The hazards of spell check

My first year of teaching in public schools., I had my students writing legends. I had a list of titles I gave them such as; "Why the Shines" or "Why the Raven Calls". My students had some time in the computer lab (we had a dozen Apple IIe that they used to type them up. When I was reading their papers during their Math work period I had to leave the room to show another teacher. We both ended up in the hall laughing until we had tears running out down our faces. The title of the story was supposed to be "How the Octopus Got Its Tentacles", but the student had misspelled the word and then used spell check. The title was now "How the Octopus Got Its Testicles." The saddest thing of all is that most of the story worked either way!! Lesson learned. I no longer allow students to use spell check. They must use old fashioned dictionaries.
Life can be like that. We really should give ourselves a "check" once in a while. Spell check, reality check, or whatever check makes sense. Rushing through life without thinking or reflecting causes problems, big and small.
Teaching can be the same way. The reflective teacher is a teacher who will be able to change his/her practice in ensure the students get the best education possible. Rather than plow through the lesson hoping for the best, ask yourself if the students are "getting it" or would changing something help them make sense of what you are trying to teach. Not every lesson  has to be a major Broadway production, but every lesson can be adjusted to reach every child.