As a musician and poet, I see the power of time on task. In order to continue to develop as an artist, to become a reflective creator, it is necessary to consistently produce art. As I sit down at the piano on a regular basis, I begin to see more patterns in chord changes and recognize new ways I can manipulate melodies to alter musical phrases in order to evoke a particular mood. And as I put pen to paper to construct a poem, the process of experimenting with words, rhythms, and figurative language improves my craft. If I played the same tune each time I sat down to play my piano, or if I wrote the same type of poem each time I got out my journal, it is unlikely that I would grow as an artist. In order to improve, I must tinker. I must take risks on a consistent basis.

This is the same of educators. It is vital that we continue refining our practice throughout our career. In order to do so, we must consistently pilot small changes to meet the needs of those we serve. Each year, we have a new set of students in front of us that have differing strengths and opportunities for growth compared to those we had the previous year. If we teach the same lesson the same way with the same texts and worksheets year after year, we have resorted to teaching content rather than students themselves. Just as I approach music and writing with an inquisitive mindset, curious to observe how iterations affect the result, our students benefit when we take small risks and carefully attend to the results.

Consistent tinkering is not always easy. It is human nature to become complacent, to fall back on our laurels, to go back to the way we have always done something. To feel we have nothing new to contribute.

For the past month or so, I have not felt like blogging each week. It has been a challenge. I have been tempted to recycle blogs from the past. “Better to reuse a prior post than produce one that is subpar,” I have thought to myself. But then I remember how important it is to be consistent, to take risks. A wise music teacher once told me, “When you are in the practice room, you should sound awful. If you sound amazing, you are staying in your comfort zone and you won’t improve.” I am stepping out of my comfort zone by blogging today when I don’t feel I have much to say, by taking a risk in sharing a piece that is likely to not be my best.

It is simple to teach as we always have, to lead as we always have. But tinkering results in growth and learning. The most prolific artists throughout history did not have success in everything they produced, but they continued to create none the less. Not every song was a hit, not every movie was a box office success, not every piece of art received critical acclaim. But it is the act of continuing to tinker, of taking small risks and observing the results, that leads to growth. As an educator, you are more than a curriculum deliverer. You are an artist, creating learning experiences for your students as you select the instructional techniques, resources, and activities that you believe will best reach the learners in your midst. And as an artist, continue to refine your lessons and take risks, even when you aren’t sure it will work.