To Our FELLOW TEACHERS:

We received this message from a colleague the other day. It happened to come on the perfect day (in the sense that it was actually the most un-perfect day). We are paying it forward for those who are also feeling symptoms of "The Dip"......

I hope this finds you doing well during what we often come to realize as one of the most difficult months of the school year. Seth Godin, one of my favourite business thinkers, wrote a book I have found useful to return to over time: The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick). The idea is represented in this image:




In short, it visually explains the feelings we often have when we start feeling like our efforts are not achieving results. That point at which we want to toss in the towel. What separates those who excel from the others is that they push through The Dip and, in the process, develop that greater level of knowledge and craft that distinguishes them.

Keep this in mind this month as you confront the tough stretch. This is when the real learning happens and, consequently, the real teaching, too.

(Jim Scotese, A Way to Teach, October 19, 2010).