When Life Gives You Snow…Throw Snowballs!

     As I sat at the traffic light I noticed two, big, burly guys walking out of the Wendy’s Restaurant towards a pick-up truck. All of a sudden one of them scooped up a handful of snow and nailed the other guy somewhere between the lower jaw and neck. I was surprised but I LOVED IT! Within a few seconds these two guys went from thirty-five to ten-years-old, throwing snowballs, ducking behind the truck and sneaking around the side of the vehicle trying to take the other by surprise. The battle didn’t last long but it was priceless for those few seconds I watched.

     I have always believed the real key to staying young is not found in the expensive Estee Lauder creams and ointments that I occasionally purchase, but instead depends on an individual’s ability to ‘play’ and be ‘childish’ sometimes. My kids complain that when I get around my ‘high school friends’, we all become very “annoying” and act “silly”—what they don’t understand is that for those few minutes, we revert right back to being seventeen, and having those friends and that outlet is probably what’s kept me sane all these years.

     It is fun to play. Playing puts anyone in a better mood and reminds us that we do not have to be an adult ALL the time. Whether it’s a game of cards, Risk, Monopoly or a snowball fight in the middle of a parking lot; playing brings out the kid in anyone. Some of the happiest people I know are kids…so why not be one every once in a while?

     There have been many times I wanted to plow some unsuspecting soul with a snowball, but felt like it wouldn’t be mature or they might get mad at me, but today I did it and it was great. It was a perfectly packed, perfectly rounded, ice, cold ball of snow. The victim was my daughter’s boyfriend and the throw was truly amazing considering my non-athletic skills. It smacked him right in the side of the head and left him speechless and motionless at first, it was a surprised attack after all…but then as fate would have it, he regained his composure and got me back.

     In life everyone has roles that they must fulfill; roles such as wife, mom, dad, husband, employee, community member, consumer, club member and so forth. There is one role we should all add to our list and that is the role of ‘being a big kid’ sometimes. It will change your energy level, your outlook, your sense of humor and the way others look at you! Channel your inner kid and throw a snowball at someone but prepared…they will be shocked…but they will probably retaliate.

Better Opportunities Today and more Tomorrow...

When I think back to my early childhood days as a student I realize there were lots of lost opportunities. I had excellent teachers and attended a great school, but there was no thought of actually assessing before teaching. Everyone started at the same place and everyone moved at the same rate or stayed behind. There was ONE learning target…learn what the teacher was teaching at that moment. We all did the same worksheets, we took the same tests, in the same way and we read the same books and answered the same questions about the same books. We did learn and grow…but what else could have we learned and how far could have we grown had the approach been more like it is today?

Today we know that every child starts at a different place and moves at a different rate in respect to various learning targets. We understand that it is virtually impossible to begin teaching without first assessing. Students today are fortunate that so much research has gone into educating and learning. Teachers are fortunate as well, we have access to countless resources and thousands of colleagues. We can ‘pin’, ‘tweet’ and ‘surf’. We can use data in many different ways to help guide our instruction time and create personalized learning experiences for our students.

Although I am grateful for the great education I received and I appreciate the teachers that came to school every day prepared to teach; I cannot help but feel a little envious of the opportunities students receive today. I wonder how my education would have been different had I received formative instructional practices instead of the same worksheet my other 25 classmates received. What if I had been assessed before my teacher began the unit? How far could I have gone? Would I have received a better foundation of the subjects with which I struggled? Could I have advanced more quickly in Language Arts and spent more time in Math making valuable gains? Would I have chosen a four-year college right out of high school instead of waiting? I realize dwelling on the past doesn’t change outcomes, but if it is reflective dwelling, then it may have the potential to change future outcomes.

     I know many people think kids today have it rough with all the demands of education and the competitiveness of college and career readiness. I disagree. I would rather have tough demands and competitiveness than learning the same thing inside the same box. I would rather have my abilities, strengths and weaknesses actually considered than receive the same curriculum and routine as everyone else. Realizing the potential each child has and teaching in a way that accentuates that potential for each individual student is the goal and promise of teaching today.

Science, technology and research is constantly improving what we can offer the next generation. I am grateful that I received a better education and more opportunities than my parents and I am grateful that my children have received better and more than I. My goal now is to give the students of the future the most and best available today; while keeping in mind that tomorrow I should have something more and better to offer.