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Teaching Outside of the Box
"When students believe that success is possible, they will try."
Teaching has always held its place among the most misunderstood of professions. There is no shortage by any stretch of the imagination of grandiose depictions of what its like to be an educator. When deciding on what to read for our summer reading project, I wanted something more genuine. I wanted advice that worked. I wanted to read a book that offered up some practical guidance for the profession. The perspective of LouAnne Johnson in Teaching Outside the Box offered a refreshingly instructive and applicable read.
Johnson has shelled out her advice and philosophy for teaching that I hope will serve myself and whoever this finds its way to well in the future. Below I've listed some guidelines I've found most useful.
You can't control your students, but you can control your classroom.
My mentor team and I have had some discussion on how to manage student behavior. Having a clear and consistent procedure with reasonable expectations and give and take respect was the general consensus for how best to manage students. Johnson advises that teachers state expectations clearly and be very consistent in following through with those expectations.
Develop a "Teacher Persona"
This piece of advice was taken with some thorough discussion from my team. One team member suggested being yourself, while another suggested a more firm and stoic approach. The point the author was making was that consistently be what accomplishes your goals and allows you to feel most comfortable when interacting with your students. Being kind and fun while having clear and consistent expectations is my goal.
Dedication and Talent aren't Enough
My favorite advice from the author so far is this: "education, desire, intelligence, passion, and talent do not automatically enable you to communicate complex ideas to other people." Among my team it was shared that passion and training must come together. You can't just love students, you have to love teaching and with that learning. Another team member shared that good teachers are disciplined and are able to be good examples to students. I believe that you not only have to be passionate about your subject, but your passion has to be in sharing that with others.
Super, Excellent, or Good?
The author explains that the extent and type of input a teacher has into their job determines what type of teacher they are. Some have extreme investment into their classroom, while others keep a strict schedule of when and how school stuff is handled. My team agreed that your energy will dwindle as you build your own life outside of the classroom, and setting reasonable limits on yourself will become imperative.
Why are We Here?
The ever-famous "why?" Why are we teachers? Why do we get paid to do what we do? Why are we still needed in 2018 and beyond. The author shares her philosophy that content is just a medium through which we are teaching students to use and connect information in a meaningful way. Members of my team felt that ag teachers are there to instill work ethic and problem solving skills.
Johnson shares much more advice and her personal experiences on what works for educators further in the book. For now, these are the main points my team has critically examined from the book. I felt these points were pieces of advice I'd want to hold on to most in my future as an ag educator.
