Running in Every Lane

In my freshmen year of high school, I was fortunate to get cut from the basketball team.  What?  Did he just write, “fortunate” to not make the team?  Yes, I did.  You see, that disappointment on a Thursday (still remember the day of the week) turned into a great opportunity on Friday.  On that day, I met with the Head Track & Field Coach, and asked him if I could run with the winter squad. “You bet ya” was his reply. This man instilled a love for the sport in me and taught me that the fastest way to success was to train hard and listen to what the coaches taught.  I bought this hook, line, and sinker.  That year, I earned my first varsity letter and finished sixth at the conference finals in what then was the 220 yard dash.  I made a goal that day in May of 1973 that I would strive to be the conference champion the next year.  Sadly, my coach left that summer to become the Head Coach at Purdue University.  I met my new coach, Jim Steed, early in my sophomore year as I was in his class.  This man remains to this day the finest teacher that I have ever seen.  He taught me a great deal about technique and how to get the most out of every training session.  He told me that if I wanted to achieve my goal I would have to follow the training plan to a “t”.  Equally important was that I would have to “see that victory in my head” with every conceivable roadblock a thousand times before race day and that I should “practice winning” from every lane on the track because I would not know my assigned lane until race day.  I believed every word he told me. After supper (that’s what we called it in the 70’s), I would sneak back to the track and hop over the locked gate and starting from lane 1, would run through an imaginary conference championship race until I had run in every single lane. This was done day after day rain or shine. Mom thought I was going to study at a friend’s house. I think Dad knew, but pretended to be oblivious. The big day came and I lined up to run a race that I had already seen at least 1,000 times in my mind, in an absolute downpour, with the advice followed to the letter from the greatest teacher ever,  I …

Be the teacher that many would call the greatest teacher ever.  Be the teacher that can pinpoint struggling areas for kids and help them shore those up.  Be the teacher that finds ways to make it all work for each of your kids.  that relates to the different ways in which kids learn.  Be the teacher that sees potential roadblocks and either cut them off at the pass or find a way to compensate for them.  Often, you will have to show them versions of “running in every lane” as there will always be multiple ways to accomplish the tasks before us despite things that get in the way.  Be the teacher that gladly hops over the fence and works through time restrictions creatively to help kids grow.  Be the teacher who is visionary and passes his/her visions to their students.  Be the teacher who helps kids set goals and the one that shows them just how to achieve them.  Be the teacher to show them that one failure does not necessarily lead to a life filled with failures.  Setting goals with your students and having them track their progress has a very high effect size.  As you have them set individual ISTEP goals, make certain that you have them practicing in every lane while you differentiate your instruction.  The constant here is the finish line – let’s be ready for it.  Practice winning by running in every lane.