To ‘walk the walk’ to me is doing what I believe. I am a conformer; for example, my students know if we have a rule I will enforce it – even if I don’t like the rule. I believe in working to change situations to make improvements, but in the meantime rules are rules. Being a model for others is also ‘walking the walk.’ Through being a good example in difficult situations shows others a better way to act and react. (Notice, I didn’t say I could always do this! My emotions do get the best of me at times.) Standing up for my beliefs and causes is important and I hope it would inspire others to act. When I first read about the Inspirers I thought how wonderful it would be to have the ability to inspire others and fight so hard for causes that one would leave their jobs; then, I thought of the good things inspirers are walking away from. Quitting isn’t something I was taught to do, I was taught to work towards change from within.
Jerrie, you are an inspiration just for what you said in your post. If only others (including ME, especially me) could be a good example in reacting to other, our world would be easier to live in.
I have heard so many people say that they want what's best for education in America, just before they cut the budget and reduce the number of teachers. Their actions do not match their words. To "walk the walk." you need back up what you say with actions. When I say I want to see improvement in my students, I put in the time and effort to make it happen, Then I test and record data to show that growth. In short, words mean very little without actions to back them up. People will remember what we do that makes a lasting impression, more than what we say that will fade away.
Walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Isn't it great when what people say and what they do are congruent. If this were a requirement for life, there would be more teachers left and fewer politicians. I've always felt that one of the few groups in the country that could even come close to accomplishing something like No Child Left Behind was Education and our teachers. Can you imagine how many politicians would be left if we had No Politician Left Behind in a movement to have only honest men in Washington or in state government for that matter. What strikes me as funny in a perverse sense is that we have politicians that tout less government and local control and then hand down laws that put strangle holds on everything from education to highways in an attempt to get their way.
To all of you who work with children and do the hard work of educating children who without you would not stand a chance, THANK YOU. The Statue of Liberty says, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses earning to breath free" and the Declaration of Independence says "All men are created equal. They are endowed by the Creator with unalienable rights." Nowhere in America is this "talk" more "walked" than in our public schools.
It is obvious I didn't read this before my other post. I actually thought the three listings for chapter eight was a mistake, but I checked to be sure, glad I did.
Wow! What has happened lately? The Penn. State scandal-that is a good example of not walking the walk and talking the talk. Sandusky founded an organization for troubled boys (The Second Mile). I don’t think he understood what walking the walk and talking and the talk meant. In other words, he wanted to help troubled boys (the talk) and he founded an organization (the walk) to do that, but he didn’t. An now you know the rest of the story. In our line of work, if a teacher states in a staffing "I am going to work on improving a student's reading" and they work on math homework instead, then they are just talking.
To me, walking the walk and not just talking the talk is leading by example, period. When someone is willing to practice what they preach, it makes me more willing to listen to what the person has to say and be accepting of their ideas. I mean, if that person isn’t even going to take his/her own advice, why in the world should I???
Alan~ I LOVE reading your posts! (Your idea about “No Politician Left Behind” cracked me up!) A teacher and I were just talking on Friday about how so many of the people that create and implement policies involved with education may not have the least bit of an educational background. We wondered how different things might be if people who were "walking the walk" would have been able to establish those policies instead.
Dclodfelter~ I completely agree with your statement about how our actions leave such a lasting impression, but our words will fade away. Even though someone may be telling me everything I want to hear, if that doesn’t come across in the way they act as well, I usually tend to discredit the person pretty quickly.
This means putting into action our words. It irritates me when teachers put their classes together for an assembly or something and tell their students to be quiet while they sit there and talk. If we are going to preach it, then we need to follow it. NO DOUBLE STANDARDS.
I think that statement means you do what you say you will do. Doing this helps to keep your reputation as being someone who will follow through with what they say they will do.
I agree with a lot of the others post. A lot of people can talk the talk but you do not see them walk the walk. To me this means that whatever you say and expect from others you should do the same. I have also seen where teachers will get on to kids for doing something, but then turn around and do the exact same thing. To me just because we are an adult we should not be expected to not follow the same rules that we expect from our kids. I really like what Dana said, her statement is really short and right on. "You do what you say you will do."
Not much more different to add that hasn't already been stated. Sometimes I do not want to conform to the "teacher image" and I don't think it's fair on occasion, but again, if I want my students and athletes I coach to follow my expectations, then I have to follow the expectations of the community I live in. I'm sure I have not gotten into all the trouble I could have if I didn't try to live up to that "teacher image" lol...no comments from anyone who knows me too well.
