Teacherscribe's Teaching Thoughts
Week 23 - February 15-19
Deciding next steps
Mr. Zutz shared this message with my seniors, but I think it's a great message for all of us too.
Gotta Love Seth
Yes it is.
The World is a Fine Place and Worth Fighting For
Now, I choose to view this as a positive story NOT because of the toll the pandemic has taken on all performers but on what this young man is doing about it: creating his own documentary and calling attention toward it. This is the best type of learning - with or without a pandemic.
Book of the Week - The Captain Class by Sam Walker
Now, his requirements are that the teams that these great captains led had to do something that no team has ever done in the history of the sport, so that trimmed the list down considerably. After that, he delved in to the captains on those teams and what set them apart.
What he found was fascinating - First, of leaders and captains, few were the best players on the team. Second, the captains of these teams had an uncanny way of making everyone around them better. That is the defining trait. They sacrificed. They were unselfish. They supported others. They were coachable. And they had an undying passion for the sport.
Now how can we bring this into the classroom or into our business?
Teaching Thoughts
Week #23 – February 16-19
Teaching Thought #98 - Getting Better Means Looking Back
The great podcast Shifting Our Schools has a short but amazing new episode called “Game Tape.” This week, I’ll offer my takes from this amazing little episode.
What I admire so much about coaches is their insane attention to assessment, both formative and summative.. In the world I am in, football, at practice, players get formative assessment at least every three minutes. If they are doing a tackling drill, for instance, they will have at least one coach giving them feedback. For summative assessment, we spend a lot of time watching game film. Now some college coaches even film practices to give even more formative assessment to their players, but we are in MN not Texas or Ohio. When we watch game films, at least one coach assigns grades to his positions and then we meet to review them and then discuss them with players.
What if we had the resources and were given the time to do this in the classroom? I’m afraid that most of us just don’t have those kinds of resources or time. But is there a way to steal a little time each day or maybe each week to practice some purposeful reflection? Don’t tell me you can’t reschedule a meeting or trim some time from a committee to devote to some purposeful reflection.
Teaching Thought #99 - Reflection has Taught me A Lot
The great podcast Shifting Our Schools has a short but amazing new episode called “Game Tape.” This week, I’ll offer my takes from this amazing little episode.
One thing that I enjoy so much about carving out some time (mostly during summers but then stealing a few minutes here and there during the school year) to compose the teaching thoughts is that it allows me to reflect on teaching.
We just don’t get a chance to do that enough. But every time I do, I learn so much.
For instance - just yesterday - I am currently home on quarantine with COVID - Krisite, who is also home with COVID - was working in the living room while I was in the dining room Zooming with my College Comp class. When class was over, she asked if it was hard having conversations with high school students via Zoom. I told her that it certainly was. She said she could tell from how hard I had to work to get anyone to talk.
In reflecting on this, I have learned a couple of things: 1. Zoom lessons are not engaging. They are the definition of ‘sit and get.’ Students show up, have information presented to them, and then are eager to check out. 2. I’m wasting much of my time beating a dead horse, so to speak. Sure my students may appreciate my efforts - or my professional pride may appreciate it, but in the end, is it effective? No. Kind of like attending those meetings that could have just been an email or even a newsletter. 3. Video tutorials are the way to go. These can be customized per class, maybe even per student (and given how much time is wasted trying to get students to talk on a regular Zoom, I think it might be worth it). 4. If you do Zoom, allow students to drop in when they need help or offer a time for them to sign up one on one.
And that is just how I’m using much of my Flex Wednesday today to tweak my hybrid lessons moving forward to take advantage of this.
Teaching Thought #100 - Reflection is Time Consuming and Time Expanding
The great podcast Shifting Our Schools has a short but amazing new episode called “Game Tape.” This week, I’ll offer my takes from this amazing little episode.
“Blogging - or public journaling - has allowed me to be the educator I am today.”
Those words come from the host of the Shifting Our Schools podcast. When he said those, that got me thinking about all the blogging I’ve done on teaching and then all of the “Teaching Thoughts” newsletters I’ve put together over the years. I’ve been blogging since 2005 and putting out my Teaching Tips/Thoughts in one way shape or form for six years now. That’s a lot of reflecting on teaching.
The host mentions how “reflection is time consuming and time expanding.” He means that it’s difficult to grow if you don’t look back on past practice. Yes, it takes time to reflect on a lesson that sucked. But in doing that extra time to reflect, I’m saving myself time in the future because I will revise that lesson or maybe even chuck it and replace it with a better one so that in the future I won’t waste my time making the same mistakes.
Teaching Thought #101 - Reflection doesn’t have to be Time Consuming
The great podcast Shifting Our Schools has a short but amazing new episode called “Game Tape.” This week, I’ll offer my takes from this amazing little episode.
One of my favorite parts of this podcast is how the host notes that reflection doesn’t need to be an hour long journal at the end of the day. In fact, he argues that a short 60 second focused bit of reflection during an activity is far more impactful than a long, drawn out journal entry an hour after the process has ended.
Two things to keep in mind - First, as teachers, how can we do this? If a lesson is bombing - as mind did yesterday with my College Comp and their break out room discussions of “The Storm” did - how can we stop and reflect? For me, I have my Sticky-Notes app up and running. As this was bombing, I typed in, be clear with instructions and number the discussion topics to coordinate with the breakout groups. As I reflected on that, I realized the error was on my part. I didn’t think the lesson through enough. I was to blame. That’s an easy fix for me.
Second, with students, who can we build in moments of reflection during the learning process? Maybe it’s as simple as telling the class to “Stop and think about . . .” something in that moment. Maybe it’s handing them a Post-It note and having them reflect on something as they struggle through it. Maybe it’s modeling this pause and reflect activity as we guide students through something. I don’t know. But I sure would love to hear what you guys use! Feel free to share.
Why I Love Teaching
I've been out for one full week now with COVID. The outpouring of care and support from my colleagues - from phone calls to texts to offers to deliver groceries to simply making sure my sub has everything they need, has been incredible.
They are amazing and leave me in awe.
Podcast of the Week - Entreleadershp "The Key to Lasting Success"
Video of the week -
Thoughts from Twitter
Give this a try in your classroom . . .
SSR - This has been a core component of my classes for at least two years now. As a school, we used to have it built right into our schedule, but since we moved away from that, our department has implemented it into our English classes.
This has been especially effective with our hybrid model. Now I can't say that the kids at home are reading during this time, but I know the kids in my class are reading.
As often as possible, I too try to read right along with them.
And the best thing is that after my 15 minute timer beeps on my apple watch, sometimes I reset it and give them half an hour to read. No one ever complains. Or at least they haven't so far.
Article of Interest -
Bonus content of the week -
In Case You Missed it: Link to Last Week's Teaching Thoughts Newsletter
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 five grandchildren!
I also happen to have the greatest job in the world: teaching English to high school students.
I am in my 23rd 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.
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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