Many of us will be pushing our clocks forward before heading to bed on Saturday night, losing an hour of sleep, and waking up to a darker morning. That’s right...we will “spring forward” with this wacky, archaic practice of Daylight Saving Time (DST).
But, not everybody springs forward. Arizona doesn’t (other than the Navajo in parts). Hawaii doesn’t. I know this because we are in Hawaii quite often, and for half the year, it is a 3 hour time difference from San Diego, and for the other half of the year, it is 2. Just super odd. No springing forward for Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands...parts of South America, most of Asia, most of Africa...you get the idea.
I have zero interest in debating the merits of DST, nor do I wish to research and give a lesson on the history of it.
Could. Not. Care. Less.
But, I do think it is great chance to take a look at our educational systems, our classrooms, our daily routines, our traditions, our fitness and nutrition plans...basically everything we do and ask:
Does this still make sense?
If we were starting from scratch, would we still do this?
No? Well then… How would we design this if we were starting from scratch?
Who benefits from maintaining the status quo in this area...and who is harmed?
This may be working fine, but is there a better way?
What is clearly broken in our system but never gets fixed because of a “this is how we have always done it” mindset?
What routines and practices do we adhere to merely out of habit or tradition?
A huge percentage of our lives go unexamined and we often are so “busy with being busy” that we never step back, get some distance from the situation, and truly and honestly become more intentional and self-reflective.
You don’t have to wait until something blows up, reaches the breaking point, goes horribly wrong, or hits rock bottom. That’s when it is obvious. That’s when we become highly motivated to seek new answers and cultivate meaningful change.
The tough time to engage in this practice is when things are going just well enough not to require a major shift. When it is easier to keep going in the current direction because change seems hard and risky. But, how much better could we be if we consistently step back, put it all on the table, and see if we are missing an opportunity to take our professions and life to the next level due to an undeserved allegiance to the comfortableness of the past.
-Dave
PS: I can’t mention “next level” without telling you that we have just released a new DBC Inc book, and it immediately hit #1 on Amazon’s top releases in multiple categories. Next Level Teaching: Empowering Students & Transforming School Culture by Jonathan Alsheimer is a powerful take on how to really embrace the mighty role YOU play in the lives of your students and in the culture of your school system.
For those of you who enjoyed Relentless, by Hamish Brewer (The Tattooed Skateboarding Principal), you have to know that Jonathan is a teacher at Hamish’s school and is a part of the remarkable transformation story that Hamish told in his book. This is written from the perspective of a teacher showing up every day and bringing it all for kids. Learn more, see a free preview, and grab a copy RIGHT HERE!!! Use #NextLevelTeaching on social media to share your thoughts.
PSS: Don’t forget to set your clocks!!!!