relationships Archives - Page 11 of 12 - Inspired Together Teachers

Let’s Be Grateful for Our Profession

November 23, 2015 by Inspired Together Teachers 4 Comments

It’s Thanksgiving week, which reminds us to take a moment to be grateful for things we have and things we cherish. Along with our families, friends and comfortable homes full of holiday food, we are grateful for our profession and all of the good things we find there. We feel blessed that we have found meaningful work that fills us with passion and energy.

We are grateful that we get to witness the growth in our students from the time we begin working with them until they are ready to leave us. Though we often don’t notice it from day to day, from beginning to end the differences are often dramatic. We are rewarded by growth and honored to have played a part in it.

We are grateful to work in a profession where we get to determine the environment in which we work. We can make our classrooms joyful places of learning or dread filled places of despair. We can make our classrooms safe for all who visit and all who learn there. Though we may not be able to influence the larger political climate we work in, we can choose the weather in our classrooms.

We are grateful for the many diverse people we have had the opportunity to meet. We have worked with many highly dedicated parents, students, teachers and other school professionals. We have been in classrooms across the country and around the world, and the people we have met have given us perspective and filled us with possibility.

We are grateful that we can call our colleagues at night or on the weekends, to brainstorm solutions or to celebrate successes. When you love your work, you will gladly have those discussions with each other. Our colleagues often understand the situation in a way that our families can’t. Our colleagues know and they are there for us.

We are grateful that we have met some of our best friends through our teaching careers. Sharing a love of what you do with someone who is as inspiring and dedicated as you strive to be creates a bond that is everlasting.

We are grateful that we have been able to serve as advocates for students, giving a voice to those who don’t always have one. Empowering others is a responsibility we take seriously. You can count on us to be your champion.

We are grateful for our former students, who smile and embrace us and sometimes tell us that though it didn’t seem like it at the time, we have made a difference in their lives. Our former students have a way of coming back into our lives at unexpected times and in unexpected places. These joyous encounters are among the greatest gifts we have ever received.

And lastly, we are grateful for our readers. We have readers from all around the country as well as Australia, Singapore, Moldova, Japan and Peru. As we move forward, we hope you will continue to read our posts, comment and share. If you haven’t joined us on Facebook (TYTtribe), or Twitter please do. We would be delighted to have you join us.

We look forward to future conversations with you. Get started now by leaving a comment telling us about something educational that you’re grateful for this holiday season.

Happiest of Thanksgivings to you and your families,

How To Keep Educational Discussion Positive

November 8, 2015 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Given the current controversies in education today, there are a multitude of educational discussions occurring each day in a variety of settings. While many of these discussions are civil and productive, there are just as many that are unpleasant and unsettling.

Recently, we were a part of a discussion with several educators who are passionate teachers and strong advocates. We were meeting to discuss an educational issue that we all have strong feelings about.

One of two things could have happened. The conversation could have become passionately positive or overwhelmingly negative. We chose passionately positive and all participants left the discussion feeling better than when we entered. It wasn’t pure luck that the conversation went that way. We followed an algorithm-of-sorts for keeping discussions Passionate and Positive:

A + B + C + D= Passionately Positive Discussions

A= Always talk to the right people. If you want to be energized, pull people into the discussion who are passionate and positive. The more positive voices in the conversation, the less likely negative voices are to speak up. If you have enough passion in the group, even those with less enthusiasm will feel the influence of the others and be inspired.

B= Be clear about expectations. Establish ground rules for your discussion. It’s fine to start out the discussion by saying, “Let’s keep this positive. We are all passionate but we need to remember that we will get nothing accomplished if we turn this into a complaint session.” Being proactive and stating optimistic expectations upfront will be worth it. It is much more difficult to try and turn around a conversation once it has become hostile or depressing.

C= Concentrate on solutions. Recognize the problems and what led to them but focus your passion and energy on the solutions. Too much dwelling on the problems can drain the group’s energy. Solutions, brainstormed by passionate advocates, are full of momentum, excitement, and promise.

D= Don’t forget the food. If you want a positive discussion, bring food. There is a feeling of comradery when we share food around a table. Plus, it seems we are all a little more at ease with a chocolate or an appetizer in hand.

All of these elements combined amount to an educational discussion that is passionate and positive. In fact, your discussion will be passionately positive!

What additional components do you add to your algorithm to make educational discussions more passionately and positive? Please share.

We wish you many such conversations in your near future.

Rafe Esquith: The Teacher Who Fought Back

October 20, 2015 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Rafe Esquith, veteran teacher, author, director of The Hobart Shakespeareans and winner of the National Medal of the Arts, the Medal of Honor and Oprah’s “Teacher of the Year Award” has filed a billion dollar class action lawsuit against Los Angeles Unified School District. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 2000 teachers, is the largest class action lawsuit filed by teachers in the history of public education. The lawsuit claims that the district, which assigns teachers to “teacher jails” while awaiting personnel inquires, is practicing a form of age discrimination, as well as retaliation against whistle blowing. The complaint also claims the district violates due process.

