TLAP Book Study: Week 5

Week 5- Pages 145-174

The Awkward Question, Where do I Start?, 

Finding A Crew

The Awkward Question

"Do you want to be safe and good or do you want to take a chance and be great?"- Jimmy Johnson

"Your greatness in the classroom doesn't negatively impact or inhibit anyone else's opportunity to be great. In fact, your greatness only enhances the opportunities and possibilities for others." (Burgess p. 145)

"By being great you are raising the bar...being your best possible self contributes to the school culture necessary to create the environment for greatness to flourish." (Burgess p.146)

"To ascend to the level of greatness, you have to be on fire with passion and enthusiasm.  Mediocrity is incapable of motivating...How could anyone be fired up about creating a lukewarm classroom environment where kids punch the clock, mostly behave and then file out the door...Teaching is a tough job filled with unbelievable hardships, hurdles and headaches.  Our profession has a notoriously high burnout rate,  Unless you find something big to care about, you won't make it...Suddenly it's easy to get out of bed in the morning because you are  motivated by a mighty purpose." (Burgess p. 147) 

"In these exciting times, we must be ready to take on the challenge of redefining greatness for a whole new generation of teachers and students." (Burgess p. 148)

In this chapter Burgess describes teaching using the analogy of the song, "Little Drummer Boy."  In the famous carol, Even though the little boy was too poor to bring a physical gift to honour baby Jesus he brought the gift of his talent.  Burgess then goes on to explain that we have to all find our personal "drum".  I have also heard this described as your "teaching superpower"...what is the personal strength you bring to the table that makes you unique?

Question #1- What is your teaching superpower?

"We have the ability to literally change the world" (Burgess p.149)

Where do I Start?

"Everyone who got to where they are had to begin where they were."- Richard Paul Evans 

In this chapter, Burgess talks about the five most common considerations that hold us back from taking our first step, which he describes as the most difficult part of the journey.  Below are these five reasons summarized with some advice from Burgess to help conquer them:

• Fear of failure: There is no growth without failure.  In order to bring any dream to reality, you have to experience the process of failure (often repeated) and show tenacity to persevere to reach your goal. 

• Believing you have to figure it all out before you begin: "Nobody is going to die if we experiment in the classroom and it doesn't work out...Unless you are constantly  climbing and striving to move forward, you are sliding backwards...You don't have to be able to see the top of the mountain to know that you can only get there by moving forward." (Burgess p. 158) 

• Perfectionism: Burgess explains that perfectionism, which is an impossible goal, can paralyze us. He uses the analogy of a wedding photographer who, if they waited for the perfect shot would never take any pictures.  Instead, the photographer, takes hundreds, even thousands of pictures, and in that process, finds many great ones.  The lesson, "Create freely, liberally and in great quantities." (Burgess p. 152) 

• Lack of Focus: Stephen Covey talks about putting the "big rocks" (priorities) in your jar of life first, then filling the remaining space in the jar with less important things.  "Realize that any time you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else. Learn to say yes to the significant, and no to the projects and activities that diminish the time and energy you need to fulfill your major purpose." (Burgess p.160) 

• Fear of criticism or ridicule: "You can fear it all you want...it's still coming." (Burgess p. 160) 

Question #2- Which of these is your greatest roadblock and what is one action that you will commit to in order to overcome it?

"The best way to overcome fear is to take action. The more action you take and the quicker you take it, the better." (Burgess p. 167) 

Finding A Crew

"All pirates travel with a crew; you can't sail, navigate, and fight battles all on your own. One of the most rewarding parts of teaching is the personal and professional relationships we develop on our voyage." (Burgess p. 169)

Burgess then goes on to describe the connections he has made and the learning he has experienced though attending conferences with like minded individuals as well as through social media. Over the past two years, these have also been the two most powerful collaborative experiences that have energized my own professional learning. 

