The Power of don't

 My friend was approaching the tee on a short par three.  He looked up and muttered, “Just don’t hit it left into the water.”  He stepped back, took a practice swing, and then said the same thing.  As he approached the ball, you could see something change in his body language.  Sure enough, he hit the ball left into the water.  You could see how different his swing was than any other swing that day.  It was almost as if his brain shut his body down. 

This reminded me of when teachers ask students questions, and a student responds with “I don’t know.”  You can see immediately that the student has shut down and stopped thinking about the question that was asked.  Students often answer this way, hoping the teacher will leave them alone and move on to the next student. 

Like my golfing buddy, students need to change their mindset.  When they are not sure of the answer, they need to think about what they know that could help them answer the question.  What resources do they have (notes, for example) that might help them answer the question?  What hints can the teacher give them that might eventually lead to the answer? 

When students change their mindset from “I don’t know” to “How can I figure this out?” they are more engaged.  As they work through the problem, they strengthen their resilience, which will allow them to persist longer. 

Remind yourself and those around you that learning is often a struggle.  Help those around you to keep a positive mindset about learning and to think about what we do know. 

What I have found is that when you embrace the struggle, you usually end up increasing your learning.  The next time we golf together, I am going to ask my friend to tell me what he has to do to make a good swing. 

Why I am still teaching

 

Last week, in response to a question from a former student, I discussed some of the reasons why I think teachers are leaving the profession. After hearing my answer, my student was interested in what motivated me and why I continue to teach. I’ve been asked this question often, and each time, I need a second to reflect before answering.

My first thought was that I have been extremely blessed in life. As a teenager, I could not imagine that my life would have turned out this way. When I have asked people who have mentored me, “How can I pay you back?” they have all replied, “By paying it forward.” Teaching, to me, is a way to pay it forward and try to help others the way people have helped me.

My second thought was hope. While the United States is not in a great place right now, teaching young people gives me great hope for the future. Each day, I work with amazingly talented young people who are thinking about how to use these talents to make the world a better place.

Talking with former students is also inspiring. Hearing them tell me how their dreams have now become reality is exciting. Equally exciting is hearing from students who took different career paths than they originally thought. How something in their life caused them to pivot in a different direction, which has brought them happiness. Many of them make the world a better place, each and everyday.

Teaching is a great profession. It constantly challenges you to get better. I love the thought that every day, I can improve myself and therefore improve student learning. It amazes me how some small things make an enormous difference in student achievement.

Lastly, it took 38 years for me to find my true passion. My biggest advantage as a teacher is that I love coming to work each day. Why would I want to leave that?