Friday, October 13, 2017

Change the World or Simply Maintain It?

Image via Chris Bick (chrisbick1963)

Two things stuck out to me this week…

One was that I had the opportunity to work with students on how they use social media and tried to help them focus on “what’s possible,” not on what you shouldn’t do.  When I was introduced at one of the school’s this week, it was announced that I was going to be talking about social media and the students in unison, made a large groaning sound.  I knew (and understood) why.  They were expecting the “don’t do this, don’t do that” talk that they have become so accustomed to.  How inspired would you be to talk about any subject if worst intentions were always assumed?  Although I talk about online safety and the impact of what we do on the other side of the screen, my focus is mostly on how we use the opportunities in front of us to make the world a better place. 

The students you serve right now could, at some point, be working for you, working with you, or your boss.  Do you want them to make the world a better place, or just leave it as is?

This thought ties directly into the next…

As I was discussing with someone who was extremely focused on “traditional teaching” and criticizing anything new in education, they shifted the conversation to focus on how we all got into this field to “change the world”.  Yet, as I thought about it, I was struck by the idea that if we really got into education to change the world, why would we gravitate to only the practices that have always been done? Is that not focused more on maintenance, then it is on making the world better?

This is very important to state as I am not an absolutist; not everything new is good, and not everything old is bad.  But we do have to accept that the world is, and always will change, with or without you.  Our hope is that we help our students change it for the better, not just keep it as is.  I have stated this often that I hope to go beyond preparing kids for the “real world”.  I want them to make the “real world” better. Many of those students I worked with this week want that exact same thing and by only focusing on what not to do, we are setting a bar for our students that is much lower than the initial impact we hoped to have when we joined the profession.

We don’t want our students to simply change the world; we want them to make it better.  The best way we can help our students do that for the future is to help them see that they can make the world a much better place today.

Source: George Couros



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The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack

Fans of M.J. Rose, Kate Mosse, and Katherine Neville have, no doubt, already discovered Gwendolyn Womack with her first novel, The Memory Painter. If you haven't, you'd better get busy and start reading.

This was one of those novels that I bought, added to my stacks at home, and forgot about for a few months.  When I finally plucked it out of a stack to read for October, I spent plenty of time congratulating myself for being smart enough to buy it and finally read it. It's exactly the kind of historical/magical/thriller/toss-in-just-a-wee-bit-of-romance novel that I relish reading. 

Two stories in one that eventually blend together.  Semele Cavnow is an expert at appraising antiquities for a very exclusive auction house in New York City.  She's sent to Geneva to appraise a rare private collection of ancient texts and manuscripts, and finds one written in Greek that is hidden from the rest of the collection.  Slowly translating it, she is a bit startled when it appears to be a written by a famous seer who was the daughter of a librarian at the great library in Alexandria. Odder still, this seer addresses Semele by name, and proceeds to foretell many big world events that won't come to pass for thousands of years, long after the seer is gone.  Semele is warned that there are people who want the manuscript.  Returning to New York with the manuscript and a digital copy (smart lady digitizes the whole manuscript and saves it to her laptop), she's aware that a man is following her, and her boss decides she will be removed from the project and sent to Beijing instead--with no explanation. Furious, Semele keeps translating the text, and learning all about the long line of women who have shared the gift of foretelling, vision, and reading a tarot deck that if found, would fetch an extremely high price. She's in danger, and forces are beginning to draw a net around her. 

I quickly became fascinated by the story about the extraordinary women who each sacrificed themselves to keep the tarot deck in safe hands, and to pass it onto the next generation.  A long, unbroken line that travels from ancient Alexandria, to Iraq, Greece, England, France, Germany, and eventually America.  But how does Semele fit into all of this?  That's part of the story.  Not only has she found out recently that she's adopted, but she is having flashes of the future, and senses that something bigger than herself is at play. 

I loved this novel!  It was all I could do to be a productive member of society last week, because all I wanted to do was sit and read it.  The end was truly not at all what I expected, but I thought the author's ability to wrap it all up, bring all that storyline together into one place, was masterful.  It answered a lot of questions.  Not only did I love the references to the great library of Alexandria, but all the reverence given to libraries, librarians as protectors of knowledge, and the awareness that we have always valued books, libraries, and those who make seeking and protecting knowledge their life's work. Our ties to the past are many and sometimes we forget that.  

Oh, I hope you read this and let me know what you think of it.  I'm a huge fan of Ms. Womack and have added her to my list of new favorite authors.  

