The Satisfactory Teacher's Guide to Accomplished Teaching

Yeah, so I broke the Time Machine…again. Don’t judge me – we had a few explosions in the lab and there’s some more messages lost in the time grid somewhere but we will address that later. And yes, even in your last year you managed to get the school evacuated with your science demos – some things will never change.

What’s up with the cryptic message up there? Well it’s actually a good thing – it’s your retirement day! There was a false retirement thing at the end of 2020 but that’s another note for another day – this is your last day of teaching, ever! The crazy thing is that even in your last hour of teaching, something happened that you would have done in your first year but this time it was earned. More on that coming up.

First, what lessons can be passed back? Besides the fact that you should be soaking all of this in and enjoying as much as possible, there is one thing that you didn’t do well in your career that you started to do in your last year.

Use some sick days.

Not all of them, you idiot, but some.

Due to circumstances beyond your control, you found out that all of your saved up sick days were going away and that you wouldn’t get any pay or credit that you had them. It’s safe to say that you never had perfect attendance but you didn’t really miss too many either. I know..too much damn work to miss. You even had a class at one point that wouldn’t listen to anyone but you so taking off was kind of rough…but you should have.

You missed a lot with your own family as a result.

This past year? Not so much – you went to college visits with your son, you went on field trips with your daughter, you took charge of your health and got a clean bill of health upon retirement.

Pro Tip – Make the doctor’s appointment at 9 AM, get the sick note, and enjoy the rest of your day. You’ll thank me later.

But about that last day…

It started like every other one. You pull up to the parking lot in the same spot you’ve been parking in for years (why the hell didn’t you pick one that’s closer to the school?). Graduation was the night before and there are only a few 8th graders in the school that day. You take it upon yourself to get all of them working in the lab room doing cleaning and inventory as one last gift to the 8th grade teachers in the school – you get them some well deserved time to clean up.

The day before, your administration gets you a cake and asks you to report to the library so say goodbye and serve cake – you go to graduation practice instead (always working). You are officially dubbed the worst retiree ever. You probably should have done the cake thing but you couldn’t let the students down – that never changed. You are reminded of such on your last day.

The last hour of teaching was something that could have happened in your first year. As tough as that first year was, you had the spirit of an accomplished teacher in you but it had to be cultivated. In this last hour, you and a co-worker find yourselves in charge of the cafeteria with the 8th graders who are there on the last day of school. You find out there is no lunch or snacks for the group so your co-worker goes into her club closet to give out candy as it needs to go. You and she proceed to throw said candy all over the cafeteria (including an impressive pass and catch across the room). Once the candy is done, you instruct the group to clean up and head back to their seats which they do.

The throwing candy part would have happened in year 1 but the cleaning up and behaving part would not have – you wouldn’t have been able to reel things back in but on this day, your last day, it happened without you or your co-worker even thinking about it. This is because relationships were formed (rapport), routines were established, respect was earned, and you did so calmly but firmly (and little sarcastically) – you didn’t really raise your voice at all in the last few years but yet the classroom ran fine. That part is different right? You became those teachers that you saw teaching with their inside voice and connecting with students in positive ways. This is because of the work you put in establishing expectations and routines.

The group was then dismissed and just like your first year, you went out to the busses to waive the students off for the summer. You went back into the building and sat at your desk for while – even after the announcement was made that all middle school teachers could leave.

You finally got up and hung up your whistle and ID in the corner of the classroom symbolizing that this was the end – you will never return to teach here again the way you did. You keep in touch with co-workers and may even visit the building occasionally but you will never be a teacher here again.

You might think you were sad but you were not – you were ready and it was time. I don’t know how the rest of retirement goes but so far, it’s pretty freakin awesome. The part where you are making things easier for your kids is worth it alone but there’s a lot of cool things happening but going to meetings ain’t one of ’em.

The lesson to be learned here is to really take care of your mental health so that you can take care of others. Make sure to take in each day and approach each day as it comes and this will make more sense later but when you file for retirement, make sure the payroll department is aware of it. Again, you’ll thank me for that one when your checks show up on time.

So this may be the end of a 29 year career but you’re just getting started on your next chapter. At the end of the day, I’m here to tell you that you are an accomplished teacher and that you earned every bit of it because we don’t do things the easy way, do we?

So relax, satisfactory teacher, your time is yet to come and in your last moments before leaving your building (where you helped with a medical situation), you sat back in your chair (which you had to buy) and smiled on a job well done. What does the next chapter hold? I have absolutely no idea but I’ll send you an update once that happens.

