It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?
Henry David Thoreau
My thinking about how to best spend my time came to me while I was completing my weekly Friday Feedback assignment. Half of my students complete the assignment each week. I split it up because it takes me about two hours to answer each set of feedbacks.
My Friday Feedbacks consist of three questions:
- What did you like or find most interesting during the past two weeks?
- What did you least like or understand?
- What questions or random thoughts came to mind while you were studying (the subject)?
I learn much about each of my students through these Friday Feedbacks. It is also a great way to take the pulse of how students feel about what is going on in class. Students are very straightforward about what they like and dislike. Their questions show what they do not understand and provide insight to their interests. But then, doing Friday Feedback is so time consuming. Should I be spending that much time on doing something that isn’t even required?
When I add this work to innovative lesson planning, paper correcting, student tutoring, and other school activities, it adds up to about 60 hours per week. If I write a blog post or play Alludo or observe other teachers, it takes even more time. My wife claims my whole life revolves around school. Maybe it is time to reevaluate my priorities.
School work that challenges students also challenges teachers. Creating essential questions, providing genuine research opportunities, requiring complex writing, and engaging students in meaningful discussions takes time. Good lessons go way beyond assigning a chapter in a textbook or giving students a multiple choice test. Meeting the needs of students is a never ending task. Every class is different. Every student is different. One size does not even begin to fit all. Even the lessons from last year must be modified for this year. How much time should I spend trying to best meet the needs of my students?
Each day I engage with about 120 students. Each day I owe every one of these students my very best. But who is counting? Who is measuring the learning and engagement of my students? I could have modified or created a lesson for tomorrow instead of writing this blog. I could have given more feedback on the outlines for the Civics essays that are due today. But now I am worried. Is someone counting my posts? Is someone tracking my Alludo score? Is someone recording the number of observations I make? So how should I spend my time? Should I continue spending as many hours doing my Friday Feedback assignments? Should I continue spending as many hours researching all the subjects I teach? Should I continue spending as much time helping struggling students? Maybe it would serve my interests better to spend more time blogging or garnering Alludo points or taking on another club.
Each day I engage with about 120 students. Each day I owe every one of these students my very best. But who is counting? Who is measuring the learning and engagement of my students? I could have modified or created a lesson for tomorrow instead of writing this blog. I could have given more feedback on the outlines for the Civics essays that are due today. But now I am worried. Is someone counting my posts? Is someone tracking my Alludo score? Is someone recording the number of observations I make? So how should I spend my time? Should I continue spending as many hours doing my Friday Feedback assignments? Should I continue spending as many hours researching all the subjects I teach? Should I continue spending as much time helping struggling students? Maybe it would serve my interests better to spend more time blogging or garnering Alludo points or taking on another club.
Maybe someone can offer some sage advice. I have no more hours to give. My wife will divorce me. I don’t want to be busy like an ant. I need to reevaluate what I should be busy about. If you have read this far, your feedback will be much appreciated.