I'll try to sail the sea, ride wild and free (Quicksilver Messenger Service)

Photo by Resume Genius on Unsplash

It's worth repeating this pearl of wisdom from James Clear:

"Strangely, life gets harder when you try to make it easy.

• Exercising might be hard, but never moving makes life harder.
• Mastering your craft is hard, but having no skills is harder.
• Uncomfortable conversations are hard, but avoiding every conflict is harder.

Easy has a cost." 

Paradoxically, the easy life comes at a cost. 

I am very fond of that saying, "There's always a price to pay".

Stumbling is not falling (Malcolm X)

Photo by Alexis Mora on Unsplash

The concept of resubmissions for Not Achieved grades is a great one within NCEA. I like the idea of a NY grade - Not Yet.

Over the years I have had to deliver the news of NY's to many students and, in my experience some didn't take it too well, some don't care, and some pin their ears back and go for it.

Those last ones see a Not Yet for what it is - a chance to improve their failed work. It is a stumble. 

I had to give out some NY's to a few of my students this week and to them I say: 

Harden up. Get over it. Move on. Show some grit. Make it better!

Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm (Winston Churchill)

Photo by Eugene Lim on Unsplash

Recently, I was reminded of failures' benefits while re-watching Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi. 

Yoda says to Luke: Pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is.

Having just marked all my seniors' work, I'll have to pass on that message to a few of my students next week.

Through sacrifice - bliss (Joseph Campbell)

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Poet Ellen Sturgis Hooper reveals a little secret of life:

"I slept, and dreamed that life was joy;

I woke, and found that life was service.

I acted and behold, service was joy."

Source: The Dial (July 1840)

Courtesy: James Clear

Sometimes I, I feel like a fist (Porcupine Tree)

 

It's our term 2 study-break/holiday.

Marking and holidays are a dodgy combo for teachers. While others prefer to delay their marking, my general time management philosophy centres on the touch-it-once idea.

Which means I can only start feeling like I'm on holiday when the marking is done. Given I had marking for all five-year levels/classes, that meant the first few days were devoted to clearing the decks.

Luckily Jacky had work in the midst of this, so I had a day to mark my Year 13 writing folios.

All the marking is now done - so I can enjoy the break with just prep for the start of the term to come.

Having re-read all that - it sounds more pompous and sanctimonious than I wanted it to. Yay for me!

I do stand by that touch-it-only-once idea though, so let's cling to that shall we.