Brad Cartwright

The Main Thing is the Main Thing

April 11th, 2025

I generally think sports analogies are cheesy, lame, and rarely applicable to our lives as educators.

But…

This one sticks in my mind and has helped me, especially during this time of year.

A few years ago, I was watching my favorite NBA team play when they interviewed LeBron James after the game.

They asked him how he manages all of his off-court commitments—the billion-dollar endorsements, the business ventures, his media empire—and still finds time to focus on playing at such an elite level.

His answer was simple:

"The main thing is the main thing."

He went on to explain that if he doesn’t focus on basketball—if he doesn’t put in the work, perfect his game, and stay committed to what got him here—none of the extra stuff matters.

That phrase stuck with me.

And as we head into April—the most stressful, chaotic, and pressure-packed time of year for IB teachers and Coordinators—remember this phrase.

Right now, IB schools around the world are in the thick of it.

For IB Coordinators, it’s the final stretch of uploads, deadlines, and last-minute logistics. The Extended Essays, Theory of Knowledge essays, exhibitions, predicted grades, and everything else that comes with closing out this IB cycle—it’s all hitting at once.

For IB teachers, April is that final push—the last chance to prepare students for the May exams or get those portfolios uploaded in the arts. And let’s be honest, no matter how well we’ve planned, we always wish we had more time.

And for students?

April is a pressure cooker.  Some are realizing they need a specific score to secure their university placement. Others are feeling the weight of two years of effort, hoping it all comes together in those final exams.

It’s easy, in the midst of all of this, to lose sight of why we do this work in the first place.

LeBron’s words resonate because they cut through the noise.

“The main thing is the main thing.”

So what’s the “main thing” for us?

It’s teaching. It’s learning. And most of all, it’s serving kids.

It’s serving kids.  

That’s the main thing, at least for me.

No matter how much stress piles up, no matter how many deadlines loom, no matter how many tasks feel like they are pulling us in a dozen different directions—our job is to serve students.

And that doesn’t always mean cramming in more content, pushing harder, or squeezing in one last review session. Sometimes it means reminding students that they are capable, prepared, and ready for this. Sometimes it means being the calm in their storm.

So as April unfolds and the weight of the IB exams presses down, remind yourself:

The main thing is the main thing.

What do we need to do to serve these kids the best?

Believe in them.  Encourage them. Remind them that they are capable.

Because I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get into this profession so kids could get 7s in IB Economics.  

I got into this profession because I love teaching.  I love modeling.  And I love helping kids be the best human being that I can possibly be.

That’s the main thing.

Good luck, and see you next week.