It's Not About You

"It's worked for the past ten years. Why change it now?"

I think many of us have  heard this statement from colleagues over the years and I hope it drives you as batty as it drives me. For all of the teachers out there that refuse to update their lessons because they seem to "work", I have this to say, "It's not about you".

I have many lessons that have worked well and others that have worked great. However, I'm constantly changing, updating or tweaking my lessons because I believe that I need to be preparing students, not for today, but for tomorrow. My lessons need to reflect the skill sets my students will need years from now in college and in the job market. They do not need the exact same skills I was trained in when I was in high school and not the exact same skills I was using with my students 10, or even 5, years ago. 

One of the most time consuming aspects of my teaching career of late has been reflection. I think it is also the most valuable thing I spend my time on during the school year. I look at lessons after they are completed and decide whether or not the lesson itself is still meeting the goals and if the tools I use are still relevant to me and the students. If I do not like the answers I get from my reflection, it is back to the drawing board. This might be a tweak or a complete overhaul. I never know until I dive back into the lesson and move things around. 

While this can be a time consuming part of my year, I can feel assured that my lessons are always the best lessons I am offering my students that year and the next.

Just because a lesson "works" does not mean it is the best lesson for that topic. Their are many lessons that can "work" just fine, but there are others out there that could have a great and longer lasting impact on the students if the time is taken to review them and look for alternatives. We all want lessons that are great for our kids and are not too time consuming on the teacher's end. Some of the best things we do as educators takes time and lesson planning and reflection is no different. 

As you go through your school year, please take the time and look at your lessons and ask whether or not this is the best lesson for this topic. In the end, it is not about you right now, it is about the students and what they need years from now. 

Graphic Novels (Comics) = Literature #NerdyCast

Here is a new #NerdyCast where I talk about the importance of Graphic Novels (Comics) in the classroom. I even give some suggestions on great books to start with if you are interested in learning more. Thanks for watching and I hope you subscribe so you can see some of the fun stuff I have planned for down the road.

Give a student an inch... #GP20Time

...and they will blow your mind.

It has been a couple of weeks since I introduced 20 Time to my students and their parents and I just wanted to share with your some of the ideas they have started to explore for their projects.

Learning Russian

Painting a mural in downtown Detroit

Starting a charity that does arts and crafts with children in hospitals

Building a car from scratch

Publish a book

Write a symphony 

Swim to Canada for Charity

Organize a 5K

Meet a new person every single day and document it with photos

Do something that scares them every single day and document the results

Run a marathon for the first time

These are just a handful of ideas students are tossing around. Some students are nervous about finding a project, but they love the idea that I have made failure an option. I stressed that I wanted them to go big or go home and many are taking that to heart. Honors students tend not to take risks because most seem to be wired to get the A and move on. The students have started to embrace the idea that they can try something completely new and see what they can learn. 

20 Time Friday is the best way for me to end my week. The kids just have a buzz about them as they explore their ideas and talk to others about their plans. I'm really excited about how the rest of this year is going to unfold. These kids are about to change the world and I get to be along for the ride. 

Nick

Making a Difference #edchat

The start of the school year is two weeks old and it has been a doozy. My schedule has changed multiple times with a new set of students in my class one week after school started and two days before back to school night with the parents. I've done my best to provide the best environment for my students, but it was tough not to feel run down and a sense of doom if this was how the school year was going to be like for me. When things were at their worst, I received this text from a former student.

It was as if my bas vibes were sent across the universe and straight to this student. This was the pick me up that I needed and gave me the boost of energy. There will be days that I hate being a teacher, but I will always love teaching. I think that is the one thing I need to remind myself when things in the "Teacher World" get crazy. Teaching is exhilarating and awesome. I have a chance to make an impact on students in ways that I will not realize until much later in life. 

For all of you out there that might behaving a rough start of the school year, remember that you are making a difference in the lives of so many different students. You might not see any results until years later, but do not let the small things get in your way of making an impact on the lives of the people that matter most each day at school. 

Have a great week!

Nick