An Ass Out Of U and Me

In his post yesterday, Justin addressed just a few of the problems with making assumptions.  This is something I run into a lot--from students, colleagues, administrators, members of Sassafrass, and really just people in general.

So, if I haven't mentioned this already, I am the one of the logistics people for Sassafrass.  My job is to communicate things very clearly to those outside of Sassafrass what we want and what we need.  I need to communicate to those within Sassafrass what those outside of Sassafrass need and want from us.  And I get to make things like travel arrangements and hotel reservations for the group as well.  It's a bit crazy, right?  However, when you do a job like that, you can't make assumptions about anything.  No matter how sure you are that people know something, you make sure to say it anyway and be super clear about it.

Problems arise when people don't read what is sent out fully and carefully.  I know it is not just my students who have issues reading directions.  When I was a student, one of my English teachers would write directions like this on tests:  "Please answer the following questions in 2-3 complete sentences.  Stand up, turn around 3 times, and sit back down."  Then, she would sit at the front of the classroom and watch us.  If we did not stand up, turn around 3 times, and sit back down, she took points off.

It drives me CRAZY when teachers get in students faces, make assumptions about why they didn't do work, yell at them for not doing the work or for forgetting to turn something in, and yet, these teachers are the ones who don't turn their grades in, or read the memos fully and carefully, resulting in "forgetting" to cover a testing room, or to remind their students of some important information, that the Office asks teachers to disseminate to students.

Our culture teaches us to make assumptions.  It does not teach us to ask questions, to think critically, to think logistically.  And yet, when students "dare" to assume something, teachers get in their face for not thinking critically or asking for help.

Why is this?  Perhaps we know the answer to this.  Perhaps we only know part of the answer.  But how will we start to reverse the unspoken rule that it is alright to make assumptions rather than clarifications?