The Big Green

I gathered the girl's soccer team in my classroom today to watch The Big Green, a cheesy early 90's film about a rag-tag soccer team who prevail in the end. Before hand, I asked the girls to think about the kind of team we wanted to be. "We'll have our ups and downs," I said. "We saw how easy it is to get upset and angry at one another yesterday."

"I have something to say," Kel interrupted. "I just want to say I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday."
"Me too. I want to apologize," someone else chimed in.

Success! If my soccer team were a Disney Movie, we would be on our way to beating our rivals and receiving free uniforms in the mail. In real life, we will probably lose the rest of our games. I don't care. The girls are growing as people, if not as soccer players. And that matters.

Am I growing in the same way? Do I care who I am, or just about results? My job is to be a teacher, and the outcome is more important than that of a soccer match. Kid's lives are at stake. When do I motivate? When do I punish? When do I reteach, and when do I ramp up the rigor? Does being a great teacher mean having great test scores? Does being a great teacher make you successful in a school?  How do I measure my success. In real life, does doing the right thing necessarily correspond with winning?