Where Are You Going?

"Where are you going?" It's a phrase often heard in the hallways of a high school. On any given day teachers and administrators ask students where they are headed. They may be in the hallway without a pass, in the parking lot or on a hall during lunch. Whatever the reason, we want to know where their intended destination is. Having a direction keeps you from wandering aimlessly. While students may know where they are headed in the hallway, how many of them have a direction for the school year or beyond high school? We often talk about students being unmotivated, but think how hard it must be to be motivated when you do not have a goal. So often, I speak with students that have no idea what they want to do after high school. They have no goal. Without that goal, they have no reason to make good grades or apply themselves in certain areas. Kids today have grown up in a mass media culture that
tells them what to wear, what to eat and what to listen to. So is it any wonder why they struggle to answer that question for themselves, that they struggle with the process?

Now that we have talked about students, what about us? What do we want? Do you want to be the best teacher? Do you want more kids to score well? Do you want kids to be better writers or thinkers? As a teacher, what do you want? Can you answer it? If so, what are you doing to make that your main focus? In essence, "Where are you going?" Take some time to focus on finding direction for yourself and help your students do the same. When we know where we are going, we are much more likely to be satisfied with where we end up.

Why Students Care (Or Don't)

Teachers are equipped to deal with learning disabilities. We have methods and procedures for overcoming language barriers, broken homes, and cognitive impairments. The biggest problem that we do not have a manual for is apathy. So what makes some students care and others not care, and why should we care? Those of us reading the Grit book have an answer to this question. While the author acknowledges that grit is naturally higher in some than others, grit can also be learned and grown in everyone. The first key to growing grit is finding a person's passion.

It seems like a no-brainer, but people tend to do better and grow more in areas that they have an interest. Our problem in schools, is that not every child comes to school with a genuine interest or passion for what we teach. In fact, some kids down right hate what we teach. So how do we move beyond that hate and generate a passion for what they do not like? Easy, build relationships first. All good teachers do it. A student may not care about what you teach, but they can care about you. I barely remember all of the things that I was taught in high school, but I do remember working to please my favorite teachers. Building a relationship with your students is an important first step, but it is not the only step. Leveraging that relationship toward understanding curriculum is what has to happen and that's the difficult part. Many teachers are good curriculum presenters or good relationship builders, but those that can make both happen are the ones that do the most good.

I wanted to say thank you again to those of you that have already taken the Positivity Challenge and I encourage the rest of you to jump in as well. It's never to late to appreciate others!

What Students Bring to School

It's almost so normal, that we don't pay attention to it anymore, but think about all of the times a student did not come to school with paper or a pencil. You (like me) probably rolled your eyes, and worked to provide the student with what they needed to make it through your lesson. It is easy for teachers to complain about what students do not bring to school. We find ways to get around this problem most of the time because doing anything else is counter-productive for us.

With all of the things that frustrate us about what students do not bring to school, it is easy to loose sight of what students do bring with them every day. Students bring the thoughts and words from their households and community with them everyday. These ideas cloud their judgement at times and keep them on the right path at other times. This week I have been hit hard with parent fears about their children. America is very divided right now. Politics, religion, race relations with police, immigration, terrorism and many other factors flood students ears at home and they can't help but bring these ideas to school with them everyday. As the election approaches, we are likely to see outward expressions of these things that students bring to school with them. I want for us to treat these the same way that we treat the missing pencil. We give them what they need to be successful in school and in life, and despite our personal frustrations or disagreements, we teach them anyway. Young minds are impressionable in many ways, and while they may hear things that we do not agree with, we still have to show them how to be the best person possible. They will remember that part as well.