on questioning authority.

My first job was as a busgirl.  Memories of marinara drenched cloth napkins, crusty, caked Parmesan shakers, and silver sauce cups overflowing with wasted “ranches on the side” reminded me of my 1990’s glory days as a fourteen-year-old on the mean streets of Detroit suburbia.  

In those days I was paid “under the table,” which strikes me now as fitting, since so much of this neighborhood Italian gem was “under the table.”  Especially the bread situation.  

Busgirl job description number 4: Clear consumed bread baskets from tables, but do not dispose uneaten bread slices or fresh rolls.  Brush out crumbs and refill basket for next table.  

Umm, excuse me?  You want me to reuse the bread? The rolls that people touched and maybe even licked? Even my teeny bopping, Dr. Pepper flavored lip-glossed butt knew that that was, like, so wrong, like, you know, like?!

My voice was far from existent in that dining establishment, but I did make sure to throw away that nasty used bread whenever I had the chance.  Looking back, I wish I would’ve questioned the manager and gotten fired with some dignity.  I would’ve said, sir, would you serve your children this bread?

Meeting motherhood for the first time, last year, I now ask that question often at work.  Would I serve my daughter this lesson?  

I have been fortunate in my career to take a path both in teaching and leadership, where opportunities lead me to experience a wide range of roles in various geographical locations.  I guess you could say I spent my twenties “finding myself” as an educator and learning from my many failures in hopes of becoming a better educator someday.   

Still failing and learning from it, I reflect on the core values that evolved into my beliefs today. And honestly, not much has changed.  The core is the core.  It’s the core, like my conscience that tells me to stand up for what I believe in and challenge authority when something isn’t right.  

In theory, we should only work hard for what we believe in.  But in reality, and especially as we grow older, we can’t just jump job to job searching for the right fit.  Adulthood brings responsibility, and maturity brings the willingness to persevere and uphold commitments.  

So, at what point as leaders and teachers, do we stop compromising our values to keep our jobs?  Or to please our bosses?  Or to avoid conflict?  Or because we’re so damn tired?  

I think it starts with an organization or school’s mission and vision. Do you believe in yours? Not the one on paper, but the kind of mission and vision that you feel in the classroom, the hallway, the playground, the cafeteria and the library.  Not the talk the talk mission and vision...the walk the walk mission and vision.  

Perhaps we can lean on the mission and vision of our schools to question authority.  If your school’s goal is to “create independent thinkers,” and your instructional coach is constantly encouraging you to spoon-feed lessons to students, then you might have some ground to stand on when suggesting you move toward Socratic seminars.   

I’m not suggesting you whip out the student handbook with the glossed up mission and vision to prove your coach wrong, but I think school leaders and teachers are too often staying quiet about things that matter.  Approaching authority with extreme professionalism and respect, might be worth the satisfying feeling of not only being heard, but standing up for what’s right.  No matter the outcome.  

Power to the teacher.