Strong Verbs, Short Sentences: Words Become Practice

Strong Verbs, Short Sentences- Bernadine Healy

I first heard this phrase in a 'Revisionist History' Podcast by Malcolm Gladwell. The story was about an amazing woman, Bernadine Healy, the first woman to head the NIH, National Institute of Health. She ruffled feathers, did extraordinary things and left a legacy of strength and fortitude behind. This sentence, her motto, stuck with me. It changed me somehow. If you say it aloud to yourself, really internalize it, it will impact you too.

Strong Verbs

Strong verbs are action verbs. Motivational verbs. Do something verbs. To me, they evoke ownership, empowerment, and vitality. Words like cultivate, supercharge, transform and innovate. They are words I have incorporated into my vocabulary, my language, my voice. Rather than say "I will do my best to stay focused today"- I say, "I will cultivate new opportunities, transform my outlook and supercharge my drive and determination." This simple update of mindset, has exposed my hesitations, magnified my interests and revitalized my daily routine. The dull has become vibrant. The simple exciting. The hectic pace of education, more stream-lined. The end is in focus and the journey punctuated with a sharpness of clarity and adaptability.

It is a matter of mindset, an acceptance of uncertainty, with a plan. I am a person who tends to strategize a lot, in my head. The procedures, proposals and projects, may seem fluid and scattered, but they are very much formulated and methodized. They are just in my head. Then as class starts, the pieces align, the words formulate, the lesson assimilates and no one is the wiser, except me. This drives people crazy, but it is the only way I can teach. Strong verbs, mental strength, concise, developed, purposeful words. This mental chitchat pumps me up, motivates me and gives me a sense of freedom to alter and mold my world on a whim.

Short Sentences
When you have an active brain, one where a quiet moment is rare, a Dyslexic brain, you tend to talk a lot to yourself, in your head. I have long conversations where I debate topics, analyze the pros and cons of a situation and just talk things through, make sense of things. I have to do this a lot. I feel like I am a few steps behind most people, I spend time replaying conversations over and over, making sure I picked up on all the context clues. That I am making judgments based on fact, not on a misunderstanding. For this reason, I tend to prattle on when I am speaking to other people- because I want to make sure I am clear with my thoughts and ideas. Short sentences, this part of Bernadine Healy's amazing motto, is still a work in progress. 

I have had to go dormant for a bit to create a new framework on how I want to express myself. I spent time building up my confidence- convincing myself that I have something important to say. I had to update my mindset. Less is more. Be clear and concise. If they want to know more they will ask. But, also don't be abrupt, curt or make others feel like you are disinterested. Just speak with strong verbs and short sentences. This doesn't mean without elaboration or description. It means, for me, with a conciseness that means I am thoughtful of someone else's time.

When I was growing up my mother always used to say "You have diarrhea of the mouth." as a child I tended to never stop talking, because all of my jumbled, hyper-active thoughts just had to be materialized with words. They had to come to life with language, or else they would stay inside and distract me. This over indulgence of verbal articulation followed me into adolescence and adulthood. I have two modes: talkative and quiet. These days I am more quiet and reflective. Trying to bring a more 'Strong verbs- short sentences" mindset into my life. I know I appreciate it when others are clear and concise, especially when I am in a hurry.

Awareness and Articulation

With this new mindset, comes an awareness. Not only of how my mind works, but how my words impact a conversation. Also, how other people speak. How other people respond to my voice and my vision. Articulation in a classroom is very important. The clearer you are with students, the better they understand and can follow your lead. While speaking with adults, we often feel like we can be more cryptic, less forthcoming. We often just want to get out of the conversation quickly or we are so deep in conversation, we lose track of ourselves, we listen, only waiting for our turn to talk. Especially when the other person is long winded. I do not want to be that person. The one everyone wants to end a conversation with quickly.

Strong verbs, short sentences - this keeps me articulate and aware. Switches my focus to not only on what I have to say, but listening to what other people have to say. It is amazing how in the conversations, I have been having since my focus, on this statement, have been more productive. They have been more focused and the other people, I am speaking to are aligning with this as well. They simply follow my lead and their sentences become more concise. Our purposeful dialogue becomes more focused and steam-lined. Strong verbs, short sentences. 

