Thoughtful Thursday

I love this story and thought it would be appropriate for the New Year!

Once there was a newly married couple.  The bride decided to cook her husband a ham.  She cut off the front of the ham and the back of the ham.  Then she put the ham in the pan and put it in the oven.  Her new husband asked, “Why did you cut off the front of the ham and the back of the ham before you put it in the pan?”  She replied, “Well, my mother always did it that way.”

The husband went to his mother-in-law and asked, “Why do you always cut off the front of the ham and the back of the ham before you put it in the pan?”  She replied, “Well, my mother always did it that way.”

The husband went to the grandmother and asked, “Why do you always cut off the front of the ham and the back of the ham before you put it in the pan?”  She replied with a smile, “My pan was always too small.”

A similar practice often underlies what we do as educators.  We don’t know why we do things –we just do them because we’ve always done them that way.  Thinking about WHY you do certain things each day and HOW you might improve instructional techniques is a challenge that makes our job more exciting.

Remember!  If you always do what you’ve always done then you’ll continue to get what you’ve always got!

Thoughtful Thursday

Wishbones Vs. Backbones

"Never grow a wishbone where a backbone should be," advises Debra Sullivan in her article, "Learning to Walk: Changing Yourself, Your Perspectives, and Your Assumptions," in the 200th Issue of Exchange.  Sullivan continued...

"Clementine Paddleford, a culinary journalist and a pilot who flew a Piper Cub around the country in the 1920s, gave this advice to her daughter.  This reminds us that you have to take responsibility for your life and not wait for someone to come fix it for you.  Sometimes we want change, but we want someone else to make it happen.  This can happen in big ways, like wishing a family member would stop making bigoted statements; and it can happen in small ways, like wishing your neighbor would stop parking in front of your house.  If only people would change their behavior or change their minds without you having to say anything or do anything.  Unfortunately, wishes don’t always come true.

"You can wish all you want, but sometimes you have to take a stand.  Babies can take a stand and walk because they have a backbone.  Personal change is about taking a stand, using your backbone, and deciding to take personal responsibility for the change you desire.  And, yes, taking a stand can be scary, but don’t let that stop you.  If you really want something to be different, you will find a way to make it happen."