The Eisenhower Matrix taught me something I wasn’t expecting.
I already knew that I spent too little time on the important, non-urgent work that actually moves the needle for my students. What surprised me was discovering that my careful over-preparation – all that time crafting “perfect” resources and planning for “almost” every possible scenario – was actually falling into the “neither important nor urgent” category.
Creating new resources and exploring other educators’ work bring me genuine joy, but I realized it can distract me from focusing on what my students actually need to build their language proficiency. My creativity and exploration should serve their growth, not just my satisfaction.
What my students need most are authentic opportunities to use their language skills in real life, and teaching that meets their diverse learning needs. As an introvert with a very busy teaching schedule, the idea of building community partnerships felt daunting. But I know in my heart that connecting my students with real French speakers and real-world experiences would transform their engagement and buy-in on a much deeper level than any perfectly crafted lessons with fun games and beautiful visuals. Those would look great on an Instagram page, but would do little to build real connection with my students. Messy real life lessons stick much better!
It may all seem obvious, for sure. There is just one little challenge: how to actually make those real life experience happen in a sustainable and balanced way? My opinion: start really small. If the task seems too daunting, it’s not small enough. Let’s make it ridiculously small just to start the process and build the momentum.
So here’s my commitment: I’m going to have two conversations this month. I will reach out to people in my personal and professional network to explore possibilities. Not to build an entire program, but to plant one seed. I’m setting weekly reminders to track my small steps, because I know that without intentional accountability, the urgent will crowd out the important once again.
This isn’t about becoming someone I’m not. It’s about honoring what I know my students need while working within who I am. Sometimes the most important work starts with the smallest conversation.
Connecting your students with real French speakers and real-world experiences will likely bring you joy, as well. 🙂 It sounds like you are ready to embrace the messy, and your idea of starting “ridiculously” small is so wise. Thank you for the reminder that if it seems too daunting it’s not small enough.
Irina, I’m really excited to hear about the connections you’re planning on building! Any thoughts on who you’ll reach out to?
Amazing! I can’t imagine how hard this work is for a french teacher. I have had similar conversations with the french teachers at my school. One thing I have noticed is that when the teachers see their students using the language in the everyday lives, make the teachers glow with such pride!
I witnessed this when I took a trip with the grade 8s last year to Montreal. Talking to the locals, and engaging with the guides in French for some was a first-in-a-lifetime experience. I know these exprenices won’t be able to happen all the time, but starting small like you said- maybe class presentations are still valuable to their learning. Best of luck! 🙂
Irina,
Thank you for sharing this. The way you named your careful over preparation as something that can quietly slip into the “not important, not urgent” space really struck me. It takes a lot of honesty to recognise that work which brings you joy and looks impressive from the outside does not always serve what students most need on the inside.
In the short time I have known you, I already see your empathy and deep care for your learners. You are so clearly tuned in to what your students at KCS need most, authentic opportunities to use their language in real life with real people, and you are willing to sit with the discomfort that this asks something different of you as an educator. I especially appreciated your line about messy real life lessons sticking better than beautiful resources. That captures so much truth about meaningful learning.
I also love the way you have framed your commitment as starting with two small conversations. It feels so human and so sustainable. You are not trying to become a different person. You are building bridges in a way that honours who you are, while still moving toward what you know will make the biggest difference for your students. I am really looking forward to hearing what grows from those first conversations and how your students respond when those new connections start to take shape.
Gareth Jones
I really appreciate how you recognized that joy and creativity in resource-building can sometimes distract from what truly impacts students’ learning. Your focus on authentic, real-world language experiences is inspiring, and I love your approach of starting ridiculously small to make meaningful connections sustainable. It’s a great reminder that sometimes the most important work isn’t the biggest or flashiest, but the small, intentional steps that build momentum over time.