URBAN.LEARNING

I saw this great image today from www.workisnotajob.com. They put together some great stuff. Today’s image was just perfect for teaching… “Take Courage” against a chalkboard.

Why does teaching take so much courage?

I’ll share my thoughts and hope to hear yours.

1. Teaching takes courage because kids can break your heart. I cannot tell you how many times I cried over my kids. I cried when they cried because they were going through something tragic. I cried on my way home after I learned that they had made an insanely poor choice. I cried after expulsions in my classroom. And, each time, I had to pick myself up, move forward and refuse to give up. The connection between a teacher who truly cares, truly gives, and a student can be a bond that has lasting power. When the days come, and they will, that you are disappointed, hurt, upset and confused, those are the days you need courage to move on.

2. Teaching takes courage because you can be vulnerable to criticism and ridicule. You may read this and wonder what I mean. Well, I mean that kids can be cruel (without always knowing how words can impact). The worst part about it is that all former teachers were once former students that most likely said something mean about one of their teachers. I know I did. I’m not at all proud of it. I can still remember a day my first year teaching that I arrived at school looking less than my best self. I had been up until all hours of the night grading and prepping (most likely on the formatting or look of something). Walking into school, I can still hear C (names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent) say, “Wow, Ms. Garcia, BAAAAAAD hair day! And are you sick? You look sick. Why did you come if you were sick?” Jaw. Dropped. I can’t even remember how I responded. Or if I did. Note: this is the mildest of the stories I have. Everyday, you have to get up in front of a bunch of kids, no matter what age, and put yourself out there. Some people can say that they don’t care if a random tween says something rude or mean. Good for them; maybe they became immune after awhile.

3. Finally, teaching takes courage because it is hard work with a lot on the line. If you can’t take pressure, do not become a teacher. There is SO much pressure and to be able to handle it takes more courage than most professions. I’m not solely referring to achievement tests, while that is a huge component of accountability. I’m talking about a YEAR’S worth of learning that YOU are responsible for in a GROUP of CHILDREN. Those kids belong to someone. They are PEOPLE, with dreams and possibility. A teacher can either create possibility, or give their kids just another barrier to overcome. A reading teacher, for example, is responsible for growing kids as readers. How well a student reads can determine how well they do in other subjects that require, that’s right, READING. This may sound very simplistic, but I’ve been in this game for a decade now and the damage that one lost year of instruction in a core content area can have creates significant repercussions for kids. When you layer low income students who are already behind on top of that, the consequences are even more dire. With so much on the line, who better than the very courageous to accept the charge.

What takes courage in your work?
(Just getting out of bed is not an acceptable answer). :)

NGU

Great teaching is about great mindsets.  If you believe it, you will achieve it.  Yes, that last line is cheesy AND it is true.  So much about what we do in our life is a direct manifestation of WHAT we think and HOW we think.

Teaching Mindset 1 - It’s not about you, it’s about them.  Them being the students. 

As you sit down to plan, answer these questions of yourself to ensure this lesson is about your kids and not about you. 

1.  Who will be MOST engaged in this lesson?  (If you are going to talk more, think more, explain more, engage more - the answer is you.)

2.  Who will OWN the learning & DO the work?  (If the students will have a chance to process, produce, and perform, THEY are doing the work.  SCORE.)

3.  Am I risking control in this lesson?  (Hard one.  As the instructional leader, you should always maintain control.  I’m talking about controlling the space and the voice.  Are the kids getting in the driver’s seat in this lesson?)

During the lesson, pay close attention to the following:

1.  Talking for long, extended periods of time.  Determine how many minutes you will talk before you feel like it’s time to let the students have a little bit of airtime.  For me, it was 5 minutes.  If I went OVER 5 minutes, I knew it was time to get the voices going. 

2.  Passive learning.  Are the kids passive learners in the classroom or are they active?  Active means they are doing something (copying does not count).  What counts?  Thinking, talking, acting, reading, writing, moving, grooving. 

After the lesson, ask yourself the questions above, but in past tense.  Reflect and react for the next class. 

And, in case you ever really want some good data, ask the kids.  Who talks more in this class about what we are learning, me or you?  Watch their reactions closely.  You might be surprised.

It’s not about me, it’s about you.  What do you want to see on the blog?

NGU

I saw a tweet today that Wendy’s is having a t-shirt design contest.  This tweet reminded me of one of my favorite closing activities - Put it on a T-Shirt. This is definitely an oldie, but a goodie. 

Finding closing activities can be challenging for a couple of reasons.

1.  Most times, we don’t make it to the closing because the lesson has gone over.  However, if you PLAN for a closing, you’ll make it to the closing.  If you TELL the students that you have a GREAT closing, they are more likely to make it to the closing.  Sense of urgency, folks.

2.  Closings are the last activities we plan.  After aligning to the assessment, planning the INM and the CFUs and the GP and the IP, we might make it to the closing.  Therefore, I am a huge proponent of low-prep, high-impact closings.

Put it on a T-Shirt Closing:

Transition after your independent practice into the closing.  Pass out a blank t-shirt to your kids.  You can use the one I post here.  Let the students know they have 5 minutes to design a t-shirt that conveys the big idea of the lesson.  Use words, pictures and color.  Remember, it has to fit on a t-shirt, so it cannot be too lengthy.  Also, cool t-shirts are catchy, so think about a way to convey the information in a way that engages the reader.  

Another way to explain this to the learners - think of this t-shirt as a “cheat shirt” for a friend.  What would help your friend remember the big idea of the lesson? 

One of my former teachers used this strategy and then had all the t-shirts hung with clothespins across their room.  Yay for physical environment!

What would your teacher t-shirt say?