I was reading a small blog the other
day and a teacher recounted her visit to another school. She ended by saying, “I borrowed a pen from
another teacher and I didn’t have to give up anything in return. What a great feeling. I wonder if our kids will ever experience that.”
I didn’t spend a lot of time reflecting
on it until I began sharpening what seemed like the hundredth pencil of the
year. Many times we experience haste when we have to lend or give students yet
another pencil because they have broken, lost, or discarded the pencil they “just
had”. While I was sharpening and
reflecting, I thought of one thing that I should give up in 2019. That thing is pencil or pen accountability.
Yes, it’s incredibly important for our
students to be held responsible for their supplies and it is certainly a waste
of resources to continue giving students pencils day in and day out, but the
most essential question remains. Do they need the pencil? Yes! They have to have it in order to complete
the work and we want the work done. So,
we have to give up the pencil.
It seems like the simplest task, but for
many educators, it’s where they draw the imaginary line in the sand. In 2019, my goal is to just hand over the
pencil. I encourage you to look at one
ritual that becomes more of a chore each year.
Examine how you can change your mentality in reference to this one thing. Let’s challenge ourselves to be better. What can you leave in 2018?
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