This is not the end of your messages, I’ve got five years worth of shit to fill in – life lived and lessons learned kind of stuff but for now, just know that your first evaluation wasn’t so hot (satisfactory at best) but you left as a highly effective National Board Certified Teacher with a kick ass classroom music playlist that you’ll end up using for your daughter’s softball team games.

So from first year to last year it was a hell of ride but there’s so much more to go – talk soon (as long as I don’t break the damn Time Machine thingy again).

BLOG UPDATE! – Your Eagles have won 2 super bowls so that alone will give you hope for the future. In fact, your school won four titles and the Eagles won the Super Bowl in your last year (I’ll let the other one be a surprise). It’s not anytime soon in your timeline but trust me, I’ll be as awesome as you think. Also, you can tell those Cowboys fans in your first period that the 1995 Super Bowl is last one their Cowboys will see for a very, very long time. You’re welcome!

YOU CAN DO THIS!

Dear 1996 Teacher Version of Myself,

I guess it’s been a while since I sent you a message.  Sorry if you thought something bad happened – turns out I had a lab mishap and broke the damn time machine.  Looking back on the messages I sent, the one about remembering a class forever and taking chances academically was a very appropriate final message for you.

What happens, you ask?

Well, in a nutshell…the shit hits the fan in a way that is absolutely unexplainable.

Now don’t panic kid, we’re still here but there isn’t much time and I’ve got another version of you  I need to speak to. I’m actually going to ask you to log off until April of 2020.

Yes, I’m copying off of Back to the Future – leave me alone. Why don’t you unplug the phone cord from the back of your slow ass PC and go enjoy life? No seriously…go…now

 

Dear April 2020 –  24th Year Teacher Version of Myself,

So I guess you understand why I logged you off?

I wish I could tell you that we are on the other side of things in your 25th year – we are not and it could even get worse.

I ain’t gonna lie – things are tough right now and I should probably read my own advice about burning out because I’m feeling it.

But this isn’t a gloom and doom message because you aren’t a gloom and doom guy.

Remember when you wrote your Top Ten Things you wish you could tell yourself in 1996 to start this blog? Well, here’s a new top ten for 2020.

 

TOP TEN THINGS I WANT TO TELL MY APRIL 2020 SELF…

10. Delete the Hate

You know that part where the social media haters say you don’t have to read their posts or agree with them? They’re right.

9. Don’t compare yourself to other teachers…

You are doing wonderful and so are they. End of discussion

8.  Remote and Hybrid Learning isn’t all bad

You are more creative now than at any time during your career and you’ve developed some new tricks – imagine when you can pull it all together.

7.  Heed your own technology advice..

Take it one lesson at a time.

6. Your “self care” sucks

Like being burned out by Wednesday? Do some damn yoga.

5.  Don’t be afraid to fall on your face

Because you are going to.

4. Stay fired up

As if there’s any other way…you might want to spring for the more expensive feather boas next time…

3.  Spread Positivity

Being positive is more powerful for your soul right now than you can ever imagine.

2. You’re tougher

That’s right – things are tough right now – but you’re tougher. You don’t run from obstacles, you run through them

1. Music is the not the answer

Music is the question – the answer is “Yes”.

 

The world is upside down right now and trust me – if you thought April was crazy then just wait…

That’s all the time I have right now – my wifi is running on empty from all of the zooms…I have just enough

time to leave you with this…

If it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders right now, get the hell off of your laptop – you’ve been on it too long!

 

Hey “rookie”, you got this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Younger Teacher Version of Myself,

I’m standing at the graduation ceremony for the class of 2016…twenty years from where you are.  This class will always be a special one to you as it is the only time you straight up taught the same group of students two years straight.  You will have some of the same students from time to time in Maryland and sometimes you will see a student twice if they weren’t able to get out of the grade you were teaching but this group saw you teaching most of them two years in a row. There are lots of other teachers who experience this on a regular basis but this was the first time for you…

But standing here tonight, there are tears in my eyes because I’ve never known a class so well. There was such a comfort level in teaching them..things just flowed from day 1. It was as if this was the group you were supposed to teach. I’m not saying they were easy…they challenged you as much as you challenged them but you all came away better for it. When it is all said and done and you finally walk away from the classroom, I am sure that this group of students will be one that you always remember.

Now you’ve got children of your own and you’ll always be the closest with them..as a parent you know this but I gotta tell ya…you treated this group like they were your own..that’s how close it was.

