The complexity of this thought wafted into my brain as I trudged from my little car to the Imaging department of the hospital. I was unsure what excitement awaited me but I know in Alice Springs they are really good at this stuff. As I approached various doors I could see the doubtful image of myself at 7.45 in the morning. Yes I was wearing a nice shirt and jeans but that probably didn’t matter as no doubt I would be asked to take the shirt off. My guess was the imaging was about my heart - typical of the fun you have at 72. Then my eyes wandered towards my gait as I walked. Yep I still limped and of course have for the past 27 years. Yes, but do I limp more or less and then I reproached myself for limping at all due to the fact it was as a result of stupidity at a time when the human body is supposedly bullet proof but in fact isn’t.

These myriads of thoughts and analysis crowded my mind for the five-minute walk to Imaging at my meeting with the ultrasound. Wow - aren’t our minds complicated! But our image of whom we are is such a large accumulation of experiences many of which can be negative and unhelpful and on the other hand many which can be positive and enhancing. I believe as teachers we should aim for the second and therefore make a positive difference to the lives of our students and the image they have of themselves. Another aim should be to be inclusive of all students and to make sure your keen interest covers all of them not just the chosen few.

As teachers we are practised at finding lessons in everything. It is probably why many teachers are drawn away from a lesson of rigour to recount something they know will be maybe more interesting to the students. Kids love good stories and will listen to them. “Hey miss/sir tell us the one about…………”

At school I was an average runner and could never understand why I couldn’t go faster and beat those who normally beat me. My PE teacher, whom I liked, gave me an explanation, but gave it to me in front of the class. It was that my left leg would go a little (or more than a little) out to the side, rather than keeping in a straight line, therefore causing me to lose ground. I appreciated him pointing out this deficiency to me, but probably would have preferred it not to have been in front of the class.

Not everything was learnt in my teacher training. Rather I learnt that lesson in grade 6 well before teacher training. I am not eternally scarred by it but as a teacher hopefully have never pointed out something like this about a student in front of a class. Sure things were different then but it was a lifelong lesson for me to be careful of students’ feelings.

In my five minute walk, as I viewed anxious patients awaiting attention, I mentally celebrated that our democracy isn’t so bad and whilst Medicare may need attention we are well ahead of so many other countries. This thought lead me to a favourite book of mine “The Future of Freedom” by academic and journalist Fareed Zaharia. I was first introduced to him when he made a presentation at NAIS (the American ISC) held in Montreal in winter when the river was still frozen! It is an interesting read and in it he tackles the issue of democracy. One of the points he made was that wars were fought principally by young men aged 17 to 25 at a time when their brains hadn’t evolved past the notion of being bullet proof.

This always, as an educator and a teacher and devotee of Outdoor Ed, was a concern to me. She’ll be right mate! I broached this with the older students many times and pointed out that in war young men do get killed and there will be bullets flying around with their name on it. Of course bullets are paralleled with drinking too much, driving too fast, drink driving, rock climbing without careful use of protection, gambling, swimming in risky areas etc. etc. I pointed out that there were two possible reasons why I limped which they all knew. I did because it was obvious. I fell two meters off a rock face into a waterfall in Cradle Mountain National Park, onto my back, yes onto a pointed rock. Yep, no protection and being an idiot and twenty. The second was at Monash Uni bowling my heart out on the indoor nets trying to get a spot in the firsts and wrecking my back. Did I warm up or warm down - no we don’t do that. Yep I was too tough to care, and was I an idiot? - Sadly yes. This teaching type moment was not lost on everyone. The deputy school captain, who was a lad, said, “Hey Sir, I got your story about the bullet having my name on it”. I guess teaching can be filled with possible Mother Theresa moments - if you reach one person it has surely all been worthwhile!

Let’s move away from the focus on the careless and irresponsible and return to the concept of “who am I” and the role a person’s image plays in this. This is not simply confined to a classroom unit on personal image but is a never ending challenge to all in education. It may be enhanced through a classroom unit - great - but it may be a conversation or a well-chosen one line comment. In fact it can be anything at any time. This challenge emphasises that educators are not only there to deal with a subject but are intricately involved in young peoples’ development and in this can make a real difference. Teachers have many, many opportunities to enhance the image students have of themselves. Obviously knowing the students well is useful. A friendly positive but genuine comment is a real winner. Encouragement goes along way- “I reckon you can do it”.

One sad characteristic projected by some students, often the “naughty” ones, was the following. If I asked the student to tell me what they weren’t good at they would give me a long litany of “stuff”. On the other hand if I asked them what they were good at, the list was tiny. The human mind is so strange! However the next task was to tease out from them all the things they were good at and the list was usually very surprising to them. Doing this may take an investment of sometime and I found the use of an old gold balance to be helpful (or even a ruler over some sort of convenient fulcrum) can easily show them how out of balance the view of themselves was. Practical examples often trump words. Obviously this could be followed up in the days after with a number of “how is a, b or c going?” possibly said, maybe, just as you pass in the playground. Again a good dose of encouragement is very helpful. A fine mantra for all teachers is “look for the good in all kids no matter whom they are”.

A teacher I worked with for a long time was a brilliant scientist. He had a PHD and had worked in the big league in Silicon Valley. He decided he liked the art of teaching and set out to change careers. Whilst I respected his scientific ability what really impressed me was the way he handled an under 14 football team on a bus ride after the match. I was the bus driver. It was clear that he had established a really positive relationship with the students in a very short time. How valuable that was. Later I watched him with students on the occasion of the transit of Venus. They crowded around the telescope, enthusiastic because they knew he was a scientist, and they loved relating to him which enhanced his capacity to teach and enthuse. So much teaching is indeed about relationship. This teacher is able to teach a whole range of subjects because he has great knowledge but is really good at establishing healthy, positive relationships and is a great communicator.'

There is a created teaching term and that is “Telationship”. Translated is: teaching is actually about relationship - establishing positive constructive relationships which enhance a student’s idea about “Whom They Are”.

Written By Chris Tudor