Week in Review: Week 1

We've just finished week one of the 2015-2016 school year, and I thought it might be a good idea for my own goal setting/reviewing procedures to TRY to do a weekly week in review where I talk briefly about successes, failures, strategies, and goals for the next week. If you read this, please feel free to ask me about meeting my goals this week- keep me accountable, that's why I'm making this public. Let's see how this works!

What Worked: 

-introduced "Burning Questions" in Communication Applications. It's icebreaker questions randomly drawn and asked to a single, randomly drawn student each day. . Why it worked: Covers standards for interview skills and prepares them for being in front of the crowd in presentations later on. Students seem to enjoy it, and we are learning about each other as a class. 

What Worked

-asking students in Sociology, as part of Diversity unit, what are some areas in Anerocan Society where diverse opinions and actions have led to conflict- then opening discussion. Why it worked: Students have their opinions, first cautiously, then more confidently. Great back and forth a between students as I occasionally asked " devil's advocate" questions or introduced an alternate viewpoint. These kids have some solid ideas on all sides of issues. 

-in my stacked class(I teach Debate 1, 2/3 Honors and Independent Study in one class period), I utilized my upper level students as "experts" that could add to my teaching and also coach the Debate 1's. Why it worked:  Perspective. The uppers have done the types of debate we are discussing, they can tell the 1's what it's like in the moment. The 1's are listening and the uppers are learning coaching skills. 

What Failed:

-I talked too much. How to fix it:  First week it's often necessary, but even as we moved beyond that introductory unit, it was mostly me talking. I need to work on ways to ask more "discussion inspiring" questions in the midst of necessary content delivery. 

-I did not get any further ahead on planning and prep. I have 6 preps for 5 periods, cannot afford to fall behind or catch up to myself. How to fix it:  I just need to better budget time, maybe set aside one day a week to work on future lessons (I'm 5 weeks ahead right now). 

-I had trouble keeping which assignments were going to be for which class. How to fix it:  I have a desk calendar and colored pens I use for each class- colors correspond to objectives on the board and class work is graded in that color-I'm going to make sure to make visual reminders for me of what is coming up for which class. 

Evaluation:  It was a great first week. Connecting with students well, students are talking in class- about content, not gossip. Failures have easily identifiable fix and success have long term positive prospects. I'd give it an A-.

Goals for the week:

-Learn names. I'm getting there, but some classes are better than others. 

-Get another unit/chapter ahead in Sociology and/or Comm Apps. 

4 Tips For Day 1

Either your first day is here, or it's about to be. If you are like me, there are a LOT of thoughts running through your head, some good, some bad, some will strike you in the middle of the night with terror or inspiration. Here are some tips I will be following this year as I prepare for Day 1.

Share "You"

It is all about introductions. First impressions do matter, but a bad one is not insurmountable. Still, if you can, try to spice up your intro by being YOU. 

I've tried doing it other people's way, but I've found that just sharing bits of my life as a normal human being goes a long way. Last year I made a video that introduced my family and my hobbies. This year I will be showing a video I made about our family vacation. 

Whatever you do, share "you."  Be real and honest. Students want to know the real you, and can see through the phony. 

Say Goodbye to Last Year

No matter how good or bad it was, it's over. Done with. Graduated and moved into a dorm. 

My high school graduated its first seniors last year. They were an awesome group, and one of my StuCo kids expressed the fear that the other classes "won't be able to lead like they did."

The answer is " they won't and shouldn't."  That same advice goes for us teachers- last year was a different species than this year. You will have new students, new co-workers, and possibly new subjects. Don't waste time comparing the two years. I did that for a while last year, and it made me miserable. Find your joy in the "now" and make this year what it should be. 

Make Plans- with an "s"

There is nothing like going through your day 1 plan and finishing with a flourish--and twenty minutes left in class. 

Whatever you have planned, have backups in case they fail, or end early. Even if it's a default fall back to "So, you do anything interesting this summer?" class discussion. That has value towards building relationships. 

Give Yourself a "Cookie"

At the end of the day, treat yourself to a "cookie."  Set steward in mind for what you can enjoy and celebrate your Day 1 survival with. Doesn't have to be huge, but it must be something you like. For me, it is a Double Doozie cookie Slice from Great American Cookie Company. (Yeah, they do that and they are awesome.)

