Writing the Wrongs

October 18, 2018 / Oskar Cymerman

I’m wrong a lot. I think we all are. I have a hard time admitting it because of pride. But pride never gets me anywhere. It just makes things more difficult and goals more impossible. Then I get angry. And then… I do it all over again.

Sometimes, I’m wrong due to self-righteousness. I convince myself that I know how something should be done or viewed and work too hard to convert others to my point of view.

But the truth is that everyone lives a different life - one filled with their own experiences. So regardless of who my audience is - my students, my colleagues, or my friends - I need to remember to respect and validate their unique life experience and to always respect their choice to accept or reject my views.

Other times I just get it wrong professionally. I get excited about something - a new app or a way to teach. Then I implement it and it bombs. Such feedback calls for analysis.

I also catch myself doing things for wrong reasons. I started blogging and writing thinking that I want to one day make enough money writing to do it full time.

But the truth is that I enjoy writing. It allows me to slow down my mind and to write some of the wrongs - to reflect on my shortcomings and failures and to become a more thoughtful person. I hope that each such reflection helps me improve in some small way. Maybe with time these little improvements can add up to something big but I need to remind myself to be patient.

I also want to help students, parents, teachers, and other professionals with my writing. I get excited every time I create a tool or a resource that helps someone learn, or teach, or gain a skill and that is enough. No amount of money can bring on this excitement.

It is the rare life experiences that have the biggest impact because they break up the routine of the daily grind and help us look at why we do what we do.

A recent Fleetwood Mac concert reminded my wife and I that we don’t make enough time and effort to plan such experiences.

A phone call from an Illinois middle school assistant principal and her student reminded me of the reason I write. She asked me if she can make photocopies of some chapters of one of my books so her teachers can use them in their classrooms. I said yes, as long as it helps kids learn.

It felt right. It felt good.

It was so easy yet it eluded me for so long. But I’m righting this wrong right now through my writing. From now on until forever the e-book (PDF) versions of my education books will be free.

Like them or hate them.

Use them or don’t.

Here they are:

Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom (And Teachers Dig It Too)

Crush School 2: 10 Study Secrets Every High Schooler Should Know

Crush School Student Guide: Learn Faster, Study Smarter, Remember More, and Make School Easier

If you enjoyed this post consider signing up for my newsletter below.

Hi! I'm Oskar. I teach, write, and speak to make learning better.