This Ain’t No Industrial Age Homie: Teaching In The Information Age, Part 3b: Steve Would Have Wanted It This Way

by Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve

THIS AIN’T NO INDUSTRIAL AGE HOMIE: TEACHING IN THE INFORMATION AGE: Steve Jobs

Being Foolish Is Okay

It takes time to learn how to approach people. All people are different in the way they see, experience, and interpret life, and students are people.

I’ve failed at understanding and applying this many times before in life and in the classroom. Hell, I’ll probably fail a few (dozen, hundred?) times again.

But as I fail, I know that it is because I am “foolish” – meaning well, trying new things, but perhaps missing the mark. I reflect and learn, so I can live with it. I can live with it, because I know that I will always have the opportunity to apologize and become better, and this time, and every time thereafter, I will seize it.

Yes, it is the students’ ultimate responsibility to learn what is required and take action to improve their academic standing. But, they need guidance, encouragement, and the teacher understanding of where they are at and where they’re coming from. Plus, what works for one student gets you the mental middle finger from another.

The hard truth is that I’ve failed some students in the past by allowing outdated rhetoric of insistence on “the right way to do things,” one size fits all approaches I was taught in school, and false sense of fairness (equality and equity are not equal, right?) to guide my teaching.

You see, I did not possess the emotional maturity, patience, and experience to deal with such issues when I was a newb (and the teacher rookie year lasts like 3-5 years with constant hazing). Stephen R. Covey explains that ”when relationships are strained and the air charged with emotion, an attempt to teach is often perceived as a form of judgment and rejection. But to take the child alone, quietly, when the relationship is good and to discuss the teaching or the value seems to have much greater impact.”

Staying Hungry Is Paramount

So, it is important for us, the teaching cult followers turned educators, to “stay hungry” -always and forever strive to grow along with our students. PROFESSIONAL GROWTH IS IMPORTANT, BUT I BELIEVE EMOTIONAL GROWTH IS EVEN MORE SO. This is best achieved through reflection and learning from our past failures in the classroom, shortcomings in our relationships, and epic fails in life.  

I’ve also learned not to beat myself up over the past. To dwell is to halt progress. It is way more important to contemplate the past failures critically, extract the lessons learned, and apply this newfound knowledge in similar future situations.

And, it is important to model this approach to our students.

If you happen to make a mistake or fail a student (or students) in some way, here’s a win-win, often counterintuitive, from failure to champ classroom success formula:

1. Admit it (shows you’re imperfect, aware of yourself, and confident).

2. Apologize for it (shows you’re authentic, accept responsibility, and that you care).

3. Say what you were thinking (shows risk-taking and good intention).

4. Say what you should have done (shows reflection and learning).

5. Say what you will strive to do in similar situations (shows fairness and willingness to change).

6. Ask for feedback (shows that their opinions really matter).

7. Reward yourself (In your mind: Do the Aaron Rodgers championship belt thing, or a Tiger Woods fist pump, or be like T.O. and call the President on your flip phone to tell him you just scored one for your team).

8. If you actually do have a flip phone… I’m not saying an asteroid needs to take you out like the T-Rex, but I’m just saying. And, keep it on the down low.

In fact, I would argue that the more opportunities you have to be “human” in front of your students, the stronger the bond you will form with them and the better you can influence them.  Oh, and they will learn more and be more successful in your class.

Why? It’s simple really: You realized that you teach the Person Inside each and every one of your students, and Not The Subject. So, the moral of this story truly is: THE MORE YOU FAIL, THE MORE YOU SUCCEED.

Pretty cool, huh?

The Teacher World Takeover

And so, I realized that I’m on a mission to change the world. Grandiose? Perhaps. Attainable? It’s happening as I write this, because I believe that every action a teacher takes to support his students’ learning, no matter how small, alters the world for the better. Forever.

But I do not want to do this job alone.

We gotta combine and multiply our forces.

Become the Legion of Boon.

We can even wear capes and Air Jordans for mad hops.

Or not.

I NEED YOU. THE WORLD NEEDS YOU. YOUR STUDENTS REALLY NEED YOU.

So... Are you with me, my teacher brethren?

Are you ready to change the world?

You know you have it in you.

And remember what Yogi Berra said: “The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be.”

And then there’s Steve: “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.”

Just Do It.

‘Cause This Ain’t No Industrial Age Homie…

Please Share this article if you find it relevant! How do you stay "hungry and foolish" in your classroom or life? Please comment below, give me a like (or not), and sign up for the always free and never boring Focus 2 Achieve Newsletter. Thanks for reading and remember that you have the power! Use it.

