A LYS Principal forwards a teacher’s reflection on The Fundamental 5:

OK, so I have given this much thought since this weekend when I read the “assignment.” I really didn’t know what to write other than, “I like this part and that part because…” and felt that was a little generic. This was until last night when at the gym I had an epiphany. I was talking to my trainer, and she was explaining the components we need to be healthy. Ironically, there were 5 that she suggested: rest, water, proper diet, exercise, and vitamins. She explained that doing one of these things without the others is OK, but will not get a person the health results they desire.

AH-HA! The little light bulb went off as I made a connection to The Fundamental 5! As the book states, doing one thing without the other components is OK, but will not yield the dramatic results of doing all of the components together. For instance, if one has the students collaborate in small groups with purposeful talk but not write critically about the idea or lesson, then while it’s nice, it may not completely solidify the idea or give the educator an indication of who has mastered the concept and who needs a re-teach. To me, the write critically part is like tying a bow on a great present after the pretty wrapping is perfectly in place. The present may look all right without the bow, but a giant, sparkly bow just makes the whole thing complete.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am still working on my own mastery of implementing The Fundamental 5. It takes a day to do an activity, but time to build a habit. I’m working on putting these things in daily so that in no time, it will not only be second nature to myself, but also to my students.

Think. Work. Achieve. Your turn…

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