You could have taken it easy and let this group move on when they left the 7th grade. You have an established program (19 years in the making) and could have hit reset and begun fresh with a new group.

But that’s just not you, is it?

Instead, you blew up your whole program and 20 years in, you created something entirely new.

One of the best decisions you ever made.

The motivation was to get back to 8th grade and you knew that you would have to teach a group twice in order to do this..this was the price of admission and it was worth ever penny. It’s easy to say this now at the end of it all but at the time you made this decision, it was very scary…you can’t run the same program twice for a few reasons..the curriculum is different and most importantly..these kids will be bored to tears if you do it all again the same exact way.

The good news is…it was very difficult but it worked out. Now there’s not enough room here to cover everything you did but here are a couple of highlights…

You got back to your roots by using video games as a primary source of instruction.

Your paired the games with varying graphic organizers enabling students to show evidence of mastery by providing specific examples of concepts from the games.

You allowed for much more movement around the classroom and upgraded your favorite game..science basketball with a shiny new net and a system for getting everyone involved

You created levels of accomplishment in your labs pushing students to the limit of their creativity.

You had students reflect on their learning every single day.

Your students impacted the climate and culture of the school by embodying the Renaissance process..from putting positive signs on lockers to essentially putting together and running the school talent show..they were awesome!

Sure, it wasn’t all perfect and you’ve got some reflecting and improving to do but that’s the point of the end of the school year..what went well and what can we do moving forward?

The point of all of this is to tell you that it’s ok to start over..reflection and goal setting is encouraged and hey, sometimes that’s exactly what you gotta do.

So as a result of all this, you’ve got a 7th grade program and an 8th grade program that you like.  Turns out there’s a new curriculum next year that kind of combines both.

By taking that chance last year, you are going to have a blast creating an engineering and technology oriented hands on science program. You’ve got tons of stuff to choose from and you can use the very best of both programs to create a sick hybrid!

So take a minute, reflect on the last two years and have at it!

You can do this!

Now excuse me while I take a minute to say goodbye to this amazing class. I can’t believe it’s finally here..I said my goodbyes, escorted the group from the cafeteria to the gym, and I’m watching them one last time from the back of the gym as they participate in the graduation ceremony with their families watching the sea of blue and gold.

It has just occurred to me that the next time I take to the front of the classroom in September…they won’t be there with me…Good luck to the class of 2016..you made me feel like the best teacher on the planet, you made me want to ram my head into a wall (sometimes in the same class period),  you made me laugh, cry and everything in between.  You told me your stories, your fears, your wishes and lots of other stuff that made me call the guidance office pretty frequently.  Goodbye to this class..my class…I will miss you greatly and I will remember you forever…

 

Peace

 

Dear Younger Teacher Version of Myself,

I’m going to get high tech on ya today…click around on the presentation below and check it out…I’ve been telling you over and over that school and classroom culture are the keys to your success and many of the successes (and failures) you will have over the years will fall into this area.  Yes, you failed at things and if it weren’t for those failures, you would have missed out on some epic lessons.  Some of those I will reveal as we continue this journey, other ones I’ll keep a surprise for ya!

What does this thing below have to do with your teaching, you ask? I can give you one reason…If your students are invested in your class, most of those discipline problems you are having right now will go away (yeah, really–don’t roll your eyes). There are more reasons and justifications but lets just get that classroom under control first.

For the school wide stuff…If you enjoy going to your building everyday, that makes you happy and happy and satisfied teachers tend to get better results than those who don’t wont to be there.  I don’t have any stats on that but trust me on this one, ok? 19 years in 5 schools will teach you a thing or two about school culture.

As we move forward in this journey, we will work on your philosophy of teaching..it’s the basis for what you do.  In the ongoing debate between the old school, the new age, and everything in between,  there are lots of options and using the information below, you can begin to figure out exactly what kind of teacher you want to be.

By the way, you’ve got kids sticking paper in the home economics ovens in the back of your classroom…you might want to remove it before they start cooking. Oh, and that one that keeps calling out during third period…if you actually call the administrator down to speak to him instead of threatening to, you’ll get the results you are looking for. We call that one ‘follow up’. Try it..you’ll like it.

Read on, rookie, we’ve got lots of work to do..

10 things you can do right now to change the culture of your school that cost little or nothing.

 

You can do this!

Dear current version of my teacher self,

So it’s been a blast typing notes to my first year teacher self trying to drop some wisdom on that guy..goodness knows he needed it.  Through the trials and tribulations we find ourselves here 19 years later asking one simple question…now what?