Esquith was removed from his classroom in April, when a colleague overheard him make a comment about nudity while reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. No students or parents complained, and the comment was within the context of the book. The district then decided to investigate Esquith’s non-profit Hobart Shakespeareans, which he funds through his book sales, speaking engagements, and patrons, which include elite actors as well as former students who are now successful adults. Watch this video to hear Sir Ian McKellan and Rafe’s students and parents respond.

Now, Esquith, who has power and voice as a celebrity teacher is fighting back. We count ourselves among Rafe’s friends and fans, and we are standing by him.

We have met Rafe and worked with him. He visited our school when we hired him to be a keynote speaker at a conference. Not only did he give an inspiring speech, he was gracious, endlessly talking to and taking photos with students. From the moment we picked him up at the airport, throughout the day and at dinner that night, we found him to be real and thoughtful. As we discussed educational issues, we found in Rafe a philosophical kindred spirit.

We also traveled to Los Angeles and spent several days in Rafe’s classroom. We watched him teach and visited with his students. We stayed for after school and Saturday play practice. We observed the rapport he has with students and the methods he uses to create an environment where his students become a community of learners and together achieve excellence. Our days in Rafe’s classroom only served to assure us that he is a master teacher achieving extraordinary results.

Many school districts don’t like teachers who use untraditional methods. They are more comfortable with teachers who follow the script, don’t question too much and do what is required of them. They don’t know what to do with teachers who step outside of the box, dare to question, or have the audacity to replace ineffective practices with something that works. Too often, classrooms have become soulless places where students move lockstep through identical curriculum. Rather than encouraging brilliance, a one-size fits all curriculum and endless testing have only led us to perpetual mediocrity.

Teachers have become the whipping boys of education in America today. They are told what to do and say, and exactly what to teach. Then, when the mandates don’t work, it is teachers who are vilified. Teachers are well educated, know their students and have knowledge and skills that would improve achievement if only they were allowed some autonomy and support. Many places in the country now have teacher shortages, is it any wonder?

As a group, teachers don’t speak up enough. They are educators, not politicians. They worry about their jobs. They are trained in teaching methods, not public policy. They spend more time and energy on their students than in fighting for unjust practices.

Until now. Rafe is smart, and he has well -connected friends. He has a platform and a voice. He has a team of lawyers and can land on the front page of major news outlets. He is engaging in the fight of his life. It is also the fight of thousands of teachers without a voice.

In his book Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire, Rafe writes about his classroom, “it’s a world where character matters, hard work is respected, humility is valued and support for one another is unconditional.”

We want to go on record in unconditional support of Rafe, our friend and colleague.

Go, fight, and teach them all like your hair’s on fire,

How Will Your Students Answer These 3 REVEALING Questions?

September 20, 2015 by Inspired Together Teachers 4 Comments

Imagine this familiar TV crime show scene:

An intense interview is conducted in a room with a two-way mirror.
From the other side of the mirror a person awaiting the response anxiously leans toward the mirror to listen with a mix of hope and dread. The listener knows what they want the interviewee to say but they are not confident the words will be spoken.
The interviewee answers and the listener…(insert emotional reaction here)

Now, imagine that your students are the people individually being interviewed while you secretly await their answers on the other side of the two-way mirror. They are asked these 3 difficult questions:

Do you think your teacher is a great teacher? Why or why not?
Do you think your teacher knows you as an individual and addresses your needs?
Do you think your teacher enjoys being a teacher and spending his/her days at school?

As you read through those questions, which caused you the greatest sense of hope in your students’ potential answers and which caused you the most unease? Would you want your students to answer all of these questions if they could reply without knowing you were listening?

In K-12 schools, teachers rarely get this type of honest feedback from students. At the college level, evaluations that include similar questions are asked and answered anonymously by students regularly. Why is it that we ask these crucial questions of college students, who spend 3 hours per week with their instructors for only 16 weeks of the year, yet don’t ask these same questions of students in the K-12 system who see their teachers daily for an entire year?

If you are confident you would be comfortable with the responses of your students if given a two-way mirror and these questions, congratulations, you have achieved a level of teaching that many strive for their entire career.

If one of these questions made you most uneasy about your students’ potential responses, find a way to make that a particular goal this year.

Here are points to consider to best use this assessment:

Create an anonymous way to ask your students these evaluation questions. These questions could be asked via paper/pencil, electronic survey (many free websites such as surveymonkey.com can do this), or ask a trusted colleague to interview a random sample of your students.
Consider having students expand on their answers for more specific information or add questions.
Use it as a self-assessment. You can ask yourself, periodically, how you think your students would respond to these questions. You may be able to predict their answers without asking the questions.
At the middle and end of the year, revisit the list of the 3 difficult questions and see if you are increasingly comfortable with the potential responses of your students.

This quick formative assessment can be the most telling assessment you give this year if you use the “results” to better your teaching and your classroom. You can become the investigator in your own classroom, even without a two-way mirror.

