Are you a morning person?

Maybe you do your best work mid day?

Perhaps evening is your time of greatest productivity?

Or maybe you're a night owl who gets the most done while others snooze?

I consider myself a morning person, but often write in the evening. It's mid day as I write this feeling distracted and dragging. I'm actually rewriting this part as I lost it somehow...

Whatever the answer may be for you consider this: Is it okay to let a student complete his class assignment at home instead of during the time allotted for it in class? If he tells you that he prefers to and gets the most done at home and indeed gets it done, is it okay to allow him to fritter class time away as long as he does not inhibit others? Why or why not?

My thinking on this was recently challenged by Carl Hooker at the TIES 2016 Conference in Minneapolis. Carl asked his audience to raise their hand if they think of themselves as morning people. He repeated this for the mid day and evening people. Sure enough the room was split among teachers who find themselves most efficient during different times of day.

So...

Do we let our students choose?

Or, do we force them (or try to) to DO IT NOW?

Do we know enough about them to make this decision for them?

And, who are we to preach what's best for them?

Is that what our job really is?

Look, the answer will be different based on who you are, who the student is, what the setting is, and a whole lot of other variables, because ALL OF US ARE WIRED DIFFERENTLY and TEACH IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS. And that's precisely the point.

So perhaps the crux of this whole thing is that we must try to be mindful in every interaction and see it from multiple perspectives. Consider the past. Be in the present. Open up to the possibilities.

And that is time well spent.

You have the power to change the world. Use it often.