Intent vs. Impact (Michael J. Seaberry)

Intent Vs. Impact

Michael J. Seaberry

You never really know how things come across to other people, no matter the situation. This is true across all disciplines, field, careers, opportunities, etc. Recently, in a joking manner, an LSU Professor told me that he "owns me" as I held a shovel and planted trees outside of the school here in Chile. Thinking in retrospect, he probably meant that he, as a full professor, "owns" graduate students. However, joking or not, the moment was not correct nor will the moment ever be correct to mention that to anyone. While he may have said it jokingly, the impact of the words was much more hurtful than his intent. 

He may forget the words he spoke to me today, and he may never know that he had this impact, but I will never forget the feeling of being small in the eyes of this professor and, subsequently, not being heard by other professors as I tried to explain my experience. 

With that being said, in my first blog, I mentioned that I am not a savior and that I am here for my own educational experiences and enlightment. During this last week, I realized that even when you have an idea of what your purpose is, you may be shown something a little differently over time. Today, as I went around to say final goodbyes to my students, I was greeted with gifts, a surprise pizza party, hugs, kisses, and pure love from the faces of hundreds of little children who I seem to have had an impact on. I was overwhelmed with the love that they showed me and I cannot thank them enough for proving to me that I still have purpose when I feel small.  

My intent was not to alter their lives. My intent was to stay in the background and learn. My intent was overshadowed by my impact. 

I honestly was at a lost for words as I was presented with all of these loving moments. Although my interaction was not on the level of the professor´s hurtful words, I still see a correlation between the two. If I am careful with what I say and if I am conscious about my decisions, I will never have to worry about having a hurtful impact when my intentions were good. Choosing words carefully and taking a moment to understand the cultures you are working with can ensure you peace when you walk away. 

Whether your student is an 11 year old, sixth grader or a 24 year old graduate student, intent and impact are important and must be cared for in the same manner. Educators sometimes forget that the two don´t always match and that this disconnect can cause further issues both in the lives of the student and the educator. 

So I thank you, Concepcion, Chile for teaching me these lessons and the lessons taught in previous blogs (even the ones I only mentioned in my journal). 

Viva Chile!