Ellen Greany
My husband Joey is a strength and conditioning coach for a Major League Baseball team. People outside professional sports often misunderstand his job and mistake him for an athletic trainer. I explain that whereas athletic trainers provide athletes with treatment to recover from injuries, strength and conditioning coaches provide a training regimen aimed at preventing injuries. Their job is to keep athletes in optimum shape so they can perform at their highest level. It’s vitally important that the athletic trainer and the strength and conditioning coach communicate regularly with each other to support their athletes in the best possible way.
At the Major League level, there is no doubt that every athlete is talented. They’ve worked tirelessly in the minor leagues and proven that they have what it takes to play at this level. However, there is a big difference between Triple-A, the highest minor league level, and “The Show.” In the Major Leagues, the competition becomes even more rigorous. Small, sometimes seemingly insignificant things can make the difference between athletes being good at their sport and being great at their sport. Each athlete is looking for that tweak that will give them the edge over others who are competing for their job.
As I shared about how hard these athletes work and explained the day-to-day routine of Joey’s job, I realized that it parallels what we do with our students in many ways. Just as my husband provides all athletes with the same two or three foundational workouts, we provide our students with two or three brief foundational focus lessons. And just as we provide our students with individualized goals, small-group lessons, and regular conferring sessions (because each child is different), Joey works to provide his athletes with individualized supplemental exercises and workouts (because each athlete is different).
This “aha!” moment reminded me of why I wholeheartedly believe in the Daily 5 and Daily 3 structures. Individualized instruction certainly benefits our students from an academic standpoint, but it also opens the door to building relationships and truly getting to know our students.
So as you reflect on past teaching practices and dive into the new teaching year I offer you this challenge. If you’re not already using the Daily 5 structure, take the leap and give it a chance. I’m certainly glad I did!
News from The Daily CAFE
Classroom Climate . . .
No More "I was going to say that!"*
This one simple motion helps everyone feel seen and heard.
Conferring Corner . . .
CCPensieve Quick Start Guide*
Whether you are using it school wide, as a grade-level team, or all alone, this five-page guide will introduce you to the various features of this powerful tool and help you get set up.
CAFE Connections . . .
Why We Add Strengths to the Conferring Form
A conversation we had with Donald Graves changed our thinking and form.
Focus on Health . . .
Like a Turtle
Carol Moehrle reminds us to remember balance when presenting our sides to the world.