I believe there's an urgency bell curve. Not enough urgency leads to passivity (teaching as a job, not profession), and too much urgency deters motivation and confidence. A just right sense of urgency propels optimal prep, response and instruction.
What does a just right sense of urgency look like? Urgency that supports student learning has these attributes:
- Knowing the child well.
- Thoughtful, communicated goals.
- A step-by-step approach to prioritizing and reaching goals.
- Regular response.
- Advocacy
- A team approach to meeting students' needs.
- Constant care and a time to celebrate students' gains.
- A never ending focus on the goals with respect to the whole child--a child does not become a skill-set.
What's your sense of urgency? Do educators in your environment share a similar sense of urgency? Do you prioritize goals as a team and determine the urgency related to each goal? What are your patterns and systems of response to goals that are deemed most urgent?
