“Come to my yard sale,” she called merrily as I rode by on my bicycle. I took it in at a glance. It looked pathetic. Nevertheless, with mixed feelings of compassion for her and pity because she needed customers, I stopped and pretended interest as I looked at the various offerings.
“How much is the little dog”? I ventured, only able to see his head as he was hiding behind other boxes.
Thus it was, I found myself riding through the streets of town with a dirty, cobwebby, black ceramic dog named “Dark Star”, full of holes, who had taken up residence in my bike basket. She had insisted I take him and thrust him into the basket against my protests. I was laughing at myself, as I pictured drivers going by, pointing to this woman who had “lost it”, thinking she was taking her dog for a ride!
But as I thought about me laying him in his final resting place rather than her, it occurred to me that I also have things I’m hanging on to in my teacher basket that maybe I don’t need. Is it time to lay to rest that favorite activity that’s fun, but doesn’t really have a purpose? Is it time to put aside previous prejudice, open my mind, and just TRY that technology the principal is urging me to use? Is it time to admit I need some fresh activities and ask a mentor for new ideas in the area of classroom management or ideas for teaching a particular concept?
I have a saying in my classes — “All of teaching is a grand experiment.”
No matter how long we’ve taught or how much experience we have, our job is new every morning. That’s the fun of it…….and the challenge. Every year is different, every class is different, and every child is different. What do I need to do to embrace the new…….and let go of the old?
Every Moment a Learning Moment 