So there you are- 4 tips to a great first day. Now, go decide on your "cookie."

Mountain Message Part 3: 4 Hikers and Plan

(This is part 3 of a 3 part series.  Parts 1 and 2 are about spiritual lessons I learned from the journey, and appear on another blog I maintain.  Feel free to check them out as well.)

Our family vacation this year took us to Lake City, Colorado- a small town in a valley yet still sitting at about 8,600 feet in elevation.  It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and our family goal was to hike one of them in particular:  the 14,048 foot Handies Peak.

We all made it to about 14,000, but I was the only one to actually make it to the summit.  It was a rigorous and exhausting trip, but it provided for some interesting insight as an educator.  For one, I noticed the importance and ultimate shortcomings of being well planned.  For another, I noticed a correlation between the types of hikers in my own family and the types of learners in a classroom.

These are my observations.

Prepare- then improvise
We had attempted to hike Handies before, about four years ago.  We made it to about 13,000 feet from the trail head at 11,600 when a summer sleet storm forced us back down.  This previous experience, along with some studying of other hikers' methods led us to realize the need for certain things this time around.  Just like we prepared, teachers are right now preparing for their own hike through the curriculum and classes of the school year.  Here are some things you might find you need on your educational journey.

• Knowledge of the trail.  We needed to know when to follow the trail to the left or the right.  One might be steep, but it was well established- thus safer for our daughters (8 and 10) to hike.  the other might be less steep, but to find the trail again meant going over less stable shale paths.  Teachers need to know their path.  Understand the subject matter, and if you have taught it before, be aware of the moments when the trail gets more risky.  If you are a new teacher or teaching a new subject (as I am this year), familiarize yourself not just with your textbook and materials, but with a general knowledge of the subject.  Ask other teachers for their expertise on the subject.  I was fortunate to get a huge amount of help for one of my new subjects from another teacher in our district in the form of class notes and project ideas.  (Thanks Roy!)  So, find your maps and guides, and pay attention.
• Proper gear.  As we packed, I looked at my hiking boots.  They were about twenty years old and had held up well.  But I knew by looking at them that they would not serve me well in this journey.  I needed new boots.  Teachers, too, must update their gear.  It may have served you well last year, or even for twenty, but "gear" wears out.  Update notes, update technology (or consider it, for some) and be ready.  Also, when hiking as high as we were, layers are important.  Dress so you can shed what you do not need because it is better to bring more clothes than you need so you do not freeze.  (It was was 31 degrees when we started out, and warmed to 65.)  Teachers, it is better to bring more "gear" than you need than it is to realize in the moment, you do not have what you need in front of the whole class.
• Properly hydrate and apply sunscreen.  We each got one of those backpacks that has a water bladder and drinking tube for the hike, with 2 liters in each pack.  We also brought extra water just in case, and applied sunscreen multiple times.  Being closer to the sun has a larger impact than you realize until you are there.  For teachers, their hydration and sunscreen come in the form of trainings throughout the year.  I know they can sometimes be boring or even repetitive, but try to remember that they are fuel for your teaching hike as well as protection from potential failure.  I am fortunate to work in a district that has excellent teacher training and trainers/instructional coaches.  But if you do not have that fortunate situation, we live in an age when "water and sunscreen" are at the touch of your fingertips.  There are countless resources on line and especially in social media.  Our district is actually beginning a new Twitter chat for educators this year- its great water for the thirsty teacher.  And hey, taking up Twitter might just be the Proper gear for teacher development you need this year.
• Get ready to improvise.  In all our planning, we were sure we had thought of everything.  We even bought a can of oxygen for the thin air.  However, we did not.  We forgot our oldest daughters inhaler- thank goodness we had the oxygen.  We did not think about electrolytes at all, but thankfully some other hikers had and were kind with their supply.  Then there were the challenges that arose that we could not foresee.  Teachers, no matter how well you prepare, you cannot prepare perfectly.  Something new will come up, you will forget something, or the unforeseen will sweep your legs out from under you.  As educators, we must be flexible and adaptable- and willing to take help when it is offered.

