Don't let the corn drop...

Farmers in Agentina couldn't figure out what was going on with their corn crops. They would come out in the mornings to find trails of ears of corn leaving the crops, heading off towards the forest. The corn had obviously been picked and the distance between each plucked ear was almost exactly the same, morning after morning. It appeared someone was picking corn and dropping it in orderly fashion.

After a few nights of hiding out the mystery was solved.

Monkeys. 

Monkeys were picking and stealing corn. The problem was: they couldn't carry very many ears in their small arms. So after holding 4-5 ears of corn, the next one they picked forced them to drop one. As they made their way through the rows of corn, they thought they were working feverishly, picking corn after corn. But in reality, after the first four or five ears everything else fell to waste. 

I think we do this a lot in education. We try so many strategies or programs that are evidence-based, that we see our peers are doing, other districts doing, or that another country is doing. But we don't realize how much we are dropping behind us. 

How do we avoid this? 

Whole system: Have an organization that is goal-centered and has clearly-defined foci. All decisions are centered around this agreed-upon work. 

Building-level: identify the strengths and weaknesses of the building and teams. Exploit the strengths. Hire people who can strengthen the team's weaknesses the minute they show up. Collaborate vertically. Somebody in your building is an expert in your weakness. Exploit them. 

Teacher-level: be really good at a few things and collaborate with others who are really good at the things you're not. If you are always focusing on your weaknesses inevitably your strengths will dim. 

Student-level: assess your load of corn. How much of what you're picking up directly impacts student learning? How much of your work day is centered on student learning? Would a new bulletin board help students or could you spend that 30 minutes intentionally planning deeper level discussion strategies in your math lesson? 

What's my point with all this? Assess the priorities of what you're carrying. Don't drop the corn just because there's more you can pick up. Be intentional and be an expert. Prioritize your district and building initiatives so you have a purpose and direction. This will make it much easier to know where to direct your efforts and resources.