Teacherscribe's Teaching Thoughts
December Teaching Thoughts Newsletter
Make Someone's Day
We all need A.I.R.
Inspiration
Recognition
No one ever leaves a job where they feel like they are appreciated TOO much.
Gratitude
The World is a Fine Place and Worth Fighting For
The World is a Fine Place and Worth Fighting For (Round 2)
Book of the Month - The End of Education by Neil Postman
The End of Education by Neil Postman. I re-read this during the height of COVID. I have re-re-read it since, and I forgot how good this sucker is. Wow. So much content and so many great questions about what is the real purpose (that is what Postman means by “End” in his title) of education.
Here are a couple of my favorite ideas:
· “We could improve the quality of teaching overnight, as it were, if math teachers were assigned to teach art, art teachers science, science teachers English . . . the teacher would be forced to see the situation as most students do, would see things more as a new learner than as an old teacher.”
· “We can improve the quality of teaching and learning overnight by getting rid of all textbooks . . . Textbooks, it seems to me, are enemies of education, instruments for promoting dogmatism, and trivial learning. They may save the teacher some trouble, but the trouble they inflict on the minds of students is a blight and a curse.”
Teaching Thought for December
Ellie is in my Hot Topics in Writing class. I have gotten to know her the past few years as she has also taken summer classes from me. In fact, Hot Topics is the first LHS class she has taken with me.
On the very first day of class, she asked about my room, specifically some of the student created art on my walls. I explained how much I love art, how my step daughter KoKo is a great artist, and how much I love to have students hang their work in my room.
Her face lit up, and she asked if she could draw something for my room.
This was an easy yes.
After that we talked a little about the progress before class, but yesterday she told me to not leave my room as the bell rang for she was running down to the art room to get her drawing for my room.
Ellie returned a few minutes later and told me to close my eyes for she wanted to get my reaction to her work. I mean when was the last time someone said that to any of us about something they have created for us? I know it wasn't directly related to my class, but I wasn't going to turn this down. How could anything that motivates a student in such a way that they can't wait to see your reaction to their work be wrong?
Sure watched proudly as I turned the drawing over and saw her version of Limp Bizkit's Significant Other album cover.
The best part, though, came when she meticulously walked me through all the time and effort she put into the drawing - spending several hours on Sunday finishing it up. Ellie even mentioned how she had to run and buy a specific eraser to get lettering in the bottom right corner just right.
Again, think about this - here is a student pouring time and effort into something for a teacher that isn't even content related!!! And beaming at how much it means to the teacher and at their reaction.
My question for this teaching thought is this - how can we get that same passion and pride to be focused on our content and curriculum?
I don't know, but I am just glad to see that passion and pride displayed in a student, even if it wasn't related to anything in my class.
Ellie's next project - to decide where she wants me to display her artwork in my room for others to see it!
What I Love About Teaching
Being a student right along with my own students. Last week my Hot Topics in Writing class had a persuasive essay due on Wednesday before Thanksgiving break.
I walked them through numerous takes on topics as well as my position on those topics (such as "Should teachers be armed to prevent school shootings?" "Should the Reynolds' extended family all buy gifts for each other; Should Vikings fans get all excited that their team will win the Super Bowl?" "Should LHS get rid of LINC?" - I did this so they could see me model both the format and thinking that goes into planning and then writing the paper.
During my prep on Tuesday, I took 45 minutes and wrote out my rough draft for my persuasive essay, which I focused on the latter topic I talked about in the previous paragraphs, and then shared it with the class.
Not only did we have a good discussion about the topic, but the students were also able to see that I was doing the work right along with them. So when they complained about not having a topic sentence or an interesting introduction, I could tell them, well, here is what I did when I wrote my paper this morning.
I think this sends a message of "We all are in this together."
Podcast of the Month - The Blessing of Work
But this was a nice message. Buffini talks about how work is a blessing.
Buffini starts off right away noting how the major message that comes out from our society as a whole that we would be happier if we could work a little less, vacation a little more (in fact, I am working on this while I'm on my Thanksgiving break vacation down to visit my stepson and grandkids in South Dakota), and so on. The idea is to do less, not more.
I love that Buffini - who is a multi-millionaire real estate agent - talks about how he has been in the very position to just live a life of luxury and do nothing for quite awhile now, but he refuses to do that. Work is a blessing, he argues. It gives us purpose and meaning.
