Teaching Tip #92

Teacherscribe’s Teaching Tip #92

One of the best summer reads for me last summer was George Corous’ The Innovator’s Mindset.  Throughout the book he has questions for discussion.  I’ll use some here for my teaching tips.

Which characteristics of the innovative leader do you consider personal strengths?  In which areas do you need to grow?

Personally, I think my personal strengths are empathy, risk taking, networking, and observant.

In terms of empathy, I once read something by Penny Kittle that (and I’m paraphrasing here, unfortunately) said – if you want to judge today’s kids, do it after you’ve gone to your high school yearbook and found your senior picture and spent some time remembering what it was like to be that person, full of doubts and raging hormones, again.

Whenever I’m thinking of judging or coming down on a kid, I think of that statement and then I practice empathy.

Another reminder came via Josh Watne in talking shop with him last night.  We were on the unfortunate topic of students whose lives peek in high school.  We were specifically talking in terms of athletics.

Josh mentioned a teacher in DL who had this attitude: “Let them celebrate this moment.  Let them act like idiots for a few moments.”

Why?

Because it’s the peek of their lives.  It’s never going to get any better for them.  Better let them enjoy it.

That was an eye opener for me.

The areas I need to grow in are being a problem finder/solver and resiliency.  

I could do so much more here.  Just last night a group of teachers and I were talking about all the social/emotional needs our district has.  Why aren’t I trying to do more with my students (both past and present) to try to help?