Teacherscribe's Teaching Thoughts
Week 28 - March 16-20
Never lose that joy or passion
Small habits
Miserable Life vs. Happy Life
The World is a Fine Place and Worth Fighting For
Book of the Week - The Customer Rules
This one I cam across via the EntreLeadership podcast a few years ago. Cockerell is amazing. The podcast and this book is so full of leadership gold that I can't recommend it enough.
One of my favorite stories from the podcast is how when Cockerell was working for the Mariott hotel chain, his boss showed up one day and noticed that the Post Office drop box across the street was all dirty. He told Cockerell to go over and clean it.
Cockerell was flabbergasted! The mailbox wasn't even on their property nor was it THEIR property!!!!
Yet, his boss said it was making things look bad, so Cockerell went over and cleaned it.
That's caring about the little things, for that is one of Cockerell's mantras: the little things (sometimes) matter the most.
And isn't that true?
Who cares how good the food is if the restaurant is a mess? Who cares how cheap the products are if the store is a disaster and there is no one to answer your questions (hello Wal-Mart)? Who cares how much the teacher knows if their room is boring and they don't like kids?
These issues are so important. Cockerell talks about these and so much more in his book.
For the record, here are my personal favorite rule for delivering sensational service -
#1 - Customer service is not a department (it's the job of everyone in the business or school or company)
#7 - Look sharp (dress like you care and want to be taken seriously)
#10 - Be your own Shakespeare (what Cockerell means here is take time to write out what a perfect customer service experience would be like for your class, your school, your store . . . Then model that!)
#34 - Never say NO - Except "No Problem" (in the podcast, Cockerell talks about this scenario - you own a store in a small town. A mother calls you in the middle of the night. She is out of pacifiers and needs you to open up so she can quiet her baby and get some sleep. This isn't going to make you any money. Worse yet, it's totally inconvenient. But it's the right thing to do and think of all that positives that will come out of this when that young mother needs something else - preferably during normal operating hours. Remember - ALWAYS OPEN UP AND GET THE PACIFIER).
Teaching Thoughts
Week #28 March 16-20
Teaching Thought #121 Do You Want to be Great?
On the podcast, Kids Deserve It, the hosts specifically interview Dave Burgess to celebrate their 100th episode. At the end, the hosts call upon Dave to offer a challenge to their listeners.
Burgess asks, “Do you want to be great?” Then he elaborates, “Teachers don’t want to answer this question because, to them, it feels somehow selfish or egotistical to say that you want to be great. But we are in the service profession, right? And so our greatness is not to just benefit ourselves. Our greatness is to help kids in the long run. And by the way. When you put in the extra time, effort, the energy to be great, how much extra money do you see in your paycheck as an educator . . . zero. So actually seeking greatness as an educator is one of the most unselfish acts in the world.”
Be great. Your kids deserve it. You deserve it.
Teaching Thought #122 - What is Good Teaching?
This was a prompt we had to answer - I believe across the district - at the end of last year. I included my definition in the teaching thoughts from last year, but I wish I would have come across this line from 180 days by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle before I wrote my response: “Crafting engaging and relevant learning experiences, combined with the decisions teachers have to make in the moment, defines good teaching.”
I love three things about this definition of good teaching. First, the importance of engaging. If you don’t have this, the kids, especially Gen Z, will tune you out and the rest of your lesson won’t matter. Second, the importance of relevance. You have to answer this question every single class period, “When am I ever going to use this?” And finally, the importance of making decisions in the moment. I think this last part is the most critical. There are so many teaching moments in a day. The ability to capitalize on them - after you’ve engaged the students and then shown them why they should learn the material and how it will impact them in their lives - is what great teaching is.
Teaching Thought #123 - Who are you helping your students become?
I love this passage from Seth Godin’s most recent book, This is Marketing:
Marketing doesn’t have to be selfish
In fact, the best marketing never is.
Marketing is the generous act of helping others become who they seek to become. It involves creating honest stories - stories that resonate and spread. Marketers offer solutions, opportunities for humans to solve their problems and move forward.
And when our ideas spread, we change the culture. We build something that people would miss if it were gone, something that gives them meaning, connection, and possibility.
The other kind of marketing - the hype, scams, and pressure -- thrives on selfishness. I know that it doesn’t work in the long run, and that you can do better than that. We all can.
When I read that, I thought of teaching right away. If we aren’t helping our students become something better and bigger than the versions of themselves that walked in on the first day of class, what are we doing?
When I read about “the other kind of marketing” and how it uses “hype, scams, and pressure” because it “thrives on selfishness,” I immediately thought of the current state of affairs in education. That is our obsession with test scores.
I believe this is selfish because it really isn’t about helping kids or tweaking our instruction. It’s all about public perception. School can’t help but be perceived by the larger public. But for my two cents, I think there are far better things for a school to be perceived for than just test scores. In fact, I submit to you that despite all of our focus (PLCs, scripted curriculum, curriculum delivered with fidelity, and insane amounts of pressure on kids to do well on tests) on test scores, not only have our scores plateaued (at best) but it is driving teachers aware in record numbers.
So teachers, who are you helping your students become? And administrators, who are you helping your teachers become?
Teaching Thought #124 - What do others say about you?
