Fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee

"Fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee"

These are the words of the charismatic Muhammad Ali and it completely applies to teaching. Every time you are in a classroom there are 1,001 mental decisions you are making every second and sometimes you don't even know you are making them. You need to manage time, personalities, instruction, support, administrative duties (attendance and the like), and everything else that students bring into the classroom. The ability to teach a classroom is really a craft that is constantly being challenged and refined through reflection.

In such reflection, I have noticed, at least for classroom management, there are times when you need ignore disruptions and moments when you need to poignantly address an issue; in other words sting like a bee. I believe Johnathon Kozol says something to the idea of "leave the battles you are to loose alone and focus on the small battles that matter and that you can win." I will try to find the exact quote but for the purpose of this post, I think he succintly explains and appreciates the necessity to be judicious with your efforts as a teacher. I think that is where much of the beauty in teaching lies: the small nuances that are difficult to articulate but are almost just better felt.