Do you ever find yourself searching for the best of something?

My husband and I were celebrating our anniversary and found ourselves searching the Web for "the best new places for dinner in Seattle." Google was all knowing, with links to resources that answered all our queries, and we found "the best" restaurant* ever. 

There is something magical and idealistic in believing there is a best out there, so much so that we are constantly on the lookout, with everyday life queries about the best movie, the best kitchen tool, the best summer picnic spot. It tends to carry over into our professional lives as well. What is the best lesson to teach to the whole class? What is the best strategy to teach a particular child? What is the best word work tool for the classroom? 

Although it is possible to search the Web and fumble our way into something great, Christine Smallwood says "Most treasures are found with the aid of treasure maps. The experts have something to offer—it's called expertise. Learn from their labor."

When searching for the best, in our personal lives and especially in our professional decisions, let's seek out the experts and search their writing, their research, and their thinking. If you happen to be looking at our writing, use the search engine on our site. It will lead you to more than 2,500 pages of our thoughts and research, right at your fingertips. Searching for the best will pay off for our students as well as for us.    

*If you are in Seattle, check out The Carlile Room. Inspired by Brandi Carlile, a Seattle singer/songwriter, it is Tom Douglas's 13th restaurant.  Order the hush puppies! They are the best around.

This article might be missing links that were included at the time of publication.