The Mathematics of Change

October is always an interesting time in the school year.  Routines have been established, the excitement of a new year has faded some and now the real work begins.  Each day is a challenge.  A challenge for a teacher to see the work in the classroom, define his or her role and guide the students to grow and change.  That word is so important...change.  It is a word that can cause many things to happen, the last of which is success for our students and school.  But it is so hard.

In this 2011-2012 school year, we are embracing lots of changes.  It can feel as though new changes are happening every day.  It is overwhelming, and exhausting to be a classroom teacher.  But more than just overwhelming and exhausting, it is incredibly important.  Teachers are often the adults that spend the most significant amount of time each day with the children.  The average child spends approximately eight hours at school, from 8:00-4:00.  That leaves only four-five hours of awake time at home with their parents, siblings and family members.  How much of that home time is spent engaged in quality educational opportunities at home?  If you subtract an hour for dinner and/or bath time, home time is  3-4 hours?  Where is the most change and growth happening for the child?  It is here, at school.

We are presented with the gift of time every day at school.  We have 7 hours of quality educational time with our students.  It is time to teach, shape, enrich our students' lives.  It is time to identify where a student is struggling, and help that child find a way to succeed.  It is time to apply what research shows us is best for our kids, in 2011-2012.  The research may show us a different path than how we were taught, or how we have taught in the past.  It is hard to re-shape your own thinking to impart change on your students.  It is hard to trust in ideas that we have never embraced before.  Quite simply....change is hard.  But I challenge you to consider this quote:

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."
George Bernard Shaw

It is every teacher's goal to see progress for our students.  So if you want to help your kids make progress and succeed, ask yourself these questions about your own mind:

1.  What do I want for my students?
2.  Can I change my mind to embrace what research is telling me?
3.  Can I learn, be brave, and take the risk that new changes bring?
4.  Can I help others to embrace the changes, on behalf of the students?

The mathematics of change are as follows:
Our Harrisonburg City school day is 8:35-3:25=  approximately 7 hours
Our Harrisonburg City School Year= 180 days
180 days x 7 hours/day= 1,260 hours

You have the resources, the determination, the support, and 1,260 hours.  Each day is the gift of time, how will you use it?