Skip to main content

Using the Tools of Success, Why Not?


There is a common saying that says, “work smarter, not harder.” I often find myself repeating this mantra to myself when I am spending too many hours on school work, whether planning or grading. Granted, I want others to think of me as a hard worker, who puts in many hours devoted to my teaching craft. However, it is so easy to go overboard because we associate long hours with hard work. What if we could do a simpler task or create a more efficient plan that would accomplish the same goal? I frequently find that the more simple lessons that I plan wind up being the most interactive, engaging, and thought-provoking, and it leaves me wondering why I spent so much mental energy and time planning a more complex lesson. This same idea applies to assistive technology in the classroom.

When it comes to reading, writing, grading, and editing there are many tools at our disposal. From Read and Write Gold to Speech to Text, we have so many valuable tools that would make our lives easier. I am willing to admit my stubbornness in taking the more difficult path, but I would love to see some students take on the challenge of working smart, not harder alongside me. There seems to be a resistance to using tools such as speech to text and Grammarly when it comes to written expression when in reality many of us speak to our phones on a daily basis to send a text or tell Siri to search for something. Then, when it comes to writing an essay, we forget that we have that tool available to us. Just like we can use an audiobook to build reading comprehension and “read” at a time when we don’t have time to pick up the book, we can dictate our thoughts to streamline the writing process. Using speech to text does not demonstrate a weakness, but rather illuminates our desire to work in a more efficient manner that would highlight our great ideas and allows us to succeed. Why would any of us NOT want to be more successful?

Students, please join me on this journey of working smarter and not harder. I pledge to streamline my grading and planning process, as well as use the assistive technology tools at my disposal. Who is with me? Please post a comment below. Thank you for reading.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Habits of Success

In a moment of vulnerability, I would like to explore the idea of self-belief. This has not always come easy to me. Self-doubt so easily creeps into our minds on a daily basis and can cripple our productivity. When we believe the lies about ourselves, it is difficult to move from the impossible to the probable. Rather than thinking about ourselves as not talented enough, not athletic enough, not smart enough, we should focus on our strengths and developing the right habits. I have always been fascinated by grit and persistence, which I will blog more about later. However, I recently came across a tweet by author and motivational speaker, Jon Gordon . Gordon speaks in great detail about positivity and using our strengths to propel us forward. As you can see from the screenshot include in this post, Gordon speaks to those habits we can control rather than the arbitrary skill that is assigned to each of us by the world. Even if you don’t have the most skill, you can be on time, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mastering Your Fear

Over winter break, I read an article by Brandon Webb titled, “How to Master Your Fear Like a Navy Seal.” He began by discussing a situation in combat in which soldiers were literally facing down an enemy in a stressful situation. Of course, while I found it interesting, I figured it only applied to life-threatening or truly terrifying situations. However, as I continued reading, I began to see many applications in my life. Fear can come in many forms: it can come when faced with a life or death situation or it can come in the form of crippling anxiety, stress, depression, and worry. I find myself ruled by the fear of the latter set of circumstances. The article discusses how to control the inner monologue of our minds to not be ruled by fear but to use it in a positive way. Webb writes, “Whatever it is, you’ll deal with it in its time and place. Meanwhile, don’t let it swim around inside your head!” He also noted that our body language can give away our fear if we let it. In other...
1 comment
Read more

Finding Positivity in the World Around Us

In my quest to find positivity and kindness in the world, I have had to be more intentional about paying attention to the inspiring stories in the news. The stories are there, but you have to look carefully. In the past two weeks, I have come across two stories in the news which have helped boost my spirits about the power of positive and generous people. They were both about people that don’t have to choose the attitude that they have. Michael Phelps and Stephen Curry could just as easily escape back into their money, notoriety, and blissful life. They could pridefully view past successes and find discontent in aging. But, they don’t. Both have a different but compelling and admirable story. Michael Phelps spent the better part of two decades dominating the swimming world, winning 23 gold medals and setting countless world records. Karen Crouse of the New York Times caught up with Phelps recently to discuss the loss of a couple of world records he had lost. Instead of feeling ...
Post a Comment
Read more