How to Improve the Quality of Your Day

One word or pleasing smile is often enough to raise up a saddened and wounded soul.

                                                                                                                   -        Therese of Lisieux

I’ve heard it said that a smile is the closest distance between two people. Besides increasing our face value, a smile can lighten up a room and endear us to others. With that in mind, here’s an experiment you can try today or tomorrow. Everyone you meet, friend or stranger, give them a smile. Then at the end of the day take stock of how your day went. It’s very likely the quality of your day will have exceeded your expectations.

Now, to add even more vigor to your life, besides giving everyone you meet a smile, make a definite plan to compliment at least three of those people. Arnold H. Glasgow said, “Praise does wonders for our sense of hearing.” Who can deny the feeling of euphoria at the sound of words of praise? Edifying remarks have the power to supercharge our self-confidence.  

It’s a natural human tendency to want to discuss things that we find interesting. Knowing that, why not launch yourself into that special group of go-getters who lead a charmed life by going out of your way to engage three other people in a conversation about themselves and their interests?  Maybe you’re already in that mode of behavior, but if not, I dare you to try it tomorrow. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Somewhat related to the above, I read an interesting quote recently by Mahatma Gandhi: “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” As you’re reading this, the Christmas season is quickly approaching. At this special time of year, an expression that’s often heard is - “peace on earth and goodwill to all men.” No doubt many would agree that universal peace is a difficult goal to attain. How can we ever reach that goal? As we get ready to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, it behooves us to find ways and means to bring about peace.

Even though the efforts we make on an individual basis (i.e. smiling at, complimenting, and engaging others, for example), may not make a great difference in terms of the global community; but the difference those efforts make in our local community can serve as a point of light to encourage others to do likewise.

Blessed Mother Teresa, in reference to the work of the Missionaries of Charity, once said, “What we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” Who knows what difference a kind word or a smile can make? To a stranger we meet, who may be shouldering some heavy burden, it could be a ray of hope along their way.

In this regard, I’m reminded once again of the story of the elderly gentleman walking on the beach, who saw someone in the distance leaning down to pick up something and throw it in the water. As he got closer he noticed it was a young man picking up starfish one by one and throwing them gently into the water. The older man asked him, “Why are you doing that?” The younger man replied, “If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.” When he heard this, the older man reminded the younger man that there were miles and miles of beach and starfish along every mile, so he couldn’t possibly make a difference. The young man bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

Teaching and the 10,000 Hour Rule

The average teacher explains complexity; the gifted teacher reveals simplicity.

                                                                                                                -        Robert Brault

I’m reading an interesting book this week called Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. In the second section of his book the author talks about the 10, 000  Hour Rule. This rule basically states that in order to achieve success at a high level in any endeavor, be it music, chess, or computer programming, it takes at least 10, 000 hours of practice in the chosen field. To prove his point, Mr. Gladwell weaves in the stories of some prominent people: Mozart, Bobby Fischer (the chess grandmaster), and Bill Gates.

After I read these stories about the 10, 000 hour rule, I started thinking about the field of education. Let’s crunch the numbers. If a beginning teacher spends, on average, four hours per day teaching, that would equal 720 hours over a school year of, let’s say, 180 days. In order to get to the 10, 000 hour threshold, it would take approximately fourteen years of teaching. Wow! That’s about halfway through a thirty year teaching career. Interesting, isn’t it?

This is my twenty-seventh year as a teacher. When I think about it, the above author’s theory resonates with me. After about fifteen years in the classroom (okay, it took me a little longer!), I started to get more of a comfort level with the nuances of the craft. By that I mean I was becoming more adept at things like drawing up succinct lesson plans, composing various types of assessment that matched curriculum objectives, and understanding how the recent research (of a dozen years or so ago) around concepts like multiple intelligences and differentiated learning could help me better relate to the students in front of me. With that decade and a half of education behind me, I’ve found the last ten years of my career to be a period of heightened confidence in my abilities as an educator.

During those first 10, 000 hours as a teacher, the learning curve was great. Did I make a few mistakes? You bet. Was I grateful for the positive role models of more experienced teachers in the schools where I worked? Yes, absolutely. In those first fourteen or so years I just wanted to absorb as much as I could about how to improve my skills (not only as a teacher, but as a person) so that I could be of greater benefit to the students I taught. Karl Menninger once said: “What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.” Over the past ten to twelve years I’ve come to a more mature understanding of the wisdom of Menninger’s words.

Today I’m more excited than ever to be involved in the teaching profession. There are so many resources available now that can shorten the learning curve for new teachers. My best recommendation for any teacher, new or not so new, would be to take advantage of the power of Twitter to help build their own personal learning network (PLN). Just imagine – as part of my professional growth plan for this year, one of my goals is to increase my PLN through Twitter.