Walk the walk means just that if you say this is how it is then you better be ready to follow through with what you just said. Consistency is a major part of the thing most of our students need in their lives. And yes sometimes it is hard to follow through with the consequence or rule you said you would enforce but it is a must! That is a major part of why our children/youth in todays world struggle so is because of lack of consistency with people and their follow through. I know with my own children at home I have to stop and think about what it is I say will happen if they don't do a task so that I myself won't struggle with the follow through and enforcing the consequence.
Amy, I completely agree with you that what our students need is consistency. Everything from following a schedule to following through with discipline, like you mentioned, are things that our students need and learn from. If we do not follow through with what we say our students suffer because they do not know what to expect or they learn to expect that you won't follow through. Many students don't have consistency at home, so it is even more imperative that they find that in us.
Amy & Heidi: we do have show our students consistency in everything from schedules, to discipline, to daily hygiene. So many of them haven't been taught and therefore some of them don't have basic hygiene skills, like handwashing! Everything we do means "walking our talk".
In my mind, to walk the walk is to do what I think is best. I do not need to let my thinking be clouded by the influence of others. In my job, that means doing everything possible to help students, interacting with others and being professional.
I have encountered people who talk a good game, but I know they do not walk the walk. They are saying what they think administration wants them to say. In the end, the people who suffer are the students.
Walk the walk is practicing what you preach and doing what is best for the students. Don't give advice or orders to others if you do not follow it yourself. I concur with Brittany, if people don't implement what they say into their own life, why should I take their advice?
We have all known people who say one thing and do another. Wouldn't it be great if everyone said what they meant and meant what they said? And followed through with it? Of course, this is not a perfect world. The only thing we can do is lead by example and do what we say 'walk our walk'.
To walk the walk is to lead by example. You need to hold yourself to the same standards you hold others too. Often I think we talk the talk, because it is much easier to tell someone what they want to hear than to address the situation (especially for Pleasers).
Jan, I think you bring up an excellent point of holding ourselves up to the same standards as we do on other people. It is quicker to see other's flaws, than it is to see our very own similar flaws. To be a leader, we must look to change our flaws first before others.
I agree with your comment about standards. I also agree that pleasers really want to please so they are tempted to always tell others what they may want to hear.
To walk the walk, and not just talk the talk to me means following through with what I say in every aspect of my life - no matter how small. Anything from saying your going to be somewhere at eight to I'll have the IEP done tomorrow - it all goes into how reliable you are. I want to be someone who others can look to and trust, even in the small things, to follow through with what I say.
To me this statement means that I have to live my “talk” on a day to day basis; with time for self-reflection and sometimes realizing that I need to get back on course. Another take on this statement is “Your actions are speaking so loudly, I can’t hear what you are saying”. It means having a goal for my life; personal as well as professional and checking to make sure I’m still headed in the right direction. Sometimes it means developing a new skill or a new habit. A couple of really good friends who share my passions in life and have similar family and professional values help keep me accountable. Working with young people makes me very aware that they observe EVERYTHING. I have to make sure I role model the way I want them to do things or the skills and habits I want them to gain.
For me it means that you are willing to do what you have said you would. When I help a teacher or student I do everything in my means to keep the promise I set out. I feel guilty if I forget to do something or there is a is communication misstep between myself and another person. Sometimes though there are times when no matter how much I try there are times when barriers can't be broken.
This may really sound redundant but I think everyone is right on track. Make your words and actions match. We have all had to deal with 2-faced people and back stabbers that will tell you what they think you want to hear to your face and then lamblast you behind your back. I realize that sometimes it is really hard to stand up for what is right especially if you are the only one standing. Live by your principles and values. Sometimes i think it is also being willing to say NO. I know there are times I have been "talked" into doing things or taking on extras simply because i did not want to say No or hurt someone's feeling. Say NO and mean it--but if you say Yes, then carry through.
I feel like I'm repeating what everyone has already said, too. Walk the walk to me means to do what you say, and make sure you don't do anything that wouldn't support what you say you believe in, and want your children or students to believe in.
What does it mean to you to “Walk the walk, not just talk the talk?”
When you "walk the walk" you must be willing to follow through with what you say. Most of us can talk a great game and tell people what they want to hear. However, following through is a different story. Don't tell people what they want to hear if you can't follow through and give them what they want. Be honest and work together to find solutions then carry them out.
To ‘walk the walk’ to me is doing what I believe. I am a conformer; for example, my students know if we have a rule I will enforce it – even if I don’t like the rule. I believe in working to change situations to make improvements, but in the meantime rules are rules.
