The phrase ‘It is what it is’ is utter nonsense. Nonsense is what it is! If the depth of your analysis of a problem is “It is what it is”, then you are in pretty shallow water.
If you want to use a nonsensical response that attempts an air of sophistication, then might as just well use Mary Poppins’ phrase: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (which we all know that if you say it loud enough, you’ll always sound precocious).
Why do people use the phrase?
I have often heard people use that phrase to refer to something that they do not like but are resigned to accept. Wimps. Wimps, or worse. They may not be willing to devote energy or thought to diagnosing the issue at the time, but its continual use promotes apathy. This habit will erode your integrity.
A greater concern is the impact of the phrase on your co-workers’ perception of your leadership. Most people use the phrase as a disclaimer from further involvement or avoidance of making hard decisions. Such as, “the student performance outcomes on the standardized tests show a decline of 10 points.” Instead of engaging in the sometimes uncomfortable dialogue of accountability, the casual refrain of 'it is what is is' allows ineffectual practices to persist because they are not addressed in an honest and clear manner. The antithesis of this refrain is Jack Nicholson’s diatribe in the movie A Few Good Men, when he responds to cross-examination by bellowing “You can’t handle the truth!” and then proceeds to passionately articulate the rationale for his actions.
The whole point of leadership is to influence the actions of others. The key word there is: actions. If an issue truly does not mean anything, if there was no purpose to bringing it to my attention, if there is nothing that I can do to contribute to solving the problem, then why are you wasting my time by bringing it up in the first place?
Every issue is viewed in context, analyzed from a certain point of view. Issues in education need scrutiny, not avoidance. The work of educational leadership is to find the knowledge necessary to address the issue. A rudimentary level of knowledge will only support basic or even flawed decisions. Information promotes innovation. Developing a richer understanding can result in a more complex level of decision making. Eliot Eisner refers to this deep level of knowledge as "connoisseurship". The analogy of expertise in wines is appropriate. I envy the wine connoisseur who can distinguish the finer characteristics and subtleties. My brother-in-law has turned his acute interest in experiencing fine wines into operating a very popular bistro and wine bar (a side note: One experiences fine wines, you drink the lower quality stuff). Educational leaders should promote the attainment of a connoisseur's perspective to analyzing data; not the casual, truncated analysis inherent in the phrase 'it is what it is'.
Eliot Eisner promotes the artist's perspective to addressing educational issues; developing a deep appreciation for the task at hand, applying a passionate and craftsman's approach to developing the substance of the work, and communicating the result with vitality.
I prefer vigor over apathy any day.
Make a good day,
Tod
PS. Here is Jack Nicholson, spittle and all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2F4VcBmeo
PSS. How does that song go? http://www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/m/marypoppinslyrics/supercalifragilisticexpialidociouslyrics.html
PSSS. Eisner, E. (2003). Educational connoisseurship and educational criticism: An arts-based approach to educational evaluation. In T Kellaghan and D.L. Stufflebeam (Eds.), Internatioanl Handbook of Educational Evaluation (pp. 153-166). Dordrecht, Great Britain: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
PSSSS. Experience fine wines at: http://www.aidabistro.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment