No More Lies

Let's suppose for a moment that we decided to be totally honest, with ourselves and with others. Not the kind of honesty that has to announce that you cheated on your diet, or had naughty thoughts about someone. No, I'm talking about owning up to the lies we tell ourselves to help justify the things we do in this life. Outside of the classroom, and more specifically, in the classroom. When we tell ourselves that we know what is best for our kids, do we?  When we say we are doing what is best for the students, is it? What about the times we act harshly, or make expectations that are out of reach and we convince ourselves that we are acting in our kids best interest. Are we? There are a hundred stories we tell ourselves to make us feel better about the way we carry ourselves in the class. Problem is, in the long run they don't really make us feel better, and they certainly do not make us better teachers. What can make us better is simply stepping back from ourselves for a moment and deeply seeing what we are doing. Deeply looking at our kids. Chances are, if you can do this honestly and with compassion, you will find that a lot of pretense will fall away. Then do you know what you are left with? Truth. A way a looking at what you are doing which has no deception. The charade is gone and you can see what you are doing for what is really is. Then a wonderful thing happens. You start acting from a place of integrity, openess, and compassion. There is no more need to lie to anyone, because what you are doing is completely honest, even when it may not be skillful. And it doesn't matter, because you see things for what they are, not what you want them to be. Then you can't help but make the changes you couldn't never make when you were lying to yourself, and the children in your care.