Playing By The Rules

When Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 he said, “ I was in awe every time I walked onto the field.  That’s respect. A lot of people say this honor validated my career, but I didn’t work hard for validation.   I didn’t play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel.  I played it right because that’s what you’re supposed to do, play it right and play it with respect.  If this validates anything, it’s that the guys who taught me did what they were supposed to do.”

Playing by the rules is an institutional practice.  And these practices are passed down and evolve.   “There is a deep reverence for those who came before and built up the rules,” writes political scientist Hugh Heclo in his book “On Thinking Institutionally.” 

Heclo believes we are defined by what life asks of us.  As we go through life we travel through institutions, family, school, and then institutions that become part of our profession.

Your students need a model to learn how and why to play by the rules because right now it seems everyone has broken all the rules.   As educators you have not just an opportunity every day but an obligation to pass on the importance of respect in every aspect of your students life. 

So how can you do this? 

There is nobility and integrity in honoring what is right and especially doing this when challenged.  Classroom teachers are challenged everyday by the disruptions and demands of their students.  It is impossible to plan without planning for the unexpected.  The unexpected is the student who is testing your good humor and your patience.  It is the love and the discipline of the one student that communicates the love for the others. 

Stephen Covey author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” said, “It’s how you treat the one that reveals how you regard the ninety-nine, because ultimately everyone is the one.” 

If students can learn this lesson of the importance of the one they can practice playing by the rules for life.  They can learn to become persons of the highest integrity, calling a penalty on themselves when need be. 

As teachers you don’t need a plan or a special time of day to weave this lesson into the curriculum you can do this simply by practicing and honoring your craft.  You have a relationship to teaching that could almost be described as a covenant.  Your job is to do it right, to play by the rules yourself so your students can follow in your footsteps.

Creative World Connection Series 1 is a collection of daily messages that help you reinforce this lesson with your students.  As a small company CWC is able to adapt our material to the needs of your student population.  Contact us today for more information on how we can help your students learn the importance of playing by the rules.