Whenever I sit back and think about the importance of my job as a teacher, I’m humbled. That sense of humility was brought home to me recently. Recently I was in Calgary teaching a CPR course to a group of Grade 10 students who needed this component as part of their Phys.Ed. course. During a break in the four hour session, a parent of one of the students came up to me and commented on my teaching style and the course in general. His comment was such that he felt, from the way I was relating to my students, that I demonstrated a strong sense of caring for the students.

Later that same evening, when I reflected on the compliment I had received, I felt a keen sense of gratification. Yes, I was grateful to be on the receiving end of such an edifying remark, but even more than that I was grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to be mentored by great teachers that I’ve met in person or through some powerful books I’ve read.

The Bhagavad-Gita states: “You have control over your work alone, never the fruit.” As a teacher you can never be sure of the results of the work you do with your students. The fruits of your labor may not be visible until years later. But one of the inherent joys of the craft is to be able to stay in the mode of a learner yourself, so that your value in the classroom can become of inestimable worth.

Discovering ability in others

The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.

-          James Buchanan

I’ve long thought that one of my key roles as an educator is to elicit greatness out of my students. Within the structure of a lesson plan on a given day, or maybe imbedded in a particular assignment I’ve given, I want to create an opportunity for my students to shine. What do I mean by that? Well, here’s an example.

In my Grade 9 LA class, the assignment for this week and next is to write two to three scenes for a one act play. Instead of having the students write their own play (they’ve already composed two other scenes individually); I decided to put them in groups of five and then use Google Docs to create their presentation or slide show. As my students are dispersed all over the province, Google Docs is a great way for them to collaborate on this project.

One of the best features of Google Docs is its social media function. As students are working simultaneously on their document or presentation, they can chat in real time on the website. This almost replicates the group work situation in a traditional classroom. Or maybe it even goes beyond that because not only do the learners have the document in front of them on the screen while they’re interacting, but they also have the advantage of being at home with maybe less distractions than in a normal classroom setting. From the feedback I’ve received so far, my students are really enjoying this shared learning process.

At the outset of the assignment I randomly designated one person in each group as the leader. This person had to initially create a g-mail account and then add the e-mail addresses of his or her partners. What’s exciting for me as the teacher is that I asked each group leader to add my e-mail address to their list of collaborators in Google Docs. By having them do that, I’m now able to co-create the one act play along with my students by giving feedback on their presentation as we go forward.

Another quite interesting facet of this teaching and learning tool is the ability for me to check the revision history of the document being created. In that way I can track the participation level of all group members, just as a teacher in a bricks and mortar school would as he or she moved around the classroom.

The highly successful author, Ken Blanchard, when speaking on the topic of leadership had this to say: “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” As teachers, we exert a very positive influence on our students when we allow them to demonstrate their ingenuity. Famed American football coach, Lou Holtz, reiterated the previous point when he said: “It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test.”

Innovation and inspiration

When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.

-          Tuli Kupferberg

Over a twenty-seven year teaching career, I’ve seen many instructional patterns, or theories of education, come and, in some cases, go. Take for example the innovative program called “inventive spelling” that achieved notoriety about twenty years ago under the umbrella of the whole language approach to literacy development. The proponents of this principle of pedagogy suggested that if students of LA in the early grades came up with an approximate spelling of a word then that was okay. Their key concern, from the way I saw it, was that these aspiring writers would be able to write cogent sentences and paragraphs without being slowed down by fussing over the correct spelling of a word.

I can still remember seeing the joy on some of the students’ faces as they frolicked in the reverie of writing outside the constraints of exact word spelling. (I didn’t quite notice many of their teachers smiling though). I can also still recall the consternation on the faces of some of those students and their parents a few years later when the short lived thrill of inventive spelling had passed its due date – at least in their estimation. At that time the demands of high school English teachers, who apparently had not gotten (or paid no attention to) the memo on this fledgling program, ran afoul of the teetering confidence of the subjects of this experiment in learning.

In the past ten to fifteen years there’s been a shift towards concepts called differentiated instruction and brain-based learning – to name just two. Based on the wealth of research and successful classroom practice that has gone into these ideas, it’s safe to say that their merit as teaching philosophies is above reproach. Both of these learning strategies are an attempt by teachers to better engage their students, while at the same time addressing their individual needs as learners.

Nowadays, with all the information available to educators about reaching students through a better understanding of their learning styles, combined with increased teacher and student access to technology, like Smart Boards and the internet, the classroom experience has taken on new significance.

