Basic Research

Yuck. Who wants to do research? Especially basic research? (whatever the hell that is.)

Sadly —

and thrillingly!

— basic research is essential. It is a sure-fire way to make life better.

Here’s what I mean:

Much of what we do in relationships is based on assumptions. Assumptions being organizational schemes that reflect our (limited) perceptions, (often tacit) biases, and, therefore, our (constrained) interpretations.

Like when I’m talking with students about what makes a good claim in an argumentative essay (have your eyes glazed over yet?) and I see a student whose eyes have glazed over.

And I assume I’m boring. And completely out of touch. And stupid. And I start to shrink internally. And I start to stumble in my instruction. And then I see more faces out there in the classroom that confirm my assumption that I’m boring, out of touch, and stupid and obviously a terrible teacher.

If I were to do basic research? I’d gather basic data:

• a student whose eyes have glazed over

• my internal alarm

• my immediate sense of insecurity

Then, before I made any assumptions — before I made any snap judgments, which organize the data in ways that reinforce my biases, my maladaptive expectations, and my negative self-beliefs — I would wonder about what those data might mean. Starting with my alarm. My fundamental feeling of insecurity. What is my insecurity teaching me about myself? about my student? about our relationship? about the student’s relationship to the task of writing a good claim for an argumentative paper?

Long story short, I’d do emotion work. Which would bypass the counter-productive assumption(s) and get me to a good as they say evidence-based guess that I can act on. That will make life — for me, for others — way better than my assumptions ever will.

As both Bridget and Fiona did. In the latest podcast episode. Check it out.