The time has come where I am now halfway through my first year as President of my Teachers Association. I have been serving the last six months with my co-president, who has been showing me the ropes about what it’s like to be an Association leader. On the surface, it seems like an eternal list of meetings and appointments. Which, in reality it is, but it is much more at the heart of the beast.
Being a leader in the Association has not only helped me to work past some of my weaknesses and anxieties, such as public speaking and just getting out and meeting people. It has also helped me to become more confident in my abilities, as well as becoming more in tune with the world that goes on around us. It has helped me to see that even though things may seem placid on the surface, the turbulent current underneath the glass-like sheen of the world is constantly in motion.
While attending the many meetings, summits, and conferences, the one thing that is always prevalent are the ideas and knowledge being shared by others. Often time we try to rethink everything and recreate the wheel. I used to be guilty of that myself. However, being in the meeting rooms with people who have walked the walk and have experienced numerous things in the past, you learn to take that wisdom and reuse it, with some modifications, to promote the interests of your own organization. Now this doesn’t mean that everything you do is a carbon copy of some other idea that you have heard, but instead they are like starting points that you can use to manifest something that is unique in its own right; something that is special for your own organization.
I have always been one to speak out for myself and others, but being in my current position I have begun to fine tune the art of being political. It is amazing how changing around a simple sentence structure can change the timbre of a request, while still maintaining its urgency and necessity. You learn how to navigate through the tumultuous rapids of politics and enable yourself to get the best result you can for your members and the organization as a whole. Perhaps this is the big issue that people have against the unions, that we are always trying to get the best results for our members. Unfortunately, that is what a union is there to do. It exists to protect the rights of the employees and to provide them with a fair system of due process. Our society is founded upon the principle of everyone having rights, so it is only fair that those rights transcend the private sector and become part of our working environment. In teaching, our working environment is the students’ learning environment.
As an only child I often times would get the things that I wanted. Maybe not right when I wanted them, but eventually my parents found a way to get me what I desired. However, in this position you learn quickly that you can’t always have what you ask for and the art of negotiation is your only resort. There are so many instances that I can recall in my life where a simple demand was made, and the request was granted. However, when it comes to negotiations dealing with salary, benefits, working conditions, or one of the other thousand things we deal with, the simple act of compromise goes a long way. Too many times people think that it is easy to go in and demand everything you want and that the other side will see to it that your wishes are granted. Unfortunately, when dealing with another group of individuals, who also have their own interests to look out for, the task is not so simple. Before I became involved in this whole scenario, I too have to admit that I thought it would be easier than it was. Now, after some time in this venue, I have discovered that you really do catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar, and there are always two sides to a coin.
Don’t misinterpret me being sympathetic to compromise the wrong way. It is not a subtle call of defeat or timidness. Being surrounded by the people I have been since my epic journey began, you learn when to standup and when to push the limits. I have been blessed to interact with some amazing people who have a lot experience behind them. If there is one thing that you should know about me it is that I am ALWAYS observing and measuring the room. There is never a time that I am sitting there in idle with my engine just purring along. I am always thinking, calculating, planning, and preparing. There are very few details that go unnoticed to me and don’t become part of my overall strategy. Observing is one of the principle ways that I learn. Many people talk too much and think they have all the answers, or they ask too many questions at inappropriate times trying to flaunt their “knowledge”. It is amazing, being in the situations and surrounded by some of the people I have been, what you can learn by just simply shutting your mouth and watching. You learn how to use your words to your advantage and the opponents words to their demise. You learn about things that are integral to carrying out your day-to-day duties. Just by seeing and imitating what you have observed you can garner a wealth of knowledge without even lifting a finger.
I have learned, though, that while silence is golden, when the situation presents itself to pick the minds of others who have been where you are, you should not pass it up. When I first started doing this I felt as though I was being a nuisance to them. There is one person in particular that I ask A LOT of questions to, but they kindly answer them and give me the help and guidance that I seek. The advice that I have gotten from this person, and the others I have talked to, is invaluable. It behooves a person to take their words to heart, because they have been there. They have walked in your shoes, and now they are where you want to someday be. The coolest thing about talking to different people is when you start to hear the same message being delivered. When that starts to happen you really need to remember those things, because it’s not just a coincidence that multiple people have advised you to do the same thing. Again, don’t recreate the wheel when you don’t need to.
On top of all the things I have mentioned, being in this position has impressed upon me how much you are able to help people. The average union member isn’t aware of ALL the rules, rights, and policies – that’s your job. So, when they come to you with an issue or a problem, and they are seeking your advice and help, you’re there to do the best that you can for them. Even though sometimes the members come to me in an awful situation, and I might not be able to help them in a way that they want, making the problem go away. I am still able to provide them some solace and a helping hand through the process. I am a fresh set of objective ears to hear the concerns, and a beacon of hope in what can be some tough times. It feels wrong to say that it makes me feel good when I help people who are at such a low point in their day, week, year, or life. I guess, instead, you can say it makes me feel content that I was able to assist in whatever way I could.
So, what does all of this mean? At first glance, it seems like I have just rambled on about horde of things I have done over the last few months. Perhaps it is, but the lessons I have learned, why so simply put on paper, have been life changing. I have seen and experienced a lot in such a short time, and every day I grow from what I go through. Forever remembering that I am there to help people and to do what I think is right. Will I always be right, no way, but you learn from those times when you are wrong, and make it better next time.
These first six months have been a wild ride, but it is a ride that I hope will last for a long time to come.
