I have always been a “rule-follower.” A quick Google search, AI definition says that as a rule-follower I consistently adhere to established rules, guidelines, and norms, often demonstrating dependability and a preference for structure and predictability. Was it because the rules were important to me, that I did not want to get in trouble, that I respected authority, or that without rules “chaos would ensue.” As I grew, I never really thought too much about it. I just was a rule-follower.
Once in sixth grade my teacher yelled at me as I got caught up in the wrong group of kids, doing things I "should have known better to be doing" (more on that in a different Blog). Eventually I learned to drive, and while I followed and still follow the laws of the road, I do tend to speed. Am I bending the rules? Another search defines “bending the rules" as deviating from or ignoring rules in a way that is considered unimportant or not harmful, often to suit one's own convenience or to help someone else. If one bends the rules, does that still mean the rules are being broken?
History is loaded with examples of both those that follow the rules – and without having done so, ____ would never have happened – and those that did not follow the rules – and with having done so, _____ would never have happened. While I find it interesting that both contexts can be positive and both negative, depending on that context, what I am more drawn to thinking about is the thinking that goes along with that choice: Is there any thought? Does age matter? Does the community play a part? How much does the context affect the outcome (etc.)? These take some of my mental space and time because they relate to my life in education, especially because I work at the middle level where all students are learning and growing, using the rules and boundaries to sometimes confirm and sometimes adjust the foundation of who they are.
In the field of psychology, Lawrence Kohlberg created the Heinz Dilemma as a study on the stages of moral development. From a theoretical point of view, the response itself does not matter too much; rather it is the justification of the response. Briefly, the dilemma is on whether or not a man should break into a pharmacy to steal a drug to save his dying wife (HERE is the dilemma in Wikipedia). If he breaks into the lab, is he bending the rules or breaking them? If he is breaking them, is it all right because he is saving his wife’s life? How does it change – or does it – if his wife is simply sick and not dying? The justifications of this dilemma and its various shapes, sizes, and forms is seen weekly from middle-school principal perspective. Fortunately the illustration with someone dying is not part of my days, but the stages of ethics and morality in obedience and self-interest, as well as conformity and social contracts can definitely be seen...and not just with the students.
Many of you probably know and see that I have AM and PM “bus duty” (mainly at the 7th/8th campus with Ms. Sommerstad doing the same at the 6th grade campus). I greet students as they arrive and wish them well as they depart. I notice in particular the "dilemma" in the morning and afternoon parent drop-off and pick-up practice. I notice those that follow the school’s expectations being courteous or at least aware of other parents, students, and the identified system: they wait in line, zippering in when appropriate, they wait until the designated zone, and they are mindful of being at a school so they are safe for everyone. I also notice those with what appears to be self-interest: cutting off other drivers, dropping off/picking up wherever they can, and sometimes yelling or using inappropriate gestures when they feel they have been offended. I am often dumbfounded that even when clear expectations have been given on our proper procedures, they will pass others and then stop to drop off their child right in the front of the passing lane. My observation is that this breaks both obedience as well the social contract stages (and all those in between) of Kohlberg's Dilemma.
Less than two months of the school year remain. Math MCAs are this week; more celebrations, concerts, and events are in less than a mone; and more valuable learning is yet still to do. The annual Climate Survey will soon be shared, seeking your thoughts on how my staff and I are doing and looking for ways in which you see we could improve. Please complete it with reaching out to me with any specifics. Thank you for following the rules, thank you for reaching out to me directly with curiosity and requests when the rules might need to be bent a little (from your perspective and context instead of a self-interest), and thank you for collaborating with us in the development and improvements of our social contracts. It is through communication and collaboration that we remain positive and can be responsive to life at a middle school in the 21st century.
Noteworthy
- Tuesday, April 8 - Friday, April 11: Math MCAs (6-8)
- Wednesday, April 16: Sprting Student-Athlete Eligibility Warning