I am currently reading Start. Right. Now: Teach and Lead for Excellence by Todd Whitaker, Jeffrey Zoul and Jimmy Casas As teachers, we have a myriad of duties to focus on daily. How we focus on the present determines if we are Scattered, Smothered or Covered. At one point or another, I was all three, and this chapter reminded me of moments throughout my career:
Scattered:
Issue: As an 8th-grade teacher, I loved creating differentiated lessons for the various abilities in my classroom. Much of the advice I received was to start small. Instead, I would revamp complete units all at once. This ended up placing me firmly in the Scattered category as I always felt I was spread too thin in the classroom.
Solution: This is still a work in progress for me, but I firmly believe in considering all assignments through the lens of a student – and walking through the tasks. This helps me to catch areas that would have me putting out fires in the classroom.
Smothered:
Issue: As a 10th-grade teacher facing a year-end Regents Exam, it is easy to get Smothered by the pacing guide to ensure everything is covered. The calendar says I need to be “here” and the tunnel vision sets in.
Solution: Formative assessments, such as 3-5 questions to gauge understanding of content should be what guides instruction, not the pacing calendar. We don’t move on if the kids are struggling. Our team spent time buildings such days in the schedule, based on past years.
What should be our goal? To focus on the present and Cover responsibilities. Currently, I balance two sections of teaching with Lead Teacher 6-12 responsibilities. It is easy to fall into the Smothered and Scattered categories every day. I usually realize it (too late) and take a breather. I then make a two-column chart with Teaching on one side and Lead Teacher on the other and list EVERYTHING going on at the time. Next, I prioritize based on my students’ and peers needs. It helps me to Cover my responsibilities while seeing the big picture. I recently began the quest for my Administration certification, so I will now have a three-column chart to cover my goals!
While we all have days where Smothered and Scattered are going to happen, I will work toward Covered as a balanced way to attend to the present – wish me luck!