Types of hikers

My family is made up of my wife, Kristin (also a teacher), our ten year old Leslie, and our eight year old, Kenna.  We had all prepared in different ways physically for the hike because lets face it, nothing in College Station, Texas can prepare you for the environment and elevation of Colorado mountains.  Kristin and I exercise regularly, Leslie is a gymnast, and Kenna does cheer classes.  We swim a lot in the summers.  But as I said, nothing prepares you for hiking and the struggles that can arise.

As we hiked, I recognized that we each represented different types of students, and how they hike is similar to how students manage their years/semesters in your course.  

• The Struggling Hiker.  Leslie, our oldest, is normally our athlete.  But the cold and thin air of the mountain kicked her asthma into high gear.  We had gone less than a mile (round trip it was over eleven miles) before she was struggling for air.  Fortunately, we had the oxygen.  She took hits very frequently throughout the trip.  It became clear about two thirds of the way in that she would probably not be able to make the summit.  The goal was to get her as far as we and she could.  With Leslie, we stopped and took breaks often to let her catch her breath.  We constantly encouraged, set small milestones that we then congratulated her for making, and talked to her about her interests (currently Harry Potter) to take her mind off the difficulties. She made it to 14,000 feet- higher than most kids her age could do.
• In our classes, we have students who struggle.  They don't like the subject or they have another factor that makes learning more difficult for them.  Their slow progress can slow down the rest of the class as well, so it becomes important for the teacher to create a culture in the classroom that allows for the other students to work with the struggling student instead of bemoaning that they are slowing everyone else down. We can set milestones and chances for small victories.  Students need 'wins' from time to time, or they give up.  We can build relationships based on the student's interest- once I asked a student about their interest in working on old cars, and it forged a connection that made a difference in their classroom performance.  And we must constantly seek reasons to encourage all students, not just those who struggle.
• The Tragic Hiker:  Kenna, our youngest, was a natural hiker.  She sped up the mountain, never took hits of oxygen and had energy to stop at snowbanks and make snow angels.  I had no doubt she was going to summit.  Then, at about 13,800 feet, a fellow hiker's dog that was not on a leash jumped on her and knocked her down.  She slid a bit down the mountain, but she was tethered to me, so she was not in any danger of falling too far.  But it terrified her.  Before the dog's owner could get to the dog, it jumped on her again.  (I feel I showed great restraint as evidenced that the dog is still alive.)  No amount of encouragement or comfort would change Kenna's new mindset.  She would not summit.  But we could get her farther than she was willing to go at first if we loved and cared for her hurts and fears.
• Some students start out the year with all the promise in the world.  Then something happens.  Often, we do not know exactly what it is:  maybe it is problems at home, loss of a loved one, job problems, girl/boy problems, etc.  If a student is willing to talk about what happened, that is at least something.  We can listen and share advice- if asked for; we can share our own personal struggle that correlates with theirs.  But if a student does not want to talk about it, we can just be there for them in case they change their mind.  Our lofty dreams of this student being a "summit" kid may be gone, but we can still help them be successful, get them farther than they were initially willing to go when tragedy struck.  We just need to show them we care more about them as a person than the lofty educational goal we set.  By doing this, the student will see that our still solid educational goal of success is in their best interest.
• The Compassionate Hiker: My wife, Kristin, is a very compassionate person.  When I get frustrated with our slow progress, she is there to calm me and comfort the girls.  Kristin could have made the summit.  But when we reached 14,000 feet, altitude sickness and weariness and fear and asthma got to our girls.  They were successful at making it to 14,000 feet, a HUGE accomplishment for them even if they did not summit.  The view was still spectacular, the air was still rare.  In that moment, Kristin knew I needed to make that summit and the girls could not.  She sacrificed her own chance to summit for me, and for the girls.  She was concerned more about the health and welfare of our girls and about my happiness than her own goals.
• There are students who could do so much more.  They do not, however, and it has nothing to do with lack of desire or unwillingness.  There are students who are willing to sacrifice their own chance at being 'summit' students because they care more about the relationships and the mutual success of their classmates.  They are the ones who spend their free time working with the 'struggling' and 'tragic' students instead of doing that extra credit that could pad their own grade.  What do we do with them?  We thank them.  They got to success as students easily enough, now they are concerned with being successful as human beings.  We need to encourage this compassion, while still encouraging their educational growth, because the world needs these people.
• The Summit Hiker:  I made the summit.  I was successful, but I was able to go beyond that. I was able to see a view that a majority of people will never see, and I am thankful for that. But I did not do it alone. There are definitely others who COULD make the summit, but choices of what is important to them, or difficulties or things that happen to them prevent them.  I came down from that summit wanting to share what I had seen with others, and feeling just a little bit sad that my family was not right there with me to share that moment.
• These are the perfect score on the SAT students, the students you know deep down know the material better than you.  The students who are vigorously recruited by the kinds of schools that others only fantasize about.  They will be successful in whatever they choose.  What do we do with them?  We get obstacles out of the way so they can succeed.  We celebrate their success.  We remind them that being a 'summit' student does not mean that they are better than the others overall.  We try to teach them humility and humanity- not as teachers that "put them in their place," but as teachers that model humility and humanity. We teach them to appreciate and be thankful for their success so that they may ultimately share it with others because they want to make the world a better place.  

