Looking at "The Office" in Your School

I don't know about all of you, but one of my favorite television shows is The Office.  The day to day workings of Dunder Mifflin (or now a division of Sabre) make me laugh every time I watch the show.  Sometimes, I think I get the biggest laugh because I can see the situations or the cast in my everyday life.  What I want to do is look at the characters in the show and compare them to people you know (maybe even yourself) to find the good and bad in being that character in your school.

Perhaps my favorite character on the show is Jim Halpert.  When we watch him early in the show, we see a character who does not think he will stay with Dunder Mifflin for a long time.  He shows this with his pranks, open flirting with a co-worker, and comments that he makes.  He also seems to be a character that does not always try hard because it does not seem to be expected of him.  However, he is successful at what he does.

After a change of scenery, we see Jim grow into a better employee.  It seems that when he transfers to Stamford, he takes on a more professional attitude because he is in a more competitive environment.  In fact, he is considered for promotions.

I think Jim is the most common character in a school.  Many teachers are only as good as they have to be, and many school cultures allow this attitude to develop.  While "Jim" will see success, one has to wonder what could have been unless he becomes a better professional.  Not everything about a "Jim" is bad however.  I believe humor is one of the things missing in most schools today.  We all need someone who can make us laugh.

If we take a "Jim" out of a school that accepts his less than stellar approach to work, and we place him in a school that demands more, we see a great example of a teacher emerge.  After this happens, this teacher can be successful and effective wherever he decides to go.

Who are the "Jim's" in your school?  Are you one of them?  How can you foster the growth of Jim's positive traits but mitigate the negative ones?