In fact, I would submit to you that what others say about you is perhaps even more important than what you say.
What are your students saying to their parents about what they did in class today? How do they say you made them feel? How excited are they to talk about something going on in your class? How excited are you to meet with these same parents when they sign up for conferences?
If you dare, do a quick search on social media for your name. What comes up? That is one reason I love the idea of keeping a “What They Say” board on Pinterest or a page on Facebook or even a page on your blog. This is an idea I stole from a TIES session George Couros led back in 2013. Here is his example. Here is the board I created on Pinterest illustrating what students say about me via Twitter.
Is this bragging? Maybe. But I’ll tell you this. Teaching is hard enough as it is. Cherish every compliment you get. Even if you don’t share them with others, relish them. As Dave Burgess says, teaching is the most unselfish job in the world. All the work a teacher puts in doesn’t result in a pay raise.
So appreciate the nice things students say. And never forget that they are talking about us . . . all the time. We can’t control that. The only thing we can control is what they say when they talk about us.
Teaching Thought #125 - What are you reading?
Leaders are readers.
This one is probably my biggest teaching tip, and I don’t know why I’m getting to it right now, but here it is: stay current with your professional reading.
Not only do I feel it’s vital for me to stay current in the world of English and composition as a professional, but it is also a great way for me to model one of the biggest things I want my students to learn from my classes: become a life long learner.
Since I’m revising how I teach College Comp, we will have daily silent sustained reading time and part of that time is devoted to sharing what we are reading. This is going to give me a time to share with my class all of the reading (and learning) that I do.
In fact, the very reason I’m revising how I teach composition is because of a phenomenal book I read, Penny Kittle’s Write Beside Them. I read it twice this summer and it made me realize I’ve been teaching like I’ve been asleep for a few years now. It was the kick in the professional ass i needed.
So what books are you reading? What podcasts are you listening to? What videos are you watching?
Why I Teach
Amazing Opportunities; Amazing Colleagues
Podcast of the Week - The Cult of Pedagogy
I look forward to this episode from Gonzalez as much as I look forward to any podcast all year. She always include tech gold on these podcasts. When I try the websites or apps out too, I always feel like I should have always been using these tools.
For the record, here are the six tools.
1. Floop
2. Goose Chase - see my tech tool of the week toward the bottom on this newsletter.
3. IORAD
4. Parlay
5. Stop Motion Studio
6. Creatabliity
Video of the week - Porcelain Unicorn
In the chapter, Robinson looks at three barriers that we may face in order to discover our elements. The first barrier is 'personal.' This might be something inside us that we may need to overcome. Maybe it's our negative self image, our fondness for procrastination, a disability, or something else that might limit us on a personal level. The second barrier is 'social.' This looks at our parents, peer group, and society that may seek to dominate how we think or act. Maybe it's your dad telling you, "You'll never get a job doing that" or your entire city discouraging you from something because no one from your hometown has ever done it before. Finally, the last barrier is 'cultural.' This ls much larger than just your parents, friends, and a society. This is deep an ingrained in us over the years.
I used this video as an example of that. No one is born to hate; that's a culture that must be ingrained or beaten into us. This video inspires us to not give up hope.
Thoughts from Twitter
Where are they Now?
Jackie Kuznia
When did you graduate from LHS?
I graduated from LHS in 2011.
Where did you go to college and when did you graduate?
NCTC - Liberal Arts, UMD - Teaching social studies, graduated 2015
Where have you taught?
NCTC - Admissions, FMS - Behavior Interventionist
Are you doing any coaching or advising?
No. I am attending UND online to obtain my 60 cr. masters degree in K-12 School Counseling though. :)
What do you enjoy most about working in education?
The students. 100%. Every interaction with a student is a chance to make their day better. Spending an extra minute with a student can change a life.
What made you want to work in education?
I've wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. I always like school. I would even play "school." I would teach my younger cousins something, and when they learned it and kept that knowledge with them, I felt very accomplished. Now, as an adult, I like having the ability to make a difference. It's important work having your boots on the ground at the forefront of civilization!
What advice do you have for teachers?
Take the students in stride (don't let them flatter you and don't let them bother you). Get to know where your students are at mentally and meet them there. Get involved in the community you work in. Pull any and all resources.
Tech Tool of the Week - Goosechase
Why?
Because they're a pain in the butt to set up and then pull off. Usually I spend a couple hours on a Sunday setting it all up. I place QR codes all over the school. Then I begin class with a worksheet or puzzle students must complete to get their first clue. Then they're off.
But it's a lot of work.
There are several things I like about Goose Chase. First, it's easy to set up. You can even use default scavenger hunts on the app. I also like that students will use the app on their own devices to take part in the hunt. Then they will record all of the activities or tasks that are part of the scavenger hunt. Third, I like that the app does most of the work and not me!
Bonus content of the week -
Last week's Teaching Thoughts newsletter is below if you're interested
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. I also happen to have the greatest job in the world: teaching English to high school students.
I am in my 22nd year of teaching at Lincoln High School. I graduated from Lafayette High School 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 Chirstensen. 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, and Laura Brickson. 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.
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
Location: 101 South Knight Aver Thief River Falls MN 56701
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