Roberto Germán [00:00:02]:
Welcome back to Our Classroom. If you listen to the last episode, we talked about what it looks like to lead with curiosity when the noise gets loud. Today, I want to talk about the flip side. Flip side, y' all remember that I'm showing my age. It's all good anyways. Not what to do, but what not to do. Because when pushback shows up, whether it's from parents, colleagues, or online, there are some very common reactions that feel natural but actually can make the situation worse. And if we're honest, most of us have done at least one of these.
Roberto Germán [00:00:54]:
Mistake number one is to react immediately when something hits, especially something that feels personal. Our instinct is to respond fast, to correct, to defend, to clarify. But fast responses are usually emotional responses. And emotional responses are rarely our best thinking. Pause is not avoidance. Pause is strategy. Mistake number two, trying to win the argument. This one is subtle.
Roberto Germán [00:01:36]:
We think if I can just explain it clearly enough, they'll understand. But most pushback is not about misunderstanding. It's about worldview. You cannot win a worldview debate in a comment section. The goal is not to win. The goal is to remain grounded. Reminds me of a song I wrote years ago titled Ground Control. Anyways, mistake three is over explaining.
Roberto Germán [00:02:14]:
When we feel misunderstood, we often try to say more. More context, more explanation, more justification. But here's the reality. The more you explain to someone who isn't listening, the more you exhaust yourself. Clarity matters. But over explaining is often a response to discomfort, not a path to understand it. Mistake four, taking it personally. Don't take it personal, Monica.
Roberto Germán [00:02:54]:
Y' all remember that. Again, I'm showing my age. This is a hard one because it feels personal. But most reactions are not actually about you. They're about fear, identity, beliefs, lived experiences. When someone reacts strongly, they are usually protecting something, not attacking you. That doesn't mean you accept harm. We're not going to do that.
Roberto Germán [00:03:29]:
But it does mean you don't internalize everything. You're going to be hurting if you do. Mistake 5 is going silent completely. Now, here's the flip side. Some educators respond to pushback by shutting down entirely. No more sharing. No more speaking. No more risk.
Roberto Germán [00:03:59]:
And while silence feels safe, it also creates space for misinformation and misunderstanding to grow. We don't want reaction, but we also don't want retreat. We want intentional response. So let me reframe this a little bit. If we're not reacting, arguing over explaining, internalizing, or disappearing, what are we doing? We're doing what we talked about in part one, with choosing Curiosity. We're asking better questions. We're staying grounded in purpose, because leadership in moments like this isn't about control, it's about clarity. Pushback is part of the work, not a sign that something is wrong, but often a sign that something is being surfaced.
Roberto Germán [00:05:15]:
So when it shows up, don't rush to respond. Step back and ask, what does this moment actually require from me? It's a question that I often try to ask myself. Because that Multicultural Classroom, we find that our work inspires a great deal of resistance. Nonetheless, the encouragement remains the same. Teaching truth Leave with courage. Belong to a community that gets it. You navigate moments like this and want a space to think, reflect, and grow with other educators. You don't have to do that alone.
Roberto Germán [00:06:05]:
You know where to find us. So until next time, keep leading, keep loving, keep learning. Peace.
