Did You Bring Your Umbrella?

The story goes like this – a town in the Midwest had been suffering a severe drought over a stretch of searing heat and arid conditions.  The grass around homes turned brown, the water table grew shallow, and restrictions were imposed on water usage.  The most critically affected acreage were the fields of farmers.  Their crops were just not drying up; they were dying.  Not only would farmers stand to lose financially, the consumers who relied on these crops for food would go hungry.  After a solid month of drought, the townspeople decided it was time to gather the religious leaders of the town and assemble for a prayer service.  The entire town – every man, woman and child showed up to pray.  The hundreds  amassed prayed fervently and appeared to be engaged in desperate prayer.  Notably, only one little girl brought her umbrella.  Why was that action so powerful?   Simple - she demonstrated an act of true faith and true belief in what would happen. You have to believe in what you are doing.  You have to believe that your teaching lessons are effective and will produce good results.  You have to believe that your plan will work.  You have to believe that your kids will grow academically.  You have to believe in your students and they have to believe in you.  But, and this is a big but (no joke response, please), you cannot just show outward signs of believing in what you do.  You can’t just go through the motions and perform a great “dog and pony show” everyday where you become the “Sage on the Stage” or the best entertainer at the Holiday Inn Express.  You cannot meet with your grade level common course colleagues and not engage in the dialogue.  You cannot accept exit slips from your students and just discard them like useless scratch pads.  You cannot ignore the data.  You cannot use teaching strategies that did not work in the 80’s, 90’s, or any time since.  You cannot fail to ask questions at higher levels of understanding. You cannot fail to write assessments that are of at least “state test caliber”. You cannot blow off the importance of developing positive student relationships.  You cannot point your students and yourself to the long-term goals and then do nothing about reaching them.  You cannot let your students lose focus nor can you let yourself lose focus.  You cannot ignore the advice given during professional development.  You cannot live your school year without vision for your students because without vision the people perish (hmm, I read that somewhere).  The bottom line is this – if you don’t believe that your plan and strategies will work, then please turn your umbrella in and move on.  On the other hand, if you believe, truly believe, that the path you have mapped out for your students and the execution of that plan is a great one, then open up that umbrella because the rain is going to come.  We have to cover these kids – that is not negotiable!  After all, Noah didn’t build the Ark when it was raining.  Did you bring your umbrella?