First off, congrats on renewing your National Board Certification.  Very few know how emotional this process was both times you were engaged in it and even fewer realize just how much this one meant to you being that you felt you were needing to validate yourself…again.

Yeah..about that validation stuff..knock it off dude…you’re doing fine.

This note isn’t about your perception issues, this is about something much more important..

Rewind a few months when you were at a crucial cross roads going through the renewal process…you were chugging along not sure what you were doing when finally your mentor asked you a simple question – “what have you been doing for the last ten years”

Your answer…doing your best to improve the climate and culture of your school and your classroom.

You didn’t even think about it…you knew.

In your work you talked about that moment at the pep rally when you are at the center of the gym…there are 800 to 1000 screaming students and you are all doing a Renaissance cheer together…as one…side by side with your fellow staffulty members you are creating a memory and making your school a great one.   You also spoke about the moment in the classroom when everything is going just right….when you are at the top of your game and more importantly, the students are at the top of the theirs and it is a rush like no other.

It’s been a heck of a ride but now that you’ve achieved the renewal and done all this stuff I need to know…

Now What?

Well let’s face it…you’re feeling pretty tired lately.

Maybe it’s time to take off some of those additional hats you are wearing on the job.

Maybe it’s time to scale back all the theatrics and get back to basics in the classroom.

Maybe it’s time to focus more on yourself.

Maybe it’s time to read a stinkin’ book for the first time in forever.

Maybe it’s time to calm down and take a more traditional approach.

Maybe it’s time to just slow down…

NOW WHAT?

 

Dear Version of Myself Writing That Last Letter,

Shut up and make some coffee…we’ve got work to do!

 

Dear Younger  Teacher Version of Myself,

You’ve never been a trendy person and I got news for ya…it ain’t startin anytime soon.  Styles come and go but you don’t really pay attention…you wear what feels good on you.  In some cases, you even go the opposite way of a style just because that’s what you like to do.  It is this tendency in your personality that will be criticized sometimes but it’s something you must never lose…it’s that important to you in the future.

But back to clothes for a second…you want to wear something that is comfortable to you. You want something that feels good and hell, maybe it even looks good. You don’t want something too big or too small..it just doesn’t feel right. You don’t care if it is a name brand..you just want to feel good.

I know I’m repeating myself there junior, I’m trying to make a point.  Pay attention…

If you put as much thought into your wardrobe as you did your teaching, you’d probably be a fashionable dude.  But I’m not here to talk about your clothes…

You have your classroom management, your lessons, your activities, your multimedia, your communication, your time management and everything else that is crammed into your day.  You have Renaissance and your leadership responsibilities…you need to uphold the five core propositions, keep your class engaged and entertained while dealing with discipline, interruptions, and mountains of paperwork or as you call it…another day at the office.

This letter isn’t about any of that stuff…this is about something so fundamental that it will influence every single aspect of every single day for your entire teaching career.

This isn’t about what you do…this is about how you do what you do.

In other words…what is YOUR style?

Can you find a way to teach that feels good for you?
You don’t want something too big or too small…you don’t want something that doesn’t represent who you are and you definitely don’t want something just because its something that everyone else is doing..you just want your style to look good on you.

You got it genius, we’re not talking about clothes anymore…

How do you deliver your instruction? How do you interact with your students? How do you interact with your colleagues? Parents? Community Members?

How do you fill out your reports, write your lessons, address multiple learning styles, administer state assessments, administer your own assessments, reflect on your teaching?

How do you do what you do?

How do you counsel those that need counseling?
Do you call parents when their children are doing well, when you have a concern, or a little of both?

How do you reach those that are struggling?

How do you make a student smile when they are having a bad day?

How do you get your students to give a crap about anything you have to say?

How do you get your students fired up about science? School? Life?

How do you discipline those that are out of line?

How do you want your students to interact with the content?

What do you want your students to gain from your class?

Do you always start every communication with a positive?

Do you regularly update your website? gradebook? bulletin board? what message are you trying to convey with those?

Do you want your students to internalize or memorize?

Do you wish to inspire your students to become scientists themselves?

Do you want your students to process new information in groups? By themselves? At home?

How will you provide feedback?

Will you provide feedback at all?

Will you encourage your students to take creative risks or admonish them for getting something wrong?

Will you push your students though positive feedback…rooting them on to just get one more sentence into that lab report…

Will you teach the way your students learn by learning how they need you to teach?