In the virtual learning environment, where I’ve been teaching for the past few years, it seems like on a weekly basis there is some new teaching tool clamoring for my attention. That’s exciting! It’s a real thrill at this point in my career to take the foundation of over twenty years in the traditional classroom, and infuse that knowledge with cutting edge technologies, like Moodle, blogs and glogs, QuizStar, elive, and Wikis.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Twitter. What an amazing facet of social media that is! By tapping into, or following, a number of key educators around the globe, I’ve been blessed with a constant flow of information to pick and choose from to improve my teaching practice.

When I consider what an interesting and exciting time it is to be a teacher, I’m reminded of the wise words of Abraham Lincoln. (With all due respect to the former U.S. President, I’ve qualified in brackets his use of the word “stormy”.)  “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy (innovative and inspiring) present.”

Enjoying the Day

The journey of discovery begins not with new vistas but with having eyes with which to behold them.

                                         -          Marcel Proust

The bike ride to work this morning (Sept. 20) was a chilly one. At three degrees Celsius, that autumn-like air was refreshing to say the least. For most of my teaching career I’ve driven in a car to work, often carpooling with my colleagues. Taking the two-wheeled transport is an entirely different experience, as you can imagine. Beyond the cardio-vascular benefit of biking, there’s a certain serendipity to it as well.

Take this morning for example. As I started my journey I decided to veer off the main road and take the asphalt covered hiking trail that traverses the well kept green space abutting rows of modern dwelling places. This path eventually gives way to a street that runs adjacent to numerous high end homes with back yards grooved to rest comfortably on the sedate shore of a man-made lake called Crystal Shores.

As I pedaled past these finely appointed abodes, with an Audi here and a Hummer there, I imagined for a moment the morning routine of the occupants. On this sun splashed morning, was the man of the house torn between casting a line to pierce the still water of the lake, or dusting off the golf clubs to catch a quick eighteen holes before jetting off to some business meeting in some unknown city? Or maybe he, or his spouse, was preparing a morning meal, while at the same time rousing the kids from their slumber so they could be well prepared for their e-teacher’s elive class at 9. (Yes, I did have one scheduled for 9 a.m.!)

My brief reverie was cut short as I found myself taking a steep right turn and zooming towards an intersection that would rejoin me with the main road. To avoid the four lane traffic here, I kept to the sidewalk and slowed my pace a little to allow ample running room for the occasional jogger I met along the way. (If you’re an early morning jogger, walker, or biker, maybe you sense as well the almost instantaneous kinship felt upon meeting another like-minded soul on your way. All it takes is a quick nod of the head or even a muted hello to affirm that affinity.)

On the second last leg of my journey I zipped by an elementary school, thankful I had left early enough to avoid the bevy of buses that would soon be arriving. Then in a few short minutes I was cresting the top of a sharp incline that leads down to my destination. I always relish this part of the ride as my coasting speed down the hill can sometimes equal the speed limit of those four-wheeled conveyances. Not wanting to cause too much consternation for those early morning commuters, I usually apply my brake before the road levels off and allow them to assume their rightful place ahead of me!

As I dismounted my bike in the parking lot behind our office, I inhaled one last whiff of the fresh air and thought to myself – thank you Lord for this wonderful day; I just want to rejoice and be glad in it.

The power of focus

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.

-          Alexander Graham Bell

It’s hard to believe another school year is already upon us. With the dawning of the new school year, each student draws his or her bow, if you will, and takes aim at the bull’s eye of high academic achievement. Of course, the measure of success achieved by the individual student will depend on, among other things, their willingness to focus on the task at hand and maintain consistent study habits for the balance of the school year.

American writer Frank A. Clark once said: “Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things.” The successful students I’ve taught over my career have made it a habit to take care of the little things. In other words, they’ve paid attention in class, asked questions for clarification, completed all homework assignments, prepared diligently for exams, and often read information beyond the required curriculum to enhance their understanding.

Along with the support and encouragement of the classroom teacher, the above habits will not only ensure a positive learning experience, but will also help the student develop the discipline needed to continue with a life of quality after high school. I suspect motivational speaker and author, Zig Ziglar, was also referring to students when he said: “We have to live our life as a meaningful specific and not a wandering generality.” It’s all about focus – about heeding the advice found in the wise saying: “Life is in session. Are you present?”

Mr. Ziglar’s advice can also apply, of course, to teachers starting the new school year. On Twitter I recently came across an interesting compilation of more than 100 tips and tricks for new teachers (from Richard Byrne at http://www.freetech4teachers.com/). The piece of advice that caught my eye the most was labeled as: best advice for new teachers (referenced from Dave Andrade at http://www.educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/). Dave’s list was as follows: be organized; ask for help; use the curriculum as a guide, but be creative; ask for help; create a PLN; ask for help. What powerful advice for the beginning teacher – especially the part about asking for help!

