Pruning

Have you ever wondered how a fruit tree or a vine feels when it is pruned? Having a sharp instrument draw and cut through must be excruciating pain especially since there is no anesthetic to dull the pain. I can't even imagine if I could handle all of that stress of knowing that, regularly, my pruning is imminent -- someone will come along and cut away unnecessary growth. On the other hand, I understand that, in order to grow stronger and produce greater fruit, this is a necessary part of life. Farmers and fruit growers prune all the time to get the best crop possible, yet don't consider the feelings of the plant. Well, we know there are no nerves, ergo no feelings, in plants.

This analogy to fruit-bearing plants is important to help me accept these challenges at work. The past few weeks have been challenging and emotionally tough for many of my colleagues. Low benchmark scores have served as a catalyst for increased scrutiny by administration and district personnel who are looking for strategies and interventions that will better facilitate student learning. Without going into all the gory details of stress and opinions shared by colleagues, let's just say there is a gray cloud hovering over our campus.

But I won't linger under or about that cloud. There is a bigger picture here (the sun is still shining above the cloud). Is it possible that the "pruning" and "chaffing" (that's another blog) will create greater fruit? Will we, as teachers, become greater teachers? Will students benefit from our "pruning"? This is the outlook I am going to keep and practice hoping that I become a better teacher for my students (even though the stakes are higher for my core-teaching colleagues).