I learned a great deal on that mountain.  I was humbled by my accomplishment because I could not have done it without my family- especially Kristin's sacrifice.  I believe that someday my whole family WILL stand on the summit of a "14er" together.  I had that moment of success, and I want them to feel it to. I want to share more than just pictures and stories with them.  I want to share the experience. We will work and grow and mature to a point where we can all stand there together.  I want that for them.

Isn't that what we do as teachers?  We have tasted the success of gaining knowledge, and we desperately want others to gain it as well- so that they can know the joy of success.

That is the kind of teacher I want to be this year, for sure.

See you at the summit.

What is Success?

My second year has come to a close.  I have been thinking and evaluating the year a lot the last few weeks.  For much of the year, I felt that this year was a "sophomore slump."  I had to work harder to not get as deep in my classes, my speech team moved up two divisions and faced much stiffer competition, and building relationships was much more difficult and took longer.  As the year ended, I began to realize something:

Success is defined in many different ways.

Success in Content

True, it was harder teaching the students US History this year.  Last year I had self-motivated Honors students.  This year, I had to serve as their motivation in many cases.  And teaching US History to High School Juniors in Texas means the STAAR End of Course Exam.  I spent much of the year feeling the pressure to get these students to pass this test because they do not get to graduate until it is passed.  So, I found myself giving in to the temptation to engage in some teaching methods that I felt bordered on learning the test instead of loving the content.  It is a struggle I am sure many teachers face.

If the scores reflect that my students did well, that is a success for them- but is it for me?  My number one goal as a History teacher is that my students find at least one thing to love about history.  I am passionate about history and I want that passion to spread.  When I give in to focusing on the test, my passion wanes because the time it takes to develop passion is given to time spent figuring out what the test might ask.  And if my passion wanes, the students will- at the very least- lose interest.  They will not love history like I do.  The number of students I had last year that told me how much they loved this or that about history when they never liked history before tells me that my approach based on sharing my passion for the content- not my concern over the test- works.  

I wish I felt more successful in my content- but maybe time will reveal a surprise. Perhaps success here is finding that common ground between preparing for the test and sharing a passion for the material- I plan to work on finding it.

A student is successful if they score well on their End of Course Exams because they get to graduate and maybe get an "Advanced" score.  But for me success is a student coming back and saying, "Man, I really love _______ about history!  I never cared/thought about it like that until your class!"

Success in Competition

This is probably the most difficult to measure, because we assume success is more points on the scoreboard.  Our school jumped from a 3A designation to a 5A designation this year.  Sports, Academic UIL, FFA and other Career Tech groups all encountered new levels of difficult competition.  And we all found varying levels of success.  My high school, in its three years of existence, has been remarkably successful by the win/loss standard.

But is that true success?

