Every summer, I try and avoid the race. I know, I know. Summertime should be a time to unwind. And often it is. Colorado alone has a restorative effect on my soul. Still, it is during the summer that I get overly nostalgic about the school year and dream up bold plans for the next year. It is during the summer that I attend conferences where I can geek out about ideas instead of working with a group of adolescents who aren't all that impressed with my knowledge. That's why I watch
Cars quite a few times. If I'm not careful, I get into this mindset where I value ideas and validation over people. I start daydreaming about planning and projects and I'm less intentional about the time I'm spending playing catch or building pseudo-robots with cardboard and duct tape. I realize that it's a cartoon movie. However, the story always resonates with me. Always. Lightning McQueen, bold and brash, gets "stuck" with a small, myopic community where no one cares about his accomplishments. In the process, he's humbled. He learns to ask for help. He becomes sacrificial. He begins to value relationships over accomplishments. That's the classroom right there. I know that my mindset is narrow right now. It's hard for me to think about "big ideas" when I am so tied to a small space. But that's okay. The universe is in the particular. There is more diversity in the minds of thirty students than there is in a conference that brings the world together. So, I'm going watch
Cars and I'm going try my best to remember what matters. If I make it through the summer alright, I'll keep that mindset throughout the year and I'll become a better teacher as a result. And even though I rarely give advice in this blog, I'm going to offer up a teaching tip: Screw Harry Wong. Forget Marzano. Toss aside Grant Wiggins, as great as his ideas may be. Go watch
Cars and hang out in small groups, surrounded by real people. You'll be a better teacher for it. photo credit:
Krazy Diamond ( Summer Time) via
photopin cc
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