From the Heart #1
I've had a lot on my heart and mind lately with a new school year starting. I am so blessed to be at a new campus and grade level this year. However, this may not always benseen as a blessing to some. Being in an unknown place leaves even the most outgoing in many moments of solitude. It is in these minutes that I began to contemplate the idea of change. What is it about change that is so hard? Being raised in an environment where change wasthe yearly routine (military kid), it hasn't been overly difficult for me. Many people, however, let the idea of change make them physically ill! Why is it that we dread change? Let me ask you a question. Did you go to work today in the same clothes you wore yesterday? Most likely, that answer to that question is no! Something so simple is rarely regarded with the same fear than other forces of change. It is merely the "norm". What would happen if we embraced more changes as "norms"?
I have a confession to make. Ummmm.....here it goes. You ready? I don't save lesson plans. I don't WANT to save lesson plans. For one thing, I lose most everything. Why would I try to keep up with something else. Secondly, I don't want to teach such crummy lessons again. Yep - I said it. CRUMMY! Now I'm not saying that I am a poor teacher. I'm probably average at best. But I like to think of it this way. Have I ever taught a lesson that resulted in 100 % mastery of a skill immediately? For me - the answer is no! The day that I find that magic lesson plan, I might laminate it. But until then, it obviously isn't good enough. I believe that even a lesson that yields a mastery level of 85 % should be sacked.
But what about fine tuning and tweaking what you already have? Sounds like a great plan! A few tweaks here and little change there, and voila! The old plan should have changed to something worth that valuable laminating film, right? Well...not exactly.
The educational climate is constantly changing. Standards are changing, testing is changing, technology is changing. Heck! I even hear people complain everyday that kids aren't like they used to be. That's because change is constant. Why would we think that what we did once would have enough of a shelf life to keep up with this trend? Even a few minor changes, only masks the outdated product.
I have heard teaching referred to as "brain surgery". When you think about, that might be the most accurate description of what we do (though I wish the pay was the same!). Why would I want to do such a delicate procedure with sub-par tools? I don't. I wanted to teach to positively affect students. Does it take extra work? Yes. Can it be tedious and frustrating? Yes. It is time consuming? Yes. But I would want my brain surgeon to be willing to go the extra mile. I would expect my child's brain surgeon to take that extra effort. Wouldn't you?
The next time you pick up what you did "last year", stop. Change isn't awful. Change isn't painful. But change is necessary.
I have a confession to make. Ummmm.....here it goes. You ready? I don't save lesson plans. I don't WANT to save lesson plans. For one thing, I lose most everything. Why would I try to keep up with something else. Secondly, I don't want to teach such crummy lessons again. Yep - I said it. CRUMMY! Now I'm not saying that I am a poor teacher. I'm probably average at best. But I like to think of it this way. Have I ever taught a lesson that resulted in 100 % mastery of a skill immediately? For me - the answer is no! The day that I find that magic lesson plan, I might laminate it. But until then, it obviously isn't good enough. I believe that even a lesson that yields a mastery level of 85 % should be sacked.
But what about fine tuning and tweaking what you already have? Sounds like a great plan! A few tweaks here and little change there, and voila! The old plan should have changed to something worth that valuable laminating film, right? Well...not exactly.
The educational climate is constantly changing. Standards are changing, testing is changing, technology is changing. Heck! I even hear people complain everyday that kids aren't like they used to be. That's because change is constant. Why would we think that what we did once would have enough of a shelf life to keep up with this trend? Even a few minor changes, only masks the outdated product.
I have heard teaching referred to as "brain surgery". When you think about, that might be the most accurate description of what we do (though I wish the pay was the same!). Why would I want to do such a delicate procedure with sub-par tools? I don't. I wanted to teach to positively affect students. Does it take extra work? Yes. Can it be tedious and frustrating? Yes. It is time consuming? Yes. But I would want my brain surgeon to be willing to go the extra mile. I would expect my child's brain surgeon to take that extra effort. Wouldn't you?
The next time you pick up what you did "last year", stop. Change isn't awful. Change isn't painful. But change is necessary.
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