Ever since a colleague emailed me the link to NYTimes  Elizabeth Green’s “Building a Better Teacher” I’ve been spending an inordinate number of minutes and hours thinking about the implications and multiple things worth thinking about. I almost which wrote 3 articles instead of the mammoth one.

Sill, the Lemov’s accomplishments regarding his quest for the essential traits is elusive.  After nearly 20 years in education (I can’t wait until I can truthfully say, “I’ve been an educator for over 20 years.” I’ve been dreaming of this moment!) I too hold that same inquiry question.  What is it?  I think I know –  but do I really know?  What evidence do I have that what I think qualifies teaching excellence truly is so?

I think about reading this article with friends and coming up with our own list.  Would it be – wait until the class is focused on you before you begin speaking?  Or would it be such a beautiful strategy that the message gets lost in the simplicity of the technique?  I think about the countless hours spent developing my self and others to learn to execute 9’s on a scale of 10 of instructional strategy acrobatics, perfecting the perfect writer’s workshop, facilitating the literature circle, and inviting inquiry in a socratic seminar.  I’m certain that those strategies are still quite important, and maybe I’ll see them in Lemov’s list when I get time to peruse his ideas.

But right now, I just sit and reflect on what I think I know and I dwell in the luxury of thinking and dreaming and wondering.