I work hard as a teacher and I believe in the notion that "there are no shortcuts." Yet, I have also found that often "less is more." Trite, perhaps, but true nonetheless. I call it the Impact Paradox. It's the idea that I have more of an impact as a teacher when I am trying less hard at having an impact. For example, when I focus on behaviors, kids misbehave. But when I focus less on behavior and instead of quality teaching, the behaviors improve. When I try really hard to impact my students' lives, I drive them away. Yet, when I simply show compassion, I end up making a difference.

I'm guessing it's nothing all that deep or new. It's a bit like The Paradox of Choice on some level. Nothing is new under the sun.

So, here are a few areas that I've seen the Impact Paradox play out:

1. Assessment: Too much data too frequently gets in the way of the important trends. It's better to create assignments that lend toward both qualitative and quantitative assessment of mastery. Learning when to step in and when to let students make mistakes (for self-reflection and growth) is difficult.
2. Procedures: Yes, I do believe in procedures, but I keep them simple and flexible. The more I try and have huge procedures, the more it turns into red tape. I'd also like to point  out that I spend less and less class time on procedures and see greater results.
3. Student Work: I've found that fewer, more difficult assignments are more effective than adding sheer volume to a student's workload. (I've switched to projects, by the way). One deep critical thinking question is more significant than five comprehension questions.
4. Creativity: The harder I try to be creative, the less creative I become. (With this, I'd also like to point out that to be creative, I have to destroy)
5. Classroom Leadership: The less I try and coerce (the more you try and serve) the more I am able to lead. Humility is more powerful than power.
6. Authenticity: The more transparent I am, the harder it is for people to see right through me. The less transparent I am, the easier it is to be "found out"
7. Service Learning: If I go out to "change the community" I will fail. If I go out to serve the community, I will transform it.
8. Tools: Fewer tools force me to be more creative.
9. Global Perspective: The best way for students to get the "big picture" globally is to think parochially
10. Differentiation: The more I try to "differentiate" the harder it becomes. Yet, the more I empower students to make their own educational decisions, the more the true differentiation occurs. (My guess is that one would anger the most people)
11. Clarity: I admit this one might be the strangest, but sometimes being "less clear" means more discovery.  Sometimes kids understand concepts on a deeper level when it is deliberately complex. When I break things down too much, I fail to allow them to break down the task on their own. (My favorite teacher told deliberately confusing parables)
12. Achievement: The more I de-emphasize achievement, the more students feel safe to fail and therefore take risks and find success.  
13. Innovation: The more we try to be "innovative" the more we become simply novel.  Yet, oddly enough some of the most "classic" ideas are the most innovative to the culture.
14. Tech Skills: I've noticed that the less I teach discreet skills (focus on tech literacy instead) the more students actually learn the necessary skills. This might actually apply to all skills for that matter.  

I have other areas of teaching where this is true as well. I suppose it might sound real Zen to some people (I'm not that Eastern in my thinking - or perhaps I am both Eastern and Western, which I suppose is a real Eastern thought. Or maybe, just maybe, I'm human enough to be both/and and either/or)