"Think Win-Win isn't about being nice, nor is it a quick-fix technique. It is a character-based code for human interaction and collaboration." (Steven Covey, 2015) I used to be an extremely competitive person, I've played sports my entire life, or at least until the age of 25, so I always compared myself to others. I played baseball so if I saw someone hit a home run, I tried to hit a home run as well and I tried to hit it even further. Even in arguments with others, I always tried to get in the last word. If I could no it all over again, I would humble myself a bit more, stay in my own lane and only compete against the person that looks back at me in the mirror.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." -Philippians 2:13 My faith plays a major role in who I am today, personally and professionally. I utilize scripture to guide me as a person in and out of the classroom. I no longer compete against others like I used to, I serve instead. I try my best to be a good person to my colleagues and grade level team as this is one trait I noticed ever since I got into teaching. When I first began teaching, I saw the hearts of teachers. During my first year of teaching, I had countless teachers give me some of their resources, time and materials that made my life so much easier. I came from a social work background where people were competitive with one another and tried to do anything to climb the corporate ladder, I don't really see that in teaching. I got into teaching to serve and that's my favorite aspect about 90% of the colleagues I've encountered, they all want to serve and have great hearts.
Adversaries
I definitely don't want to see others fail, I don't want to lift myself up while holding others down. That's not the way I intend to succeed. I feel like there's enough blessings for everyone and we were all created with a unique purpose so I can rest easy with the fact that no one can do what I do if I stay in my own lane (purpose). Just like I can't do what others can do when they're in their own lane (purpose). This is why, "be yourself" is such an easy thing to say but difficult to do because of competition. When we compete against others, we tend to fall off of our lanes and attempt to get into the lanes of others. I've worked with difficult people in the past. When I worked as a social worker, I didn't know how to deal with it. If they got me, I tried to get them back. Eye for an eye and that was always a lose-lose as Covey describes. As a teacher, I never really had to deal with a difficult person up until this year. Our 2nd grade team for this school year experienced some changes, one of our teachers was promoted to a Tech Instructor and another moved to 3rd grade. Due to this change, another teacher joined our team and right away she tried to incorporate "her way" of teaching and pacing. I talked to another colleague and grade level teammate and I asked her how she felt about the new teammate and we shared the some same concerns. She was very demanding, loud and selfish in her ways. We also talked about other co-workers about how to best work with her as her previous team worked with her for a couple years. They also shared the same concerns initially but they advised that the best route was to be honest and upfront with her. We followed this advise and talked to her about how the team will best function and that we're all here for the same purpose, to do what's best for our students so we can equip them to succeed this year and beyond.
References
Steven covey, S.C. (2015). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Habit 4: Think Win-Win. Retrieved 25 September, 2015, from https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit4.php