Happy investigating,

9 Ways To Teach Children About Feelings

September 15, 2015 by Inspired Together Teachers 2 Comments

Hello everyone! Today we are delighted to feature our very first guest post. From time to time we will share guest posts from insightful, thoughtful and educationally savvy leaders. It is our wish to share with you the best of the best teaching information we can find. This guest post will offer you ideas for your classroom and ideas to share with parents.

Today’s post is from Yanique Chambers, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a blog full of helpful ideas for dealing with the social and emotional concerns of children. When working with children, social and emotional issues often present the most challenges. If you find this article helpful, head over to her blog to find even more great content. You will find information about helping children make friends, dealing with bullies, life skills checklists for children and teens and much more.

9 Ways to Teach Children About Feelings by Yanique Chambers

I often tell my children to use their words when they are upset. I assume they know what they are feeling and can verbalize it to me. Wrong! It’s difficult for children to say what they are feeling because many times they don’t know what to name the feeling they are experiencing. Instead, they show us how they are feeling by throwing temper tantrums and having meltdowns. We first need to teach children the words to express their feelings before we require them to “use their words.”

Young children can be taught basic emotions such as happy, mad, sad, and scared as early as two years old. As they get older, you can explain emotions such as feeling frustrated, nervous, shy, etc. to them.

Here are some ways you can help your child learn the language they need to express their feelings:

1. Sing songs to help young children learn how to express their feelings. I came across this version of a preschool classic, If you are happy and you know it at Sunflowersstorytime.com. It goes:

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.

If you’re surprised and you know it say “Oh my!”

If you’re sad and you know it rub your eyes “Boo hoo”

If you’re scared and you know it shiver and shake.

If you’re sleepy and you know it close your eyes.

If you’re angry and you know it stomp your feet.

And always make sure end up with “happy” again.

They suggest having pictures of each emotion to show the kids as they sing the song.

2. Use games and activities to teach children about feelings.

Children like learning through playing and having fun. A fun game to help kids learn about feelings is Feelings Charades.

For this game you will need to make a feelings cube. Paste pictures of feeling faces on a tissue box. Have kids roll the box and whatever feeling face it lands on they have to act out.

You can find free feeling picture cards here.

You can also use the cards to play Memory. Simply print out two sets of Feeling Cards, shuffle them and then have your child find the matching Feelings Card.

3. Watch kid-friendly videos about feelings. Kids respond well to visual stimulation. Here are two videos I like to show kids to help them learn about feelings:

4. Get into the habit of labeling the feelings you believe your child is experiencing. For example, if your child runs up to you and hugs you as you walk through the door, you can say something like “someone is excited to see me” or “someone is happy I’m home.” Labeling your child’s feelings as they happen helps them to build their feelings vocabulary.

5. When you read to your child, discuss how the characters in the story are feeling.

Point out any clues that lets you know what they are feeling such as facial expressions or behaviors. Then explain to your child why the characters feel the way they do.

If your child is able to, let them take a turn identifying how the characters are feeling and why.

I like to read The Way I Feel to young children because it uses beautiful images to describe a range of feelings.

6. When your child does something that upsets someone else, let them know how their behavior might make others feel. For example, “When you called your sister names, she felt sad and her feelings were hurt. “ This will help your child be mindful of what they say and do to others. You can follow up by asking how they would feel if someone did the same thing to them. Encouraging your child to put themselves in someone else’s shoe teaches them how to be empathetic. Empathy is an important life skill that will allow your child to maintain positive relationships with other people.

7. Model appropriate ways to express feelings to your child. Children are always watching us and like sponges they soak everything up. Good and bad. If your child sees you expressing your feelings in a positive way, over time they learn to do the same. However, if they see you yelling and throwing things when you get upset, they are more likely to mimic this behavior.

8. Teach your child appropriate ways to express their emotions. It’s important that children learn that it is OK to have their feelings. What matters is how they express them. When your child is calm, discuss with them ways they can calm down when they are upset. The ABC’s of Calming Down is a great resource that contains 26 alphabetized calm down strategies to help children calm down.

9. Praise your child when they use words to express their feelings. Having the self-control to express your feelings appropriately is no easy feat. There are many adults who are unable to do this. When your child tells you how they are feeling instead of having a complete melt down, praise them for doing so. Be very specific. For example, “I like how you told your sister that you were sad when she called you names. That was very mature of you.” Praising your child for practicing good behavior makes them more likely to do it again in the future. It also lets them know that you are watching them and notice when they do good things.

It is important that children learn how to identify and express their feelings in an appropriate manner. Kids who are able to express their feelings are less likely to have meltdowns and temper tantrums. They also have an easier time making friends and getting along with others. For additional resources on teaching children about feelings, check out these Feelings Task Cards.

In what ways do you foster your child’s emotional intelligence?

Yanique Chambers is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker turned stay-at-home mom. You can find her on her blog kiddiematters.com where she discusses creative ways to teach children valuable social and life skills. You can also find her on twitter.com/kiddiematters

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