me of an experience I had when I lived in Germany. I attended a barbecue with a host who was legendary for making spicy foods, including an inferno salsa.  Only the bravest of the brave in Germany would try it, because they don’t like spicy foods.  Sweet and Spicy egg roll sauce is too spicy for most Germans, so imagine inferno heat salsa.  Growing up in California and being half-Korean, I was used to hot salsa and spicy kimchi.  I took the chili challenge and dove into the best tasting salsa I’ve ever eaten in my life.  As the crowd gasped, I took another bite.  When someone asked me about the heat level, my singular response was, “Medium.”  There was a collective gasp as everyone looked at me like I was a two-headed dog named Fluffy from Harry Potter.  All through the night a lady looked at me and shook her head and said “medium”. 

I guess I look at things as though they are medium heat when others are ablaze in an inferno. 

​This blog is an attempt to slow down the burn and make action more actionable.

How do we do this?  Let’s create a relationship between level 1 and 2, so you can start right away with your kiddos this year. 

Level 1

​Do you students know how to take level 1 action?  Do they understand the purpose of taking action?  One of the simplest ways to get students to think about action is to pose a scenario and have them brainstorm ways to solve it.

Scenario

A new student is sitting by himself at recess.  What can we do?

Possible Actions:  

• Sit next to him
• Be his recess buddy
• Show him around the playground
• Invite him into a game
• Find out his hobbies​

Level 2

​Once your students have a strong grasp of level 1 action, consider asking students to classify the possible actions with level 2 actions.  We need to remind ourselves of their definitions.

Action Within
THINKING - Opening our mind to solve problems differently
FEELING - Getting in touch with our feelings 
KNOWING - Gaining understanding of the world
BEING - Knowing our place in the world

Action Beyond
DOING - Making the world a better place through our actions
SAYING - Having the courage to speak our mind

Consider the level 1 actions that we took.   At first glance, they appear to be mostly doing and knowing, because of how we phrased our actions. 

Doing:  Sit next to him
Doing:  Be his recess buddy
Doing:  Show him around the playground
Doing:  Invite him into a game
Knowing:  Find out his hobbies

How can we re-word these same actions to make them richer and more balanced with actions within and action beyond? Here’s a second look at the same situation. 

Within
Thinking:  How can I make the new boy feel included? 
 
Feeling:  I bet he’s feeling rather lonely right now.  What can I do to make him not feel so uncomfortable? 
 
Knowing:  How can I get to know more about him?  What was his last school like?  His best friend? What does he like to do on his free time? 
 
Being:  How would I feel if I had to move to a new school and leave all of my friends behind? 

Beyond
Doing:  I sit next to him on the bench
 
Saying:  “Hi, would you like to play with me?”

If we started out this way, can you imagine how powerful this would be as a reflective tool for positive and negative behavior?  Students would be able to see situations outside of themselves and be able to identify their feelings and behaviors. Ooh, I’m getting goosebumps.  How can you use this in your class to bring about more balanced action?