ReplyDeleteBeing a model for others is also ‘walking the walk.’ Through being a good example in difficult situations shows others a better way to act and react. (Notice, I didn’t say I could always do this! My emotions do get the best of me at times.) Standing up for my beliefs and causes is important and I hope it would inspire others to act. When I first read about the Inspirers I thought how wonderful it would be to have the ability to inspire others and fight so hard for causes that one would leave their jobs; then, I thought of the good things inspirers are walking away from. Quitting isn’t something I was taught to do, I was taught to work towards change from within.
Jerrie, you are an inspiration just for what you said in your post. If only others (including ME, especially me) could be a good example in reacting to other, our world would be easier to live in.
DeleteI have heard so many people say that they want what's best for education in America, just before they cut the budget and reduce the number of teachers. Their actions do not match their words. To "walk the walk." you need back up what you say with actions. When I say I want to see improvement in my students, I put in the time and effort to make it happen, Then I test and record data to show that growth. In short, words mean very little without actions to back them up. People will remember what we do that makes a lasting impression, more than what we say that will fade away.
ReplyDeleteWalk the walk, not just talk the talk. Isn't it great when what people say and what they do are congruent. If this were a requirement for life, there would be more teachers left and fewer politicians. I've always felt that one of the few groups in the country that could even come close to accomplishing something like No Child Left Behind was Education and our teachers. Can you imagine how many politicians would be left if we had No Politician Left Behind in a movement to have only honest men in Washington or in state government for that matter. What strikes me as funny in a perverse sense is that we have politicians that tout less government and local control and then hand down laws that put strangle holds on everything from education to highways in an attempt to get their way.
DeleteTo all of you who work with children and do the hard work of educating children who without you would not stand a chance, THANK YOU. The Statue of Liberty says, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses earning to breath free" and the Declaration of Independence says "All men are created equal. They are endowed by the Creator with unalienable rights." Nowhere in America is this "talk" more "walked" than in our public schools.
It is obvious I didn't read this before my other post. I actually thought the three listings for chapter eight was a mistake, but I checked to be sure, glad I did.
ReplyDeleteWow! What has happened lately? The Penn. State scandal-that is a good example of not walking the walk and talking the talk. Sandusky founded an organization for troubled boys (The Second Mile). I don’t think he understood what walking the walk and talking and the talk meant. In other words, he wanted to help troubled boys (the talk) and he founded an organization (the walk) to do that, but he didn’t. An now you know the rest of the story.
In our line of work, if a teacher states in a staffing "I am going to work on improving a student's reading" and they work on math homework instead, then they are just talking.
To me, walking the walk and not just talking the talk is leading by example, period. When someone is willing to practice what they preach, it makes me more willing to listen to what the person has to say and be accepting of their ideas. I mean, if that person isn’t even going to take his/her own advice, why in the world should I???
ReplyDeleteAlan~
I LOVE reading your posts! (Your idea about “No Politician Left Behind” cracked me up!) A teacher and I were just talking on Friday about how so many of the people that create and implement policies involved with education may not have the least bit of an educational background. We wondered how different things might be if people who were "walking the walk" would have been able to establish those policies instead.
Dclodfelter~
I completely agree with your statement about how our actions leave such a lasting impression, but our words will fade away. Even though someone may be telling me everything I want to hear, if that doesn’t come across in the way they act as well, I usually tend to discredit the person pretty quickly.
Love your last sentence and how true it is!
DeleteThis means putting into action our words. It irritates me when teachers put their classes together for an assembly or something and tell their students to be quiet while they sit there and talk. If we are going to preach it, then we need to follow it. NO DOUBLE STANDARDS.
ReplyDeleteI think that statement means you do what you say you will do. Doing this helps to keep your reputation as being someone who will follow through with what they say they will do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of the others post. A lot of people can talk the talk but you do not see them walk the walk. To me this means that whatever you say and expect from others you should do the same. I have also seen where teachers will get on to kids for doing something, but then turn around and do the exact same thing. To me just because we are an adult we should not be expected to not follow the same rules that we expect from our kids. I really like what Dana said, her statement is really short and right on. "You do what you say you will do."
ReplyDeleteNot much more different to add that hasn't already been stated. Sometimes I do not want to conform to the "teacher image" and I don't think it's fair on occasion, but again, if I want my students and athletes I coach to follow my expectations, then I have to follow the expectations of the community I live in. I'm sure I have not gotten into all the trouble I could have if I didn't try to live up to that "teacher image" lol...no comments from anyone who knows me too well.