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This Ain’t No Industrial Age Homie: Teaching In The Information Age, Part 3a: Be Like Mike And Teach Students to Be Like Mike

by Oskar Cymerman     @focus2achieve

THIS AIN’T NO INDUSTRIAL AGE HOMIE: TEACHING IN THE INFORMATION AGE, PART 3A: BE LIKE MIKE AND TEACH STUDENTS TO BE LIKE MIKE

“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan

Alas, we have arrived at the first leg of the final leg of the marathon I dubbed: “This Ain’t No Industrial Age Homie!” What can I say? It’s Thursday afternoon (and will most likely be Friday tomorrow, and Saturday the day after), I have a monster headache after a full day of teaching stoichiometry and smart thinking (don’t ask), and I want to tell you something, so you can tell it to your students:

Be Like Mike and Tell ‘Em to Be Like Mike

Remember the saying: “Failure is not an option?” What a bunch of bull ordure.

See, I’m a Chicago dude, and while I live in the “Land of 10,000 (actually 11,842) Lakes” now, I grew up watching His Airness lead the Bulls to 6 NBA Championships. He claims that he missed 26 would be game winning shots, so it must be true, but somehow I only remember the ones he made. I think it’s because greatness is measured in “failure response” units. And, Jordan knew that.

He also realized that FAILURE IS THE ONLY OPTION ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS.

To learn, to correct, to gain the confidence in knowing that “stuff’s gonna be okay no matter what,” to continue to take risks, and to ultimately succeed, we need to TEACH OUR STUDENTS HOW TO FAIL.

To make failure okay, tell your students about your personal failures. Validate their feelings. It sucks when you take on something and fail at it. It’s okay to feel bad. But, it’s not okay to give up. It’s imperative to teach students how to fail and how to respond to failure. And you have to learn with them.

A student in my chemistry class, a varsity basketball player, has really been struggling recently. In my inception into the teaching cult years I would have probably brought the hammer down on, let’s call him Luke, if I saw him being constantly off task and distracted. But I learned that this kind of an approach rarely yields the desired result.

The truth is that, while I can guess why Luke is messing up in class, I cannot know for certain what is going on. And, if I just punked him, I might have completely turned him off and thus my actions would have led to a chain of events that would prevent Luke from learning chemistry. And let’s be honest here: NO ONE CAN LIVE WITHOUT CHEMISTRY. So what did I do?

Remembering the newest installment of the Star Wars series I just saw recently, I awakened the force. I channeled my inner Yoda (I know, I know – different episode, but bear with me here…), and instead of telling Luke what to do and what not to do, I simply started with my recent observations:

Me: Luke, I noticed that Da Force is not as strong with you as it used to be (Translation: I noticed you’ve been distracted and the quizzes are killing you).

Luke: (Nod)

Now that I had his attention I moved in for the kill.

Me: There is opportunity yet to be one with Da Force again (Or I might have said: You can retake the last quiz, but you should prepare for it to be successful).

Luke: Yeah, I wanna do that.

Me: Da Force has been strong with Jay (another young Jedi (I know, another continuity error, but what am I to do when Luke had no BFF to share his frosted flakes with? And is it a grammatical faux pas to insert a parenthesis inside a parenthesis?) and a friend sitting next to Luke, who has been acing assessments). Maybe you can help each other out.

Jay: (Nod)

Luke: (Nod)

Me: Da Force is stronger with those who help others (When you teach others you deepen your knowledge of the concept, because you have to explain it in an understandable and complete way).

Jay: (3 nods)

Me: May the force be with you.

Luke: You’re weird.

That was a slam-dunk wasn’t it? In your face apathy! Luke failed a couple of quizzes and was well on his way to land “summer school,” and maybe he will still end up there, but at least he knows that he is not doomed yet. He knows that he has options. He knows that he can yet succeed. He knows that he is not alone. He knows that there are people who believe in him.

And I believe that I have reached my word quota. I know, you hated when the Hunger Games Part 3 ended up being parts 3a and 3b, and you had to wait another stinking year for the conclusion, but rules are rules homie, so Pardon Me While I Burst Into Flames. See you next year!

Ok, so I’m lying. Part 3b is done. But I am not sure when the best time and day to post it is. Help me out if you can and comment below on what I should do. Or don’t. And sign up for my NEWSLETTER, because you can. Either way and when in doubt, use the force. 

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This Ain't No Industrial Age Homie: Teaching In The Information Age, Part 2: Be Like Taylor Swift

THIS AIN'T NO INDUSTRIAL AGE HOMIE: TEACHING IN THE INFORMATION AGE, PART 2: BE LIKE TAYLOR SWIFT

“If I had access to the Internet when I was alive I would have been more authentic and told them to eat Oreos” - Marie Antoinette

This is Part 2 of the article I wrote last week: THIS AIN'T NO INDUSTRIAL AGE HOMIE: TEACHING IN THE INFORMATION AGE, PART 1: PREACH LIKE BROTHER JOHN. In it, I discuss the need for our students to be creative in solving relevant problems, appropriate to the times we live in, using tools and skills they will actually need to use/figure out, when they venture out into the "real world." This can only be done through transforming our teaching practices and how we approach the learning process. So, put your spacesuit on and enjoy!

