I had two signs that I had to persist. Two young smiling faces reminded me of what really helped those children learn last year. So even though, I've been directed down another path, I persisted with my advocacy to support learning for students like those whose smiles and good words greeted me recently.
Often some find it easy to dismiss an educator's plea for different and better. I think this, in part, may be due to the fact that they don't spend the minutes we spend with students. They don't hear those specific questions or see the bright eyes of a lesson that works, a meeting that inspires, or an exchange that lights a spark. In the classroom, we're constantly aware of what is working very well, and what is not working as well. Teachers understand a lot about the intimate details of learning, and that's why we sometimes advocate beyond our own and others' comfort zones for teaching/learning tools, techniques, and endeavor that make a strong and positive impact.
