In Go find a ladder from Seth Godin's Blog , Seth Godin talks about finding useful tools and states,
“Perhaps, instead of restating our audacious goals, we can spend more time finding useful tools–insights, skills, trust, attention, access–instead.”
Every new knitter does not want to invest in too much money on a hobby that they are not sure they want to get into so they may choose to buy the cheapest tools and supplies. When I’m knitting, I want to use my best needles and the best yarn. I have found if I don’t use quality needles, they may break, or they may be hard to work with. The same goes for using cheap yarn. Using the cheapest yarn may make me so frustrated that I hate the project I’m working on. I tell new knitters to buy medium priced stuff.
I remember when I first started hiking and camping, I didn’t want to invest a lot into good hiking boots, clothing or camping equipment. Having the wrong boots made my feet hurt and I didn’t enjoy hiking. Having the cheapest tent meant that in heavy rain, it leaked and I couldn’t wait to leave. Once I bought good boots, I loved hiking. With the right camping equipment, camping was lots of fun!
Mechanics can’t work on cars if they don’t have the right tools. Plumbers can’t repair pipes without the tools they need. What kind of construction worker would show up to work without a hammer?
The same applies to learning in the classroom.
Of course, the student needs to bring the right supplies from home like pencils and paper but it is smart to have some extras on hand.
I also need to make sure that I have the right tools to make the lesson I teach enjoyable. If I use the wrong tools, it will only make learning a miserable experience.
I like to plan ahead and gather my materials and supplies ahead of time so I know I will have everything I need.
I review the lesson and may even ask someone else to look it over to see if I’ve forgotten anything.
I might mention my lesson to others to see if anyone else has any fun or useful suggestions.
It is important that I never try to wing it when teaching. It is important to be prepared and to teach my students to be prepared.
What other tools do you think are important for the classroom? Please share.
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