WATER THE BAMBOO
Last June I had the pleasure of taking a team of educators from Reno High School to the Fusion 2014 Conference in Portland Oregon where we attended multiple sessions focused on monitoring student growth, literacy programs and transition programs. There were also excellent keynote speakers who presented each morning. One speaker in particularly, Greg Bell, shared the concepts of his book, Water the Bamboo.
Education is a hard job where we are often expected to show immediate results. It is not that simple but teachers tirelessly grind everyday hoping to see growth at some point in the undetermined future. Greg Bell compared the work of an educator to the job of a bamboo farmer. Many people are unaware of the growth process of a bamboo.
Bamboo farmers must water the ground where they planted for four years. During this four -year period the bamboo shows no sign of growth—not even breaking the soil. Farmers must stay consistent, not missing a day of watering. Patience is a key for a bamboo farmer—just likeany good educator. Day after day, month after month, year after year the farmer waters the bamboo with no evidence of growth.
Then it happens.
Greg Bell explained and even showed a video to further prove that after 4 years a bamboo will grow 90 feet in 60 days. It is one of the most amazing natural phenomenon I have ever seen. The bamboo breaks the soil and explodes to a remarkable height in a very short time.
The lesson here is simple.
It doesn’t always happen but if we keep the perspective of a bamboo farmer—staying patient, having faith and consistently working with our students everyday—we may just see amazing individual growth.
So keep grinding, keep working, never give up and water your bamboo!
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