The Arcade

Originally Published June 2021

As I talked with a colleague this week, I mentioned that for the last 16 months I felt like I was playing Whack-A-Mole. You may remember that game. You pick up a mallet and stand in front of a box full of holes and the mechanical moles pop out. The idea is to whack them on the head as they pop out. Of course, you rack up points each time you “whack a mole.” I actually used to love playing that game at arcades or fairs. It was fun seeing how fast I could react to those pesky moles popping up at me and even more fun to smash them, leading me to believe I was responsible for sending them back down into their underground lair.

But in the world of education, Whack-A-Mole is not the approach we want to take. It is too fast and too random. The thought of being in a state of constant tension focused on nothing but the next problem or challenge and trying to deal with it before the next issue arises is anything but fun. You may be skilled at reacting to things that “pop up”, it may make us feel good to smash our organization’s proverbial moles, and that is a good trait to have as a problem solver, but it certainly isn’t the most productive way to operate for sustained growth and progress.

But let’s walk over to Skee Ball. You get to pick up one ball at a time. Think about the ring you want to hit, consider your approach - speed, force, angle. Where Whack-A-Mole is about quickly reacting, Skee Ball is about strategy and planning. It’s managed, and if you play it right, you have a sense of control.

After more than a year of Whack-A-Mole, I think we are all ready for a little Skee Ball. 

In that same conversation, I told my colleague that I am looking forward to a new school year in which we focus on instructional excellence, planning for more student opportunities, and building relationships...the important work of educating our students.