Just winning is not success, I say.  I feel that a component of success is character.  A team that wins, but is smug, arrogant, dismissive of opponents, and just all around jerks may be victorious, but they are not successful.  But a team that loses, shoulders the disappointment with humility and determinedly works to not lose again is successful

I am proud to say that my school is most definitely successful, by my definition.  Our faculty is actively cultivating these characteristics.  We are courteous to our opponents, and our students behave with character and integrity.  Every school has a few moments of falling short in those areas, and we are no different.  But modeled from the top leadership down, there is an attitude of admitting mistakes and atoning for them.  The Prose and Poetry coach that works with my Speech team and I are very intentional about teaching our younger teammates how to win well, and how to lose well.  It is not always easy, but we must demonstrate humility in victory and defeat.  

Victory must have integrity to be a success.

I want teams that face us to walk away hating that they lost, but respecting the manner in which they lost.  And I want the teams that defeat us to respect the grace and maturity we show in the loss.  This is success in competition.

Success in Relationships

Honors students trusted me pretty quickly last year.  We were able to ask tougher questions faster, dig deeper into discussions sooner.  This year, my on-level classes were MUCH slower to warm up.  And when they did, it was difficult for me to tell because their trust was much less overt and easy to see.

I speak to my students, and treat them, like they are adults.  My simple rule is that I will respect you.  No conditions, no qualifiers, no prerequisites.  I also promise to trust you, until that trust is broken, then it must be earned back.  Well into the second semester, I still could not tell if they trusted or even liked me.  I felt I was not making that connection, and I doubted myself.

I strongly believe that to get students to do the hard thing, they need to care about the teacher who is leading them.  You can give them difficult problems, increase the rigor, but without relationship, I just do not see success happening.  Why was I not connecting?

Now, at the end of the year, I received letters from seniors who chose to write me as a teacher that had an impact.  My students from last year wrote about the way I connected them to the material and how I made a difference in their life.  My classes this year had a handful of Seniors (US History is a Junior level course here), and to my surprise, I received letters from some of them.

One student told of how they almost quit, but because I wouldn't give up on them, they decided not to give up on themselves.  They were walking the stage at graduation because another teacher and I would not let them give up.  They sent me that email the morning of graduation.

I looked back and I realized that these students trusted me long before I could see it.  They were not expressing it because many of them are just more guarded.  They do not trust authority figures easily.  I remembered that there were students I would discipline, and yet the next day, they were not bearing a grudge, they were even laughing with and being friendly.  What had I done that made this possible?

I think it went back to the second week of school.  Everyone did poorly on the first test.  Instead of scolding them for not taking the test seriously, I asked them, "What can I do better as your teacher?"  I got good, solid, workable answers, and applied them- manner of delivery, ways to review better, etc.

That may have made more of difference than I initially thought.  I gave them ownership in the class.  I forgave them as quickly as they fell into wrong behaviors.  I made my room a safe place.  Oh, there were still discipline issues, but I pointed out that the issues were not about disrespecting me- that I can deal with- it was about disrespecting their peers.

Relationships matter.  And successful ones are built on trust and respect.

What is Success?

I am still a new teacher.  I am still learning and do not have all the answers.  I simply notice what works and what does not.  Each year is, in a way, an experiment in how best to educate students in curriculum and guide them in life.  

Some students I fail.  They don't get the attention they need, or I cannot find the best method to reach them.

It haunts me.

Some students get the good grades and pass the right tests, but I fail to make the impression on them that actually helps them in life.  I fail to impart integrity and character.

It haunts me.

Some students get the grades and pass the tests, and mature and grow far beyond the requirements of the course.  They are students that will walk back to my room next year to chat.  They are students who will hound me to follow them back on Twitter the day they graduate.  They are young adults who will send me an email or ask to get together for coffee when they are in college. They will ask me advice on classes and life.  They will tell me that something I did connected with them, and they want to be for others what I was for them.

These sustain me.

What is success?  For me, it is having more students in that last category, while diligently striving to decrease the numbers in the other two categories- perhaps with help from other students in that last group.

What is success?  It is measured not in GPA's and Commended's and Honor graduate stoles, but in students who view the world and the subject matter I shared with them with a little more clarity and the knowledge that at least there is one more adult out there that cares for them.

What is success for you?

Moments

I had the honor and pleasure of getting to address our Senior class of 2015 at Senior Sunset, our new tradition of recognizing our seniors the night before graduation.  The following is basically what I said, and maybe a little more I should add looking back.  Some of this is very specific to our school with it's first ever graduating class, but it is information I feel is good for all seniors.

