Developing Skills

When I was a brand new teacher just getting started as a band director, I was fortunate enough to work with some truly generous, awesome people, who happened to be great teachers as well. When you first start and work in a big high school program in Texas like I did, you often start off by being the lead teacher for the 3rd of 4th band. Often times, these students may be the youngest, or the ones least likely to practice. These were incredible kids, they just weren’t as far along as the students who were in the top group. 

Too often, I’d catch myself feeling like life would be easier if my kids played like the top kids. Surely it must be a lot easier to teach kids hard music when they can play at such an incredible level. 

Predictably, I’d be working with my group when I was having a hard time getting them to play something better. My head director would notice that I was having a hard time and would gently come up to ask if she could give it a shot. What came next was usually simple, clear to the kids, and very helpful for me. Often, it would bring the stress down in the room that I was creating out of frustration.

What began to stick out to me was that the reason she was able to teach the top students was because she could teach the younger students. She was just a good teacher, regardless of who she may be teaching. That’s what gave her the ability to teach the advanced students. It was the years spent working with younger students so that she just knew what to do. 

I was reminded of this experience when I came a across a quote from James Clear, the author of the extremely popular book, Atomic Habits. 

The fact that you go to the gym even though you don’t “need” to…is why you don’t need to.

The fact that you save when you could spend…is why you have money to spend.

Your habits create your strength.

It got me to thinking about how this has been true throughout my life. 

The work we do and the skills we acquire and the discipline we’re learning matter. It makes us better, wiser, and more able to handle challenges. 

It’s like the book by Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle is the Way, so named because of this quote by  Marcus Aurelius:

The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.

So whether it’s the skill of teaching, saving money so that you have it, or doing the extremely hard work of raising kids- it’s by doing the work you gain what you’ve been hoping for all along. 

So work to spend less than you earn even though you wish you earned more, work to pour into your kids even though you’re exhausted, and keep driving towards the goals that matter to you, even when you feel discouraged. 

By doing the work, you earn the skills that get you the results you’re after.