Earlier, I wrote about the Yerkes-Dodson Dilemma: the idea that it's hard as a teacher to avoid slipping into either an under- or over-pressured internal world.
Part of what inspired that post was a children's book a colleague* shared with me a bit ago. The book is called Ish, and in just a few minutes you can have it read aloud to you using the video below.
Reynolds' idea of “ish” is another example of the kind of medicine that a teacher's heart needs when experiencing the over-pressured side of Yerkes-Dodson.
When I talk to teachers about the strategies that work best for cultivating student motivation, I often encourage them to think of using these strategies as a form of playful creation. This is me trying to tap into that sense of ish that Reynolds' children's book so beautifully captures.
So, colleague, if you're feeling over-pressured today, maybe make a day where you give yourself permission to teach some lessons-ish.
Best,
DSJR
*Thank you to our colleague Camille Corson from down under for sharing Peter Reynolds' Ish with me via email.
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