Good question

I woke up this morning at 2:30am with the lights on, realizing that I fell asleep with my computer and papers next to me. Confused and half asleep, I reset my alarm so that I could wake up earlier and get some more work done. Then, I put my things away, shuffled out of my clothes, turned out the lights, and fell into bed. Two and a half hours later, I pressed the snooze button—and then continued to do so for an hour. My body told me it was not accepting anything earlier than 6am.

Luckily, I bought a new coffeemaker this weekend! So, I stumbled out of bed, got my stuff together, and made a French vanilla roast. I decided to wear a suit so that I would feel good about the day—superficial, I know, but so helpful! If anybody watches “How I met your mother”, you know that “suiting up” can be a powerful mental tool!

A kid asked this question today: “Why do I have to listen to you if you are only 5 years older than me?” Good question.

We talked about position authority versus earned authority today in my social skills class. Position authority is when a person has “certain powers as defined by the source of the title” or the position he or she holds. Earned authority is “power granted by other members of the group” (“From School to Work” Littrell, Lorenz, and Smith, 2000, pg 183-84—I know this citation is bootleg, but, hey, I’ve been out of college for a while ☺).

Ironically, this lesson was planned before this student said the aforementioned comment earlier in the day. Fortunately, for the both of us, he had calmed down by that point and actually wanted to participate in class. We had a very productive, candid discussion about dealing with authority.

Originally, I was not happy that students found out how old I am. As evidenced by the student’s remark, I thought it would undercut my authority. However, as I taught the class about different types of leadership and authority, I learned a valuable lesson myself: I had to earn my authority.

See, I already have position authority: I am the teacher. I am in charge. I give out the grades. Yet, the process of gaining earned authority is much more demanding. I have to earn the respect and develop relationships with the students. They have to know that I am there to help them—not just control them. They have to know that I am consistent. That I am firm, that I care. That I am compassionate, that I am not a pushover.

This earned authority, my textbook tells me, is much more powerful than position authority. It is the basis for a partnership—the impetus toward collaboration, for trust and understanding. Because of my age, I believe I will have to work harder to move from position authority to earned authority. Then, and only then, will I truly be able to truly inspire my students and start to motivate them to reach their highest potential.