Teaching Tip #174

Teacherscribe’s Teaching Tip #174

Core value #3 - Excellence in the ordinary.

If we do the ordinary things in an excellent manner, then the big extraordinary things will take care of themselves.  Or at least that’s the thinking.

But I buy it.

I think the evidence is pretty strong that if you can’t take care of the small things with care and integrity, what are the odds you’ll get the big stuff right?

In our world, the small stuff is getting grades updated, taking attendance, writing interesting lessons and posting them, doing hall duty, and so on.

The big stuff, getting students to master difficult material, getting students to step outside of their comfort zones, getting students to relate to our subjects and material . . . well, that is easier if the grades are updated in a timely fashion, if attendance is recorded every single period, lesson plans are interesting and posted on time, and if we have a presence in our hallways.