Sometimes You Have to Do It
In a previous entry on this blog, I shared that I stutter. For whatever reason, I struggle with specific words. The most troubling word happens to be...library. It's crazy. I know. And--talking on the phone about a library puts this stutterer almost over the edge! As you can imagine, I have nothing against libraries. I actually love libraries. My family is an active supporter of our public library where we live. My wife served on the library board. I've been on a visioning team for our libary, and our entire family uses the services our library has to offer all of the time. It's no surprise that when asked to be on a citizens committee to help pass an operating millage for our library, I volunteered. The final task our little committee had to do was to run a phone bank to call potential voters to remind them to vote to support the millage. So, I had to call complete strangers and ask them to support our library. You can't imagine how many times I had to stumble through that crazy word...on the phone! I've learned to laugh, but really....I won't be signing up soon to serve on any library phone banks! :)
Do you ever have to do things that you don't like to do? Of course. Everyone does.
I've been working with a class of fourth graders who have been learning to master long division. This class happens to meet at a time of the day when my schedule is usually flexible. After visiting, the teacher welcomed me to be an extra pair of hands for future lessons. I genuinely miss the close relationship classroom teachers build with a small group of students, and being able to directly help-even just a bit-helps keep me in touch with the real work in my school--teaching and learning. Plus, it's fun to work with the kids.
I'm lucky. Teachers in our school help make topics like long division fun through rhymes, chants, pneumonics, and a general "We can do anything if we put our mind to it" attitude. In fact, I'd say most of these kids actually enjoy doing the long division, but there are a few students who would prefer to not have anything to do with division or math for that matter. And yet, we persevere with them. We teach them that they can do something they don't like to do. Even more, we expect them to do things that make them reach or make them feel just a little unsure of themselves.
Supporting libraries matters to me. I want our daughters to understand that you need to actively support causes that matter...even if it means you have to stumble through your fears or troubles. I also want our students to understand that even if you're not super-excited to learn a topic, sometimes you need to just do it.
PS--The millage passed, and...our students were successful with their division test.
Do you ever have to do things that you don't like to do? Of course. Everyone does.
I've been working with a class of fourth graders who have been learning to master long division. This class happens to meet at a time of the day when my schedule is usually flexible. After visiting, the teacher welcomed me to be an extra pair of hands for future lessons. I genuinely miss the close relationship classroom teachers build with a small group of students, and being able to directly help-even just a bit-helps keep me in touch with the real work in my school--teaching and learning. Plus, it's fun to work with the kids.
I'm lucky. Teachers in our school help make topics like long division fun through rhymes, chants, pneumonics, and a general "We can do anything if we put our mind to it" attitude. In fact, I'd say most of these kids actually enjoy doing the long division, but there are a few students who would prefer to not have anything to do with division or math for that matter. And yet, we persevere with them. We teach them that they can do something they don't like to do. Even more, we expect them to do things that make them reach or make them feel just a little unsure of themselves.
Supporting libraries matters to me. I want our daughters to understand that you need to actively support causes that matter...even if it means you have to stumble through your fears or troubles. I also want our students to understand that even if you're not super-excited to learn a topic, sometimes you need to just do it.
PS--The millage passed, and...our students were successful with their division test.
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