I kind of cringe these days when I bring up tracking moments of genuine connection (MGCs) during a professional development. But why, Dave? It’s not cringey! Have some confidence, man! Wow. Thank you. Thank you for that aggressively kind support. But MGCs are SO obvious. I mean, is the following really rocket science? “All right, […]
Credibility Booster: How to Get Better at Authoritative Teacher Presence
Have you ever watched a teacher in action who just seemed to exude an aura of authority? I’m not talking about authority in the “I will rule over you muah-hah-haaaaaa!!!” evil maniac sense; I’m talking about the, “Wow — something about this person makes me want to listen, want to learn, want to be here.” […]
20 Simple, Low Stress Ideas for Boosting Teacher Credibility
As I’ve said, I think any classroom where a teacher is consistently signaling CCP — Care, Competence, and Passion — to each student is a classroom where the teacher will be increasingly credible. And please note: consistently doesn’t mean the same thing as perfectly. I’m a very imperfect teacher but also a very credible one, […]
“I Can’t Handle Five Key Beliefs Right Now. Gimme Just One.”
Okay — thanks for the honesty. If you’re seeing lots of student apathy (and by “seeing” I mean feeling its weight on your soul), five key beliefs work will help you regain agency and impact. This isn’t silver bullet stuff; it’s just a low-stress, high-yield methodology for thinking and doing something about student motivation obstacles. […]
The Inputs-Outputs Question
Several months ago, I was having a conversation with a small group of colleagues about stewarding our lives well as secondary educators. One member of the group was Laura Gersch, who teaches in the Boston area. Laura asked a question that stayed with me for a while. What’s the work within the Inputs-Outputs sweet spot? […]