"When a group of individual brains are coordinated and function in a spirit or Harmony, the increased energy created through that alliance, becomes available to every individual brain in the group." (Napoleon Hill- Think and Grow Rich)

"I believe that there is no single answer for how to fix our schools but that we should take the best ideas from everything that we can find." (Burgess p. 171)

Question #3 - How will you commit to making connections and finding or expanding your crew? 

Question #4 - How has this book made you a better teacher?

Question #5 - What is your post-TLAP next step?

TLAP Book Study: Week 4

Week 4- Pages 107-141

All the World is a Stage, Stand & Deliver, 
Advanced Tactics, Around the Edges 

All the World is a Stage

“Anything I can do to manipulate and control the environment is fair game . This is a tough business; I’m more than willing to take advantage of and influence everything around me to increase my students’ chances of success.” (Burgess p. 107)

In this chapter we learn about the following hooks:

• The interior design hook (transforming your room through lighting, decorations, furniture, etc.)
• The board message hook (writing a message on the board or projecting an image onto the screen that sparks curiosity, engaging them before the lesson even begins)
• The costume hook (accessorizing to enhance the presentation or teaching in character) 
• The props hook (what physical item can be added to the lesson?)
• The involved audience hook (involving students and making students feel like they are part of the lesson, not just bystanders) 
• The mystery bag hook (incorporating a visibly concealed item related to the lesson to build suspense and encourage questioning) 

Stand & Deliver

“All teachers are full time public speakers. In fact, I would venture to guess many teachers do more public speaking in their classroom than the vast majority of speakers do on the circuit...be intentional about honing your skills of engagement.” (Burgess p.117)

In this chapter, we learn the following six hooks that will help us develop our public speaking skills:

• The storytelling hook (using a captivating, high interest story to draw the students into the lesson) 
• The swimming with the sharks hook (using movement and proximity to break down the barrier between speaker and class) 
• The taboo hook (eliciting curiosity and interest by positioning a topic as if it is a secret or forbidden, even though it is not) 
• The mime hook (using the power of silence to deliver a message) 
• The teaser hook (sparking interest by promoting a lesson ahead of time)
• The backwards hook (presenting material out of sequence to encourage students to construct knowledge) 

Advanced Tactics

This chapter discusses the following three “advanced” hooks:

• The mission impossible hook (creating lesson where students are trying to decode clues to solve a mystery). I have recently been facilitating professional learning in this area, using the game-based learning platform of BreakoutEdu. If you haven't heard of it, take a moment to check them out! 
• The reality TV hook (again, using game based learning to create a ‘Survivor’ or ‘Amazing Race’ style lesson) 
• The techno whiz hook (leveraging the power of technology to empower students to take their learning beyond the school day, bridge gaps between school and the real world and gain global perspective). When creating lessons using technology, I like use the SAMR model as a framework to guide my practice.



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/The_SAMR_Model.jpg 

“When used correctly, technology can enhance the effectiveness of your lesson, increase engagement and even strengthen relationships between the humans that comprise your class”. (Burgess p.128)

Around the Edges

“Students will do amazing things if you can design a class and environment that is positive and empowering. Rising up to and overcoming challenges, building lifetime relationships and foraging positive connections to school won’t directly result in better test scores. It will result in better people. Isn’t that what we’re really trying to accomplish” (Burgess p.138)

The last few hooks presented in this chapter can help put the “finishing touches” on a lesson:

• The contest hook (including a contest or challenge to build motivation) 
• The magic and the amazing hook (teaching an amazing skill that students can go home and share with others) 
• The chef hook (adding food or drinks to enhance a lesson, or just to create a positive atmosphere) 
• The mnemonic hook (pointing out patterns, ties to previous knowledge, or developing other memory retention aids to help students remember key material) 
• The extra-credit challenge hook (incorporating an intriguing way for students to extend their learning) 

“Education shouldn’t be about raising statistics. It should be about raising and fulfilling human potential.” (Burgess p. 141) 

I certainly agree with Burgess’ sentiment that striving for better scores should not be our only goal, but I would also add, that with a goal of helping our students to meet their potential in all areas, the outcome of increased scores inevitably often happens along the way.