Will you be friendly, but firm?

Will your students be nervous when you break out the chemicals for your demo in the lab?

Will you keep your classes guessing?

Will you make your class a place where everybody wants to be?

Will you suck it up and buy the new xbox already?

Hey look…I’ve told you this one before but I think you need to hear it again because truth be told you actually figured this out long before you stepped in front of the classroom for the first time…

Be the teacher you always wanted to have and the rest will fall into place.

So I guess this was kind of a thank you letter….

You can do this!

Dear Younger Teacher Version of Myself,

   Imagine for a second that you are standing alone in the desert.  There is nothing but sand all around, maybe a few plants here and there, perhaps an insect scurries by but overall it’s sunny, it’s calm and the weather is clear.  

Then, in the distance, you hear a rumble.  You’re not sure what it is but it’s getting louder.  The rumble goes from being very feint to being louder than a jet engine at close range!  You look up and the sky has gone dark and heading for you at untold speeds is a rush of flood water like you’ve never seen!  You do everything in your power to not get swept up but sooner or later, the towering wall of water sweeps you away and you struggle with every breath just to stay above the water…you wonder to yourself if you will ever get out alive!

Welcome to the end of the school year, rookie!

Don’t get me wrong…the rest of the year is crazy too but add the tsunami of paperwork and documentation to the mix and it is stress on steroids.  Now, you are already playing with a powder keg here and it gets even crazier because we haven’t even talked about what’s going on with the students yet.  You may have heard horror stories about how the kids are checked out by May and that it is like pulling teeth to get anything done.  You’ve got records to update, grades to finish, a mountain of other paperwork plus you need to keep your lessons engaging and interesting enough to stop your once calm students from literally climbing the walls and going crazy. Let me tell you this, rookie, this period of time will be your toughest test as a teacher. This period of time will test every aspect of what you do…there is no area of your job that will not be impacted severely by the apocalypse and you should consider it a major accomplishment if you are even standing at the end of it all!

Unless….you learn how to survive….

Look..the paperwork is what it is.  There’s a metric ton of it and it ain’t going anywhere.  The titles of the documents and some of the language will change over the years but regardless of what it is, you will have to deal with it.  The best advice I can give you on the end of year paper trail is to keep it on your desk and when you get a free minute here or there, fill it out or type it up a little at a time if you are able.  As you know from your teaching, breaking up the task into smaller bites (see the pizza pie model post) will make things less stressful.

To be perfectly honest, there really isn’t much you can do about all of that stuff but there is something you can do about your classroom.  Repeat back to me what your principal told you the first day of school.

“What you do on the first day is what you do on the last day”

That’s right, rookie, if you want to remain sane until the end of June, you need to put the work in all year long. We talked in an earlier letter about how to put your first lesson of the year together.  I’m not gonna repeat it so you can read back in the blog and find it.  What I am going to do is follow up with this…get your routines established immediately.  In your case, you want the kids to come in quietly, you want them to refrain from calling out or getting up without raising their hand, and you insist they do not interrupt.  You praise the positive behavior, you redirect the negative but no matter what…never…ever…lose sight of your routine.

Your students come in, they complete your warm up activity, you set the expectations for the day and you proceed to deliver the fastest, craziest, most insane 84 minutes of their day and you do this every…single…day.

Sounds like lots of work to you? Well, it is.  But here is what you can expect when you establish and stick to your routine…

I am writing this on the last full school day (there will be a few half days) of the school year.  It is a Friday in the middle of June, your classroom is about 90 degrees and very humid…there is a lot going on in your building on this day so things are hectic all around. But because there is a routine in place, here is how your classes went today :

The students came in quietly, they completed their warm up activity and you did not have to say a word…

Let it sink in, rookie, you didn’t say a thing…they came in and sat down. All three 84 minute classes. Not a word.

You went over the material, established the expectations for the day, in this case you made it clear that a board game project that your students were working on needed to be finished so your class could peer assess them next week.  You showed a leadership video and discussed school culture with your class as they are going to be the 8th grade leaders of your school next year…you told them to make the decision to be leaders and to make positive changes to the school culture and climate. You asked your students to go to their B seats and work on their projects (I told you about this in another letter too, rookie, keep up, will ya?)

Your students worked very well, you joked, you played music, you enjoyed the day and the company of your students. No, everyone didn’t finish the project but you knew that would happen and planned the next lesson accordingly.

