I shared this on Instagram recently and it seemed to really resonate with teachers, so I wanted to bring it here too.
The idea is this: Life is a game of balls. Some are rubber. Some are glass.
The rubber balls are the marking you didn't finish. The email still sitting there. The display that’s falling down. The lesson that didn't quite go to plan. If you drop them, they bounce. They might look a little worse for it, but they're fine.
The glass balls are different. These are things like: Your health. Your kids. The people who actually know you. The version of you that exists outside your classroom. And those ones don't bounce.
So many of us grip every single ball like our life depends on it. And we convince ourselves that if we just hold on tight, we won't drop anything. But the glass balls are already slipping. And unlike the rubber balls, when a glass ball breaks, you're left picking up all the pieces.
Teaching will always have more to ask of you. That's not you failing. That's just the job.
So when something has to give this week (and something always does), try letting the rubber balls hit the floor. Seriously. Let them bounce!
You're not a bad teacher for protecting the glass balls. In fact, you’re probably a teacher who’s actually going to LAST in this crazy amazing but exhausting job!
E = Education Tip 💡
Do you feel like you're constantly repeating yourself?? Why not replace some of those verbal reminders with a signal.
A raised hand for attention. Hand signals for questions or help. Task icons on the board showing each step so you don't have to say it again.
Once students know the system, you barely need to say a word. A gesture or a quick point is enough.
It does two things: reduces how much teacher talk is eating into your lesson, and keeps students focused on the learning rather than waiting on you. Over time it just becomes part of how your room runs.
R = Resource Spotlight 🔦
We've just released a whole lot of new freebies that have been on the most-requested list for a while: hand signals, instructional task icons, and whiteboard expectations.
Here's a little taster:
All editable, all free... for now! Download them while you can!
In the meantime, have a wonderful rest of the week!
Love, Tam
P.S. Big things are happening in The Hive right now. We have SO many exciting new tools coming - we've just added a repeating handwriting tool (so you can explicitly model to your students over and over and over again) and this has been some of the reactions:
... and that's just one of the updates landing over the next few days! If you've been on the fence, now might be the perfect time to come and explore with a 14 day free trial - zero risk, cancel anytime!
