An Effective Community

"In order to have an affect on someone else, you must first allow him to effect you." -Ralph Fletcher

This quote is the one quote from the video that really stuck out to me. However, it stuck out to me because I had a hard time understanding it or even believing it to be true. Why would someone have to affect me before I could affect them, because if that's the case then no one would ever be affected because before they could affect me I would have to affect them but then I couldn't do that until they affected me...whew. I think I've finally got it figured out, though.

While creating and developing a writing community I need to get to know my students. It is important to understand their interests (in the world and in writing) and the things they dislike. I need to let who they are affect me. Once I have an understanding of an individual, I can better assist in helping that child through the writing process. If I don't let the child affect me first, I will be of no help to them as I don't understand them or where they're coming from.

In a teaching community it's much the same idea. I need to understand who my students are and where they are in life. I need to let their personality sink in. Once I have done this, I will be a more effective teacher. The more I know my students, the more I let them talk to me and give me their opinion, the more I can incorporate these things into my teaching and gain their attention and have a great impact on their learning.

So maybe the concept isn't as impossible or as confusing as I first believed it to be.