I wish I could tell you everyday was like this, it isn’t…you need to keep the routine in mind and when it isn’t working out, you need to find ways to get the train back on the tracks.  This is something we’ll have to talk about another time but start brainstorming kid…

Believe it or not, you will come to love those last few days because you know you’ve earned the right to sit down in your chair for a minute while the kids are working…just sit back and watch them interact, watch them work, they’ll be fine and you can take a breath.

I hope you are starting to see a theme here…breaking things down, establishing a flow and rhythm to your class, maintaining a routine, positive reinforcement, keeping things exciting…these are the elements of the teaching you want to do as you move forward.

Hey, you’ll never be perfect at this, no one is, but no one said you couldn’t be excellent or better yet, accomplished.

So grab your surf board and ride that end of the year tsunami and with your classroom in order, you just might survive.

Now get to that paperwork…that wave is comin’ in high!

You can do this!

 

 

 

 

Dear younger version of myself,

You didn’t misread the title to this post and no it’s not an error. You are a hypocrite when it comes to state testing and it’s time we cleared the air on this one.

Let’s talk about the supermarket.  What? You thought I was talking about state testing? I am. Just read on.

This is a place that will mystify you for years to come.  There are people who have a system for getting the things that they need. They are quick, efficient, and always knows what’s on sale.  They strategize their way around the store and can get out of there pretty quickly. You, on the other hand, are lucky if you even end up something that even resembles the list your wife gives you.  You wander the aisles , you’re not sure where things are, you don’t even know which brand to get sometimes and often you come home with the wrong things.  In standardized test land, you will be considered partially proficient at grocery shopping on a good day.

So what does this all mean?

At the end of the day, it means that you weren’t good at that particular task and you struggled with the mode of instruction which just happened to be following a list of groceries.  Pretty sad, I know, but it isn’t all that bad…

Misunderstanding a shopping list shouldn’t be a measure of your aptitude and neither should reading a paragraph and answering a couple of questions. Perhaps if you made yourself a visual shopping list and had pictures of the items you needed, you would have much less difficulty.  You don’t need me to tell you that you are a visual person and sometimes no amount of explanation will work, you need to see it. If you had the option for a visual list, you would probably end up with all of the correct items and score yourself an advanced proficient in standardized test land.

Same task…different ways to show your understanding.  Get it?

Why are we talking about supermarkets and not tests? Why are you a hippocrite, you ask?  Here’s why…

How many times have you stated that students learn in different ways and that you are required to differentiate your instruction yet students all take the same standardized test? Yeah, I lost count too.  Not only that, after complaining about the standardized strategy, you go back to your classroom, you cater to all of the learning styles, you teach the same material in a multitude of ways, and then…you give every student the same multiple choice or short answer test.

Nice work, genius.

Here’s my disclaimer to what I’m about to tell you….I’m not talking about any other teacher or any other class. I’m talking about you and your science class. If anyone out there thinks this will work for them, cool.  If they don’t, then that’s fine too. It’s all good.

Now, take that 10-20 question multiple choice piece of garbage and get rid of it.  Here is what you do…

Offer your students 4 diferent options for their quiz. Let’s say that your goal is to have students differentiate between potential and kinetic energy. Let’s see how we can do this…

Option #1 – Draw It – students will create a diagram of a concept such as creating a diagram of a soccer player kicking a ball. In this diagram, your student would have to show evidence that he or she can differentiate between maximum and minimum potential and kinetic energy by labeling that diagram.  Don’t forget that in this case, neatness counts. Have your student create two more original diagrams doing the same thing.

Option #2 – Write It – Have your student write 1-2 paragraphs differentiating between potential and kinetic energy. They should use examples from things we’ve done in class to support their answer. Those paragraphs will be well written and checked for mechanics because the student chose this option.

Option #3 – Short Answer – 10 Questions about potential and kinetic energy – pretty straight up on this one. Restate the question, give your answer, move on to the next.

Option #4 – Multiple Choice with a twist – same ten questions, multiple choice format.  The twist is the student needs to explain why they chose the letter.  We don’t want random guessing here…you want evidence that the student prepared and actually knows the difference between potential and kinetic energy.

More work in prepping? Maybe. More work in grading? Not at all…let ’em peer assess and determine if their classmates gave the evidence. You just double check and record. Better yet, make sure your students grade an option they didn’t choose. Evaluating in this manner will make them masters of the concept in no time.

Is this method perfect? No but that’s fine…you can make it better.  At the end of the day, your students now have 4 ways to demonstrate to you that they know the difference between potential and kinetic energy and more imporantly…they won’t forget it!