Question #1- Which of the hooks discussed in this week’s reading have you successfully used?
Question #2- What is your next step? Which of the hooks discussed in this week’s reading do you want to try?

For anyone dropping by online, I would encourage you to join the conversation and share your thoughts by using the "comments" section of the blog.

Lessons from the "Uplifting Leadership" Congress

As part of a mentoring cohort that I am involved in through the Simcoe County District School Board, today I had the opportunity to attend a Leadership Congress. The congress, whose theme was "Uplifting Leadership," was attended by leaders from all areas of education including school administrators, facilities staff, office staff, human resources employees, members of the communications department, teachers and more.  It was refreshing to have the opportunity to come together with leaders from different 'silos' of education and to consider how the same leadership messages can be applied within all of our roles.  Here are a few images with captions that summarize my key takeaways from the sessions that I attended today.

The day began with Director Wallace welcoming the group and sharing the following quote to set the tone for the day... 

Author unknown. Image from behappy.me

Keynote Address: "The Mark of a Leader"
Doug Keeley @MarkofaLeader

What is the lens through which people see you? If you don't shape your image, someone else will.  https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/08/05/08/47/personal-875801_960_720.jpg

We all have a story to tell. Stories are the glue that bind us together as humans.  https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7520/16044203109_e587afb08c_z.jpg

We only win as individuals when the whole team wins.
How do we inspire others to be their best?

Our best success comes from feeding spirit, imagination and heart.
What areas do you need to nurture vs.  what areas do you actually
spend most of your time nurturing?
Image by @A_J_Golding 

"Beyond the Tin Can Telephone"

Iain McMeekin

You need to want to hear feedback, no matter what that feedback may be. What do you like about working here?   What is one thing you would change? http://www.thebluediamondgallery.com/pictures/feedback.jpg

Make sure to appreciate those around you...
it doesn't have to be eloquent but it has to be heartfelt.
 https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/09/24/05/53/qualities-954789_960_720.jpg

Iain shared a practical and entertaining Ted Talk by Celeste Headlee: 
10 Ways to have a better conversation (worth the 12 minute view) 

"Thriving Through Action" 

Virginia Gingras @VirginiavsBruce

What are your top 3 priorities?
 Thinking about your top 3 priorities,
do your actions reflect those priorities? 

Our strength overplayed becomes our weakness.
Are you missing work life balance? 
Are you really good at taking care of others but do you provide the same care for yourself?  
We're really good at surviving but we need to thrive.
Don't forget about your dreams!http://www.pdpics.com/preview/preview33/6414-work-balance-life.jpg

Instead of sharing achievements, share how you thrive through challenges...
 this is powerful learning.
 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3856/14760038836_c95794eff0_o_d.png

Great ideas are a dime a dozen but what makes a great idea different is action,
particularly taking action through challenges.
How do you avoid being derailed between your idea and the follow through to completion.
When dealing with self doubt and fear, remember that sometimes when you're in a situation you can't truly see the situation or solutions.When you come upon naysayers, remember- it's not their dream, it's your dream
 https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2016/04/22/03/43/hands-1345058_960_720.jpg

"Visible Learning, Visible Leading"

Patrick Miller @millerpEDU

How do the people you work with/for know you've learning?  

Build a diverse professional learning network (PLN)...diverse being key.
We gravitate to people who are similar to ourselves.
We learn more from people who have different experiences and challenge our ideas.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3143/2675052219_97d082f7cf_z.jpg?zz=1

When considering any change, use the framework of these system drivers.
 Also consider, what are your personal drivers? 
@millerpEDU

We spend too much time and effort building rigid systems in the name of sustainability.
We need to be agile and flexible enough to respond to a changing world.
 "Sustainagility" (Pat Miller)