Our life is made of moments.

Looking back, we all have moments we remember- first day of kindergarten, first day of middle school, first time we tried out for school sports/band/theater, first dates, etc.  We think of these moments and smile, we remember the impact they had on us.

The College Station High School Class of 2015, there are some pretty unique memories you may have.  The first time you stepped through those doors and OPENED College Station High School.  The first time you put on that CSHS uniform and practiced as a Cougar Athlete/Band Member/Team member.  Your first competition.  The first time you sat in a class and realized how important that teacher was not just to your education, but to you personally.  We've got a lot of great teachers here who truly care about you.  The first time you succeeded in a class when you didn't think you could.

There are other moments that CSHS has now become known for.  The moment you experienced victory on the field, the court, the stage, or the classroom.  Triumphs over rivals.  Reaching deep into the playoffs.  Getting to State.  Winning State.  These moments are moments that have defined CSHS.

But this is a moment now.  You are all gathered here together at your Senior Sunset.  What comes now?  Tonight the sun sets on you as a high school student for the last time.  Tomorrow when it sets, you will be a graduate.

Those of you who had me in class know how much I love Theodore Roosevelt.  It wouldn't be a Lehrmann moment if I didn't mention him at least once.  This quote is the first of two from him:

"Be practical as well as generous in your ideas.  Keep your eyes on the stars but remember to keep your feet on the ground.

Courage, hard work, self mastery, and intelligent effort are all essential to successful to life.

Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and the nations alike."

Character and integrity.  Two qualities that are taught to and expected of you as CSHS Cougars.  Wherever you go from here- Texas A&M, University of Texas, BYU, NYU, the military, the workforce or any number of other possible destination- carry those qualities with you. 

 There are many moments to come when you will get to display these qualities again.  Meeting your first college roommate- which could go well or poorly for you.  Sitting in your first college class.  in four years- or more likely these days six or seven- you will walk across another stage (or the same stage for some of you) and get another diploma.  The first time you meet that special someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.  Becoming a parent.  Starting your career and that moment you realize you are GOOD at what you do and want to do it for the rest of your life.

These moments are coming.  And in them, you will have a choice.  At College Station High School, you have consistently made the right choice.  I believe you will continue in that pattern.  But you will have the chance to choose, in your moments to come, the good thing or the great thing.  College Station High School has seen you choose the great thing, to excel time and again.  Continue in that choice.  Choose to make a difference in your world.  I believe you can.

As I close, I have just one more Theodore Roosevelt quote:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. "

Class of 2015:  Dare greatly.  Dare greatly.

Dream Analysis: Helping Students Appreciate Their Dream Over a Fantasy

It is graduation season, and thousands of students who are absolutely CERTAIN that their dreams are going to become a reality are about to embark on a journey of disappointment.

I know, because 17 years ago, I was one of them.

Many students have dreams.  They are good dreams, but often not attainable.  (See every season of American Idol ever.)

But these are just a few of those whose dreams will not come true.

Those thousands I talked of are the students who are going to be doctors, lawyers, scientists, entertainers, athletes- and then one little thing goes wrong.  Some students have dreams that just will not come true, and they have to learn to deal with that in their own way and own time- whether an injury ends their career or the talent just isn't what they thought it would be.

And most students believe their dream has died.

But what if it hasn't?

I believe as educators, we might be able to see something that the student themselves cannot see.  That their dream is not the career they want, but the thing that career would allow them to do.

Confused?  Well, dreams can be confusing, so let me explain with my own story.

My Story

As a high school junior, I wanted to be a lawyer/politician.  I wanted to win court cases for the innocent and downtrodden or hold office and make the world a better place.  Inexplicably, my dream changed my senior year to be a psychiatrist.  I think it had to do with everyone telling me I was too honest to be a lawyer.  But the psychiatrist thing would allow me to help people, and make a lot of money.  (Remember, I'm a high school senior at that point and I do not understand anything about the world.)

I started Texas A&M with a Psych major on the pre-med track.  I sat in that meeting where you were asked to look to your left and right and realize one of them wouldn't be there in a year.  I took special note of my two neighbors, because they were the ones leaving.

