Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Journey to Joy

 The life of an educator, especially at the end of a long school year, is one of inconvenience. But this is not a complaint; it is stated as a good thing.


Do you know about Type I and Type II errors? The former involves erring on the side of inconvenience so as to avoid harm and the latter is being negligent to the point of causing harm. Over the last year several incidents reported in the media have impressed upon me the grave consequences of Type II errors. The news headlines below bear this out:  

July 6, 2013 – Lac Megantic train derailment, 47 dead
An unattended, idling freight train carrying crude oil and parked on the main lines, accidentally became mobile after several observed that it was in distress. Some time during the night it turned into a driverless projectile that derailed and exploded in the busy town center, causing one of the worst rail disasters ever in Canada.

July 24, 2013 – Santiago De Compostela train crash, 79 dead
The driver was accelerating at double the speed limit when the train derailed while going through a bent. Apparently the driver had been boasting on Facebook about his reckless behavior.

March 8, 2014 – missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, 239 presumed dead
It’s hard to believe the negligence of those who for nearly 4 hours failed to report the lack of communication from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

April 16, 2014 – Sewol ferry disaster in the Yellow Seas, 281 dead
It’s even harder to swallow the inaction of the crew of the Sewol, the sunken ferry in South Korean waters. Failing to uphold the ship safety act and abandoning those entrusted into their care, the captain and crew are now being charged with murder and manslaughter.

Type I errors, however, are in sharp contrast to the above events. For example, when we sound a fire alarm in a public place and afterwards find out that we were wrong, we’ve only suffered inconvenience. Inconvenience, however, is not only an act of prevention, but it also means being willing to walk the extra mile. Last week Judge Thokozile Masipa classically displayed a Type I error when she inconvenienced everyone by delaying the Oscar Pistorius court case with a month in order for the South African athlete to be referred for mental observation. The extra time will help her remove potential error as she discerns between reality and her conclusions of a reconstructed reality.

While mistakes occur all the time in schools, they are pronounced in May. Remind yourself that it’s been a long year. Like Masipa, we need to be prepared to commit Type I errors. What does that look like with a few weeks of school left? The acronym below communicates some key points:
 
J – Jaded … you’re tired, don’t jump to conclusions, instead bite your tongue
O – Observe … listen with your eyes, ears and all other senses, be slow to speak
Y – Yield ... lose a battle (or two), you and the other person are needed in the war, just swallow it

While wisdom is available to all who ask, its sluices tend to remain open to those who are prepared to commit Type I errors. Such people are characterized by humility, gentleness, and patience. They carry each other’s burdens, overlook each other’s faults and as they walk the extra mile, they find joy in the journey.