Rating:  4/6 for an inventive novel about ancestors, an ancient tarot deck, libraries, and finding out our connections to the past.  Just enough romance, but not too much; good to read about a smart, capable woman who is an expert in a field that is usually dominated by men. 

Available in paperback and ebook. 

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Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pumpkin bread pudding is a great fall dessert. Leftover bread combines with a pumpkin custard for a luscious way to end a meal!

Pumpkin bread pudding is a great fall dessert. Leftover bread combines with a pumpkin custard for a luscious way to end a meal!

This is a guest post from my friend Megan, from the blog Stetted. Be sure to check out her blog for more mouthwatering and inspiring recipes.

I’m excited to be sharing another pumpkin recipe with you! If you saw my pumpkin charlotte recipe you already know I’m a huge fan of pumpkin, and have been since before those PSLs came around.

I always keep some pumpkin on hand in the pantry, just in case I get a craving. (Pro tip: Target always has pumpkin on clearance after Thanksgiving, and it has a long shelf life!)

(more…)

The post Pumpkin Bread Pudding appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

        


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Change the World or Simply Maintain It?

Image via Chris Bick (chrisbick1963)

Two things stuck out to me this week…

One was that I had the opportunity to work with students on how they use social media and tried to help them focus on “what’s possible,” not on what you shouldn’t do.  When I was introduced at one of the school’s this week, it was announced that I was going to be talking about social media and the students in unison, made a large groaning sound.  I knew (and understood) why.  They were expecting the “don’t do this, don’t do that” talk that they have become so accustomed.  How inspired would you be to talk about any subject if worst intentions were always assumed?  Although I talk about online safety and the impact of what we do on the other side of the screen, my focus is mostly on how we use the opportunities in front of us to make the world a better place.  The students you serve right now could eventually be working for you, working with you, or your boss.  Do you want

The students you serve right now could, at some point, be working for you, working with you, or your boss.  Do you want them to make the world a better place, or just leave it as is?

This thought ties directly into the next…

As I was discussing with someone who was extremely focused on “traditional teaching” that was criticizing anything new in education, they shifted the conversation to focus on how we all got into this field to “change the world”.  Yet, as I thought about it, I was struck by the idea that if we really got into education to change the world, why would we gravitate to only the practices that have always been done? Is that not focused more on maintenance, then it is on making the world better?

This is very important to state as I am not an absolutist; not everything new is good, and not everything old is bad.  But we do have to accept that the world is, and always will change, with or without you.  Our hope is that we help our students change it for the better, not just keep it as is.  I have stated this often that I hope to go beyond preparing kids for the “real world”.  I want them to make the “real world” better. Many of those students that I worked with this week want that exact same thing and by only focusing on what not to do, we are setting a bar for our students that is much lower than the initial impact we hoped to have when we joined the profession.

We don’t want our students to simply change the world; we want them to make it better.  The best way we can help our students do that for the future is to help them see that they can make the world a much better place today.



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Thursday, October 12, 2017

21 Phrases to Use in Dealing With Difficult Behaviors



The first priority in creating a positive classroom environment and limiting problem behaviors is to develop positive relationships. That's absolutely essential.

The second priority is to clearly establish expectations, for students and teachers. And that's a necessity also. Both teachers and students should know what to expect.

Building relationships and communicating expectations must be tended to daily. Both are critically important. We have to constantly build relationships and communicate expectations.

But what happens when things go off the tracks a little? How do you address those moments when it's not working well. The following are phrases I use when meeting with a student to work on a behavior concern. I gave a brief description of how and why I might use the phrase.

Set a Positive Tone

1. "I will never intentionally disrespect you."

This is one of my favorite phrases. I want kids to know I intend to show them respect. The implied message is I also expect you to show me respect.

2. "I believe in you."

Kids can't here this enough. It's important to establish positive intentions.

3. "I won't give up on you."

If a child feels you don't accept him or her, you aren't going to get their trust. Sometimes I even say, "I don't approve of what you did, but I will always accept you and be here to help you."

4. "Let's work together to solve this."

All of the problem-solving in working through an issue shouldn't come from the teacher. It's not me vs. you. It's us vs. the problem.

Address the Issue

5. "I was puzzled when you..."

Approach the situation with a sense of curiosity instead of approaching it with judgment, frustration, or anger.

6. "What do we do here when...."

Remind the student of the expectations. "What do we do here when it's time for bell work?" Then work with the student to verbalize the expectations.

