How do people act as windows, doors and mirrors? I have been thinking about the people in my network as a kind of living text set that has enriched my personal and professional life , challenged my thinking, and expanded my knowledge base.
Windows are willing to share their own experiences, customs, traditions, and points of view that are different from my own. Taking time to see the world through their windows has helped me to develop empathy, bring a more global perspective to my own experiences, and be a more creative problem solver. When interacting with someone who is a window, I start with a lens of curiosity. I take time to listen… to stories, to their interests, to their music,to their ideas. I ask questions to gather more information, to learn new words. I ask for recommendations of things to read, places to go, people to meet.
Doors are confident in their own expertise, and are willing to challenge me to try something new. Being willing to accept an invitation to stretch outside my comfort zone -either in thought or in action is always a learning experience, even if it isn’t always fun or successful. When interacting with a door, I start with a learning pit mindset. I ask questions that help me make connections between what I already know and what I hope to learn. I am also willing to ask for help when I find myself in the pit wrestling with that new knowledge or skill.
Mirrors are reflective and willing to ask hard questions to better help me frame my own thinking and ideas. Mirrors also share common interests and experiences with me and can help me to see my best self, especially during times when I need someone to be in my corner or help me to see opportunities to make a positive impact. When interacting with a mirror, I welcome honest feedback, ask questions that might help me see my own blindspots, and listen to suggestions for how I can apply my own skills to a problem.
Who are the windows, doors, and mirrors in your life? What steps do you take to be intentional about adding to your personal and professional network? How do we help students see the importance of having windows, doors and mirrors in their lives? How do we serve in these roles for our colleagues, students, and friends? And…how do we use actual text sets to serve in these roles as well?
Resources To Spark Your Thinking - This week I am sharing resources I include in my ongoing text set
https://theconversation.com/us/education All the articles on this non-profit site are written by academic experts.
https://achievethecore.org/peersandpedagogy/ The Peers and Pedagogy blog is written by educator and education leaders and focuses on practical strategies for classrooms.
Reading Rockets We Are Storytellers Multicultural resources myths, folklore
NPR Goast and Soda - global health and development blog
NPR Story Corp - Stories of real people - it’s like a whole collection of windows
BBC Culture - more windows, and some doors too