Sunday, May 29, 2016

Changing My View


Today's #Digilit Sunday is all about perspective..."Changing My View"
"Perspective has a Latin root meaning "look through" or "perceive," and all the meanings of perspective have something to do with looking. If you observe the world from a dog's perspective, you see through the dog's eyes. In drawing, perspective gives your drawing the appearance of depth or distance. If we say someone "has perspective," we mean she has a sensible outlook on life."     Source:  Vocabulary.com

I wanted to spend today sharing about how what I learned from the #educoach tweet chat on Thursday changed my view.

The chat was focused on responding to questions from Chapters 8 and 9 from the book, Better Conversations by Jim Knight.  I haven't read the book, yet.  So, I mostly lurked during the chat.  There were some resources shared that helped me to learn about having "Better Conversations".

The first is the idea of empathy...watch this short digital text on "Empathy" and I'll see you on the other side:



The big takeaway from this video for me is that "empathy fuels connection" and by being connected, I can make a situation better.  As I build relationships with the teams of teachers, I aim to better my connections.  One of the quotes I really related to was "I know what it's like and you're not alone."  I will also be more cognizant of trying not to "silver-line" things.  

The other source of learning I connected with from the chat was the video Kathy Perret shared in her tweet about body language that she learned from Elena Aguilar, author of The Art of Coaching which is officially on my TBR pile.
Take the time to watch this Ted Talk...body language has an amazing impact on perception!

I have realized that my body language is doing a lot of non-verbal speaking.  The way others see my body responding and the way I see myself has a lot to do with how I'm communicating.  If I want to have better conversations and a more empathic perspective, my body language must be considered in the conversations.

I connect this to #digilit Sunday as I change my views to better understand others while living, learning and leading in my role as an instructional coach.


A special thank you to Margaret Simon for hosting #digilit Sunday and inviting me to write on the topic to share with others.  Head there now and check out other responses to "Perspective".

6 comments:

Julieanne said...

Thank you for sharing these powerful points. My take away is the idea of "fixing " something isn't possible sometimes. Just saying I'm so glad you told me that, or I'm glad I could be here for you is what helps people through difficult times. Our "natural" impulses aren't always good ones.

Margaret Simon said...

Thanks for sharing where your thinking is coming from. Pay attention to these connections. Something is stirring in you that will be a positive change, I'm sure. Love the video on empathy. We all need that lesson.

Tara said...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Amy - I want to share that video with my kids, to encourage empathetic talk.

Leigh Anne Eck said...

This video certainly brings up some interesting points. I think as a mom, I am more inclined to "silver line" things, which I had never really thought about. I also like the point about empathy fueling connection. Thanks for making me think today.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing the Brene Brown video. "Empathy fuels connection" is such a critical understanding, as is the distinction between sympathy and empathy. These ideas will be helpful to me as I work through some tricky situations at work in the coming weeks.

Amy said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I, too, enjoyed last week's #educoach chat. I loved the Jim Knight book and Elena Aguilar's books- great reads!