And so, we decided upon sock puppets. And a song in rhyming couplets set to the rhythm of a highly popular Billboard chart-topper of the time. We sang our song (or, more precisely, the sock puppets sang and we merely orchestrated) and I remember looking up at Dr. Robinson and seeing the seed of a smile grow. After many courses with Dr. Robinson more than a decade ago, and teaching myself in three different school settings, I have continued to remember her great zeal for making learning active, engaging, and rigorous for students. The mantra that comes to mind when I think of Dr. Robinson is, undoubtedly, the resolve to practice what one preaches. In every one of Dr. Robinson's lessons and lectures, she consistently embodied that ideal--she modeled for us what effective, engaged, and inspired teaching looks like. And I am deeply grateful for her passion, her enthusiasm, and her wisdom.
So I am very happy to share Dr. Robinson's One True Thing today.
There Are Always Two Sides to a Story
Donna Robinson, Ed.D
Growing up in a small rural town in Maine I
had to make my own excitement. It was the only way it was likely to happen. When I was eight, one
of my favorite positions for doing this was lying on the floor with my ear to
the cold, linoleum floor.
My Dad was a revered Baptist pastor who was
known throughout the little town for his compassionate counseling
abilities. Many an evening those in need
of his countrified wisdom sat crouched close together in his crowded study -
directly below my bedroom.
The ones I liked best were the couples that
came in screaming at the outset – I didn’t have to strain to hear as much as with
the quiet folks. Inevitably, Dad made a firm and unequivocal pronouncement to
the loud combatants. “We are going to hear each of you thoroughly and without
interruption. That means that first one of you will explain your journey to my
doorstep and then the other will do so – without interruption! We are going to
hear both sides of the story.”
Over numerous years I listened to some
pretty interesting stories and I learned a great deal about human nature – and,
no, I was never caught, nor did I ever speak of what I had ascertained. I knew
the gig would be up if I did.
One solidified observation of those
counseling sessions stood out above all others. There really were two sides to every story. Just when
I finished hearing a woman tell her side of the perceived argument and I was
certain her husband was at fault, my Dad would calmly turn to the man and say,
“OK, let’s start at the beginning and hear your perspective.” And then an ever-expanding web of complexity
began to grow.
As a wife, mother, friend, middle school
teacher and professor I have found that learning to not rush to judgment has
been the outgrowth of those days spent listening on the floor.
Both children and adults deserve the
respect of being heard completely – with no interruptions or hasty
conclusions. One true thing that has permeated my many days in the company of my
human companions on this journey is that there
are always two sides to a story. An honest writer always remembers this
when portraying characters and experiences and outside the realm of fiction, I
see the need to act on this as I intersect with those
around me.
