What Do You Do That Can’t Be Measured

 This chapter really made me stop and think about the unseen parts of our work, the things that matter most but never show up on a checklist or evaluation form. Her question, “What do you do that can’t be measured?” hit me right away. It reminded me that so much of what we do in youth development, teaching, or any kind of care work is the kind of stuff that doesn’t fit into data boxes or rubrics.

What stood out to me most was Restler’s idea of radical care! Care that’s not just being nice or helpful, but so much more. She shows that care can be a way of pushing back against systems that try to measure people’s worth through grades or rankings. This part hit hard, seeing as a huge part of my work is analyzing grades and test scores to make admissions decisions. In my line of work, I can tell you that SAT/ACT scores are nothing more than proof your family had money or you went to a rich school. But to some people, that test shows if a student will be successful in college,  it’s a joke.

This chapter made me reflect on how I connect with people and how small things can mean everything. How connecting over little things can make such a huge difference. When I think about what I do that can’t be measured, I think about the energy I bring to space, how I try to make people feel seen. I think back to all the times I let my guard down and allowed a space built on transparency and vulnerability to be the foundation for so many students. 

Growing up I had a basketball coach that used to say “The little things matter” as a youth I thought that this was just talking about basketball but as I got older I realized that little acts we do can change someone's life. This chapter reminded me of that.