Strong Start

Fast Llamas,

When I think back on my first years in the classroom, I kind of cringe when I think about how I used to start class. Think... LOTS OF TIME WASTED. And it wasn't that I didn't know time was flying by, I just didn't have the skills to get started. Madeline Hunter had taught me about the lesson cycle, but, how to start? Quantum Learning shares that the brain love's clean beginnings, endings, and tradition. Llama Training tells us to have sharp systems. Fundamental Five tells us to Frame the Lesson and Teach like a Champion says to have a Strong Start. All of these strategies have one thing in common, get to the learning fast.  It wasn't until I learned all of these ideas and put them into practice that my class got efficient. It took effort, on my part... but, the students did what was asked of them on a daily basis once it became an established routine. Amazing.

In Strong Start teachers design and establish an efficient routine for students to begin class. You are shaping the opening minutes, being proactive and creating energy. This time allows for learning goals to be discussed and review of content to be a routine occurrence (a tradition).
Remember, they are entering your class and you are greeting them and setting expectations. Once they enter, there is an established routine of picking up papers, sharpening pencils, getting their technology out and getting to their seat.
Once bell rings students should have a short review of previously learned material. This is in the form of a warm-up question. (some call it bell work, a Do Now, etc...) We want students to not lose, through disuse, what they have previously mastered. Adding to the warm-up is a review of Content Posters or Anchor Charts. Remember 10-24-7. We are always recapping!

Things to consider:
1. Set a timer for students to complete warm-up,
2. Walk around while they finish, (you can take attendance on TAC quickly and then get back to the power zone, I tried unsuccessfully to use my phone to take attendance... maybe you could be better at it)
3. Count down once timer goes off... "pencils down and tracking me in five... four... " this creates urgency... when down to one, students are ready
4. Some teachers check answers, some don't... the latter usually have students turn in their weeks warm-ups for a grade. Students get feedback later.
5. Go to Anchor Charts and have students say and do as you do to recap important info for the unit. Have kids stand up. Encourage body mnemonics and having them saying the words. So students are hearing, seeing, doing and saying the words for what you want them to remember. Have students recap with a partner. Set a timer for this too.
A quick discussion of the daily objective/learning outcomes would be inserted here. Depending on your campuses criteria for this practice.
I encourage setting timers so that this doesn't become a 20 minute routine... this should be quick and energetic.

No matter what you do, make your morning routine, just that routine.  Research says it can take up to 66 days for a new habit to form - so maintain your beautification schedule - same thing everyday.

-Tracy

Let's Talk about Relationships

Fast llamas,

This is a repost... but a good one!  

Some of the best ways to motivate students to learn are by building strong relationships, creating a positive learning environment, and allowing them to make real-life connections to their learning.

These long-term strategies go a long way to creating a highly engaged classroom. For a quick boost in motivation or to influence your students to complete a particular task, check out these six strategies from the neuromarketing best practices found in the book Brainfluence by Roger Dooley and the science of persuasion in the book Influence by Robert Cialdini.

1. Leverage a crew mentality

People are hardwired to want to connect with other people and feel like they are part of a group. Marketers have used this very effectively in campaigns like the "Hello, I'm a Mac/And I'm a PC." ads. In this instance, it was done overtly, but other times, it is done organically by consumers (think about a self-identified "Coke person" versus a "Pepsi person").

And, we’re all aware of the power of a little rivalry—just think about how much more we engage with sports when a "rival game" is coming up. The city of Dallas becomes a sea of orange and red for the annual University of Texas versus University of Oklahoma gameday, and people who usually have no interest in college football are instant super fans.

Creating this kind of (friendly) rivalry between class sections or groups can be a great way to increase students’ motivation. Just be careful to always base your rivalries on something random like class section instead of any academic gender or demographic differences.

2. Influence choice by providing a decoy

Providing choice is a well-known way to motivate students because it gives them ownership over their learning. However, offering those choices while still maintaining control over your classroom and making sure that students learn what they need to can be easier said than done. Sometimes, giving your students a gentle push toward a specific choice can help.

To influence students' choices, try providing a decoy—a similar alternative to your preferred choice that is in some way inferior. This makes the preferred choice more attractive because, as Brainfluence author Roger Dooley states, "Our brains aren't good at judging absolute values, but they are always ready to compare values and benefits."

Let’s say you’ve just wrapped up a unit, and you want to give your students the ability to choose which project they complete to demonstrate their understanding. However, you also really want more of your students to get some experience with video editing, so you want to ensure that a solid majority chooses that option.

