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"Just the facts, ma'am"

I've thought about how much the job of a teacher is like that of a police officer: upholding rules of behavior; looking out for the greater good; protecting the rights of all to a safe environment; having "situational awareness"-which sounds very much like mindfulness.

Another similarity of the two jobs is the insistence on truth. I recently read an engrossing book by David Simon, called, "Homicide", (Holt paperbacks, 1992). For an entire year Simon, a crime reporter for the Baltimore Sun, shadowed officers in the homicide division of the Baltimore Police Department. Simon creates a vivid portrait of his characters, their language, stresses, and their day-to-day activities.

 One of the things that struck me is the prevalence  of lying they have to confront.  The detectives can almost assume that any suspect  is going to spew falsehoods,  or shade the truth. Or simply say  nothing at all. It's as if the detectives swim in a sea of constant deception and illusion. 

Like many schools today, ours has a police officer (sometimes called a school resource officer) on duty. I recently asked our officer, Kim Boyd, about the same subject- people lying. She writes,

" I do think many people lie.  I think it is sometimes intentional and others not. People do not want to look bad or admit faults so it is easier to lie or "remember" things that did not actually happen or "forget" things that did.  I do expect it as a police officer and I am often very skeptical of people..."

Perhaps our brains have evolved to distort or even forget information that is too painful or threatening to deal with. 

Truth plays  a big part in teaching too. First, we are trying to teach the big, universal truths - about the universe, about mathematical relationships, about cultures and societies. One of the goals of educators is to give children an accurate view of the world- a tough job. Even if our facts are accurate, which do we focus on? And how do we ensure students get those facts? 

Even more difficult is getting at truth in our interactions with students. Did Susie really turn in that essay, as she claims to have? Did Johnny's printer really break down over the weekend? Did Billy really call Molly  a *****?  (And how  much time do I have to follow up on this?)

And there are the different lenses we look through. 

Like every teacher,  I sometimes have conflicts in my classroom- some significant. And when I question the  students afterward, I can get two completely different versions of an event- an event which I may have witnessed myself. 

"I saw you punch Martha in the arm", I might say. ... "I didn't punch her. It was just horseplay," comes the reply. Even when there is rough agreement that something did happen, students can interpret it differently. 

And to be honest, I'm sure there have been times when my perceptions have been shaded, or inaccurate, although I try to keep committed to the truth. 

It's no surprise that more police, as well as teachers, are turning to mindfulness to help them navigate their complicated jobs- to remain calm when the heat is on, and to see things a bit more clearly. 



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