WALK AND TALK | The Random Thoughts of Louis Schmier

Hot, hot, hot! I went out before the sun came up and it was still 82 degrees with a heat factor of 89! That heat factor was high because it was also wet, wet, wet! It was so humid I was swimming more than walking my 5 1/2 miles, and I discovered why they call this week “Shark Week.” Last week a bear strolled across by route two hours before I hit the streets. This morning I was convinced I’d meet a Great White jaw to jaw.

Talking about sharks, I was in an extended conversation about classroom teaching for the past few days. One nondescript phrase incessantly was thrown out almost with a cavalier “oh, you know what I mean.” The participants kept on saying, “walk the talk,” walk the talk,” “walk the talk.” Then, I asked, “Just what is the talk that you walk? What are the principles guiding what you do? What are the tenets directing you? What is your North Star? What are the purposes that drive you? What is the philosophy of education that inspires you to be persistent, persevering, and committed? What are your beliefs? What are the ideals by which you live? What are the values that are at the heart of what you think, feel, and do? What mission are you on? What defines who you are?

As some began to answer in a heavy air of blame and accusation by focusing on “them,” the students, I parried. “Don’t talk about ‘them’ or what you expect of ‘them.’ Talk about yourself and what you expect from yourself. Don’t talk about what you do. Talk about who you are. Talk about what propels you. Talk about what matters to you. Talk about what are the foundations of your beliefs, perceptions, and actions. The simple truth is that unless you know your talk, you can’t really do a good walk.”

Louis

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