If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a standardized testing discussion, I could own an island in the South Pacific. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been drawn into those thoughts and started ranting myself? I’d have a yacht to sail to that island. I wonder how much time I’ve spent talking, rambling, complaining, venting, about things I have little control over, when instead, I could have been planning and doing things that I could. It’s all left me wondering, if all of the problems went away, what would we do? Right now. What DOES the ultimate learning environment look like? If we drop every limit we’ve ever had on our teaching and thought about just doing what we know works, what could we create?
I think in those answers, those real discussions, are opportunities. The limits might not go away, but keeping our focus on what we know works? It rekindles our passion, reminds us what learning is, and lights a fire within our soul that got us into the classroom in the first place. Inspiration that nothing can burn out and a flame so bright we can light the way for all of our students.
That’s better than an island and a yacht.
