A Pedagogy of Abundance
In case you haven’t heard, Lebron James recently broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing NBA career scoring record. It was a big deal, of course, because that record, which Abdul-Jabbar had claimed from Wilt Chamberlain in 1984, had seemed all but unbreakable for these past 39 years. It seemed fitting that it happened while James was wearing a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, just as Abdul-Jabbar had been so many years ago, and fitting, too, that Abdul-Jabbar was on hand to celebrate the moment and to congratulate James. Naturally, he did so in the humble and gracious manner which has become as much his trademark as his famous sky hook, but nonetheless, it got a lot of folks wondering how Abdul-Jabbar really felt about the situation.
Well, they didn’t have to wonder for too long, because in addition to being one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Abdul-Jabbar is also an eloquent writer and thinker and in an article he published shortly after the momentous occasion, he answered the question on everyone’s mind with a simple analogy: “It’s as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery and 39 years later someone won two billion dollars. How would I feel? Grateful that I won and happy that the next person also won. His winning in no way affects my winning.”
Awww, abundance. That simple idea that there is more than enough of the good stuff to go around.
When people read something like this, most nod their heads vigorously and say, yeah, of course, I’m like that; I believe in abundance and generosity and big-hearted sentiments like the one Abdul-Jabbar expressed about relinquishing his coveted record to James. Of course, there’s enough good stuff to go around. Of course I want other people to thrive and to have the things they need and desire.
But I’ve noticed that the truth is a little more complicated. Most people want to believe in abundance and in the idea that resources are bountiful, but there is also a way that we humans are acculturated to believe that most really valuable resources, i.e., time, money, energy and love are scarce and finite. We are taught to believe early on in the fantasy of only one true love; that we should save for a house rather than explore the world; and that there is never enough time to do everything we want to do, so we should take care of the important (read practical) things first. Other examples abound, but most are rooted in the idea of fixed resources and false dichotomies, which lead us to believe we have to choose between things like freedom and security, independence and commitment, ecology and economy. Furthermore, scarcity encourages us to avoid risk and to view what others have through a lens of envy. Scarcity makes us believe we all need to compete for our piece of the pie, rather than working together to bake more pies.
Because our schools and classrooms always reflect societal norms, I have found there to be a pervasive Scarcity Mindset in many school settings. An obvious example is the classic bell curve which presumes a normal distribution of performance, with an equal number of students performing above and below the average, and only a very small fraction performing two standard deviations above or two standard deviations below that average. The other more subtle ways that scarcity mindset works in schools are couched in the idea of what you do for one student, you must do for all students. For instance, if a teacher offers a time extension or some other modification to a general education student, it is somehow unfair to the other students who completed the assignment without this modification.
Power in the classroom is also an area of perceived scarcity. If a teacher laughs too much with students, or gives too much time to student conversations or allows students to listen to music or use their phones while they work, there is the perception that that teacher has somehow relinquished too much power to her students, as if power is a fixed resource and students feeling their own power somehow diminishes their teacher’s power.
Professionally, too, I have noticed that some teachers are reluctant to consider new ideas, explore new texts or embrace new technology, mainly because of their uncertainty, which becomes a fear that the new thing will somehow supplant—or detract from—the good things they’re already doing. This goes hand in hand with the way that teachers often choose to stay in their own lane, which can lead not only to isolation, but also to feeling competitive and protective—and sometimes downright stingy— with their classroom spaces, their instructional materials and even their knowledge of their students.
In short, Scarcity Mindset is a subtle force that drives personal behavior and often has negative effects on student learning, school culture and overall job satisfaction for teachers.
Conversely, the principles of an Abundance Mindset presume that most resources are bountiful and that sharing resources actually makes for more of the good stuff, i.e, a bigger pie. Yes, people with abundant mindsets tend to be more generous and flexible and optimistic, but I think the most profound difference is the way they approach change and uncertainty. People who live with a Scarcity Mindset often approach change through the lens of fear and discomfort, identifying only the options they can see clearly and almost always preferring the one that involves the least amount of change—the devil they know, if you will. People who believe deeply in abundance, believe in possibilities that they can’t even imagine. Their habits and experiences have led them to an understanding that at any given juncture, there are possibilities they can predict and also an abundance of possibilities that they haven’t even thought of. It is more than optimism; it is a deep belief that in every new situation, there are an infinite number of new outcomes that might very well be better than the ones they already know.
What I’ve noticed in the past few years is that the more intentionally I try to live with an Abundance Mindset, the happier and more fulfilled I feel in my life and in my work as a teacher. I believe there are a number of little ways for teachers to shift to a mindset of abundance and here are just a few of the simple things I’ve noticed:
When students (with or without an IEPs) are generously provided with the time they need or other appropriate modifications, they thrive. At the same time, other students (who do not need these modifications) do not suffer any adverse consequences.
When I spend my energy and enthusiasm learning new things about this work, I always feel an increase in my level of energy and enthusiasm about this work that is directly commensurate to the energy and enthusiasm I bring to the learning.
When I share my time, resources and leadership with my colleagues, not only am I always rewarded in ways that I don’t expect, but I always learn something new.
In a classroom of abundance, students feel powerful and this agency helps them to become more enthusiastic and effective learners. This has no negative effect on me or my agency as the teacher in the room.
When all students in a classroom are thoroughly engaged, the bell curve goes out the window.
When I hear a student saying something positive about another teacher or when I notice that my current students demonstrate skills that I know they acquired from their previous teacher, I always go out of my way to tell that teacher. Not only does this create good will between colleagues, but in some small way it helps to begin a cycle of collaboration, rather than competition, which is really the cornerstone of abundant thinking.
In case you’re interested:
https://kareem.substack.com/p/what-i-think-about-lebron-breaking
