Changes

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.

- Helen Keller



I love Helen Keller. I always have. She was my first book encounter with someone with a disability. She overcame a lot in her life. All it took was for someone to keep working with her patiently and persistently to guide her so that she could understand new meanings. And when she did understand? Look where she went with that! Small, great noble tasks that taught her to communicate and opened up the world to her.



Today’s reading and conversation has really lit up the neural pathways in my grey matter. It is becoming more apparent every day that I am in this class that we need to revamp and make changes in our education system. When we hear and read about what we are doing wrong, it is a wonder we have anyone who wants to teach at all. When we look at other countries and see what they are doing to make education work for them, I start to wonder, “Why can’t we do that right now?” Another student in our class noted that these changes could take decades. I know I will not be teaching in decades; I want to make a difference now. Like our students, we want change and we want it fast. But how can we do that?

From looking at Finland’s way of operating their schools, I can glean some of their techniques and start applying them in my classroom now. Taking breaks, small groups, problem solving and inquiry are some of the ways that I can start small and make changes. These changes are small enough that I am still within the parameters of what is expected of us as educators but can increase student output in all curriculum areas.

By using these strategies, I can make changes sooner instead of waiting for the, “Powers to be” to make the changes to our system. These changes, no matter how small should have the ripple effect on the students I teach and hopefully, many others. In the end, it boils down to making small changes now. I can act now and help to mold the kids I work with into stronger, higher level, independent thinkers. Small,great, noble tasks.



I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

- Helen Keller



Gotta love Helen. She knew what she was talking about.