Getting the Easy Stuff Right

The "Easy" Stuff

I follow a guy on Instagram, Scott Galloway. In one of his posts, he shares an expectation of his students: "Get the easy stuff right." His "easy stuff" is summed up succinctly: show up early, use good manners, and follow up. I love the simplicity and the accuracy of this statement. When you break it down (and I love a good break down), it all adds up to a pretty decent formula for living life.

Show up early. So right off the bat I need to make a little adjustment here to fit my life experience. Early isn't always welcome. Show up early, maybe, but don't pop in until the scheduled time. Totally cool if you want to be there ahead of time, waiting with a good book or scrolling on your phone. But please, do not just show up early. So, I have adjusted this one for my, and your 5th graders', purposes. "Be on time - with work and schedule."

Follow Up. Okay, I'm out of order...and this one I've changed a bit too. Following up applies more for the adults in the room. My 5th grade take on it is "Do work you are proud of." (And yes, it ends with a preposition...I can't figure out a non-clunky way to say it without the "of" at the end...). Pretty simple to understand, though. If you have created/completed something that has scribbles all over it or is crazy wrinkled or has some part of your snack smeared on it, you should feel a little uncomfortable giving it to someone else. I expect students to follow the directions given, take reasonable care to write neatly, all the basics that can sometimes get thrown away when faced with a task we don't love. Presentation matters, and first impressions are a real thing. 

Use good manners. I mean, wowzers. I am grateful to have grown up in a household which required "please" and "thank you," at all times, to all people. So many of these 5th graders grow up in similar households...which is just so lovely. These words are a difference-maker, probably more than any I have heard spoken. Not that I realized that as a child. But I can't tell you how significant using these words has been for me. I do require this of my students, at least in front of me, simply because I know how using these simple words elevates people's impressions of them...and if they get into the practice of using it, hopefully it becomes automatic. Even for me, knowing it's essentially a classroom requirement, hearing these words from them softens everything somehow. I love when a person can humble him/herself enough to express gratitude for simple things. It shows real character.

So all of this sounds a bit preachy. Please don't misunderstand. This all boils down to an Instagram post that got me a little excited, and when I get excited, I can't keep it to myself (I'm terrible at gift-giving...always spilling the beans before the big event.). Also, if my parents ever read my posts, they'd have a lot to say about how I apparently know how to be a good person but then in practice...well, I wasn't a fun teenager. And I know we're simplifying these behaviors. It takes real work, real effort to follow through on these 3 things. But I guess that's kind of the point. Being timely, conscientious, and polite is the ultimate show of respect for our fellow humans. It shows we care enough to make those around us comfortable; that we see each other as worthy of our efforts. What an admirable goal that is...do what you can to make life more comfortable for each other. So the "simple" isn't that simple after all. But I would argue it's totally worth it. 

Thanks for all you do to instill these, and so many other, values in the future world leaders. Even living in our current bizarro world, I am grateful for the perspective I get when I watch how these students are growing up. We're going to be just fine.