Teachers: Do You Stop At Good?

A week before Christmas break, I planned to give my web page design class a small break from coding websites. I believe as a teacher that content is extremely important but it is also important to give your students skills that they can take when they leave school into the workforce.

The plan was to do a leadership activity where students reviewed  several definitions of what leadership means and why it is important. From the definitions they found, they were to create their own definition of leadership and put it on the board. We were to share them and move onto continuing to build our websites.

I had only allocated 15 minutes for this activity but it turned into the most phenomenal class discussion on leadership. Students were fascinated with all the different definitions of what it means to be a leader. It was interesting to see and hear that each student had a different view of what leadership meant and all were right! We talked about whether leaders are made or born. We discussed what characteristics great and bad leaders have and whether there is a difference between being a manager and a leader. Students brought up good and bad leaders in history and we discussed what made them great. Lastly, each student went around and shared one person that has been the most influential leader in their lives. In a class where students primarily work by themselves, the class came to life through energetic, thoughtful, and passionate ideas!

I could have stopped after the 15 minutes and moved onto the next activity but I knew the students were taking every piece of bait I threw at them. How was I to take the food out of the water? A lot of times as teachers we have so much to cover that we can't stop and have an engaging conversation for most of a class. Through this activity, I saw the passion in my students eyes. They were hungry for more and as a teacher, what else can you ask for? I didn't intent for this to take the whole class but sometimes as a teacher you can't stop when it is good...you just have to let it happen because it is challenging to gain most or all students interests. When you do, you have to make it count!

-RD

How Do You Start Class?

At this point in the school year, students know your teaching style and routine. They have a certain expectation that you have set as an educator when they walk through your doors. Some teachers start class with a question, some have students complete a warm-up, some use QR codes, and some simply jump right into the lesson. Depending on what you teach, these can be all great ways to start a class/lesson. I wanted to share some things that I do daily in which I feel have been fun for the students and get their minds ready to learn.

1. First, I have my objectives, warm-up, and procedure on the projector screen for the students. They know to look their first before doing anything.

2. As students are beginning the warm-up or logging into Blackboard, I have a joke ready for them. As dumb as my jokes may be, they get the students smiling which can be hard to do for many students in high school. CLICK HERE for a great resource of jokes for teachers!

3. I usually give them 2-3 "fun facts" of the day. Even at the high school level students are amazed to know that "2 million videos are added to YouTube everyday." I get my facts from Uber-Facts.com. Note: Most are clean facts but some can be inappropriate. Just be careful what you share!

4. Lastly before we jump into the lesson, I will show them 2-3 of the top headlines from USA Today, Mashable, CNN, or Forbes. Sometimes it is a short video clip, info-graphic, interesting tech news, etc. As much as our students live on their phones and social media, it amazes me how little they know about what goes on outside of their bubble they call school. Usually these will spark some lively discussions.

All of this takes only 3-5 minutes but to me it is extremely worth it. Some will argue that I am wasting several valuable minutes of instruction time. I will argue back that I am prepping the brain to maximum learning. By capturing students attention in the beginning of class, I have them ready to engage, collaborate, and learn. 

What are some ways you get your class going and ready to kick butt? Would love to hear some new ideas! Thanks.

-RD

We All TEACH Business Skills

As a business & computer science teacher, I can't help but make the comparison that all teachers incorporate some business job or discipline into their teaching and classrooms. Our students will all hopefully graduate and have to work in some sort of business setting. Whether they are flipping burgers, selling tractors, managing a Target, saving lives, or working on Wall Street, they are going to take the skills we TEACH them and use them to hopefully better our society. Their are 5 business skills/jobs that I see teachers teaching, demonstrating and modeling for students daily:

1. Salesperson: As teachers, we are continually selling the value of our classes, why our content is important to know, and how it will help students when they are in the "real word." Sometimes I think we as teachers are more actors/actresses than anything else because we put on a show daily for our students. If the show isn't good, students won't buy our product.
 
2. Manager/Leader: Teachers not only manage how students learn but they plan, organize, direct, and motivate. Every successful manager needs to master these skills if they wish to be successful. Teaching is no different. If you can't manage your classroom, plan effectively, direct instruction, and execute a strategy efficiently, you can't be a great teacher. Managing a class is only one aspect though. Teachers are also leaders whether they view themselves as one or not. Leaders inspire others, they let people know they can be more than they ever thought they could, and they are willing to give away all the credit if it means helping the organization or someone else.
 