This preciseness has made meetings more productive and conversations more meaningful because they are more harmonious, a blending of ideas and language. This is why I am focusing on my speech, my attention, my patience. The more I can learn from others, the greater my list of strong verbs becomes. The more my sentences leave room for others to speak. This is community. This is collaboration. This is the gift of language. This is strong verbs, short sentences.

Not Band-Aid's, Bubble Gum and Bonfires: What Students Need are Strategies that Work

As we are entering our classrooms this year, as we meet our students for the first time, we must pause and remember, that some students are eager to be there, and they are excited to learn something new. Others are excited to be there, and they are hopeful, that if everything goes okay, they might be able to keep up with the class. These students might have 504 or IEP paperwork or they might not. These students might be great listeners, they might be amazing adapters. Many of them can ‘fake’ their way through a multiple-choice test because they have a system. They do not necessarily comprehend the material, they simply piece-meal together bits of information- just enough to make it look like they understand it. How do I know this? I have Dyslexia and I did this exact thing, all throughout my early education.

These students have been told their whole lives that-

“You can do anything you put your mind to”

“If you keep trying, you can accomplish anything”

 “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”

“Believe in yourself and you can reach your every goal”

 “Practice makes perfect”

These statements are motivational to most, but they can also be disheartening or insulting to others. I know that doesn’t make sense- how can these optimistic, encouraging staples be anything but positive? When you struggle with learning, when it is so exhausting that every day you feel like you are dragging an anvil behind you. That you are slow to move, sluggish to comprehend, because you keep having to stop and tug on the rope, to inch that anvil forward, you do not want to hear something motivational you want to hear something helpful.

As a child I heard these assurances from my teachers every day- the only problem was- they didn’t guarantee that I would understand or process anything new. I am not a quitter. I persevere, I am constantly looking for a glimpse of comprehension. As hard as I try, as I stay determined to keep moving forward and concentrate with every ounce of my being- I miss things. I get lost. Even today as an adult, I lose my sense of direction, if you make me sit in a room and listen to you talk for a long period of time. The topic could be interesting, I could be invested and curious- but if you talk too long- you lose me. If you tell me to just sit still and pay attention and trust me I am already doing that, I will only get more frustrated, more deflated and well, I will pull away even more. But, if you show me what you want, demonstrate for me your process- I can conquer any hurdles. I am a visual and kinesthetic learner.

As a child, I was told to concentrate, if I just listened to directions, I would be able to do it. I was told to get to the point- ask my questions quickly. This was very difficult because that ‘point’ was not fixed, it jumped around like a laser pointer, being used to entertain a cat. You know the ones, red and bright, bouncing around the wall, the cute furry cat pawing at it with excitement. We have all seen the videos on You Tube. But, when that flickering, chaotic illumination is your thoughts, scattered and jumbled- it does not cause excitement, it leads to dread. To self-loathing, as adults are telling you, “you aren’t trying hard enough” and “don’t give up, you will get there if you just keep trying.” Unfortunately for those of us with learning disabilities, these words are hollow, we don’t need motivational frameworks we need useful ones.

I need to hear solid strategies. I need to feel patience, not just see it, but feel it. I do not need a band-aid, bubble gum, or a bonfire. In other words, I do not need a simple fix, a quick cure to something that is not damaged. I do not need a sugary sweet sentiment, or a big production number- large flames whipping the air letting everyone around me know I am struggling.

What I need, what every student needs, not just those with learning disabilities needs, but every student is CALM (Center, Alternatives, Listened to, Mindfulness. Being Dyslexic, I need to hear things and see things. Having two different mediums helps that intermittent, jouncing beam, become focused. In other words, it helps me see the point, internalize the point and add the point to my framework. I hope together, this post sparks in you, a sense of CALM so that every student can find their footing and a sharp pair of scissors to cut the rope and leave their anvil behind.