Now about that shopping list…

 

YOU CAN DO THIS!

 

Let’s start with a great quote from someone you might know…

” If the National Board promotes accomplished teaching, then Renaissance promotes accomplished learning.”

That will be you in 2006 while giving a presentation at the Jostens Renaissance National Conference in Minnesota.

Accomplished teaching is great and don’t get me wrong…you want to be able to do this. In your case, National Board gave you the tools you needed to reach your students in ways you couldn’t imagine but guess what? It’s only half of the picture in your classroom.

Half? You say? All of this work and dedication not to mention the countless hours you will spend on your initial certification AND your renewal? Half of the picture? What could possibly be so important that it stands shoulder to shoulder with something that is supposed to be the whole point of this blog?

Feel better? Got it out of your system? Now sit back and relax, rookie, pay attention here…

In a nutshell, Renaissance celebrates student success in a way that makes every student and adult want to be connected to your school.  If you make your classroom a place where everyone wants to be, your students will learn because you’ve got the tools and techniques required to teach them.

I don’t care how many fancy certificates you have…if your students aren’t into it…you’re screwed.

In 2002, you will have a chance to sign up for some Renaissance committees. I should probably tell you based on the amount of stress and anxiety you have had over the years regarding this program to stay away. I should probably prepare you for the sleepless nights or 4 AM work sessions that you will embark on because you need to work out that last detail of a pep rally.  I should probably warn you that you will end up on blood pressure medicine because of this program.  I should tell you to run away but instead I want you to do this : When the clipboards come out, I want you to run as fast as you can toward them and knock anyone out of your way that tries to keep you from them.  Sign up for the Blue and Gold Charity Basketball Game and be ready to change your whole perspective on life.

While you are at it, work on your jump shot too…another story for another time

Celebrate success in your classroom by handing out tickets or prizes to your students when they achieve the high goals you have set for them.

Celebrate success in your hallway by putting balloons or certificates on the doors of your co-workers. Words of encouragement are always accepted!

Celebrate success in your school by putting together academically themed pep rallies that are so good they make the student want to work to attend. Put together spirit weeks, trivia contests, door decorating, or a host of other team building activities you will learn through Renaissance.

Think about the moment when you are done with the rally or the event. Think about how tired and stressed out you will be.  Think about how you have no idea how you can ever top that event or even do another one. Then…look over at the students, parents, and staffulty and see the joy on their faces. Look over and know that YOU made it happen. YOU made a difference and YOU are a better person for it.

You do not follow a set of standards for this program, nor do you follow a curriculum. You find ways to bring positive energy to your building.

There is no formula. There is no set of directions.

You are free to inspire as you please. You are free to get fired up. You are free to be a blazing source of positive energy and no one can take this away from you.

Bad attitudes and negative energy do not stand a chance. Light the fire in your belly and teach with the passion you know you have. Let it flow…let it out…feel alive because when it’s working and the students are right there with you…there is no other rush like it anywhere. You have this power…now go out and use it.

National Board gave you the techniques but Renaissance gives you the fire.

This is who you are…this is how you teach…This is Renaissance.

Now get out there and teach…

You can do this!

Commercials are so annoying.

The other night, I was watching four different college basketball games and wouldn’t you know that for a good five minutes, all of them were on a commercial.  All I want to do is zone out after a long day a catch some sports. But I can’t. Because there are commercials.

I feel sorry for you back in 1996 because you don’t have DVR yet…you can’t fast forward your commmercials. You gotta sit and watch as you are left in suspense from whatever show you are watching.You have VHS, you say? Try changing the channel while you are recording. Let’s move on…

Sometimes, the commercials are really boring too. Some person in a suit going on for 2 minutes about this insurance or that insurance…it’s enough to bore you tears.  Hey, you would turn the tv off and do something else, but we won’t talk about that now.

Then, there are times when the commercials are funny or amazing! They draw you in and you don’t even notice that your show has gone away…they are seemless and they get you to the next segment.

So, what does this have to do with teaching?

Hey look…I know you are first year teacher and everything but even you have the common sense to have a few different activities during the course of your class.  If you think 42 minutes are hard to fill, wait ’til you are teaching 84 minute clases.

Activities are the lifeblood of your class…labs, video segments, class polling, hands on activities, small and large groups…the list goes on.  Keeping the activities varied and moving is not only effective teaching, it is effective classroom management and it will keep something else in check…your sanity!