Then I failed Biology.

OK, well, I didn't fail it- I dropped it with a 46 average.  Bye, bye med school.

But I could still be a psychologist.  It would mean I could counsel and aid people. It would mean getting a Ph.D, but hey, whatever.

My sophomore year, my dad died.  He had retired from the Highway Department as a Chief Accountant and taken a job as an aide in an Emotionally Disturbed (now Adaptive Behavior) class at my old Junior High to have something to do.  What he did was make a difference with kids others struggled with for 4 years.  Then he died.

I wanted to help people like my dad had.  So, I went into the ministry instead of counseling.  I did this for over ten years.  Then I burned out.  I had wanted to make a difference with people, I had dreams of starting a church for college students (which I got to do) and being a big-time speaker (which I did not get to do), all of which had me making a difference.  There were a lot of factors- not the least of which was working a day job as a tax collector which sucked my soul out- that lead to this burn-out.

But at the heart was that I felt I no longer was making a difference in people's lives.

I got laid off from the tax collection job, and took to subbing in schools.  Then I got an aide job.  Then I got my current job, teaching high school social studies and coaching speech.

Then I realized my dream had come true.  Not the fantasy of money and fame- no the DREAM of having a chance to make a difference in people's lives.

Dream vs. Fantasy
Most of us confuse dreams and fantasies.  Fantasies are the sugar-coated versions of dreams.  It is the wealth, fame, honor, and recognition that a few people get along with their dream.  My high school is seeing some students moving towards their fantasy- scholarships to D1 schools for sports, scholarships for fine arts at prestigious universities.  But the vast majority of students will not experience fantasies.  They will not make the pros, star in movies, be the face of a major medical endeavor, or walk on Mars.  Winning American Idol is not a dream, it is a fantasy and very few get to live it out.

But that does not mean the rest of the people see their dream die.

See, under that thick layer of fantasy icing, a dream still dwells.  A dream is achievable for most, if not all students.  We just have to help students- and ourselves- see that the dream is closer to reality than we think.

Fantasies can be taken away from us- but dreams are in our souls. 

Finding the Dream
In my story, my fantasy was a prestigious job and maybe some fame and money.  But my dream was simpler, attainable.  My dream- through the lawyer phase, psychiatrist phase, ministry phase and now teacher phase has always been the same:

To make a difference in people's lives.

The dream was the heartbeat of the fantasy, not the other way around.  A baseball players fantasy is to play for the Yankees or Rangers or Cardinals- but their dream is to be a part of America's pastime.  An entertainer's fantasy is to see their name in lights, fill stadiums or theaters- but their dream is to make people feel, to connect with an audience.  A doctor's fantasy is to cure cancer or AIDS-their dream is to save a life.

Our students will tell you their fantasy when we ask what their dreams are.  And we will play the realist and try to help them see that only a rare few get Oscars, Grammys, MLB MVP's, or Rookies of the Year.

And we will miss their dream, and crush their spirit.

So, when a student tells you their fantasy, look for the dream.  The fantasy is the accolades they receive for fulfilling the dream.  The dream is what they want to do.

Make a difference.  Be a part of their sport.  Connect with people, Heal.  Save lives. Make someone laugh.  Give someone comfort.  Work with kids/animals/the earth.  Grow something that feeds people.  Build something that makes life easier.  Have a family.  Raise strong, well adjusted kids.

Dreams can be achieved.  They need to be.  When a fantasy becomes impossible, we must help the dreamer see that that does not mean the dream is over.  It just means the fluff is gone, and the real good stuff is still waiting to be explored.

Dream.  Because even if your fantasy never comes true, it is your dream that will give you purpose and focus.  It will give you life.

I have finally realized that my dream is more than the job I do- it is the manner in which I want to live my life. May that be your dream as well. 

Live. 

Social Physics: How Student Relationships Affect the Classroom

In my Youth Minister days, we had a tried and true illustration.  Get a strong/large student to stand on a chair and a small/less strong student to stand on the floor.  Instruct the two to pull against each other and see what happens.  Most often, the small student would pull the larger down.  "Aha!" we would say, and explain that it is a lot harder to pull someone up than it is to drag them down.

