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.” […]
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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? […]
Adjustment En Route to Everest
Sometimes, smart, earnest people like us can get really frustrated by how much work our work is. We think, “C’mon. I’ve studied this for years! I’ve been making adjustments for years! What is happening!? It shouldn’t be this hard.” This can get really, really frustrating. And painful! Here are a couple of thoughts that might […]