Account 1
Each week we have an optional department meeting where we discuss (only) our practice. On two of the last three weeks, senior colleagues have used these meetings to discuss administrative matters. When this happened this week, I refused to take part in the meeting and left.
Account 2
I had invited a number of students to re-draft a piece of homework that was not of the quality I had expected. Only one student arrived at the next lesson having given the re-draft the effort it demanded. I sent all of the other students out of the lesson.
Accounting-for
A strong sense of disappointment, and of not being able to continue, was present in both events. What is the source of this emotion?
In both instances, I felt as though the work we had been doing in both of these groups, and my strongly-held beliefs in ways of working, had been de-valued.
The feeling of 'not-being-able-to-continue' is a sense of deflation due to de-valuation. The de-valuation calls beliefs into question: Should we carry on with this way of working at all? Some people don't seem to value what we are doing: does anyone else value what we are doing, or is it only me? Do we need to re-assess how we work, and do I need to re-assess my beliefs?
Perhaps it might be useful to become less attached to strongly-held beliefs. Perhaps some things are worth believing in and struggling for.
What would almost certainly be useful would be a different response to such de-valuations in the future.