Creating a PLN, or personal learning network, is definitely worth the effort, especially with the wealth of resources literally at the teacher’s fingertips. We’re now into the second decade of the 21^st century. It’s an exciting time to be an educator as we prepare our students for the opportunities and challenges ahead. In order to do that, educational consultant, Ken Kay, says that we need to “fuse the 3R’s with the 4C’s”. The 4C’s are critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Creating Curiosity

All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.

                                                      -      Martin H. Fischer

In my last column I referenced a quote from Cisco Systems. This citation suggested we’ve already moved from a one room schoolhouse to a one world schoolhouse. I was reminded of the validity of this statement earlier today (July 21) when a teacher in our office made me aware of a website called “e-pals”(http://www.epals.com/). On this free website, teachers and students can collaborate with other schools around the world on topics ranging from A to Z. From a quick look at the site’s homepage today, I noticed a project from a U.S. teacher who collaborated with another junior high class in Italy. Her project had students using email, wiki, and video-conferencing to work together on a “collaborative detective story”.

With the many tools available to educators, like e-pals, it is indeed an exciting time to be a teacher. When I first started my teaching career the internet and Google and Twitter were unavailable to teachers. In those days, for the most part, collaboration to improve teaching and learning involved sitting down with fellow teachers in your school or district and sharing best practices. That type of teamwork was an effective means of trying to get better at your craft. But when you consider the abundance of resources available today through advances in computer technology, it’s amazing how far we’ve come even in the last few years.

Just last night I came across another interesting website called “wordia”(http://wordia.com/). It’s one recommended by Richard Byrne (http://www.freetech4teachers.com/). Wordia is a free visual, video dictionary. The website has a catchy byline: “bring words to life!” This is accomplished through the use of video, whereby users of the site (besides getting the spelling, meaning and etymology of a word) can learn about the personal connotation or meaning of a word through a short video segment that’s often hosted by a famous person. Having spent a few minutes on the site last night, I was very impressed not only with its overall quality, but also with the entertaining videos on words like “bottom” and “discombobulate”. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Yes, pedagogy definitely takes on new power when teachers can supplement their lesson material with other components from the vast reservoir of knowledge on the worldwide web. By doing so, both they and their students can become more engaged in the process of discovery on the journey of learning.

One of the things that attracted me to the teaching profession was the idea that by teaching others I could always be in the mode of a learner. You’ve probably heard the adage: to teach is to learn twice. It’s exciting to learn new information! I’m always grateful for the teachers in my life who created that sense of curiosity in me. One of my primary goals as an educator is to do the same for my students. As Clay P. Bedford once said: “You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.”

Walk the Talk

"We can give no greater gift to others than putting them at ease."
                                                                                      - John C. Maxwell

While reading another educator's blog today - "Learning is Growing" by Kathleen M. Perret (http://learningisgrowing.wordpress.com/), I came across an inspiring video from Simple Truths that she had posted there. It's called "Walk the Talk" (http://www.doyouwalkthetalk.com/). This short video encourages us to always do the right thing by living a life based on integrity.

With each new sunrise we're all given a clean slate. It's a proverbial new beginning - a new opportunity to make a difference. As a teacher, each new day brings so many opportunities to make a difference in a student's life. As students file through our classroom doors (either physically or virtually), they definitely want to be put at ease.

Our students want to know their teacher believes in them. We can demonstrate our belief in them with a welcoming smile and a word of encouragement. Then in our sincere effort to "walk the talk", we can supplement that belief in our students by assisting them in the joy of discovery - of learning something new.

Blessed Mother Teresa, a former teacher, knew how to engender belief in her students. She once said: "You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things."

To Be a Difference Maker

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.

-      Henry David Thoreau

In another week or so our oldest daughter will be joining the rest of her Grade 12 class as they celebrate their senior high prom. It is, of course, a special time in their lives. On the evening of May 28, the graduates will be clad in their finest attire. Alongside the clicking of cameras and the whirring of video recorders, the 2011 graduating class will receive well wishes from all those in attendance. Nestled in among tears of joy will be the graduates’ expressions of gratitude to their parents and teachers.

As is customary on these momentous occasions, a guest speaker will be called upon to bring some words of wisdom to the graduates. He or she will no doubt extol the value of using their Grade 12 diploma as a springboard to higher academic achievement in a chosen post-secondary institution. Maybe equally as predictable, the guest speaker will talk about the power of having a dream, and pursuing that dream with a passion-driven plan.

