"Don't Wish It Were Easier; Wish You Were Better"

     This weekend has been incredible. It was my son's second birthday and we got to spend an incredible amount of time together as a family. We went out to pick up last minute party items on Friday, had his party on Saturday, went to church and went to get pizza (his favorite) on Sunday, and then my wife and I were able to take Monday off as a day to spend with him. It was an incredible chance to recharge the batteries and evaluate how I have prioritized my family this year.

     There was, however, an itch in the back of my brain all weekend that I couldn't quite scratch. Now that I feel comfortable in my role as a husband and father, I have found that my role as a teacher has been lacking my full attention. Granted, how can you give 100% in different areas; something has to take second place, right? Some changing conditions at work have reminded me just how true that is. That's where the quote by Jim Rohn, which serves as the title of this post, comes in. I've spent the last several weeks at work wishing that it were easier, instead of wishing that I were better. Of course, I wished that I were better, but I'm not sure I was fully committing myself to that goal. So what does this mean for me, right now, as a teacher that is almost three quarters of the way through the school year?

     With only 9 school weeks remaining, what do I want to accomplish? In the next 9 weeks, how will I be better in the face of changing circumstances? That's the itch I've been trying to scratch all weekend! I even went so far as to reach out to a former student and ask, strictly speaking, what my teaching is like, on a scale of 1-10.

     I hope that this student responded honestly, which is what I need in this moment. She gave me a 7/10, and I get the feeling that she was being generous. She said that maybe I need to focus my instruction and my time in class more. She's been a student aide for me before along with being my student, so she has seen all aspects of my teaching in full (or not so full) swing. The key word in all of this is FOCUS. I need to focus more! Looking at some of my previous posts on this blog, I couldn't agree with that evaluation more! I've written about being off balance, about working on my self care and balancing that against the needs of my students. The key to all of this is focus.

     So how will I focus in order to be a more effective teacher? Well, for starters, I teach the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to my senior students, and when I teach it, I carry them out well. When we're done, however, I find myself backsliding on my commitment. I need to revisit these Habits, make them my own again, and apply them to all areas of my life. For too long now, I have been resting on my laurels and not reaching my full potential in the classroom. I need to make sure that I am putting first things first and making goals that are important and attainable. It's time to recommit to all aspects of my profession in unison with the other roles I fill.

     I'm hoping that I can will this week into a positive existence. I want to be a better teacher of content and a better mentor to students. I will always put the student first, and that may mean that I have to swallow some of my pride to be the best that I can be. I want to be better, regardless of the circumstance. I never want to fill the role of victim; I chose a profession that was hard not so I could become a martyr, but so that I could become a difference maker. I haven't been living up to that expectation, and it's time to change.

Best,