A Place for Uncertainty
When you are asked a question, how often do you admit you don’t know?
I listened to a thought provoking podcast this morning that left me pondering. Nate Hagen shared The Three Most Important Words We’re Taught Not to Say. I recommend you set aside half an hour to listen and reflect. I’d love to hear what you think.
But I suspect most of you will flag it for “later” and it will get swallowed up in all the other “later” tasks. No worries! That happens for me too.
So, I’ll give you a quick recap - Hagen summarizes how we are conditioned to present our views with certainty, often fabricating to fill the gaps, when we face questions in life.
He says this happens on three levels:
At our physiological level, uncertainty feels bad.
Our human brains are “prediction engines” guessing what’s about to happen. We scan for threats to our safety and for survival purposes, sorting through possible mental scenarios to quickly choose the worst case option. Then our uncomfortable gut pushes us to act as though it is true, opting for self-preservation.At our world view level, Hagen says, “our beliefs develop antibodies to change.”
We’re all familiar with the impact that bias has on how we hear things and how we process new information. Smart people become really good at rationalizing our positions and confidently refuting those who disagree with us.At the cultural level, authority bias prompts us to accept on face value what is proclaimed by those who we perceive as authorities, including those who are actual authorities and those who position themselves as authorities.
We are more likely to buy a product from someone who confidently claims benefits we want, often without examining any supporting evidence.
Hagen goes on to explore implications of avoiding “I don’t know” in several aspects of our lives, including related to artificial intelligence. Worth a listen!!
So what does this have to do with inclusion, you wonder?
Well, where does uncertainty belong in our commitment to create inclusive school communities? I don’t know, but I have a few ideas worth pondering. I look forward to reading yours in the comments below.
When launching a new initiative, what if we say, “I don’t know how this new method will change your teaching approach, but we chose it because…” instead of, “These strategies will work for every teacher and every student”?
When the new co-teacher questions the instructional method we always use for this concept, what if we say, “I don’t know what you’re thinking - please explain.” instead of, “She’s new and hasn’t gotten on board yet”?
When a student exhibits inappropriate behavior, what if we say, “I don’t know why they behaved that way,” instead of, “They’re oppositional,” or “They’re an attention seeker”?
When a parent doesn’t return our call, what if we say, “I don’t know why. I wonder if there’s a better way to reach this parent?,” instead of, “I guess they don’t care about their child’s education”?
What are your examples of when “I don’t know” could lead to more possibilities, learning something new, and (maybe) unlearning something old? I can’t wait to learn from you.
