Focus

By simplifying curriculum framework, students will be more confident, engaged, and eager to complete assignments because the objective is clear and manageable. If common curriculum, sound lessons, and authentic literacy is the common goal,we can celebrate successes as a team and our SOL score will increase naturally. My goal is to to be more like a hedgehog. "With their simple, singular focus, they succeed because they commit entirely and exclusively to what is essential and ignore the rest" (Collins, 2001a, p.91). I will strive to focus on "simple tasks" to promote speaking, writing, and listening.

OK... So I love the message of this book: simple basics/cut the excesses/get positive results, but I am struggling with exactly how this can play out in the "real world" where we teach. How can we teach only the most important SOLs when they all might be on the tests in May? How can we stop doing the projects and extra things that many parents see as the challenge they seek for their kids? How can we spend more time on simple good lesson planning when we have so many other things pulling on us and being expected of us from so many sources? Are we really free to "just say no," or will that not realistically be an option? I do believe there might be strength in numbers... that if we as a team or as a school ALL adopt this philosophy we might stand a better chance of making it happen. I hope we can and do  because as I said I love the message of this book!!!

I found Schmoker's book very eye-opening.  I love the simplicity concept and hope to make that my number one goal for this year.  This may be stretching the idea a bit, but I spend so much time after school doing all the "things" I think I'm supposed to be doing, I look at the clock and realize it is late in the afternoon and I haven't even started planning for the next day yet!  I want my new focus and time spent to be on planning good "sound" lessons and "ignore the rest."  I hope my colleagues will help support me on this.  Sometimes I feel like the fox in Jim Collins' example and wish to be more like the hedgehog!