Instead of just giving them three completely unique options—for instance, creating a shoebox diorama, a PowerPoint presentation, or a video—add a fourth option similar to creating a video, like creating a video with a written essay. Few students will choose the video with essay option because it's more work, but having it available makes the standard video option look a lot more attractive and will entice more students to choose it.

3. Utilize the power of scarcity

Want your students to sign up for a club or after-school tutoring? Let them know that there are a limited number of spots available (if this is true), and emphasize what they stand to lose if they don't join.

4. Use consistency

People want to be consistent with what they have previously said or done. To demonstrate this, Cialdini cites a famous set of studies in which residents of a neighborhood were asked to erect a wooden sign in their yards to encourage safe driving.

In one neighborhood, very few residents agreed to put up the sign, but in a similar neighborhood nearby, four times as many people agreed to put up the sign. Why? Ten days previously, those in the second neighborhood had been asked to put a small postcard-sized sign in their front windows to support safe driving, and because it was such a small ask, many people agreed to do it.

Because of that initial commitment, many more people said yes when they were later asked to put up the larger wooden sign. To use this strategy most effectively, try to gain small, voluntary, and public commitments first; it works even better if those commitments are in writing.

Want your students to turn in their homework? Instead of handing them a list of homework assignments for the week, make students write down their assignments (and due dates!) themselves in a planner. Writing down the assignment is a small commitment that can lead to students actually completing the work or journal.

5. Be likable

This one is simple—people prefer people who they like. So, if you want to be more persuasive, it’s important to take a hard look at how likable you are. For some people, this is pretty easy, but for others, especially introverts who may be perceived as aloof or pretentious, it will take a little effort.

There are three important factors that determine whether we like someone: we like people who are similar to us, we like people who give us compliments, and we like people who cooperate with us. Keep in mind that this isn’t a judgment of whether or not you’re a good person—it’s about evaluating the kind of impression your behavior leaves.

Look for similarities between your childhood experiences and those of your students, and draw those parallels when opportunities arise. For instance, if you have a student who is really into Star Wars, mention the Millennium Falcon model that you are working on at home. I've heard the phrase, "Students don't have to like me, but they do have to respect me." That may be true, but you'll have more influence if they like you and respect you.

6. Take advantage of positive peer pressure

People do what other people are doing. Cialdini cites research that when the sign that is now common in hotel rooms reading, "Please reuse your towels because it helps the environment" was replaced with a sign that read something like, "75% of our guests reuse their towels; please do so as well," then the percentage of guests who reused towels increased by 26%.

When the sign said, "75% of the guests who stayed in this room re-used their towels," the increase was 33%. So, the consensus effect is amplified by how similar the other people who are exhibiting the desired behavior are to us.

Are you trying to convince your students to use the test-taking strategies you’ve spent so much class time on? As students are working, walk around the room and say something like, "Almost all of you are using the strategies we’ve been practicing; that's great, and it's going to help you get a better grade."

Or, once the papers are graded, say, "About 90% of you used all of your strategies on the test, and you will notice how it helped you to answer more questions correctly." This technique can also work with getting students to line up quietly, turn in homework on time, or do nearly anything else that a majority of the students are already doing.

Check out more...ideas about learning!
Until next time!

What do Students Really Want?

Fast Llamas,

I was on my old high school Facebook book group the other day and a fellow SHS Raider posted this question:

         Name teachers from our high school days.  

Wow, the comments filled up so quickly with the names of teachers, their subjects and the experiences we had.  I personally remember my physical science teacher taking us outside to view a Solar Eclipse and he taught us how to make a tool out of paper so we wouldn't hurt our eyes; my 9th grade English class, she was always so creative, we seemed to do a lot of art with words; and finally, Mrs. Jackson, (who I will directly name here) my Biology I and II teacher, who turned me on to science and took us to Houston to see open heart surgery and tour the medical school.  Some of the teachers mentioned, I loved, some I had wished I had (though I really loved my senior year English teacher, there was a another one that everyone always talked about at lunch, super jealous still).  I have a few ex-teachers as friends with on the facebook platform.  It has given me insight to the culture of my high school. 

I came to a quick realization that we were listing the teachers who we liked.  Nobody mentioned the teachers who had reputations for being "mean" or "she doesn't like anyone or worse, she only likes her "pets". (what other words would a 15 year old use to describe a teacher?) Those teachers came to my mind, but I didn't list them.  I didn't want to disrupt the positive vibe that was happening in the comments.  Everyone was celebrating who they remembered fondly... but I am sure the sour faced teachers came to the forefront of their minds.  Mine certainly did... 

