I had a rich, and quite insightful conversation with one of my good buddies a few days ago. He is not in the educational field, but had some great insight into mindsets during one of his recent conferences. We had a discussion about what is going on in education, and what can be done to change it. How can we improve something that is so engrained in stipulations, high demands, and consequential testing? We came to the conclusion that it comes down to the beginning. "Don't do something today, just because you did it yesterday". This quote is one that stuck with me. It reflects a lot of the teachers that we see today, and the mindset that they have. We are creatures of habit, it is comfortable to do the same thing that we have done time and time again. This path can lead to issues. Repeating the same thing can often mask the long term effects it may be having. It can incidentally lead us down a path of destruction without even knowing it. This is not to say that what you did yesterday was wrong, we need to ensure that the path we lay before students is the correct one. What we need to do, is to critically look at the root of what we are doing, and why we are doing it. Doing what is comfortable, may not be the best path for students. It may not lead to the deepest learning and the highest test scores. It may not even be the best fit for your teaching style. Take a look today at what you are teaching, and why you are delivering it that way. If it truly is what is best for your students, GREAT!! If not, you have the power the change it! |