Less is More.

Oct 22, 2017

Feeling a bit exhausted? Yes. This is a common state, especially for those in the teaching trade. My wife is getting ready to leave for science camp with an excited group of squirrely fifth graders, and thus, seems to be living at her school. At times, we all overcommit to get through certain job activities, but I feel certain most educators work too hard.

I’ve spent the last three days in Dayton, Ohio presenting a series of workshops to teachers and parents. My last session was optional since it was on a Saturday after a busy week of special events, so we knew attendance might be limited. And yes, at 8:00 a.m. twelve participants and I dove into the content. Usually when session numbers are low, I have to work harder to keep the energy up and content moving. However, this session was clearly atypical. Having spent more time posing questions and facilitating activities, I had less time to lecture and fall into the trap of teaching over-kill. Lucky for them, lucky for me.

When it comes to teaching, we talk too much. We could all benefit from economy of language, the idea of saying what we need to say in the fewest words possible. By keeping our words and direct teach sessions short, students have more time for activities designed to engage. When I am talking or working harder than my students, we have a problem. Huge thanks to the dedicated educators from the Miami Valley School for this little reminder.

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