Change The Way You Think

Albert Einstein once said "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them". I ask you all what that means to you and how does that relate to what we do as educators. To me he is clear, we need to think outside the box, we need to stop doing things just because we have always done them that way and we need to teach our students to challenge the status quo.

Just this morning I had a teacher talking to me about a student that is struggling in reading. I asked the teacher to explain what she was doing and she listed lots of great strategies. My follow up question was how long have you been doing these things and she replied all year. The next question was simple, if you have been doing the same things for months and they are not working why are you still doing them? This child has probable had the same strategies used for the past few years and they have fallen further and further behind, so they are not effective strategies for this child. As educators it is very easy to get sucked into a comfort zone where we do what we have always done. Be sure you are looking at your students and you are reacting to their needs.

This year our goal is to become an Honor School of Excellence. We will never reach this goal if we just do what we have always done. Historically we have almost always been a school of distinction, which would lead one to believe we will again fall short of our goal unless we change something. Step back tomorrow on the workday and reflect on what you have done this year to raise the level of instruction in your classroom. Einstein also stated "information is not knowledge". We need to be sure we are providing our students with more than basic information. Teach them to think and problem solve. Strive for the goal and keep that as the focus when you make educational decisions in your classroom. I know we can get there, but we must remain focused.