Bigger Fish

There once was a man who loved to fish. He fished nearly every day he could. He valued time on the water, the relaxation, and the skill he had acquired over the years. He had become good at catching fish, and as most fishermen do, he occasionally took someone along with him to share in the experience. One day, he took a boy with him. The boy spent the day on the water and worked hard to learn throughout the day. He paid close attention to the bait he used, how to rig the equipment, and how to cast a line into the water in just the right spot. He studied the fisherman's every move. The boy was excited every time a fish was caught and felt more and more successful with each new fish they put into the boat. By the end of the day, the boy felt comfortable enough to ask the fisherman a question about something he had noticed. He asked, "I have watched all day and learned so much, but there is one thing I do not understand. All day, I watched you put the large fish back into the water, and you only kept the small fish. Why don't you keep the bigger ones?" The fisherman responded, "Because I only have a 9-inch frying pan." 

The story of the fisherman is a perfect example of a challenge we are facing and why the work on rigor is so important to us all. The fishman had experience and skill, but because he limited himself, his outcome never changed. His skill didn't matter because he didn't think he could do more than what he had always done. He limited himself by his resources and his mindset. It's an easy trap to fall into. We get comfortable. We resist change. We think that the problem can't be solved where we are, or that it doesn't apply to us. But like most things, the concept of rigor or changing outcomes is part of a mindset that shows up in daily life and not just an End-of-Course exam. Students don't just choose to feel limited in their abilities when they sit down for a test. That mindset can be seen in how they behave, their aspirations, and their work ethic on anything they care about. So while you may not be someone who carries the weight of teaching one of those exams we measure, you do play a big part in contributing to the mindset, work ethic, and abilities that are needed to be successful on them. Accepting the challenge of rigor teaches students that they can do hard things. It builds skills that they apply any time they face adversity. And most importantly, it teaches them to be stronger men and women later on. 

So take a lesson from the fisherman and look for ways to think differently about what you do and how you contribute to the concept of hard work. Without accepting the idea that we could do more, you never know what you can truly do. Let's go catch some bigger fish together.