What if simply working hard, following rules, obeying your boss/teacher/parent, and managing your day to day routines are enough?
Now, you know me well enough to know I don’t believe the statement of this title. However, looking at many resources I think it is important that we don’t all jump off the ledge into the abyss of high risk ideas. I wrote about this before, but it strikes me again because I see a high level of stress of many educators striving to develop this next big thing.
The problem with this is that we don’t always know why we are attempting to create this next big thing. We struggle to come up with big idea because are in a state of stress and the mind cannot function properly when anxiety levels rise. The reason is because it is an unnecessary pressure put upon ourselves instead of trying to meet a need that needs addressed.
To be honest I think that we often need to step back. If you analyze your current situation and really stay honest I bet you find you jumped ahead to step 2 or 3 and did not start at step 1 to build the base and foundation. Look at the data you have collected and do something with it! The main issue I often see is that we spend forever on data gathering and then by the time we can do something with it we must move one or it is too late.
Part of the solution is to develop a simple yet powerful system to collect data realtime to gauge what decisions need to be made for instruction the next day.
In order to do this we must
- Provide teachers time to process data on a daily basis by reconfiguring planning time
- Develop checking for understanding procedures that are easy to implement and collect
- Provide time to develop a plan
The key here is efficiency and time. It has to happen quickly and not be some monstrous process where it will never work.
Over time the protocols and pathways will be developed and it will happen more quickly, but the first few years it will take time to develop what is needed.
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