Affirm, Engage, Invite

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How have you found the places and purposes where you flourish?

How have you cultivated and grown others?

Let’s see how you as a professional — newbie, veteran, everything in between — relate to the following story.

I was a first-year French and Spanish teacher. Hadn’t majored in languages. Hadn’t planned on going into education. Three state supervisors show up unannounced, and are now in my room, observing.

At the end of the class, these intimidating leaders do three things. Three transformational things.

First, they sit down in a circle with me, no papers in sight. They ask me how I experienced that class, listen, and share their own love of language. They affirm me as a colleague.

Second, after noting happily that I stay in the target language, they ask how much use my students make of the language. They are there to help me reflect. They engage me as a professional.

Third, they tell me there is a conference, and ask me to be on a panel. They observe this raw teacher and trust me to join others, to share. They invite me as a partner.

Affirm. Engage. Invite.

These three steps changed my life, and launched me into a professional career — but even more wonderful, gave me the three words with which we all can transform the lives of children and adults in family and work, friendships and associations. They changed me, so that I was able to help change the world, all for the better.

Pass it on!

This essay comes from my acceptance speech upon receiving the Founder’s Award from SCOLT (Southern Conference on Language Teaching) March 2014.

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