I think that is why I enjoyed writing that persuasive essay for my Hot Topics in Writing class that I wrote about earlier in this newsletter. Working right a long with my students as a co-learner is the work that truly gives me purpose and meaning.
What about your work gives you purpose and meaning? If it's nothing, you have to do something about that. You will burn out, become unmotivated, or maybe you need to find work (in another field even) that does give you purpose and meaning.
Video of the Month - Carlson Business School Flash Mob - Christmas Caroling.
Thoughts from Twitter
Give this a try in your classroom . . .
But I have an assignment for this, actually. In my LINC class before Thanksgiving break, I tasked them with sending two people major compliments to brighten their days. I used to have my students call each person and tell read the compliment to them, but given that LINC was a shortened period and that the power was out, I had them just send it as an email or text, but one of my colleagues who I told about the assignment gave it a try. He called his wife in front of his class (another great teaching tool - modeling the assignment for the class! Love it), and, sure enough, as he began to compliment his wife, he got emotional!
That's the power of this assignment - whether you simply email or call and read the message. Give it a try. You will never regret making someone feel awesome!
Below are two examples of what this looks like. The first is one I sent to a senior who is going into education and who has been such a great student over the last two years for me. The second one is of a former student calling her brother in law to read his compliment to him. No words needed for that one!
Article of Interest -
This article is a great look inside the Finnish school system. My favorite point - is that students are allowed to choose their own education path . . . AND (and this is the most important part) "their educative path . . . should never lead to a dead end."
In other words, they get a chance (several actually) to change course and try things again.
Bonus content of the week
Check out the On the Other Hand columns originally published in the Times.
In case you missed it,
Chief Inspiration Officer of Room 205
I am married to the most amazing person in the world, Kristie. It was love at first sight. At least for me. And it still is.
We have four wonderful children, Casey, Koko, Kenzie, and Cash. And now we have been blessed with six grandchildren!
I also happen to have the greatest job in the world: teaching English to high school students.
I am in my 25th year of teaching at Lincoln High School. I graduated from Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls in 1992. I decided to enter the field of education because of two amazing teachers, Mr. Mueller, my fourth and sixth grade elementary school teacher and assistant baseball coach, and Mrs. Christianson, my 9th grade English teacher.
I attended Northland Community College, and had my life changed by the amazing Dr. Diane Drake. Then I transferred to Bemidji State University in 1995. There I had amazing professors who further inspired me to teach English (Dr. Helen Bonner, Dr. Mark Christensen, Susan Hauser, and Gerry Schnabel). I graduated with my BS in English Education in 1997.
I student taught with the wonderful Lisa Semanko and then began teaching full-time at LHS in 1998.
I took a year's leave of absence in 2001-02 to return to BSU for my MA in English. There I had the privilege to teach and work closely with my greatest mentor, Dr. Mark Christensen. I earned my MA in English in 2006 and was honored with "Thesis of the Year" for my creative non-fiction, braided, multi-genre memoir, "Meeting Myrtle: A Biography."
In 2013, thanks to my dear friend and mentor, Dr. Jodi Holen, I was offered an adjunct teaching position fall semester at the University of North Dakota. Tuesday nights I teach Intro to Education: Teaching and Learning 250 from 5-8. Those three hours fly by in about ten minutes.
Then in 2016 I was blessed to win a WEM award (thanks to a nomination from a former student (and now an elementary school teacher), Ciera Mooney).
In 2017 I became part of the #pineconepd podcast club along with Brian Loe, Jeff Mumm, Kelsey Johnson, Kelly Weets, Josh Watne, Tevia Strand, Megan Vigen, Mariah Hruby, Laura Brickson, Loren Leake, Katie Hahn, Melora Burgee, and new members all the time. This has been one of the best forms of PD I've ever been a part of. They make me a better teacher every time we meet. Please think about joining us in the summer at the Pine Cone Pub from 6:30 - until we've solved all the world's problems. For that evening anyway.
In 2021, I became head coach of the Powler football team. It is a dream come true. I have an amazing staff and had an excellent mentor in two amazing former head coaches, Jeff Mumm and Bryce Lingen. I couldn't have asked for greater men to learn from.
Finally, thanks to the inspiration of Shane Zutz (our former principal) I devised this as a way to distribute my Teaching Thoughts and add more content to, hopefully, help out and inspire others.
Email: kurt.reynolds@myprowler.org
Website: http://teacherscribe.blogspot.com
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