Book Snap #4 Lessons from the book

I'm reading a section about saying no to many of the day-to-day things that don't bring joy or aren't essential, and zoning in on what's really important. This pertains to me so much! I struggle so much to saying no, and I am met with time-sucking people and time-sucking obligations when what I really want to do is just prioritize certain things in my life. I agree with the author that saying no to things in a polite way will get your life back in balance and will be quite liberating. But as mentioned, as teachers we're people pleasers and struggle to say no. There are so many times I want to say no to some of the things being asked of me. I simply cannot fit another thing on my plate. I like the part about people being more sensitive of your time when you stand firm in saying no.

A line from Chapter 2 that stuck with me is: “Success can provide that boost.”

It’s a short line, but it says a lot about how important it is for students to feel like they’re capable. In our Math 7 classroom, I’ve seen how quickly students can shut down if they feel like they’re always getting the wrong answers or not understanding the material.  It’s not that they don’t care, they’re just tired of feeling like they’re failing.

This line reminds me that sometimes the best thing we can do is help students feel a small win.  That could be solving a problem correctly, understanding a new concept, or even just making progress from where they were yesterday. When students get that small taste of success, they sit up a little straighter, participate more, and are more likely to try the next problem.  It builds momentum.

For example, when we’re working on solving equations, I’ll sometimes give a simpler problem first not to make things easy, but to give them a chance to feel confident.  Once they get that first one right, they’re much more willing to try the tougher ones.  So, this line really affects how I think about planning lessons.  It’s not just about covering the material it’s about making sure students have chances to succeed along the way so they don’t lose hope.