If a teacher presents, is a student learning? Maybe. Maybe not. There is a big distinction between doing something and getting a desired result.
We can delude ourselves into believing we are making a difference because we are engaged in a good activity. However, only the results will indicate if we are having a positive impact.
However, we can’t assess the results unless we get clear on what we are wanting to accomplish. This is the place where we see the biggest disconnect in our work. The vast majority of people are satisfied participating in an activity with little or no clarity on what they are wanting to make different in the lives of other people. So a person may do lots of stuff:
- donate to various charities
- give out Thanksgiving baskets
- teach a class
- organize a neighborhood event
Is such a person making a difference? It’s hard to know for sure because it’s unclear what change they are working toward in the first place. Is the goal community? Is it promoting acceptance? Is it instilling a love for art? Is it introducing people to Jesus? Who knows? Not only are all these activities very disjointed, it is simply unclear what the goal is.
So, if we are wanting to make a positive impact, it is 100% necessary to get clear on the results we want to achieve. How are the other people’s lives different? How will we know when we’ve had our desired impact?Is it outwardly measurable? Is it reported by the person who was changed?
Here are some various examples of clear desired results, the way a person’s life is different. The person:
- became a Christian
- has a monthly budget
- has a clear life’s purpose
- has a clear message to share with the world
- is at a healthy weight
- is able to set and maintain personal boundaries
- is freed from sex trafficking
- has access to education
- forgives someone who hurt them
- has hope that replaced hopelessness
Do you see how these end results are specific? They do not really even indicate what activity made it happen. Once we are clear on the result we want to bring about, we can try different mechanisms or activities until we get the change we want.
For example, a teacher may lecture on some material. But if the goal is for the students to learn, the teacher may need to use different methods for the students to really be learning. The teacher could have a class discussion or have the students participate in an exercise. The teacher can vary the activities until the student learns the lesson.
Are you clear on what difference you want to make? Do you know how you want to change other people’s lives? It’s worth spending the time and effort getting this clarity. As John learned when he had his heart attack, in the end, you will want to know that you loved people well and that your life mattered. You will want concrete examples of names of people an the specific difference you made in their lives.
Don’t be satisfied with just presenting if your goal really is for the students to be learning.