3. Entrepreneur: It doesn't matter what grade or subject you teach, you should be fostering entrepreneurship in your students daily! Do you allow them to explore, experiment, try new things and fail. Or do you come in and give it all to them? If we want our students to be truly great people when they leave our schools, we need to be incorporating teamwork, collaboration, problem-solving skills, analysis, and synthesis into our daily lessons. Make them dream big, tell them what is out there that can be theirs, and be the innovator your
 
4. Human Resources: Probably one of the most challenging aspects of teaching is trying to understanding every child, being their for him or her when they need you, listening, appreciating their thoughts and ideas, and giving them guidance and support when they don't think they need or want it. As teachers, we are the people students go to when they need advice. They trust in us to guide them in the right direction. Our focus in education should be children first and in human resources, they know that the most valuable commodity to a business is the people. So is true with a school district and its students!
 
5. Technology Facilitator: Many students who come to a K-12 school in today's society believe that they have to shut down from technology in school...why? If we as educators don't incorporate what the students live on when they are outside of our classroom, we will lose our clients. Everyday we should be using technology of some sort in the classroom. Technology should never completely drive instruction but it should be utilized as a "powerful" tool in which students can engage, collaborate, and access information like they never have before. Teachers, I challenge you everyday to learn about a new tool, use a new software, and ask questions. Failing is OK as long as you are pushing yourself to learn new tricks. Use technology or else they will!

If you have any other business skills you believe teachers teach students, please share in the comment section. Thanks!

-RD

We All Need To Believe In Something

Over the past month I have been listening to a book called "The Art of Exceptional Living" by Jim Rohn. In one of his lectures, he describes in grave detail the importance of a personal life philosophy. He states that "Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out." I decided to do some soul searching and reflecting and have put together my own personal philosophy and core beliefs. What are yours? 

• I believe that our attitude reflects our altitude and by choosing to have a better attitude, we choose to have a better life.
• I believe that your true worth in life is determined by how much you give in value than you receive in payment. 
• I believe that if you want success, you have to study it, plan for it, think it, and believe it!
• I believe that you don’t have to be a leader to lead and mentor others.
• I believe in the power and value of building, growing, and developing positive relationships.
• I believe in always choosing to rise one more time than you fall.
• I believe that everyone has a purpose on this planet and they were meant to do something special.
• I believe that every interaction we have with someone is an opportunity to touch a life in a positive way.
• I believe that discipline is the gap between goals and success.
• I believe that laughter is the best medicine.
•  I believe that formal education will make you a living, but self education will make you a fortune.
• I believe that the only way to conquer a fear is to just do it because we miss 100% of the shots we don’t take.
• I believe in family values, virtues, and traditions.
• I believe the greatest gift we can leave mankind is the legacy we create for ourselves each day we are alive.

Smarter, Stronger, Wiser...The Time Is Now!

After the holidays, it seems the only thing many of us can think about is the spring and summer months. All the cheerful fun is over and winter sucks the life out of everyone right? You can’t do anything because it’s cold and the days are short so why do anything at all? 

If you allow yourself to think like this, you are missing out on a huge opportunity to get smarter, stronger, and wiser. January is the time of the year to recharge and prepare for a new beginning in March. It is time to prepare your mind and body for the successes they are going to have this year.

Yes, you can’t go to the beach or play many sports outside, but you can improve yourself so when the flowers and trees blossom, you can shine and stand out with them.  So, how do you get the most out of the winter months? Here are some simple tips I learned from a greater leader and speaker, Jim Rohn. Don’t look back and wish you could have done things differently because all you are guaranteed is now! 

1. Read everything you can and start your own library. It doesn’t matter what you have to do to get the books. Whether you go and rent them from the library or borrow them from someone, start by learning something new that will make you more valuable. Remember, companies pay employees based on how valuable they are. Are you doing what it takes to be more valuable this year? 
2. Work harder on yourself than you do your job. Trust me, it sounds difficult but if you work harder on improving every aspect of yourself, you will become more valuable than you ever imagined. Read, network, learn, grow, write, reflect! 
3. Want to get more out of life? Come up with your own personal philosophy on how you want to live and become successful. Many of us want success, but we never put it down on paper what we believe success is and how to get there. 
4. Start a personal journal. Never trust your mind to remember everything because it will fail you 100% of the time. Everywhere you go, everyone you meet, take notes. You will be amazed how much you can learn not only about others but yourself and the world. 
5. Lastly, take time every night to reflect for five minutes. What was good, what wasn’t? How can I improve tomorrow? Am I staying true to my goals and plan for success? Self-reflection is one of the most powerful ways a person can grow and become more valuable to everyone around them.

Winter is upon us and the time is now to take action. Don’t wait until the spring to improve yourself and become more valuable. Start building that library, taking notes, and reflecting so you can become smarter, stronger, and wiser! 

-RD