As a teacher, I am starting to observe that like in this illustration, there are certain rules of Social Physics at work in our classrooms.  I would like to discuss just a few of them here, beginning with the above illustration.  (Fair warning, I teach Social Studies, so please forgive some slight simplification of the science as poetic license .)

The Gravity Constant

Now, as an educator, I still see the merit in that illustration, but I want to add something.  The reason that the smaller can pull down the larger is that gravity plays a role.  In physics, one knows the gravitational constant is 9.8.  That is added to the pull the small exerts on the large, potentially evening out the amount of force, and typically shifting the balance.  In addition to gravity, standing on a chair is not as stable as the ground.  

In a classroom situation, I have heard teachers argue that it is good to have "honors" level students in the same class as the "on-level" students because it will bring the grades up and they will learn from each other.  Yes, and no.  If the "honors" students are significantly popular, or there are more of them than the other students, then yes.  But when they are outnumbered, I witness the opposite.  The Gravity Constant pulls them down.  Often, it starts as the "honors" student stops answering questions because they are the only one, then the pressure of always being the one the other students look at when a curve is broken kicks in.  Social pressure begins to weigh.

I am in no way diminishing the importance of peer tutoring, but as educators we need to be aware to take care of those students who are shouldering the weight not only of their own responsibilities, but the pressure they feel from their peers.  Help them find a more stable "chair" to stand on, occasionally let them off the "chair" so they can just be another student, and be there pushing the students on the ground up when you see the student on the "chair" trying to help.

Newton's First Law

An object at rest remains at rest. An object in motion remains in motion. To change either of these, outside force is required.  

Every student needs a push.

 Every. Single. One. 

Now that push may move them to pass, or to get a perfect score on the SAT. But it must happen. How much push- and how much prep to get ready for the push- depends on the student. Some students come with wheels- a subtle nudge will move them to success. Some students are "up on blocks" and need to be given wheels- knowledge and skills to complete the task- before the push. 

In either case, when a student walks I your door, they need a push to find success. That push may be as simple as laying out expectations or as complex as convincing a student that your subject actually does matter. Some students are ready to roll at day one, others are like a classic car that has been sitting in the garage for too long. The work will take time, but it will be worth it in the end. 

Sometimes, the inertia a student brings to class is not exactly what you want. Here, the First Law says it's not just going to stop on its own. Enter discipline. And, enter the Second Law. 

Newton's Second Law

More mass requires more force to accelerate. 

Discipline problems often do not start in your room. There is some acceleration bursting through your door, and it may anger at the last teacher or pain from something that just went out on social media or something from home. You did not ask for it, but it is barreling toward you nonetheless. 

Big problems need a lot of force, small problems need little force. You just never know which one is staring at you in the moment. 

Ok, a red faced, teary eyed, or swearing, swinging student is a clear call. But hopefully that's not a frequent situation. 

Whatever the thing you face, if it is not addressed, it could derail your class. Or worse yet, entangle other students in it. That gravity constant still applies here- large mass has strong gravitational pull. 

Now applying force to stop can be firm discipline, clearing addressing the issue at hand. But, in a slight departure from the First Law, sometimes it can be ignored. 

A problem that is not affecting others can sometimes be made worse by applying force from the teacher, when there is another outside force already acting. 

Time. 

Students may just need a moment to burn out the heat of what they were dealing with. 

Because if you react too strongly, there will be a reaction. 

Newton's Third Law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. 

I've seen it in my classroom and in other teachers' stories. You react to a student wanting attention- even if it's negative.  They respond by doing exactly the opposite of what you wanted- they ramp up the behavior. Or they use that pesky gravity constant to draw the class in with them. So what do you do?

Ignore it. 

Yeah- it seems counterintuitive, but sometimes reacting in the moment does exactly what you don't want. Instead, let the moment die. Student misbehavior is all about timing, like comedy. When the student doesn't get what they wanted and other students see you are not phased, their momentum is gone and your opposite reaction worked. 

Obviously, there are limits- if a student is in emotional or physical danger you must act. But weigh the moment. 

Social Physics

So there it is. A theory to try out on your socially active students. Now, I'm gladly headed back to teaching social studies.