365 Lessons

(Critical Thinking About What The World Is Teaching Me Every Day)

#7 Beginnings Are Good Places To Start

[Lesson Break Down]

Sometimes our ambitions for excellence hold us back from beginning with anything less, which is ironic because excellence tends to come from hard work and patience.

Twice today I experienced situations where amazing educators made decisions to move forward without having made everything “perfect” up front.  First, I saw a fourth grade team work out a way to have their students think critically about what makes a clear and communicative news report while exploring social studies content.  We were brainstorming elements of a regions project and trying to create a rubric that would guide groups through the production process.  Instead they chose to put the students in front of the camera to film impromptu reports.  The students will analyze those reports to think critically about what they’ll have to do in producing a final, polished report as a culminating project for the unit.  They’re having their students engage in a developmental drafting process similar to what they would do in during writing instruction.  It’s exciting.

The other situation was equally exciting.  Another fourth grade teacher decided a couple of months ago that she was going to take advantage of the interactive technology she has in her classroom.  Instead of scrutinizing the flip charts (that she’s now regularly creating and adapting) for aesthetic perfection, she simply moves forward once they fit the academic criteria and instructional potential she sets forth to achieve.  While some people (teachers and others) hold back adopting new tools or using new strategies because they don’t feel “ready,” this incredible teacher is becoming quite an expert at using interactive technology for authentic, effective instruction by accepting that she had to start somewhere.

A wonderful double dose of learning for me today!