BE LIKE TAYLOR SWIFT (As Featured on EdWords)

Okay. So chances are you’re not going to become a top digital music-selling artist, be in a relationship with Joe Jonas (who???), or write extremely catchy songs that capture the hearts and minds of teens. You can however, just as Taylor does it, connect to the highs and lows of this generation, be current, and gain relevance with your students.

How?

Be Authentic and Connect.

The hard truth is we are educating a different breed of learner this day and age. And that’s okay. It’s supposed to be this way. It’s part of the evolution of things. What that means is that we must earn our students’ attention by being authentic. What does that entail as far the millennials and the iGEN kids go?

For one, we have to sell what we teach in a way that does not feel desperate and overbearing to our students. We must do it with confidence, conviction, and good intentions. We also have to do it comfortably by staying true to ourselves. The time of the bully teacher is long gone and the era of the Student-Champion has begun.

If you are a teacher who struggles with accepting any of this, then get out now. Seriously, this gig ain’t for you, because it ain’t about you! It requires putting students first and serving them; not controlling them (although their acceptance of your guidance is a nice byproduct if you meet their needs first - insert smiley face here -).

Good news is that most of us, the ones committed to the teaching cult, can and do learn from our mistakes. And, that is why this job is so awesome! We learn and grow with our students.

I still remember the prof leading my first teacher prep class say: “Do not smile on the first day of class.” What a load of crap that was! Of course, I did not smile that very first day of my first year... I regret that now... Oh what was and what could have been... Alright, enough sobbing for one article.

But what is the lesson I learned from this one and other experiences I’ve had? It is to BE YOURSELF. ALWAYS. BECAUSE “YOURSELF” IS THE ONLY PERSON YOU CAN AND WILL EVER BE. You cannot fake authenticity, nor can you fake that you care. You have to BE authentic and really do CARE. Besides, students can smell bullshit from 1.609 km away. That’s why they spray so much AXE in the school hallway (I really should be getting paid for this advertisement - I better call 1 800 ASK GARY, oops...).

Be With It.

Look: You gotta be relevant. If you’re not, you hardly exist to many students, and are a complete waste of air and space to others. Use the tech and let them use it, because this is the age we live in. Use it, because your students are using it and are comfortable with it. They use it, but (and this may surprise you) they are not proficient at it.

When you start, you will notice that some kids have used apps and software for things other than gaming and socializing, but many have limited experience with software that doesn’t involve these 2 things or standard word processing applications, and need time and opportunity to learn and become good at it. This is key for students. You do not need to be a technology guru, because if given time and chance, your students will figure the tech out and use it (and you can take ALL THE CREDIT for it as their BTF).  

And yes, allow BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) learning. Some (okay, most) students will get distracted while using their smartphone. They have good intentions mostly… It’s just that the smartphone gives you access to so much information and has so many cool features… Besides, if you own a smartphone, you can probably relate, because the last time you were trying to look up the weather on it, you checked your e-mail, squeezed in a quick text or two while at it, and then viewed that cute cat video your friend recommended you like.

So, while always striving to stay focused, we must accept that phones are here to stay and try to integrate them into the learning process. And, if that one annoying kid keeps using his phone when he’s not supposed, to take it from him, because it is not okay for students to be on their phone during direct instruction, even though the phone is basically an extension of his hand (this is one of those times you are allowed to go all Darth Vader on his ass and cut his hand off just as the tin-head lightsabered Luke’s left extremity off in The Empire Strikes Back).

There are 3 main reasons you should not fight the phones in your classroom:

1. You can’t win,

2. You can’t win, and

3. You will always lose (and remember: this isn’t the “you against them” sweepstakes).   

If you decide to be “that teacher” and ban phones from your classroom not only will you miss the opportunity to use powerful interactive apps, such as Kahoot!, Poll Everywhere etc. for formative assessment, but you will be slowly killing yourself! Think about the stress of constantly policing students, breathing down their necks, dealing with multiple offenses, and always being the bad guy. Being a teacher, chances are you are already experiencing stress at work (my entry for the understatement of the year contest) and STRESS KILLS, SO IF YOU CAN, AVOID IT.

The alternative is DEATH.

That does not sound cool, but you know what does? Michael Jordan. Whaaa?

Next post homie…  PART 3. Teach Students to Be Like Mike.

Does this article speak to you? Share It! How do you create authentic and relevant interactions in your classroom or life? Do you have ideas or resources you can share with others on this topic? Please comment below, give me a like (or not), and sign up for the always free and never boring Focus 2 Achieve Newsletter. Thanks for reading and remember that you have the power! Use it.

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