And Make A Change

I have recently noticed that my kitchen counters have become overloaded. I remember moving into my house five years ago and thinking “I’ll never fill up all these cabinets!”.

Guess what? They’re full.

AND it seems to be spilling over to my counter tops. The Instapot never gets put away. I have a pile of tupperware that keeps falling out of the counter, so it just sits on the counter.  The charging area is spilling over with ear buds and cords and electronics. There is Valentine’s candy sitting on the counter because it won’t fit in the box of candy in the cabinet.

I think it’s time for me to make some changes in my kitchen.

Like Michael Jackson sang about, sometimes you have to “take a look at yourself and make a change”

How did I decide this? How does anyone decide when it’s time for a change? Something triggered me.

I learned recently in a training about what are triggers for change. Check out the main three triggers for change:

1. A Big Event: Even if it only happens once, a big event can change your outlook, becoming a trigger for change. An enraged parent. A test failed by every single student.. A fight in your classroom. These things are “Big Events” and can trigger change.

2. A Breaking Point: Maybe it isn't’ the first time everyone failed a test -- but the 6th time that MOST kids failed a test. Maybe it isn’t a giant horrible, angry, world-ending parent email but the 10th email from a parent who is annoyed. Maybe it isn’t an actual fist fight in your classroom but the latest in a long string of behavior problems.

3. A Better Way: Sometimes change is triggered by seeing a better way. I used to take home papers to grade all the time (cursing the whole time) until I had a colleague who showed me some shortcuts to minimize my grading time. I used to battle kids not coming in appropriately until I observed a colleague who used bellwork beautifully to start class smoothly.

Now, having said that, there are things we can control and things we cannot. You cannot control the background knowledge that kids come into your class with. You cannot control their parents. You cannot control which kids you teach. You cannot change your state standards (yet?).  You can’t control that public school has some kids tough to teach.

Before looking at change, you need to make peace with the idea that there are things you can control and things you cannot.

Maybe just making peace with something you can’t control IS the change you need!

But once you have identified something you can control AND you are inspired by a) that big event, b) that breaking point or c) that  better way -- now it’s time.

Albert Einstein maybe (but probably didn’t) say “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result”.

So, just a couple of questions to help you think about change this week:

• Where is your tipping point in your classroom?
• What issue is most concerning?
• What area do you have control over? (you might not think you do ... but often you have more choice than you think)
• And how can you make a change? Where can you start?

Need help or just an ear? Want to talk it through? Email me and I’m glad to talk through change with you. Honestly, that’s half of my job. Literally.

Email me your thoughts! No judgement  -- you make changes where YOU feel inspired, not be cause I (or someone else) tells you to make a change