Latest Tip of the Week

I'm Glad I Didn't Quit

A beautiful scarf caught my eye in the yarn shop. When I asked about it, the owner said, “Oh, you can totally do that.” We found yarn that would work, and I set off for home with the confidence and enthusiasm of an Olympic skater.

Dear teachers, if you are a knitter, you will understand “Knit 5, Knit 2 together, Knit 4, Knit in the front and back, and repeat pattern until the end of the row.” In truth, it isn’t complicated, but it does require concentration and continuous counting. It wasn’t unusual for me to look across the room at my handsome husband of 45 years and declare, “Don’t talk to me, I’m knitting!”

After weeks of concentrating, ripping it out completely FOUR TIMES, and three trips back to the store for help, both hubby and the daughter I am making it for encouraged me to quit.

“Never! I will not let this scarf beat me!”

On my last trip in for help, the experienced knitter/shop owner asked, “Have you heard of a lifeline?”

“A what?”

“A lifeline. You thread thin yarn or dental floss through a row, then knit as normal. If you make a mistake and have to tear out, you have to tear out only to the lifeline, and you can easily pick up again from there.”

Ladies and gentlemen, that changed everything. Now I knit for a few inches and then move my lifeline, and have finally made visible progress. It’s becoming a scarf, and I am so glad I didn’t quit.

How does this apply to school?

We are knitting together a new school year. We may have begun with the confidence and enthusiasm of an Olympic skater, but then the reality of the work kicked in, and things probably happen daily to stall or frustrate progress:

• Halloween! We are trying to teach today when all our students can think about is costumes and candy.
• We are teaching school behaviors in addition to academics. Last week, I had to teach a first grader that we don’t color on our neighbor’s shirt.
• We are delivering content to a generation of screen kids who love instant gratification and have little experience or appreciation for struggle and problem solving.
• Curriculum demands monopolize much of the day and sometimes require more minutes than we have available.

I’m sure there are things you could add to the list. This job is great, but it’s hard! It takes a lot of concentration and effort. And we need a lifeline. What, or who, can be a lifeline for you this year? A principal? A colleague? A best friend or spouse? Maybe a hobby or activity. Thread your lifeline through so you can block out the noise that makes us want to throw in the towel. Keep going, and I know you’ll finish the year having made something beautiful and be able to say, “I’m so glad I didn’t quit.”

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