If at First You Don't Succeed

Thomas Edison, in my opinion, is the greatest inventor of all time.  He had 1093 patents. 1093. 1093. He invented the quadruplex telegraph, the carbon microphone, the movie camera, the mimeograph machine (had one in my classroom), and the phonograph to name just a few. He also was the inventor of the incandescent light bulb (now outlawed for purchase by the government). Edison experimented with over 1000 filament samples for his light bulb before he found that tungsten provided just the right amount of resistance necessary to keep  the wire glowing. He was asked this question by a reporter – “How did it feel to fail 1000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1000 steps.” Edison was a “glass half full” guy without fail. He believed in what he could do and imagined the things that others may have thought were out of reach.  A quote of Edison that is appropriate for all is this – “If we did all of the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” 

Thomas Edison provided a shining example of “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.”  Your students will be taking the second round of ISTEP next week. Perhaps the first round of the test back in March did not go exactly the way a student or their teacher had planned.  So, would it be best just to chuck the second round out the window because all is lost?  Weak-minded people would do so.  We can provide that spark that says to our kids that here is yet another opportunity to show what you have learned.  A chance to demonstrate how you can apply your learning to set of problems.  A chance to show everyone what your teacher taught them. As I have previously written, traditional luck is just an Irish theme. Real luck is when preparation meets opportunity.  Here is yet another opportunity that you should make the most of.  I challenge you to challenge your students now by inspiring them to put forth their best effort on this second round; no matter how the first round went.  Tell them that if they did all of the things they were capable of doing, they would literally astound themselves.  Prepare to be astounded.