Time to Reset?

Have you ever discovered that you purchased two copies of a text or teacher guide? Not intentionally, of course. But, you return home after shopping and find that you’ve already got a copy on your shelf of what you just bought?

I’ve done it a few times. One purchase I made was a writing curriculum that I picked up a curriculum fair. I had bought it at another curriculum hall just six months prior. I had forgotten. Another purchasing mistake I made was costlier. I bought two grade levels of the same books from the same publisher twice. This time I had ordered by phone, probably just a few months apart.

My point in telling you this is not simply to go public with some of the dumb or weird decisions I’ve made. Although, if you’ve done something similar, you might feel better reading this knowing you’re not alone. No, I think there’s something else at work here.

Some of us find it really hard to resist making a purchase when the item, product, or service is presented in a very compelling manner by a skilled sales representative.

What starts as “this would be nice to have” soon becomes “I’ve got to have this.” Finally, we think “My children’s education won’t be complete without it.” Sold!

You may not be someone who has made double purchases of the same product or curriculum like I have. But, you might be someone with too much curriculum for the subjects you plan to teach next year. It might need to be paired down. Getting an outside opinion to help you think through what you plan to use next year might be worth your time.

A number of years ago I went to see a naturopath about my concern over my blood pressure numbers. My numbers then could be described as pre-hypertensive. Of course, today the numbers have been revised downward and now half the country is considered hyper-tensive.  I had read a few books on the subject and purchased lots of supplements, changed up my diet, and adjusted my exercise routine. I recorded all this and gave the naturopath the list of all I was doing. I explained the “why” behind everything.

In looking back, maybe I went to see her just to get her approval. I only wanted a nod that I was on the right path with only a slight adjustment to what I was doing. I don’t know.

She looked at my list. Then she looked at me. Politely, she said, “Curt, I think you need to start over. You’ve simply got too much going on.”

Through no fault of your own, it could be that you’ve got “too much going on” with the curriculum you’ve purchased. An outside opinion can help you know if this is the case and help you think through what you will be doing next year.

We’re discounting our normal curriculum consultation fee by half if you contact us by Sunday, July 15 to schedule an appointment.  We’ll look at what you’re you doing to make sure it aligns with your educational goals. We’re here to help so please email us or give us a call today, or book an appointment online.

Thanks for reading!

Curt Bumcrot, MRE

You may not feel equipped to teach every high school level subject –and that’s ok! Our teachers are here to support you.  They offer once or twice weekly classes in English, math, science, and electives here in Oregon City! The class schedule and course offerings for the 2018-2019 school year are now available on our website.