In My Defense

Most people have heard Coco Chanel's famous advice about fashion and accessorizing: "Before leaving the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off." Even though I'm rather a minimalist myself when it comes to that area, I've found those words to be helpful in several other parts of my life.

For example, as teachers, we are often told to over-plan our lessons, since it's better to have too little time than the chaos that a few too many extra minutes at the end of a class might encourage. And, when planning a menu for a dinner party, I almost always re-evaluate as I'm cooking, and eliminate one or more component of some over-complicated dish, a decision I rarely regret.

But the times I find Chanel's advice most helpful are when I am replying to a parent concern about something that is going on in my class. Then, I find it best to start with a response that says everything I'm thinking: a defense that goes point by point and justifies any choice I've made, spotlights all the problems with the student, and sometimes even goes so far as to challenge the parent for even daring to question my judgment.

Of course I never hit send before looking in that metaphorical mirror and and cutting at least a third of the email. Oh, it's not hard to know which sections to delete... they are usually the ones that I like the most when I'm writing. And that's why they have to go-- because I wrote them for me, not for the parent, and certainly not for the good of the student.