In 1994, 37 psychology students were asked to estimate how long it would take to write their theses. On the bright side (“If everything goes as well as it could”) they estimated an average of 27.4 days; on the dark side (“If everything goes as badly as it could”) they estimated an average of 48.6 […]
simplify
The Shift
Last time, I shared a long and impossible list of things that teachers like us feel expected to do. Many of you wrote and shared your additions to the list (e.g., club sponsorships, lunch duty), making it even more accurate, and even longer, and even more oppressive. Suffice it to say, the default conditions of […]
The Pressure
Teaching can pretty quickly turn you into a basket case. Consider a list of responsibilities — of things that we “have to do” — that our colleague Lynsay Fabio, a secondary English teacher, came up with recently. (Note: A potential side effect of reading this list is shortness of breath.) Read the class novel myself, […]
The Time Warp Scenario: How to Get Unstuck On Big Projects
Whether you’re planning a unit or prepping to lead PD or preparing for a job interview or writing a book proposal or drafting a speech, if you’re like me, you’ll inevitably run into moments where you get stuck. What I’m talking about are those times when the internal dialogue is like this: “AHHHH! I’M GOING […]
Tough Minds, Tender Hearts
I’ve been thinking lately about prioritization. Many teachers who subscribe to this blog — colleagues like you — write about how little time they have, how overwhelmed they are, how difficult it is to do all they’re expected to do. I don’t just read their frustrations — I feel them. And it especially pains me […]