Recently, I was reading another teacher’s comments (on her blog – The Dream Teacher) about graduation time. Apparently, she had given a speech at her nephew’s graduation in the U.S. encouraging the students to follow the advice of recording artists Tim McGraw – “live like you’re dying”, and Leann Womack – “I hope you dance”. However, the gist of her talk centered on three words: “Don’t get comfortable.” She qualified that statement by telling the class to be risk-takers in an innovative and creative way, and to not let complacency rule their life.

I’m sure we could all agree with this blogger’s uplifting remarks. But, with all due respect, I would like to offer a different perspective on her terminology – don’t get comfortable. While I agree with the supporting statements she made about those three words, I would like to suggest a different (but complementary I would think) approach.

I believe this year’s graduates should “get comfortable”. By that I mean, get comfortable with:

·         Having a spiritual focus at the core of their being.

·         Harboring a deep respect for the wisdom of their elders.

·         Continuing the quest for self-awareness through a regular practice of reading great literature.

·         Living the tenets of the four agreements of author Don Miguel Ruiz: be impeccable with your word; don’t take anything personally; don’t make assumptions; and always do your best.

As they embark on the next leg of their life’s journey, this year’s graduates will find themselves in a world filled with incredible opportunities. But, couched in those opportunities, there lies an abiding need. The world of today yearns for men and women who will use their skills to be difference makers – to find peaceful solutions for resolving global inequities. I believe those solutions can be found if today’s youth strive toward the challenge put forth by Albert Einstein: “Try not to become a person of success, but try to become a person of value.”

Students of Character

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."
                                                                              - John Dewey

Over the past week I've had two great experiences as a teacher. The first one involved discovering an awesome website called edu.glogster.com. It's a website that allows students and teachers to create online multimedia posters or glogs. I've done some experimenting with it and plan to use it in a couple of weeks in both my Grade 7 LA class and my Grade 11 English class. Check out the sample I've created for my Grade 7 students at the link below.

http://wikiuser.edu.glogster.com/john-goddard/

It's almost an understatement to say that we live in a multimedia world. By having students use the interactive tools available on the glogster website (according to a teacher set list of criteria), we allow them another opportunity to use their creative thinking skills. To supplement the text only writing assignments, glogs can be an additional catalyst to engage learners and to better hone the skills needed in the 21st century.

The second great teacher experience in the past week involved spending a couple of hours with about ten of my junior high French students at a school in Medicine Hat. Being an online teacher, I don't often get the chance to meet face to face with my students, especially in a traditional school setting. What impressed me the most about these students was the level of courtesy and respect they showed me during my brief visit.

Over the course of my teaching career I've had the good fortune to work with many students who have, in essence, humbled me by their impeccable manners and respectful behavior. These French students similarly put me in awe. When my stay with them was over and they had returned to their next class, I couldn't help but think - these students are people of character.

Aristotle once wrote: "The ultimate end of life is the development of character." My students in Medicine Hat have already made great strides on that journey of  character development.

Developing an interest

If children have interests, the education happens.
                                                       - Arthur C. Clarke

It's an exciting time to be an educator! I've been saying that a lot lately. Teachers today have so many tools available to them. Over the last few months I've been hearing and reading about teachers developing their own PLN (Personal Learning Network). With the multitude of resources available through blogs and websites from other teachers, and twitter postings, the learning curve is spiralling upward. It gives all teachers a great advantage in the classroom. With the tremendous growth in social media, both students and teachers have, at their fingertips, the power of instant communication and access to the vast repository of the world's knowledge. That's exciting!

The challenge for educators, probably more so now than ever before, is to help our students navigate their way through this ocean of information. We need to help them develop the critical thinking skills in order to enable them to chart their own direction; and, at the same time, give them the appropriate moral model so that our exemplary behavior will be another compass they can use along the way.

But even with all the exciting learning opportunities available to our students, it's unfortunate that a significant number of teenagers are deciding to drop out of school. I read recently that, in the U.S., an average of 7000 students drop out of school every day! Here in Canada I understand about 10 % of students drop out yearly. The reasons for this disturbing trend and the possible solutions to reverse it are most assuredly on the minds of many in the teaching profession.

What can I do as an educator to help alleviate the above challenge? Well, one of the first things that comes to mind is to keep finding ways to energize my instruction and the way I present information to my students. One of my goals as a teacher is to incorporate novel ways of teaching my course content, whether that be through blogs or wikis, or some other technological tool. Anything I can do to pique my students' interest will be a win-win. It's fun for me to create a more engaging lesson format, and, hopefully at the end of the day, my students will gain a deeper learning experience.