7. "What should you have done differently?"

How did your behavior not meet the expectation? Help the student think through what behavior would have been acceptable in the situation.

8. "How did you intend for that to make ______________ feel?"

This is another one of my favorite questions. I often will use this to hold kids accountable if they do something disrespectful to me or someone else. "When you roll your eyes at me when I'm talking with you, how do you intend for that to make me feel? I care about you, and I feel sad or disappointed when you do that."

9. "How did you feel at the time?"

I also want kids to know I care how they are feeling and that feelings can be strong and make us want to do things we shouldn't do. But we are still responsible for our actions.

10. "That seemed upsetting to you."

Paraphrasing is important. Again, validate how the student is feeling but help them know they are still responsible for their actions.

11. "I hear what you are saying. I'm listening."

If you want to help deescalate a situation, make sure the person is feeling heard. Not feeling heard is a sure way to keep the two side apart.

12. "Is it possible that...?"

Help introduce new possibilities to the situation. Kids, and adults for that matter, can get locked into seeing a situation from only one perspective.

Decide on a Path Forward

13. "What should you do when ___________________?"

This questions can be helpful to brainstorm how the student could respond to certain triggers.

14. "What will you do next time?"

It's very important to get a plan that is future-focused. Too often, behavior is handled by just giving consequences. Punishments focus on the past. We want to build toward better future decisions, too.

15. "When will you do it?"

It's just another question to be very intentional about planning for next time. Looking for things like, "I'll do it the first time I'm asked."

16. "What do you need to do now to make this right?"

This question is very important. There may need to be an apology. There may need to be some other action right now to address the problem.

17. "Would you like to _________________ or ____________________?"

Choices are really good for providing some agency while also limiting behavior to acceptable options.

18. "Can I count on you to do that?"

This question is very important. After I discuss with a student the path forward, I will follow up with this one. I want to make sure they are fully committed to our agreement.

19. "Okay, but in case you don't, what do you think are fair consequences?"

The student also needs to consider there will be consequences if the agreement is broken.

Reflect on the Conversation

20. "What's your understanding of what we decided together?"

This question requires students to provide a summary of what was decided.

21. "Do you feel that you've been treated fairly?"

Students may not always be happy when we are finished dealing with an issue, but I want them to feel they have been treated with fairness and respect. If they leave feeling disrespected, it is not going to help them be ready to make changes in their behaviors.

I hope these questions are good reflection for you as you work with students and solve problems. But I want to hear from you. What questions would you add to this list? What are some of your best tips for dealing with difficult situations? Leave a comment below or respond on Twitter or Facebook.


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21 Phrases to Use in Dealing With Difficult Behaviors



The first priority in creating a positive classroom environment and limiting problem behaviors is to develop positive relationships. That's absolutely essential.

The second priority is to clearly establish expectations, for students and teachers. And that's a necessity also. Both teachers and students should know what to expect.

Building relationships and communicating expectations must be tended to daily. Both are critically important. We have to constantly build relationships and communicate expectations.

But what happens when things go off the tracks a little? How do you address those moments when it's not working well. The following are phrases I use when meeting with a student to work on a behavior concern. I gave a brief description of how and why I might use the phrase.

Set a Positive Tone

1. "I will never intentionally disrespect you."

This is one of my favorite phrases. I want kids to know I intend to show them respect. The implied message is I also expect you to show me respect.

2. "I believe in you."

Kids can't here this enough. It's important to establish positive intentions.

3. "I won't give up on you."

If a child feels you don't accept him or her, you aren't going to get their trust. Sometimes I even say, "I don't approve of what you did, but I will always accept you and be here to help you."

4. "Let's work together to solve this."

All of the problem-solving in working through an issue shouldn't come from the teacher. It's not me vs. you. It's us vs. the problem.

Address the Issue

5. "I was puzzled when you..."

Approach the situation with a sense of curiosity instead of approaching it with judgment, frustration, or anger.

6. "What do we do here when...."

Remind the student of the expectations. "What do we do here when it's time for bell work?" Then work with the student to verbalize the expectations.

7. "What should you have done differently?"

How did your behavior not meet the expectation? Help the student think through what behavior would have been acceptable in the situation.

8. "How did you intend for that to make ______________ feel?"

This is another one of my favorite questions. I often will use this to hold kids accountable if they do something disrespectful to me or someone else. "When you roll your eyes at me when I'm talking with you, how do you intend for that to make me feel? I care about you, and I feel sad or disappointed when you do that."

