At Grant, we believe in the power of choices and “choosing well”. We are constantly talking to students and reinforcing the message that they make choices each and every day and those choices over time make up who they become. So with that as the backdrop, I want to share something with you that I read the other day that stopped me in my tracks. In the book Essentialism, by Greg McKeown (highly recommended read!), he quotes Peter Drucker who says the following:
“In a few hundred years, when the history of our time will be written from a long-term perspective, it is likely that the most important event historians will see is not technology, not the Internet, not e-commerce. It is an unprecedented change in the human condition. For the first time – literally – substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have choices. For the first time, they will have to manage themselves. And society is totally unprepared for it.”
When I read that quote, I put the book down and thought about that bold declaration. I thought about it as a husband, a parent, and as an educator. I reflected on the reality of what Drucker was saying and thought about the unbelievable avalanche of choices that exist in my daily professional and personal life. Never before has so much been made available to us. Literally, with the technology and devices that are available to us, we can go anywhere and learn about anything, or we can waste hours and come away with nothing. The choices are up to us.
What does this mean for our students? Well, I would put them in the “rapidly growing numbers of people” that Drucker is talking about. More and more, our young people are being included in the plethora of choices. As parents, we involve ourselves in the lives of our children and we help them make good choices. As a school district, if our mission really is to prepare students for their future, then we better be teaching them about the importance of choices and empowering them with the ability to gradually assume the responsibility of managing themselves.
One important aspect to developing the ability to manage ourselves is the process of filtering those essential choices from the increasing “noise” in our lives. We feel it as parents and our students are feeling it more and more. We are all so busy. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get caught up in “busyness” and fail to realize how little fruit my “busyness” is actually producing. Wouldn’t it be wise of us to take some time and ensure that what we are doing is really essential?
So what is essential? We talk a lot at Grant about ROARS and I would put choices that promote responsibility, outstanding achievement/excellence, academics, and safety in the lives of our students on the list. Other things on a short list of essentials that we would want to sift out would include family time, sleep, exercise/play, serving the community around us, and exploration/curiosity. We can work together in our families to make sure that these things have space in our lives.
The Grant Elementary School District is a partner in this process of helping students manage themselves and learn to “choose well”. Mr. Brown has been a resource for us in working with our students but he is chomping at the bit to meet with and partner with the parents behind the students. That’s why I am so excited to invite Grant parents to a special event to meet Mr. Brown. The event is scheduled for February 18th at 7:00 to 8:00 in the Grant School Library. Pizza will be available in the VAPA Room at 6:30 for folks that would like to come have dinner with Mr. Brown before the event starts. This is a great opportunity to come together, have some fun as a school community, and continue our work together to promote Grant students making good choices. Now more than ever, good choices make all the difference. I hope you can make it.
Thanks for the time you took today to read my message. As always, if I can be of service to you or your student, please do not hesitate to contact me. Enjoy your February and GO COUGARS!
At Grant, we believe in the power of choices and “choosing well”. We are constantly talking to students and reinforcing the message that they make choices each and every day and those choices over time make up who they become. So with that as the backdrop, I want to share something with you that I read the other day that stopped me in my tracks. In the book Essentialism, by Greg McKeown (highly recommended read!), he quotes Peter Drucker who says the following:
“In a few hundred years, when the history of our time will be written from a long-term perspective, it is likely that the most important event historians will see is not technology, not the Internet, not e-commerce. It is an unprecedented change in the human condition. For the first time – literally – substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have choices. For the first time, they will have to manage themselves. And society is totally unprepared for it.”
When I read that quote, I put the book down and thought about that bold declaration. I thought about it as a husband, a parent, and as an educator. I reflected on the reality of what Drucker was saying and thought about the unbelievable avalanche of choices that exist in my daily professional and personal life. Never before has so much been made available to us. Literally, with the technology and devices that are available to us, we can go anywhere and learn about anything, or we can waste hours and come away with nothing. The choices are up to us.
What does this mean for our students? Well, I would put them in the “rapidly growing numbers of people” that Drucker is talking about. More and more, our young people are being included in the plethora of choices. As parents, we involve ourselves in the lives of our children and we help them make good choices. As a school district, if our mission really is to prepare students for their future, then we better be teaching them about the importance of choices and empowering them with the ability to gradually assume the responsibility of managing themselves.
One important aspect to developing the ability to manage ourselves is the process of filtering those essential choices from the increasing “noise” in our lives. We feel it as parents and our students are feeling it more and more. We are all so busy. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get caught up in “busyness” and fail to realize how little fruit my “busyness” is actually producing. Wouldn’t it be wise of us to take some time and ensure that what we are doing is really essential?
So what is essential? We talk a lot at Grant about ROARS and I would put choices that promote responsibility, outstanding achievement/excellence, academics, and safety in the lives of our students on the list. Other things on a short list of essentials that we would want to sift out would include family time, sleep, exercise/play, serving the community around us, and exploration/curiosity. We can work together in our families to make sure that these things have space in our lives.
The Grant Elementary School District is a partner in this process of helping students manage themselves and learn to “choose well”. Mr. Brown has been a resource for us in working with our students but he is chomping at the bit to meet with and partner with the parents behind the students. That’s why I am so excited to invite Grant parents to a special event to meet Mr. Brown. The event is scheduled for February 18th at 7:00 to 8:00 in the Grant School Library. Pizza will be available in the VAPA Room at 6:30 for folks that would like to come have dinner with Mr. Brown before the event starts. This is a great opportunity to come together, have some fun as a school community, and continue our work together to promote Grant students making good choices. Now more than ever, good choices make all the difference. I hope you can make it.
Thanks for the time you took today to read my message. As always, if I can be of service to you or your student, please do not hesitate to contact me. Enjoy your February and GO COUGARS!