But here’s the problem  that many young teachers face…in order to do your activity, you’ve got to get to it first. You’ve got to learn how to transition from your first activity to your next activity smoothly and seemlessly so that you keep the flow of your class. So just like a good set of commercials, you need a good set of transitions between your activities so keep your class going.

Here’s an example…your students come in and complete their warm up activity (like they do every day).  You review the activity and then go over your goals and what you plan on doing for the class that day.  You start your opening video and the students are into it.

So far…so good.

The video ends and now they are getting ancy.  Your students have been sitting down relatively quiet for 10-15 minutes now and if you don’t hold it together, you will lose them very quickly.

Your next activity is a lab about genetics…it is in the textbook and some of the instructions are pretty complicated so you know you will have to go over it. So think about it…are those middle schoolers really going to sit there for 10 more minutes while you talk about the lab? If anyone out there teaches middle school, you already know the answer. In other words, how many interruptions are you ready for?

Instead, try this : Finish up the video and then give your students 4 simple instructions :

1. Get up and stretch.

2. Move to your “B” Seats

3. Read over the lab together in your book.

4. Copy the data table.

Your class already knows that when you count down from 5, you will then review the lab with them.

Here’s what you did : you transitioned effectively from one activity to the next. You got the kids up and moving, you gave them a task, you changed the energy, and now they will be ready to pay attention to your lab explanation.

You give your explanation and the lab goes on.

Well done.

In addition to a bank of activities that you should have for your classroom, you also need a bank of transitions to insert inbetween your activities. Remember the commercials? If the commercials stink, you lose focus. If the commercials are entertaining, you move right back into your show.

Here are some other transitions you can try. These will bridge your activities together smoothly and will also give you a chance to catch your break and make sure next next activity is ready. There are things that I’ve learned over the years in here and even a couple of things I thought of myself…use it, lose it, whatever…just check it out…

1. Say it 3 times : Every student gets up and tells 3 other people what they just learned about your given topic.

2. Say It 3 Times and Report : same as the above but this time your students write down what was discussed and are prepared to share with the class.

3. Say it 360 : Variation on the first two, your students get up and tell everyone in a circle around them what they just learned.

4. Post It…Place posters with your concepts around the room. Mixtures, Compounds, and Elements for example. Students are required to write one example of that concept on the paper and it can’t be the same as whatever is there. This tells you very quickly where your students are at.

5. “A” Formation, “B” Wing : assign your students 2 seats. Personally, I let them pick the B seats and I assign the A seats. Switch between them often while giving a task. For example : B Wing Formation Say It 3x and Report. This will not only keep things moving but will allow your students to work with a variety of people. I call them A formation and B wing because it sounds cool.

6.ScienceBook…make a facebook page on your door and have students post what they’ve learned on it with a 3×5 card and some tape.

7. Choice Cards…Give your students 4 sheets of construction paper and label each one with a letter from A through D. Ask multiple choice questions and ask students to raise their card. This will show you right away how your students are doing. If you want to be fancy, buy a set of electronic responders. Simply asking the students to take the cards out will change things up. Have them change seats first for a longer transition.

8. Stretch Break….if you know your kids need a break and you got nothing else, tell ’em to stretch. Sometimes, I’ll tell them to stretch and then copy a data table when they sit back down. The stretch break can lead to your next activity or transition. For example, tell the kids to take a stretch break and then take out their choice cards. Either way, you still get a breather.

9. Lighting Round…this is my new favorite. The Lightning Round can take place any time during class but I like it best to wrap things up for the day.  To start a lightning round, you choose one student at random to give you a fact about or an example of the topic you are discussion, say potential and kinetic energy.  Then, the student behind them has to give you a new fact or example.  You continue this way until everyone in the class has given you an example (no repeats).  Then, you run it agian, and agian, and see how long your class can go without repeating facts or examples.  Put your classes agianst each other…offer up a prize like a few extra days to turn in that lab report.

Where’s the transition here?  Announce in the beginning of class that you are having a lightning round day so your students know it is coming. Ask your students to jot down examples and facts as the lesson is moving along. When you are ready for a switch, ask your students to turn to one another and exhange lighting round ideas. Boom…transition done.

So there you have it…how to switch from activity to activity and making it look as smooth as butter. So have some fun..mix them up.  Tell the group to stretch, Say it 3x and report, then go post it, and then to go back to their B seats. When you are ready to continue, you can either blink the lights or countdown from 5 and your students will come back…trust me…they will.

Now go back to your commercials, I’ve got some fast forwarding to do.

YOU CAN DO THIS!