"Walk A Mile In My Shoes" by Zachary

"Walk A Mile In My Shoes" by Zachary - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

To better understand where someone is coming from, goes the old Indian proverb, it is required of the one seeking greater understanding to "walk a mile in his/her shoes". This carries with it the connotation of walking beside someone for a determinate length (a mile), wearing their shoes, which may or may not fit the wearer. If the "shoes" do not, in fact, fit, then adaptation would certainly be necessary in order to wear them for an entire mile. Since shoes cannot be custom-altered to fit a new wearer, it would seem to indicate the need on the part of the wearer for accommodation to the ill-fitting shoe. In a similar way, when a teacher encounters a student's point of view which differs from that of the teacher, a good teacher will accommodate to the perspective of the student first, then undertake to "walk a mile" with them on the journey towards learning and better understanding of the truth sought. This takes an uncommon amount of humility on the part of the teacher!

In order to teach someone anything, one must first gain their trust. To gain trust, one must first establish that one is for the student. A student who perceives the teacher as being primarily self-serving and disinterested in the point of view or problems of the student will be unable to gain their trust. Gaining trust requires that one find common ground to build on, and that the teacher is able to communicate with the student that they are, in effect, "safe" and in good hands. Only then, after trust is established, can the teacher-student dyad move on to the learning process. A teacher who perceives this will speak and behave gently towards the student, show interest in him/her, and provide positive feedback to reinforce the student's efforts to learn in a respectful way. Again, this requires humility on the part of the teacher.

There is nothing that destroys the trust of a student for a teacher than the teacher's inability to admit when he/she has been wrong about something. A teacher should also be a student; willing to learn at all times. Being able to say "I have made a mistake, and the answer I gave you should have been this, instead..." is not a weakness, but a strength on the part of a teacher. Too many teachers these days are full of ego and pride, and when wrong, are incapable of admitting it to the student for fear that they will be giving up power in doing so. This is a fallacy; nothing could be more wrong! To be able to be trustworthy, and gain the respect and trust of a student, the ability to apologize and admit wrong is a tremendous strength. Great humility is required, but through humility of this sort, greater respect from the student is gained. The ability to see things from the student's perspective can often enable greater humility and goodwill from the teacher.