It was a difficult day: I battled headaches and this sinus infection… Tami Lincoln from Brandman University presented at the Lilly Online conference a session entitled “Leading with Compassion: Teacher Training in the Midst of Crisis.” Lincoln teaches in an educator training program and started by explaining how students in the courses they teach are struggling. Lincoln spoke about the new reality and struggles that students face. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be seen through a COVID lens: there are conflicts between the safety and love and belonging aspects, for example. Teacher candidates are in the midst of trauma as well. Lincoln spoke about andragogy and the needs of teacher candidates in a time like this. Two maladaptive responses to crisis were explained: self-serving bias was defined as “a preference for blaming external factors for our failures, rather than an internal failure or a character deficiency.” Fundamental attribution error was defined by Lincoln as “a tendency to blame internal factors when others fail, while attributing external factors to our own failure.” Lincoln spoke about the “but what about…” reaction: high standards, academic rigor, the curriculum, preparing for real life, building character are all used as justifications. Lincoln urged us to ask instead: “what about compassion?” A person-first approach forms the basis of compassion, explained Lincoln, and spoke about the power of acknowledging difficulty and encouraging resiliency! Compassion can also mean offering resources and helping make accommodations to assist students. Lincoln emphasized that learning and compassion are not mutually exclusive. Maintaining engagement and creating productive contexts is key for meaningful learning, and Lincoln stated that the instructor is responsible for creating these environments. “Content is context” was explained by Lincoln as an opportunity to explore context to make learning connected and meaningful. Lincoln ended by saying “compassion is contagious… and one of the most critical characteristics we can model and pass on to our teacher candidates.” This was an uplifting session! I am glad I watched it on a difficult day. I have enjoyed watching discussion forum posts and interactions on Zoom this and last week. While it is not the same as being in the classroom, it is the learning environment we create together that makes it fun and meaningful. I am realizing the space can be virtual and still have humanity, learning, and compassion.
