Too often, people want to negate the details. Let's just get on with it, is a common feeling shared when faced with a troubling, gnawing issue.
Yet it's those details that add up to a big problem if not carefully analyzed, examined, and discussed.
We know this from our own personal lives and our professional lives. Think back to an issue you've ignored over time and then it becomes a BIG problem--in some cases, this is human nature, but in most cases it's an unnecessary evil that persists.
Good systems of analysis, evaluation, and revision prevent most of these BIG problems. Taking the time to sit down and think about what has happened and what's happening can help us to improve and make positive change on an ongoing basis.
This is one reason why the summer is so important to teachers-it's time that we can sit back and reflect on the past year. We are able to review our work and make needed changes.
Some may disagree with me. They may say, "Don't get mired in the details!" Yet in my own work, I've noticed how concerted care towards the details has made good change and improvement. My work is so much more satisfying thanks to my regular reflection and detail-oriented efforts.
I think the same is true for any system of effort--analyzing and teasing out the details of effort that matter or that should be updated and changed makes for a richer, stronger teaching/learning foundation and effort.
Yet you want to leave room for the big ideas and serendipitous events too. That's where the choreography is important as we look at the teaching/learning year--how do we harmoniously synthesize the details, big ideas, and serendipity to orchestrate learning at its best? Let me know.
