Three Levels of MGCs

Dear colleague,

Recently, I wrote about the MGC inflection point. I've been able to study and work through this thanks to a few Will to Learn partnerships* I've made with schools this school year.

Another fruit of those partnerships is clarity on what I call the Three Levels of MGCs. As you progress through the school year, gently invite yourself to progress up the levels from one degree of depth to another.

Level 1: Ask a question.

The easiest way to ease yourself in to MGCs is to pull a student aside (during passing time, during the warm-up), ask them a question, and listen to their answer. Here are some questions that work.

Level 2: Tell them something that's just for them.

The most consistently enjoyable and powerful kinds of MGCs are where you have a message to share with just one particular student. Sometimes these will come to my mind when I'm doing the dishes at home or getting ready for work in the morning. One happened just the other day, when Draven brought a cookie to me during my first hour class. Later that day when he was in my history class, I came up to him during the independent warm-up, and I said, “Hey Draven — thank you for bringing that cookie. I really appreciated that. It was kind and thoughtful. Respect, young man.” Super brief and simple, but it was something special just for him.

To get yourself thinking about these, look at your roster and ask yourself these kinds of questions, making note of any student names that come to mind as you consider them:

• What’s something you appreciate about a student?
  • Share it like this: “_________, I’ve noticed __________ about you, and I just want you to know that I appreciate that. Here’s why: ______________________.”
• What’s something about a student that makes you grateful to be their teacher?
• What’s something a student has done recently that you admire or respect?
• What’s a specific challenge you’re noticing a student having?
• In what ways have you seen a student grow?
• In what ways have you seen a student persevere through difficulty?
• In what ways have you seen a student succeed in a way they previously could not?
• Who is a student that makes your classroom a better place, just by them being them?

Level 3: Address something serious in a respectful, earnest manner.

Sometimes, MGCs are most powerful when we address hard topics with a student. These kinds of conversations indicate that we’re paying attention, we’re concerned, and we’re available to help if they need it.

Here are some templates to give you an idea of what these sound like:

• “______, I’ve noticed you falling asleep a bit in class. Is everything okay? Is there anything I can do to help?”
• “_______, it seems lately you’ve had a hard time focusing on what we’re doing. Can I do anything to help?”
• “_______, your last few tests/projects/essays have seemed to be decreasing in quality. Sometimes this happens — progress is a journey, and it involves ups and downs — but I did want to check in with you to see if you're noticing the same thing. Is there anything I can do? Are things all right with you?”

The other day during an independent work portion of class, I pulled a few kids into the hallway for some Level 3 interactions. I actually had my laptop in my hand as I spoke to them, pulling up their PowerSchool, looking at it with them, telling them I expected more and was hear to help if they needed it. For one of these interactions, I ended by telling the student, “You're going to be successful someday — I know that. What I want is for you to be successful this year, now.”

Closing Clarification

The one thing I DON'T want you to take away from this article is that we should always be striving for Level 3 MGCs. I don't think that's the goal. But we do want to arrive at a place where various levels of MGCs are in play throughout our work days. We want to get to a spot where we know how to enact the different levels and we have a sense for when to deploy which kind.

In all of it, we remain steadfast in these things: creativity, enjoyment, earnestness, amicability.

Teaching right beside you,

DSJR

*P.S. If your school wants to work with me to improve Five Key Beliefs cultivation in your classrooms, be in touch here.