Monday
Mar142011
30 things we need less or more of
Monday, March 14, 2011 at 08:36AM A principal's riddle: What's the difference between a teacher and a puppy? The puppy STOPS whining when you let it in the door.
Tony Schwartz in 30 Things We Need - and 30 Things We Don't (Harvard Business Review, March 8, 2011 - via For Whom the Bell Told than MA Bell!) composes the following list:
| WE NEED LESS: | WE NEED MORE: |
| Information | Wisdom |
| Shallow billionaires | Passionate teachers |
| Self-promotion | Self-awareness |
| Multitasking | Control of our attention |
| Inequality | Fairness |
| Sugar | Lean protein |
| Action | Reflection |
| Super sizes | Smaller portions |
| Private jets | High-speed trains |
| Calculation | Passion |
| Experts | Learners |
| Blaming | Taking responsibility |
| Judgment | Discernment |
| Texting | Reading |
| Anger | Empathy |
| Output | Depth |
| Constructive criticism | Thank-you notes |
| Possessions | Meaning |
| Righteousness | Doing the right thing |
| Answers | Curiosity |
| Long hours | Longer sleep |
| Complaining | Gratitude |
| Sitting | Moving |
| Selling | Authenticity |
| Cynicism | Realistic optimism |
| Self-indulgence | Self-control |
| Speed | Renewal |
| Emails | Conversations |
| Winning | Win-win |
| Immediate gratification | Sacrifice |
What would be on your We Need Less / We Need More libraries and education list? Here are a few of mine:
We Need Less / We Need More
- Testing / Context
- Right answers / Good questions
- Attention on teachers / Attention on students
- New technology / Well-used technology
- Hardware / Staff development
- Whining / Problem-solving
- Entertainment / Engagement
- Whole group / Individualization
- Reading-listening / Making - doing
- Focus on failures / Focus on successes
- Basal readers / Children's-YA lit
- Required classes / Electives
- Pundits / Research
- Helicopter parents / Involved parents
- Disengaged parents / Involved parents
- Data / Diagnostics
- Leaders / Managers
- Filtering on the network / Filtering between the ears
- 21st Century Skills / Skills
- Memorization of facts / Development of dispositions
- Textbooks / Bandwidth
- Worksheets / Games
- Restrictions / Responsibility
- Lists / Essays
- Labs / Personal student devices
- Standards / Relevance
- Competition / Social learning
- Evaluations / Encouragement
- FRP Lunches / Living wage jobs
- Polarization / Balance
Your turn.
Reader Comments (8)
Devotion to a bell curve/Commitment to children
Stable working conditions/Dynamic work ethic
Autonomy/Collaboration
Professional comfort/Professional growth
Attachment to past practice/Attention to today's student
Hi Doug,
i am curious as to why you want more helicopter parents and disengaged parents as opposed to involved parents. I beileve we need :
Dictating to kids/more encouragement to make choices
Punishment/Consequences of behavior and actions
Autonomy of individual classroom teachers/group effort to educate a student
Judgment/More compassion
Resources for few/equality of resources to all students
Rati
I think (hope) you have some turned around Doug, but..
Less / More
Want for personal success / want for the success of others
Being heard / listening
Answers / Questions
We need fewer comments/ more questions.
false dichotomy / comprehensive strategy
;-)
Good additions all. I fixed the parents items, but I may not have as many turned about as readers might think.
David, all I can say is that you either like dichotomies or you don't. ;-)
Doug
Great list, Doug. Only one I'd appreciate some elaboration on was #17. Otherwise I agree, so no more discussion needed ;-)
Hi Russ,
Leaders or managers?
http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/leadership-or-management.html
I'm probably out in the wind by my lonesome on this one!
Doug