The Forest

Late October in Pennsylvania means fall colors at their peak, and the best way to experience them is by taking a walk in the woods. A forest provides a palette that a single tree cannot.

We all know the saying about missing the forest for the trees, when we miss the colorful palette because we are too focused on a single specimen. This is a time of the school year when it becomes very easy to get bogged down in everyday items like grading homework, giving tests, contacting parents, and attending meetings.

So . . . this post is about stepping away from the tree and seeing the whole palette by revisiting the big picture goals. I want my students to become more literate by developing their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. No single lesson, test or homework assignment will accomplish that, so I need to make sure I keep all aspects of the program in place.

That includes the type of reflection that blogging allows. I hope to avoid a ten-day lapse between posts again.