"I live by two words: tenancity and gratitude." —Henry Winkler
From time to time, I reflect on my law and
teaching career, looking to capture my sentiment in the moment in one word.
Recently, I watched an interview with Henry Winkler as he discussed the ups and
many downs of his acting career after the hit television show, Happy Days, ended
in 1984. The word that stuck with me was that he was grateful for everything.
Grateful. Work hard and be grateful. During the ups and the downs. Appreciate
current and former colleagues, mentors and mentees, and all of the people
you’ve met along the way.
I am grateful to the professors interviewed for my
recent book. Unknown to them, they elevated my game as I edited their chapters.
When students ask me about time management techniques, I tell them to be
strategic and efficient with their time. To learn how and when to say no. But
if I listened to my own advice, I likely would’ve passed on a great
opportunity. As I was re-reading about the amazing work these Master Teachers
are doing with their students, I was inspired to say yes.
This led me to take on the task of recruiting and
coaching a team of three students to compete in a three-day international
mediation competition hosted by a neighboring university. These students
weren’t in my Consumer Law class, had zero exposure to mediation training, and
went up against many students who were Conflict Resolution majors. They had
five weeks to learn how to mediate a dispute and switch roles from mediator to
advocate to client in mock mediation sessions. The same amount of training time
that Rocky had to fight world champion, Apollo Creed. The students worked hard
and performed admirably. They demonstrated skill, patience, empathy, and poise
under pressure, and articulated reflective insights. (And if I’m permitted to
beam proudly here, they reached the semi-finals with a collective mediator
score ranking 5th in a 22-team field.)
Author Dan Millman wrote: “The journey is what brings us happiness, not the
destination.” I am grateful to the
students who sacrificed their time during this adventure to learn and experience
something new. In turn, these types of interactions facilitate my personal growth. All of which motivates me to seek out my next
quest.
Please
take a moment in your busy lives to express gratitude to the people you work
with. Continuously. Even if (Especially if?) your workday
sometimes feels like the movie, Groundhog Day.
Excerpt, Innovative College Teaching (2024)
#1
Amazon BEST SELLER and #1 NEW RELEASE in Teacher & Student Mentoring (Jan./Feb.
2024)
c 2024 Perry Binder
.jpg)