Every Action Has a Consequence

I admire @SethGodin and his blog for the simplicity and conciseness that he uses to make his point.

Like @JoeMaddon says (which is captured on his Korked Baseball tee-shirt), "Do simple better."

Too often, when I blog, I treat it like I am writing a feature story for The Bear (my old high school newspaper). Old habits are hard to break.

So after that long winded introduction, I'm ready to get to the point of this post. While reading the book, The Leader Who Had No Title (strongly recommend), I was struck by the simple statement:

"Every action has a consequence."

Yes!

That's a powerful message. Simple. Concise. Very true, and very important.

In the context of school, some consequences come from teachers (or other school staff), some consequences come from parents, some consequences come from the principal, and some consequences come from peers. Some actions have consequences that don't come from anyone; they are just natural consequences of the action. Some consequences take place immediately, and some consequences don't occur until much later down the road.

That's a hard pill to swallow, for some.

Nonetheless, every action (always) has a consequence. Part of our job (potentially one of our most important jobs), as educators, is to teach students this concept. That's why it is vital that we spend ample time talking to students about their actions, and then giving them second chances (plural).

Fortunately, some students come to school already understanding this.  And some students learn this very quickly while at school. But there are some students that just need more time; they need more practice and they need more care. That's our job. #KidsDeserveIt