The most inportant lesson (think before you speak)
When I initially made the bet I thought to myself, “It’s no big deal. There’s no way these kids are going to read a thousand books by the end of the year.” But I guess I underestimated the how far kids will go when they are properly motivated. It all started in 1998 when I began teaching in the elementary. I can’t tell you exactly what I was thinking, but when the topic of getting kids motivated to read came up an idea just shot out of my mouth.
“What if I let them shave my head,” I blurted out. As soon as I said those words I wanted to take them back, but when I saw the other teachers’ eyes light up I knew there was no retreat. Almost instantly we began working on a plan for a group goal for the students and a way to promote my bold gesture. Even as I sat there in a sweat-soaked panic, I still felt that there was no way this would really happen.
When we got to the part about what the students’ goal would be, I made sure my input was heard and saw to it that the goal would be almost impossible to reach. One-thousand books during the semester; that was the goal we set, and I was relieved because in my mind I knew there was no way our students would, or could, read this much. They would put forth a good effort, but like all kids they would lose interest early on and eventually fall short.
To help the kids monitor their progress we had made a chart and placed in the hallway. It was complete with a sketch I had made of myself standing next to it with no hair. I have to admit, every time I walked by and saw the sketch a shiver ran down my spine. It might be hard to believe, but without hair, I am not an attractive person.
As I expected the kids started our very excited and it wasn’t long before they had reached one-hundred books. This really didn’t bother me, however, because I knew they would start fast. I just didn’t expect them to keep up the pace. But as the weeks went by and the chart continued to climb I began to get more and more nervous. With four weeks to go the kids had read almost nine-hundred books, and the reality that this might actually happen began to creep into my head. And then it happened, with a week to spare the students had completed a thousand books, and everyone was waiting for their prize
It hit me that if I lost my hair I would not be able to stand this unbearable heat. as I sat and hated the thought of losing my lush hair a plan formed I’d run for the exit as I stood up and made a dash for it all the sudden the principal had forced me to sit back down and the startling truth hit me I was going to be bald and that was unexpected but I took it like a man.
“What if I let them shave my head,” I blurted out. As soon as I said those words I wanted to take them back, but when I saw the other teachers’ eyes light up I knew there was no retreat. Almost instantly we began working on a plan for a group goal for the students and a way to promote my bold gesture. Even as I sat there in a sweat-soaked panic, I still felt that there was no way this would really happen.
When we got to the part about what the students’ goal would be, I made sure my input was heard and saw to it that the goal would be almost impossible to reach. One-thousand books during the semester; that was the goal we set, and I was relieved because in my mind I knew there was no way our students would, or could, read this much. They would put forth a good effort, but like all kids they would lose interest early on and eventually fall short.
To help the kids monitor their progress we had made a chart and placed in the hallway. It was complete with a sketch I had made of myself standing next to it with no hair. I have to admit, every time I walked by and saw the sketch a shiver ran down my spine. It might be hard to believe, but without hair, I am not an attractive person.
As I expected the kids started our very excited and it wasn’t long before they had reached one-hundred books. This really didn’t bother me, however, because I knew they would start fast. I just didn’t expect them to keep up the pace. But as the weeks went by and the chart continued to climb I began to get more and more nervous. With four weeks to go the kids had read almost nine-hundred books, and the reality that this might actually happen began to creep into my head. And then it happened, with a week to spare the students had completed a thousand books, and everyone was waiting for their prize
It hit me that if I lost my hair I would not be able to stand this unbearable heat. as I sat and hated the thought of losing my lush hair a plan formed I’d run for the exit as I stood up and made a dash for it all the sudden the principal had forced me to sit back down and the startling truth hit me I was going to be bald and that was unexpected but I took it like a man.
