Judgement

I have just been listening to RNZ talking about research done on Plunket and how mothers were in fear of judgment. They met a list of questions and felt assessed and judged as parents.

I opened the listener to a page titled Schools for Thought, and the first sentence was about how good it is when a member of the Green party is caught misbehaving as they are so sanctimonious.

I suspect the article will be on judging teachers on whether  they are “good teachers” or “bad teachers.” And the teachers will judge the students on whether they are competent or not.

My breakfast will be judged on if it is healthy or not… am I too fat, too thin… How can she wear that? Doesn’t she care enough about her appearance? Am I too strident, not a good woman….

I will be judged on my opinions – am I PC enough? Others will judge whether I am saying something TERF or not. Others will judge whether I am doing enough to honor te tiriti.. and I will judge myself on all their judgments.

Post all this judging, we will need to find someone to blame – parents, politicians, teachers, feminism, society…

When I judge myself as a teacher according to my own criteria, I want acceptance of the child as they are to be at the top, did I let them be themselves, was I kind, did I listen. My favorite book on teaching is In the Early World by Elwyn Richardson. I want to sound like him, I can tell he respects and deeply cares for the children. Would he pass current judging?

What role does judgment play in transformational change? It strikes me that the fear of a negative judgment would put people off… make them cautious, promote little changes over big.