Welcome to a new school year and my (hopefully) semi-monthly blog about learning. After a decade in the classroom, if I had a dollar for every time a student looked at me and questioned the value of a lesson, I would be typing this blog from the lap of luxury in my palatial estate on my own private island. And really, there were days, particularly early in my career, when I had to struggle for an answer to their question. Sometimes it was easy; keeping a budget, writing a resume, convincing someone to support my plan, figuring out how much (fill in the blank) I needed to (fill in the blank). Other times it was more difficult and I had to fall back on some less convincing arguments like "You will rule at Trivial Pursuit!" or "It will help you later when you need to learn (fill in the blank)". In the end, I tried to make sure I had an answer and if I didn't, I then questioned someone else about "When are the students ever going to use this?". Sometimes I got my answer, and sometimes I got a blank look and a "Because it is what we have to teach.".
The name of this blog is "Work your Plan" because I think one of the most important things in life and education is to be purposeful in what we do. If we don't know why we teach something, why it is valuable, then how are we going to be passionate about it. If parents don't know what is going on in the classroom and support it at home, how will our students succeed? Each post I will try to focus on a subject area, skill, or way to bring the learning from school into your home in real and meaningful ways. And hopefully it will give you a chance to extend your child's learning and get a glimpse into the "Why" of education. Either way, I hope that you will comment, drop me an email or give me a call to share your questions about education, either in general or in regards to your child.
