All that to begin a post about "humility", the vocabulary word in question. When I introduce, and then we continue to practice with new vocabulary words, class discussions are the fuel for our learning fire. Typically after we have spent some time studying a list of words, students are asked to present one of the words to the class. They can use it in a sentence, draw a picture, give an example of a real-life event that illustrates the word, or simply use their own definition to tell the meaning of the word. This past Tuesday when I put humility on the board, it was because a particular student chose it as the word he wanted to present. This student chose "humility" precisely because he struggled to understand it's meaning. That was so awesome and apropos! And so we ran with it. It sat on the board and we talked. At first glance the student felt it had a negative connotation. With a little unearthing, the class determined he was confusing humility with humiliation. This prompted a discussion of humiliation, and students declaring instances of humiliation in their lives:
- being berated for not knowing what to do
- feeling "small" because we forgot our homework or laptop or ID card
- being told by peers we are not welcome at a lunch table that we worked up the courage to approach
- various things our parents do that make us feel like little kids instead of the budding young adults our middle school age indicates
After some serious discussion and some laughs at the many ways we tolerate and survive humiliation, we were back to humility. We talked about humility being the catalyst that can stop humiliation in its tracks. When we need to ask for the directions again and a teacher says, "It's OK, let me explain them to you a different way." or when we forgot our homework or laptop and the teacher says, "I get it, yesterday I forgot my phone at home", or "I forgot my laptop too!" Humility is the sense that I am not better than you, and you are not better than me, but we are both human! We both make mistakes. We both do some pretty amazing things too! Humility says you and I are on the same team regardless of our differences. Humility says, "I will follow the rules right along with you" or "I will sit next to you at the same desk or table, and we will work this out together." Humility says we are equals in terms of being worthy of respect, kindness and gentleness, even in the midst of our mistakes. Humility says you don't need to be afraid to say the wrong answer because you are safe choosing the word that is most difficult, so that together we can understand it better.
I have a feeling this particular group of kids has found a word to drive their intentions for the next few weeks or months. I plan to follow right alongside them. Not ahead, not behind, but arm in arm. I am humbled by their presence, by their bravery in learning and by their honesty in sharing. Together we will use humility to demolish humiliation.
