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That’s Not My Job!
By Chris Mortensen, Principal
Greenville High School
I found myself interested as I read the article by
Ryan Cox this week entitled, “It’s not my fault.” It related well
to thoughts that frequently crossed my own mind as an educator in
Greenville. I had been contemplating on a couple different
directions to go for communicating concerns for educating our youth,
but his article lead me in another direction with my original ideas
becoming follow up articles.
Has it ever come to your attention that we tend to
use the swingset model when it comes to addressing issues in society
and education? Our community and society as a whole has made
numerous changes in thought over the past 15 – 20 years. For
example, the “It’s not my fault” mindset is of our own making. We
saw some concerns that needed to be addressed, but instead of stepping
back and rationally seeking corrective measures to address these
problems, we allow a strong, hurried push to allow the swing to race
out of control to the complete opposite side of the
pendulum. This creates an entirely new set of
concerns, possibly worse than the previous issues we were dealing
with. Wisdom tells us that had time been taken to make changes
appropriately, then we could avoid creating deeper issues, but this has
not been the case.
I remember growing up and witnessing people from
different walks of life making efforts to reach the same goals.
They would agree that the direction was correct and then mutually work
to get there together. Time and energy was given to the effort by
all involved and you would rarely hear the comment, “That’s not my
Job!” I have been intrigued and at times disappointed to find
that many road blocks to helping the educational process advance in
Greenville for the benefit of all our youth was haulted by 5 simple
words, “That is not my Job” and a lack of connection to the real
productive direction of education.
I have spent my entire life dedicated to learning
and the pursuit of improving educational techniques for all
students. In this, I am often amazed to see parents, students and
staff who respond to the simple actions taken to make things happen
with the comment, “That’s not your job.” Students observe an
administrator wiping down a table or mopping up a spill. When it
snows, they see an administrator outside shoveling snow, using the snow
blower or putting down some sidewalk salt to make sure students and
staff are as safe as possible. When substitute issues arise the
team will work to place an administrator in the classroom to engage in
educating our students. Each of these receiving the comment, “Why
are you doing that, that is not your job?”
Now, these examples are not given to gain praise or
a pat on the back, but it is to express concern that many in our
society believe that if they are not specifically getting paid or a
benefit for themselves for something, then they should not have to do
it. “It is not their Job!” I would also argue that students
are learning all the time and observation is their best model for this
learning. In opposition to the previous thought that “it is not
my job,”
I
would argue that we all have a responsibility in growing our youth
educationally, from the custodian to the parent and from the teachers
to the local community member to mention a few. My employer,
Greenville City Schools, and the parents who have their kids in the
school, hired me and all of the employees here at GHS to educate our
youth and while one could argue that the items mentioned earlier are
not really educating, I would say its obvious that they are watching
and learning. They watch their parents, they watch their peers,
and they watch the behaviors of all they come into contact with.
This shapes their picture frame and the design that makes up the canvas
of their learning, which will play out as their values and character.
I can
honestly say that I would not want the lesson that we pass on to our
youth to be that we only do what we get paid to do or only personally
receive benefit from. I want our youth to learn many things and
one of those is that we should always be willing to have the character
to do what it takes to make a difference. The opposite to this is
the creation of a population of selfish, selfserving people who only
give of themselves if there is a personal gain.
I would like to offer a few final thoughts that I
will expound upon in articles to come. As students leave the high
school I would like for them to take bits of wisdom from the past that
will help them in displaying excellent character for their
future. “You will only reap what you sow,” “The time you
invest in helping and supporting others will come back to you ten
fold.” “Learning does not begin and end with the doors of
Greenville City Schools.” “A positive attitude is the
difference between success and failure.” And “You have only
failed when you give up.” “Become a person of value with deep
conviction and character rather than one with a mind for success
only.” “The best lessons learned are those that are lived.”
Finally, If everyone says, “It is not my job,” then the job will never
get done! Make a difference and no matter what you are faced with
always say, “I am the one to get it done and make a
difference!”
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