Tomorrow, we start the second trimester of the year, and we will return to school for 18 days of classes before the start of our winter break. As we return, my thoughts turn to chunking. Chunking is a concept which suggests that there is utility in breaking down something into smaller units or groupings to lead to a better outcome than looking at the whole. This concept can be used to help memorize names or numbers, and many of our students will utilize this technique when pi day rolls around to help them memorize well over a hundred digits of pi.

There was a time when I used to run marathons, and chunking was a useful way to think about the race. Although I have never broken 4 hours, it was always my target. To give me a chance at hitting my target, I would break the race down into smaller chunks and try to keep a certain pace per segment.

It is easy to see the similarities between a school year and a marathon. They both seem to be very long, daunting, and full of challenges. As we return, however, I am going to ask the faculty and students to focus on 18 days. I believe that if our students and faculty can put forth their best effort for this finite and manageable period, they may surprise themselves with what they can accomplish.

I am excited to return and to see what we can do in next 18 days!