Putting the Big Rocks First

Honestly, I'd ended last school year on somewhat of a sour note.  Even though last year was my first tenured year, I still found myself running around in the habit of picking up extra jobs all over the place.  I scrambeled to meet deadlines to only later find that the projects had been canceled and nobody bothered to tell me.  After being asked for ideas on a huge mural, I did research and sketched only to find that when I was ready to present my idea, no one was interested anymore.  When I was asked (repeatedly) to provide a few names of potential teachers for an open position in our department, I went nuts finding the best of the best, thoroughly checking them out before presenting all of their information, only to find that the person I'd recommended wasn't even given so much as a phone call, let alone any real consideration.

 Over this summer I went out to eat with a fellow department member who told me that the 5th year for teachers is huge- it's the make it or break it year.  She said the key to success is that if you're going to make it, you need to put 100% into the kids, and what you're being paid to do, and leave everything else for someone else to figure out.  She said one of the most important things about being a successful teacher is recognizing when to stop taking on extra jobs, and thus stop being taken advantage of.  If you're genuinely interested in an outside project, go for it- but if you're expecting any kind of special recognition or privileges afterward, forget it.  She explained teaching can be a huge part of who you are, but it can't be all of who you are, because the little things, the nagging bits of the every-day will consume you.

Well, last Tuesday was our official first day back at school.  We have a new superintendent this year- an energetic, positive, young (I mean, real young- like, 34 years-old young) female superintendent, who started the day with a really beautiful opening-day speech.

Toward the end of her speech she shared an anecdote with us that I've never heard before, but found really inspiring:

A science teacher was trying to teach his students about time management.  He had a large, glass beaker, and four jars beside it.  The first jar was filled with large rocks, the second with gravel, the third with sand, and the fourth with water.

He first took the large rocks and placed them in the beaker up to the brim.  He asked his students if it was full, and they said, "Yes."

Then, he took the gravel and poured it over the rocks.  As it was smaller, it filled in the gaps between the larger rocks.  He asked again if it the beaker was full, and catching on, the students said, "No."

He then poured the sand over the gravel and large rocks, and smaller still, the sand filled in the crevices between the gravel.  He asked the same question, and the students asnwered, "No."

Finally he poured water over the sand, gravel and rocks, and it filled in every last bit of space in the jar.

The teacher then explained, "In life, we have big rocks, gravel, sand and water.  The big rocks are the things most important to us- our families, our health, our education, our goals.  The gravel are smaller things that are important to us, but not as important as the bigger rocks.  The sand even less important, and the water, not important at all.  If you put in the big rocks first, you'll always find room to fit the rest.  If you start the other way around, with the things that don't matter, there won't be any room for the big rocks."

(I made this visual in photoshop- it took way longer than it should have, haha!)

When I heard this story I felt a mix of emotions- I felt relieved, I felt inspired- I felt like my whole life right then had been re-prioritized.  This story only confirmed what my co-worker was trying to tell me the night we went out to dinner.

This school year I'm going to do my best to put all my big rocks in first.  I'm going to focus on my students, my lessons, and loving what I do.  Side projects and menial tasks and disagreements other department members will always be there, but I need to be sure my big rocks are there first, so I don't get consumed with all the insignificant things.

If I can do all that, I think it's going to be a great year!