Thoughts about Lenses

Recently, our school community was fortunate enough to participate in a workshop given by Mark Williams, in which he brings to life the principles he has developed to describe how each of us view people different than ourselves. These “lenses”, as he calls them, are definable and each has its strengths and its weaknesses (or shadows). In the workshop, which was attended by all our school faculty, Mark appeared as different characters, each representing a lens through which some of us interpret race relations or differences between ourselves and others. The character interacted with the participants, challenging us both for what we said, and in the way in which he embodied the behaviors of someone who unconsciously adopts the “lens” in question. The experience was profound, particularly because it challenged each of us to evaluate our own lenses, while encouraging us to lead with the strengths inherent in the lens, and try to move away from the shadows.

His book is The 10 Lenses: Your guide to living and working in a multicultural world.

But the idea of lenses through which we view diversity led a group of us to consider the lenses through which teachers view change. Mark’s lenses on diversity offer an interesting parallel to the reactions of teachers to proposals for innovation. Fundamental is, of course the response of the personality that leads from “yes” and the personality that leads from “no”. Taking these two dichotomous positions and you can fill in a wide range of lenses:

Full acceptance of the new

Willing to be led by someone with conviction

Sceptic, but positive

Sceptic, but negative

I can’t start something new at this point

This is the way it’s always been done

If it was good enough for my grandparents, it‘s good enough for these kids

Then one must flesh out the “strengths” and “shadows” of each lens. This process is the most meaningful. On first attempt we begin to see the deeper meaning behind each lens and appreciate that it is not only valid in context, but has its strengths. With this perspective, we hope to take the shadows into account and move away from the.

For instance, if we take two extreme examples:

Lens	Strengths	Shadows
Full Acceptance of the New	Willing to try new things Does not hesitate to participate, even when prospect is unfamiliar Advocate for new ideas Likely to stay on top of trends and keeps things fresh	Does not discriminate or ask enough questions about validity of change. Invests time in new projects that may not, in the end, pan out. Becomes known for enthusiasm and therefore is written off by colleagues who do not share this lens.
This is the way it’s always been done	Knowledgeable about teaching practices as he/she has practiced them. Clear about what works with children and what doesn’t. Has developed a successful teaching style, judged by the many years of continuous teaching.	Reacts negatively to any hint of proposed change. Stands by his/her reputation but resists evaluation of teaching practices. Does not see the need for professional development. May, unwittingly, be out of touch with colleagues, students, and parents.

For a faculty as a community, there would be tremendous growth in beginning to understand, embrace, and then move on from the shadows of our lenses to our strengths. Each of us view change from a different place. If we were able to develop compassion and understanding for those who come to change from a different viewpoint, wouldn’t we be better able to negotiate the demands of a changing society and student population?

How Do We Get There?

Last Sunday in Meeting for Worship, what rang out to me in the silence were the core values of Sidwell Friends School. I found myself grounded in the following statement, and I put it on paper as soon as I got home.

It begins with a voice. The inner voice. The voice that tells us what is in our heart. Quakers believe that there is “that of God” in every person. It is by listening to our inner voice that we may appreciate the greatness that is within us. We understand that it is through the guidance of our inner voice that we let our lives speak.
In Meetings, both for Worship and for Business, we share what is in our hearts with our community. We honor the voices that we hear through listening with an open heart, mind and spirit. All voices are held equal. We witness the affect that others’ voices may have on us and how we may affect others. It is through this process that we are able to appreciate the power of our own voice.
Teachers, administrators, and parents join together to help students develop their voices. Whether putting their words on a page or vocalizing them, we teach students to articulate their passions. Although they must remain guided by their unique inner voices, we share with students the wisdom and truths that we have gained from experience and teach students how to grow from their own experiences. We instill in them an understanding of the significance of speaking truth to power and provide them with the skills and the confidence to do so.
We recognize as well our responsibility to use our voice as a community. The depth of our values and the richness of our history have made our communal voice an authoritative one. We not only let our life speak as a community, we are also committed to speaking out for peace, for social justice and for environmental stewardship in a world in which the chorus is in equal parts necessary and far too hushed. As we engage in our work as advocates, we speak with one voice.

The statement both grows out of and further inspires the following queries that represent to me areas that we could each help the school grow from Good to Great:

• Do we as faculty, staff, and administrators consistently model being guided by our inner voice?
• Do we hold all voices equal in Meeting for Worship? In Meeting for Business? In daily interactions?
• Do we consider how what we speak will affect others? Do we aim to us language that is sensitive to all in our community?
• Do we effectively mentor students in how they can articulate their passions outside of the classroom?
• Do we develop in each student a confidence in his or her voice in and out of the classroom?
• How do we encourage the school to use its voice as an institution effectively? How can we continue to voice or institutional values to students?