While at Newark International Airport, I was spoiled to see huge planes that cross oceans and continents. And I was also able to observe a moment that reminded me, once again as an educator, that what we do is not just about content.
I was waiting in line at a Starbucks directly across from my departure gate. When I got to the counter, an older gentleman was ahead of me ordering a regular coffee and one of the sandwiches. It was clear to me that this individual did not "speak Starbucks," as he didn't know what the size translation for small, medium, and large was. The young lady behind the counter pointed to the different size options for coffee, and the gentleman selected one.
When it came to the sandwich, the gentleman chose his sandwich and then paid his bill (with cash, I might add). Even though the gentleman ahead of me stayed a the counter, the young lady behind the counter turned to me to take my order. I ordered my coffee, paid my bill (with the Starbucks app, on my phone), and began moving down to the end of the counter to put cream into my coffee.
As I passed the gentleman ahead of me, I leaned into him and explained where he should go to get his sandwich. We both walked down to the end of the counter, him waiting for his sandwich, and me making my coffee the way I like it. As I was finishing up, I saw another Starbucks employee taking his sandwich out of the oven, and I pointed to it out to the gentleman who was waiting. He nodded, smiled, and said thank you. I found a seat in the gate area, and a few minutes later was happy to see the gentleman with his coffee and sandwich.
The biggest takeaway from this situation for me as an educator is that we have so many more responsibilities in front of us than just literacy, math, science and social studies. In Vermont, we are working through the implementation of proficiencies, among them are communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. If I were to assess those skills in the situation I described, I would have to share that both individuals "need improvement."
There were opportunities for both the gentleman and the employee to communicate better, although I would offer the responsibility is on the employee more than the customer. When thinking about problem-solving, again both could have done better, and there were a few clues the employee missed or overlooked. The first was that the gentleman wasn't familiar with the sizes, the second was that he paid with cash, and the third was that the customer didn't move after his transaction was completed. Finally, both could have benefitted from more explicit instruction in critical thinking to make this brief encounter go smoother.
Look, this was not a life and death situation. It was a moment in an airport on a busy afternoon. I have a soft spot for older men and women, having grown up with my grandparents being very present in my life. I fondly remember my grandmother being fascinated by my iPhone. The first phone she saw in her life was a single one, bolted to the wall, shared by three families in an apartment building in the Bronx. The fact that I was able to put my phone in my pocket was literally mindblowing for her.
We have to keep up with the new changes that will be coming into our world. I'm sure that there will be moments in my future that blow my mind, even given the growth in technology and education that I've witnessed in my first forty-five years on this planet. We also have a responsibility to make sure that no one is left behind, and that we're aware of where others are on their journey. When we make note of those and adjust to meet the needs of others, we prioritize relationships.
That, I believe, is lifelong learning.
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| Photo courtesy of www.cio.com |
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