Why was it worth our time to stop and mention these teachers?  Why do I remembered the teachers who wouldn't look at me?; the teacher, who in November, was still was mispronouncing my last name?; the teacher who talked to me sharply, only to talk to the next student kindly?  Why is it 38 years later I remember them? 

The only good thing I can say is, I knew exactly the teacher I wanted to be... and the one I did not... 

What are the three characteristics of teachers that appeal to students?  There are a ton of websites that describe the characteristics of ideal classrooms, of ideal teachers, and of excellent teachers.  There was one  I went to said there are 8 characteristics... I would agree it takes a lot of effort to be a great teacher, I have narrowed the list down to three...

Three characteristics - 

Firmness, Compassion and Stimulating teaching style.

Why do you think even disruptive students would find these characteristics appealing? 

Firmness

Firm teachers are consistent.  They have explicit rules, norms, procedures, systems and routines in place.  When you walk into their room, you know what you are gonna get... and it feels good.  Students are more likely to participate, engage and behave when they feel safe.  These teachers also have high expectations of their students and have firm boundaries.  Knowing that not only are students capable of learning their content, they are capable of rising to behavioral expectations.  What makes these teachers different is they believe their classrooms will be whatever they want them to be... and they treat their students with dignity and respect.  They show dignity and respect by teaching students social skills and view teaching students how to be successful humans as a privilege not a chore.  Finally, they embed social skills within their content and the opportunity to show kids what excellence looks like effortless. They never miss an opportunity.  By having clear expectations around their routines (norms, procedures, rules or systems, whatever you all them) and being consistent builds strong relationships.

Compassion

Teachers are kind... I could leave it here.  Kind teachers make their students feel welcomed, cared for and loved.  There is an unconditional positive regard for their students and belief in their students capacity to learn.  They trust that their students are bringing their best.  I like to say that these teachers set up a beautiful dinner for their students and welcome them to the table.  I spoke about dignity and respect before when talking about firmness.  When we have clear boundaries (and when those boundaries are tested and they will be tested) these teachers are able to communicate their consequences without losing students losing their dignity.  Because they are predictable and consistent, when a rule is broken, the consequence is logical and allows the student to serve whatever sanction they earned with dignity.  Finally, these teachers reflect on how they can set their students up for success, thinking about the risks students will take in their learning.

Stimulating Teaching Style

This is not about having fireworks everyday in class. There is a wide variety of instructional strategies used with students.  Relying on a teaching cycle is great way to make sure your students state is factoring into the daily lesson.  I used EELDRC.

Enroll and Experience - using hooks and experiences to grab students attention throughout the lesson

Labeling - the direct teaching is interactive and engaging - lots of drawings, videos, pictures, stories and questions

Demonstrate - students have ample opportunities to practice, there is a wide variety of strategies put into play 

Recall - students have ample opportunities to review

Celebrate - teacher acknowledges effort and learning in big and small ways

All of this is great stuff, but let's not forget, students are watching and listening. Mirroring happens. If the teacher is excited to be at school, excited about the content, excited about the learning, students will pick up on that and follow along.  

Students find that teachers who exhibit these characteristics deserve their respect and respect is the cornerstone of healthy RELATIONSHIPS. That Biology teacher I mentioned earlier?  I actually went to Texas Tech University because that's where SHE had gone.  She and I formed a relationship I still wish I had today.  She passed away several years ago, but her legacy lives on.  

Until next time!

Can I Have Your Attention Please?

Fast Llamas,

For many of you, you have realized that classroom management can be one of the biggest challenges you face in your classroom.  There are many parts to the system that is your classroom culture.  The physical environment, the foundational aspects, the design and delivery of your content all work together to create the atmosphere - the climate of your room.  Is it cloudy or sunny today?  When one aspect of this system is out of sync, over-developed or underdeveloped, it affects the other parts.  Such as a reliance and focus on super fun and engaging lessons but missing the training and teaching of the behavioral expectations that occur during this amazing lesson.  Or the flip side of this scenario... Class is quiet and compliant, but no impactful learning is happening.  

One of the easiest to use tools to use to help create a positive culture and help with classroom management is the use of an attention getter (or call to attention).  Using this strategy allows for you to monitor the volume in the class, manage time, increase the chances of everyone listening and monitor and manage your students' states... all while not raising your voice.  

