Quote from the Book, The Superior Educator
A Calm and Assertive Approach to Classroom Management and Large Group Motivation, Copyright © November 20^th, 2008, Stephen T. McClard

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”  Abraham Maslow

It is amazing how the simplest arrangement of words can carry such a profound meaning into our minds.  Maslow understood that you must have a multitude of specialized tools to deal with life’s problems.  Each problem is unique.  When we key into this idea and examine our own set of tools, we can start the process of learning how to select the correct tool and use it with skill. 

 There is an old story that I tell all my band students at least once in the seven years that I will see them.  It is about two woodsmen who placed a bet.  One woodsman was very old and had been cutting down trees for many years.  The other woodsman was a very strong young man with a large ego.  The young woodsman didn’t mind letting everyone know just how strong he was.  One of the men in the camp bet the young woodsman that he could not chop down a tree faster than the old woodsman.  The young woodsman, trusting in his strength, set out to put the old man to shame. 

 When the contest began, the young woodsman started chopping his tree at a furious pace while the old woodsman sat down nearby and started sharpening his axe.  Ten minutes went by, and the young woodsman was nearly halfway through the tree when the old man began to chop.  After another five minutes went by, the sound of a falling tree could be heard.  Which woodsman won the bet?  The one with the sharpest tool won the bet with minimal effort. 

 The lesson here is obvious.  Use the right tool and make sure that it is sharp.  Keeping your tools sharp eliminates unnecessary effort.  If you can sharpen your skills as a leader, you are well on your way to mastering your classroom management.