Do You Know When to “Take a Knee”?

Earlier this weekend I was introduced to a new term, “Take a knee.”  Apparently, in football, this term means knowing when to stop a play.  I really like this expression and see how applicable it is to the teaching profession.  When you realize that a situation is beyond your control or that the cause is greater than your ideas or wants, you need to take a knee.  This doesn’t mean that you stop caring about what happens after you walk away, but it simply means that you recognize what is necessary for the “greater good”. 

In teaching, I have come to realize that every situation is not one that I need to be involved in.  For this reason, there are probably more times that I should take a knee than not.  Over the next few weeks, I encourage you to analyze situations for necessity and importance.  If neither exists, It’s time to “take a knee.”  I am certainly working on taking this advice and preserving the moments during the day when my effect on any given situation outweighs my affect on that same situation.