Here are a few to try:

1.  Join me when you can - Teacher starts snapping and students join in, I like the ending to do 5 snap, 4 snap, 3 snap, 2 snap, and 1 snap.  This is a good strategy when you have to be quiet for surrounding classrooms.  

2. Clap - Teacher claps a pattern and students repeat.  The old if you can hear me clap once, if you can hear me clap twice works too. 

3.  Narrate a countdown - Teacher narrates what they want to see as they count down.  "Voices off in 5, pencils down in 4, laptops closed in 3, eyes on the promethean in 2..."

4.  Give me 5 - Sometime you have to have a quiet attention getting, simply raising your hand with fingers extended will fit nicely.

5.  Song - Playing a song to cue a certain task is a great way to notify students when time is up or it is time to line up excetera.

6.  Timers - I am a lover of all things timered.  (wait is that a word?)  Setting a visual timer is a super easy way to maintain an orderly classroom.  

7.  Call and Response - A creative way to get students' attention is to use this strategy.  Students and teachers can work together to create a saying that suits them.  

8.  A sound or tone - not my favorite, but lots of teachers ring a bell or have a sound effect that works to get students' attention.  

For each of the attention getters we just discussed, there are two important points to remember.

1) explicitly teach the students the expectations for their response.  Practice until everyone can perform the attention getter and praise for their effort.  

2) WAIT  and patrol - when you call students to attention, it is VERY important that students know you are patrolling and looking for students who are successfully stopping their conversations and/or whatever they are doing to actually stop and listen.  Hold students for 3 to 4 seconds, pausing and looking at students.  Say Nothing... then once the students know you are serious, then talk... (don't hold them for long lengths of time... this can create a power struggle, the wait I am talking about is brief and subtle, but sends a message you are serious).

 

Praise and reinforce students for being quiet too, great way to continue to build relationships. 

Last thing, I would use my attention getter to manage volume.  When I thought tasks were getting little to loud, I would use my call to attention, wait, and then do a check in.  A very easy way to monitor voice level.  

Until next time!

Building Relationships with Agency

Fast Llamas,

I once heard that "Learning how to learn is the most important thing you will ever learn".  Talk about an impact statement!  

When we think about this statement, you might automatically think about learning content, which is true... learning and memory and closely tied together and when you learn how to master working memory (especially attention), the learning happening in your classroom will make a major positive shift.  

But, we all know that there are many factors that work together to create and enhance the learning happening in your classroom.  Great teachers assess and reflect on their physical environment, their atmosphere, the foundation and the design and delivery of their content.  These work as a system together to create an optimum learning environment.  

Let's talk about foundation.  Your foundation in your classroom are the rules, systems and procedures that you have created and taught to your students.  Everything is built on this solid foundation.  (it's foundational!)  It also includes your consequences and social skills.  Now, we think learning how to learn is not only content learning, but social skill or behavioral skills that carry the class along.  

I found this graphic and I really like it...

At first I was a little confused with the "Can't".  But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.  Students "can't" do these things due to lack of skill or stressors in the environment.  This shifts the mindset of the teacher to either change the environment or teach skills.  

How do we teach skills?  same as content.  We grab students attention, provide the direct teaching, provide ample practice and review.  We also can provide reasons the behavior benefits the student.  If you then this, statements are quite powerful in motivating students.  

Review is important, these skills are reviewed frequently throughout the day in quick reminders of expectations of how to behave.  We never want to leave students not knowing our expectations. Without clear expectations for the behavior we want to see, students tend to make up their own.  And not always in the most positive ways.  

As we head to the end of our fall semester, that January reset is looming.  Start thinking about skills teaching you will be doing in the new year!

until next time, stay fast!

Thoughts on Strategies

Fast Llamas,

It's been awhile since I posted... but I am back!  It's Christmas time and all teachers know how busy December can be, but, take a moment and think ahead to that all important January reset.  That amazing opportunity to reteach classroom rules, remind of expectations and think about what worked and what you want to add to your list of teacher moves. 

Here are some strategies to get you started (in no particular order of importance):

1. Think Time  - The first three strategies here really all go together with an underlying theme. WAIT.  I know I said they had not ranking of importance, but seriously, allow students time to process.  Honoring this idea is a rapport builder.  Make it a norm that in your classroom, "we respect time to think".  No shouting out answers (either from other students or the teacher).  Calm is a super power and you are modeling this behavior.  Thinking is an important task that we will wait on. 

