The Miller, His Son, & The Ass [Blogpost 90]

I remember, as child, reading many of Aesop’s fables. I enjoyed the stories at face value and, upon learning of the underlying symbolism, was intrigued with this literary device.

Whilst fables such as The Hare and The Tortoise, The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse, and The Fox and The Stork are amongst the most well known, I have appreciated more recently being reminded of The Miller, His Son, & The Ass.

Melissa Chu’s 2018 article, The Man, The Boy, and The Donkey: A Lesson on Critics highlights the following four thoughts when facing criticism:

• Recognize the source.

• Manage criticism accordingly.

• Know that the issue usually has to do with them, not you.

• Focus on the Road Ahead

Each and every day we face the prospect of making decisions which can yield criticism within our school community and/or beyond. I, for one, believe in being transparent (or as transparent as possible) and taking heart in knowing each and every decision I make is done so with the child’s/children’s best interest at heart. These four suggestions are timely reminders to keep uppermost in mind when facing criticism regarding these decisions.

Do you agree with these thoughts? Any other thoughts/wise words to add?