Seeds, Not Harvest

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” 

- Robert Louis Stevenson

How many times do we as teachers (or, I can only suppose, as parents) beat ourselves up and/or stress ourselves out over a day's outcomes? I know I'm guilty!

This quote (and ones like it - i.e. Oscar Romero) reminds us, however, that our focus need not be on the things we can concretely measure at the end of each day. Instead, it gently reminds us to focus on the bigger picture.

The only (well, maybe it's not the only) problem here is that it's often easy to forget this. 

But, if you think about it, focusing on the bigger picture applies in many situations, not just in the classroom. For example, someone who is trying to lose weight cannot expect to shed pounds daily and immediately reach his/her ideal weight. Or, a person who signs up for a marathon cannot expect to run 26.2 miles without training - and it's unlikely that the person will get up to even 10 miles without repeatedly working to build a solid base distance. Someone who wants to be the CEO of a company will not be able to rise to the top immediately (unless, of course, you're starring in a musical)... 

Bottom line - It takes dedication, and it takes time to reach our goals. But if we're focused on only the immediate results, then it's likely we could be disheartened and lose motivation to maintain pursuit of our goals.

As the school year begins, I am going to challenge myself to remember the quote at the beginning of this post. My students are going to have tough days, and I am going to have challenging ones too. Not everything will be perfect - or even close to it. But one day isn't going to make or break my year. So, instead, I am going to look ahead, keeping in mind the "bigger picture," so that at the end of this school year I can reap the seeds that I've sown.

And I challenge you (in whatever capacity you serve) to do the same.