2. Avoid Rounding up - This strategy is built on #1 on this list.  Sometimes we get so excited about students' answering questions or sharing ideas that we interrupt them.  When we ask questions we are sending a message that our students have value and contributions to the classroom learning.  Don't interfere with that message by allowing a one word answer from students, followed you finishing it for them.  If you want students to hear the content again, have them repeat it (see #5)

Wait Time  - Probably should be number 1 on this list, but this list is not of particular order of importance, but waiting to kids to think before answering is a huge benefit to learning.  Process time is a game changer for a lot of students.  Focusing on Wait Time allows for you to avoid Rounding Up.  

3. Body Mnemonics - Want to grab your students attention?  Tying learning to a body motion is a great way to go about it.  What is important to remember, body mnemonics work best with you model them and get the students to do them... one mistake often made is that the teacher does the modeling solely.  Then, wonders why after an assessment, the students don't perform as expected... it's the student effort that matters here.

4. Recap - repeated review... social skills, academic content, expectations... these things never go away.  

'The day a teacher lets their guard down and thinks 'I will never have to check students for this again, they seem to have cracked it' is the day that standards start to slide. It is reminiscent of the man who falls from the roof of a skyscraper. as he passes the 20th floor, someone leans out and shouts, 'My God, are you OK?' and he replies, 'So far, so good!'   Tom Bennett - Running the Room

5. Call backs - Have your students repeat what you said, have them repeat what others say.  Ensure information that is important enough to remember gets repeated. Ask students to repeat instructions as well.  If they cannot repeat it, do they really know it?

7. Sentence Starters - When teaching skills, give students the words they need to get started.  Getting started is often the hardest thing to do... 

9. Learning Outcomes - Begin with the end in mind.  Clear expectations about what you expect the students to learn, how they will behave, what they can and cannot do are important beginnings when planning.  

10.  Attention Grabbers - It's all about attention. There is not remembering without attention.  Bad news, we are not multi-taskers and can only hold attention for about 10 minutes (less for younger kids).  The good news?  We know this, use it to your advantage.  

This list of 10 strategies either can be viewed as "small" moves, just a tightening up of good teachings practises.  However, to a novice teacher... these may seem overwhelming.  So, choose one, get masterful at it and move on to the next.  Noticing what you do and don't do is key... Keep working! 

Stay on the Side of Hope

  Fast Llama's,

A repost - Stay on the Side of Hope...

There are many reasons for the attraction I hold for Doug Curry and his "How to Train Llama's" protocols and ideals.  But, the one thing that hooked me was his treatise on hope, and more specifically staying on side of hope.  When I first read his words in 2013, I was 900 miles away from my home base and I was struggling physically and emotionally.  I didn't realise (or give myself time to process) how difficult is was to move across the state.  My husband had gotten a great job and I had landed in a school with warm and friendly teachers who welcomed me and my son into their circle quickly.  I had however, focused on the physical part of moving, getting my house ready to put on the market, applying and getting an interview, getting my school age son enrolled and of course the physical packing and unpacking involved.  But, I did not reflect on the emotional toll moving would have on me and my classroom culture.  

*side note - switching schools in the middle of the year is challenging even if you have been teaching for 20 years! My new principal let me in the building the Sunday before the students returned on Monday.  The class had had a sub for 6 weeks and it looked that way! The goggle cabinet alone... oof 

In many ways, unpacking my classroom decor helped get me settled back in, but, have you ever moved and an old item doesn't quite fit in your new space?  That's how I was feeling. I had lost my identity somewhat of who I "was".  I kept trying and trying to instill my traditions into a new place without really thinking about "why" I was instilling them in the first place.   I was spinning, trying so hard to be who I thought I needed to be, do ALL the things I thought I needed to do, but, somehow couldn't.  And there was a constant barrage of trainings, paperwork (including mistakes) and updates that needed to get done. I perceived nothing as working and I just felt miserable and most importantly, ineffective at teaching.  

When I read Doug's words, it was the food my soul needed at a time when I was mourning my old life and it gave me the words and phrases I needed to activate a part of my brain that needed to hear it for my new life.  You have to understand, my new home was lovely, my kids were flourishing, my husband and my careers were solid, but something was missing.   I had lost my "why", the meaning behind why I was a teacher and what impact I could have on the next generation. I often blame the "big move" as me feeling this way, but, some small part of me thinks that Doug's message would of impacted me even if I had never moved.  Proof that we are forever learning new things and when we open our hearts and let the light in, it can change us in ways that we could never imagine, even after 20 years of classroom teaching.