ReplyDeleteWalk the walk means just that if you say this is how it is then you better be ready to follow through with what you just said. Consistency is a major part of the thing most of our students need in their lives. And yes sometimes it is hard to follow through with the consequence or rule you said you would enforce but it is a must! That is a major part of why our children/youth in todays world struggle so is because of lack of consistency with people and their follow through. I know with my own children at home I have to stop and think about what it is I say will happen if they don't do a task so that I myself won't struggle with the follow through and enforcing the consequence.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I completely agree with you that what our students need is consistency. Everything from following a schedule to following through with discipline, like you mentioned, are things that our students need and learn from. If we do not follow through with what we say our students suffer because they do not know what to expect or they learn to expect that you won't follow through. Many students don't have consistency at home, so it is even more imperative that they find that in us.
DeleteAmy & Heidi: we do have show our students consistency in everything from schedules, to discipline, to daily hygiene. So many of them haven't been taught and therefore some of them don't have basic hygiene skills, like handwashing! Everything we do means "walking our talk".
DeleteIn my mind, to walk the walk is to do what I think is best. I do not need to let my thinking be clouded by the influence of others. In my job, that means doing everything possible to help students, interacting with others and being professional.
ReplyDeleteI have encountered people who talk a good game, but I know they do not walk the walk. They are saying what they think administration wants them to say. In the end, the people who suffer are the students.
Walk the walk is practicing what you preach and doing what is best for the students. Don't give advice or orders to others if you do not follow it yourself. I concur with Brittany, if people don't implement what they say into their own life, why should I take their advice?
ReplyDeleteWe have all known people who say one thing and do another. Wouldn't it be great if everyone said what they meant and meant what they said? And followed through with it? Of course, this is not a perfect world. The only thing we can do is lead by example and do what we say 'walk our walk'.
To walk the walk is to lead by example. You need to hold yourself to the same standards you hold others too. Often I think we talk the talk, because it is much easier to tell someone what they want to hear than to address the situation (especially for Pleasers).
ReplyDeleteJan, I think you bring up an excellent point of holding ourselves up to the same standards as we do on other people. It is quicker to see other's flaws, than it is to see our very own similar flaws. To be a leader, we must look to change our flaws first before others.
DeleteI agree with your comment about standards. I also agree that pleasers really want to please so they are tempted to always tell others what they may want to hear.
DeleteTo walk the walk, and not just talk the talk to me means following through with what I say in every aspect of my life - no matter how small. Anything from saying your going to be somewhere at eight to I'll have the IEP done tomorrow - it all goes into how reliable you are. I want to be someone who others can look to and trust, even in the small things, to follow through with what I say.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that it makes others feel that you are reliable and trustworthy. Its also something that if you lose it, its awfully hard to get back.
DeleteTo me this statement means that I have to live my “talk” on a day to day basis; with time for self-reflection and sometimes realizing that I need to get back on course. Another take on this statement is “Your actions are speaking so loudly, I can’t hear what you are saying”. It means having a goal for my life; personal as well as professional and checking to make sure I’m still headed in the right direction. Sometimes it means developing a new skill or a new habit. A couple of really good friends who share my passions in life and have similar family and professional values help keep me accountable. Working with young people makes me very aware that they observe EVERYTHING. I have to make sure I role model the way I want them to do things or the skills and habits I want them to gain.
ReplyDeleteFor me it means that you are willing to do what you have said you would. When I help a teacher or student I do everything in my means to keep the promise I set out. I feel guilty if I forget to do something or there is a is communication misstep between myself and another person. Sometimes though there are times when no matter how much I try there are times when barriers can't be broken.
ReplyDeleteWe all feel guilty when their is a breakdown in communication. However, by being open and honest we can sure make things a lot better.
DeleteThis may really sound redundant but I think everyone is right on track. Make your words and actions match. We have all had to deal with 2-faced people and back stabbers that will tell you what they think you want to hear to your face and then lamblast you behind your back.
ReplyDeleteI realize that sometimes it is really hard to stand up for what is right especially if you are the only one standing. Live by your principles and values. Sometimes i think it is also being willing to say NO. I know there are times I have been "talked" into doing things or taking on extras simply because i did not want to say No or hurt someone's feeling. Say NO and mean it--but if you say Yes, then carry through.
I feel like I'm repeating what everyone has already said, too. Walk the walk to me means to do what you say, and make sure you don't do anything that wouldn't support what you say you believe in, and want your children or students to believe in.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean to you to “Walk the walk, not just talk the talk?”
ReplyDeleteWhen you "walk the walk" you must be willing to follow through with what you say. Most of us can talk a great game and tell people what they want to hear. However, following through is a different story. Don't tell people what they want to hear if you can't follow through and give them what they want. Be honest and work together to find solutions then carry them out.