It's Nothing Personal

When it comes to curriculum development and classroom management I have experienced this rollercoaster of emotions and the cycle of elation and self-blame for years. What I have learned through much observation and trial and error is that teachers have a weak grip on the attention of our students. This ought not to be a surprise to any parent or experienced teacher, but we sometimes delude ourselves about our importance in their awareness. The list of potential distractions is endless. Their reveries may be triggered by something we say, a look, a fleeting memory, hunger pangs or dozens of other stimuli. Recognizing that most of them are somewhere else at one time or another, I have given up trying to impose overt control over their attention. Instead, It became more a matter of remembering to hold a greater vision.