Here is his message, I hope it inspires you to reflect on your "why" and the impact you can have on your students.  

Hope or Hopelessness-

The Deciding Factor in your School Two Sides 

When you enter any school as a teacher, in particular a school with special challenges, which by the way, all schools have, there will always be a struggle as to which you side you take. There is the side of hope and the side of hopelessness. There is the side where you look at a child who comes from difficult circumstances. He may not have a mother or a father. He may have been abused. He may just now be learning the language. He has lived in generational poverty forever, and both he and his family really don’t know any other way to live. He may have siblings already incarcerated. His parents may be in and out of jail. Perhaps neither of them wants him anymore. He may come from a family that only sends him to school because it is the law. Education is not a priority. It is not seen as the way to anything. The family may be hungry, and so is the student. It may be all the family knows. Coming from this situation, the student may express, “I don’t care about this stuff” when faced with any educational task you lay before him. The student may appear to be hostile. The student won’t read in class because he never did learn to read, yet somehow he is in your 8th grade Language Arts class. When faced with this student and others like him, which side are you on? There is one side that thinks, “You know, this student only gets one chance at life. He may have been dealt a lousy hand of cards. 

But you know what? Our school is the answer for him! Give him to me! I will help him see what his future can be! I will help him learn to work hard and experience success! If he doesn’t know how to read, our school will teach him. If he is hostile, we will win him over. We will love him. We will show him the first light he may have ever seen in a life of darkness. If we love him unconditionally, and we refuse to ever give up on him, all of the bad things that have happened to him will become his strengths in the future. Collectively, as a school we can do that! 

We have that power to influence kids. He will be successful! We won’t have it any other way!” The other side thinks, “What do you expect me to do with him? I can’t change what he’s been through. I can’t make him care. I have no power to make his life better.” Which side? In every school you will find folks representing both sides. 

Most teachers begin the profession on the side of hope. However, teaching is hard, and challenges occur. Many teachers, when faced with adversity, slowly start moving to the other side. If they don’t choose to leave the profession, they believe that the only way they can survive is to stay on the side of hopelessness. This way they won’t get their feelings hurt. This way they won’t feel like a failure. There’s kind of a protection that comes with being on the side of hopelessness. When you stand on the side of hope, you risk failing. You risk failing and having everybody know it, because you were out there on a limb for everyone to see. Sometimes young teachers leave the side of hope because there is pressure from their coworkers to join the side of hopelessness. These are the grizzled veterans who can’t wait to tell the rookie “the way things really are” in this school. These grizzled veterans have a real stake in bringing others to the side of hopelessness. Deep down these veterans hate themselves for having abandoned the side of hope. It soothes the pain a bit when they successfully recruit someone else to come to their side. 

Many teachers enter the profession at an age where they are far from complete in their own personal growth. They are still learning who they are and what they want from life. They may have never even learned how to be assertive and stand up for themselves in their own lives. Now they stand in front of 30 high school students every day during 3rd period. 

Being able to successfully manage a classroom is often about how you view yourself. Are you confident in yourself? Are you able to acknowledge your weaknesses and faults? Are you comfortable when you realize that others know all too well your imperfections? If you are not comfortable, you are in danger of going from the side of hope to the other side very quickly. You are in danger of feeling personally attacked every time a student makes a bad decision or challenges your authority. 

That normal little game that occurs in every classroom now becomes something much bigger to you. It becomes more about you and protecting who you are. When this happens, the side of hopelessness beckons you. If you don’t care, it’s much safer. You won’t get hurt. If your expectations are low or nonexistent, they are much easier to reach. Some young teachers end up on the side of hopelessness because they have a series of bad experiences due to poor administrators. Maybe they are thrown in a rowdy class of 7th graders and offered no help or support. Instead they are blamed for the chaos that ensues. 

The choice now becomes one of leaving the profession or going to the side of hopelessness. Many teachers enter the profession burdened by warped or unrealistic expectations. They are weighed down by the “shoulds” such as “kids should act this way” or “things shouldn’t be this way.” “Kids should come to school knowing how to act.” “We shouldn’t have to teach kids how to act—I am a history teacher.” Teachers like this either leave or move to the hopeless side. As you read this, do you find that you are on the hopeless side? (Is this beginning to sound like the concluding moments of a church service?) I am not here to judge you for being on the side of hopelessness. You may have a very good reason that you went there, and it may very well have happened because of classroom management. 

Keep going. We may get you to change sides. 

Until Next Time...

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