9. "How did you feel at the time?"

I also want kids to know I care how they are feeling and that feelings can be strong and make us want to do things we shouldn't do. But we are still responsible for our actions.

10. "That seemed upsetting to you."

Paraphrasing is important. Again, validate how the student is feeling but help them know they are still responsible for their actions.

11. "I hear what you are saying. I'm listening."

If you want to help deescalate a situation, make sure the person is feeling heard. Not feeling heard is a sure way to keep the two side apart.

12. "Is it possible that...?"

Help introduce new possibilities to the situation. Kids, and adults for that matter, can get locked into seeing a situation from only one perspective.

Decide on a Path Forward

13. "What should you do when ___________________?"

This questions can be helpful to brainstorm how the student could respond to certain triggers.

14. "What will you do next time?"

It's very important to get a plan that is future-focused. Too often, behavior is handled by just giving consequences. Punishments focus on the past. We want to build toward better future decisions, too.

15. "When will you do it?"

It's just another question to be very intentional about planning for next time. Looking for things like, "I'll do it the first time I'm asked."

16. "What do you need to do now to make this right?"

This question is very important. There may need to be an apology. There may need to be some other action right now to address the problem.

17. "Would you like to _________________ or ____________________?"

Choices are really good for providing some agency while also limiting behavior to acceptable options.

18. "Can I count on you to do that?"

This question is very important. After I discuss with a student the path forward, I will follow up with this one. I want to make sure they are fully committed to our agreement.

19. "Okay, but in case you don't, what do you think are fair consequences?"

The student also needs to consider there will be consequences if the agreement is broken.

Reflect on the Conversation

20. "What's your understanding of what we decided together?"

This question requires students to provide a summary of what was decided.

21. "Do you feel that you've been treated fairly?"

Students may not always be happy when we are finished dealing with an issue, but I want them to feel they have been treated with fairness and respect. If they leave feeling disrespected, it is not going to help them be ready to make changes in their behaviors.

I hope these questions are good reflection for you as you work with students and solve problems. But I want to hear from you. What questions would you add to this list? What are some of your best tips for dealing with difficult situations? Leave a comment below or respond on Twitter or Facebook.


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Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Less Work, Deeper Learning

The quote above has been sticking in my brain for awhile, and although this is something that I have thought about often, John Spencer puts it into words in a succinct yet compelling way.

As many people discuss the merits of homework for students (not a fan, never been a fan), I think about the late hours that many teachers spend working at schools.  Although a strong work ethic is essential, I also believe that we have to (#clichealert) work smarter, not necessarily harder.  Denzel Washington said something I watched in a video that stuck out to me the other day:

Don’t get movement mixed up with progress.

There are lots of things that teachers have to do that go above and beyond what the general public sees, but going back to John’s question, “What am I doing for students that they could be doing for themselves?”

I thought of this as I was reading something on how technology has brought more work onto teachers because now they have to redesign their notes into flashy presentations to “engage a generation with a shortened attention span.”  As I am reading this, I think that efficient use of technology in a classroom is not in how the teacher uses it, but in what the students do with it.  If you want to see how effective an educator is, don’t watch the educator, view their students.

For example, many people talk about “flipping the classroom”, where teachers would make videos for students to watch at home, instead of lecturing in person. This way students would have more time to dive deeper in person with their teacher.  Although I understand why teachers would do this, I also thought, “This seems like so much more work that may be unnecessary.”  I challenged the notion of the “flip” in my book, “The Innovator’s Mindset“:

With access to a plethora of digital resources and information, it’s important to foster a culture of creation versus consumption. Instilling the idea of creation is especially important in light of growing popularity of the “flipped classroom,” in which students watch some sort of video or connect with a resource at home and do their “homework” at school. The thing is that, whether delivered in person or through a video, the lecture focuses on the consumption of information. What if the “flip” was, instead of students watching a video, they created one in which they shared the objectives they needed to grasp? Consider how much deeper learning could be if “creation” was a non-negotiable in the learning for both us and our students.

If you keep going back to John’s question, “What am I doing for students that they could be doing for themselves?”, I believe that you will not only lessen the amount of work that you are doing, but it will create opportunities for deeper learning for your students.  What we often see as the “work,” could also be construed as the “learning” we take away from our students.  I know it is not always possible, but it is something that we should continuously strive for.

I know it is not always possible, but a focus on more in-depth learning for our students doesn’t always mean “more work” for us, and continuously leads to better learning for our students.

Source: George Couros



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