What Great Teachers Know About KIDS

It's about the kids.  It's always about the kids.

Some kids act apathetic.  It’s an act.  Every kid cares about something… and great teachers try to figure out what it is.

Some kids come to school ready to learn… and some not so much.  Great teachers come to school ready to make a difference with all of them.

Kids are much more likely to remember how you taught than what you taught.

  

Classroom management is not about having the right rules FOR kids… it’s about having the right relationships WITH kids.

Great teachers remember that not every kid is looking forward to summer break.  For some kids, school is the safest place there is.

Very few kids engaged in a lesson have ever misbehaved.  I’m just sayin’.

  

Kids sometimes do stupid stuff in class, but great teachers don’t sweat the shenanigans. They’re too busy teaching and building relationships.

The kids might not remember how much work you put into your class. But they will always remember how much heart you put into your class.

It’s quite possible that the kids you like the least, are the ones who need you the most.

    

When teachers love their jobs, kids notice.  When teachers are counting down the days, kids notice.  It turns out, kids notice a lot!

Some kids dream of trying to change the world… and some are just trying to make it through the day.  The best teachers meet the kids right where they are.

Not all the kids have hope… and great teachers get it. They realize their job is bigger than any lesson plan or standardized test.

Kids don’t usually remember lessons for a long time. But they remember kindness… and humor… and joy. Great teachers have those qualities in spades.

  

Kids don’t gravitate to subjects… they gravitate to teachers.

Great teachers know that when they show up to work… happy to be there, they’ve significantly increased the likelihood that the students will have a great day.

Before you can win their mind, you generally have to win their heart.

The kids in the school usually know which adults love being there.  Kids are perceptive.  You can’t fake it.

When kids misbehave, it’s not because they like being in trouble.  Great teachers get that. They don’t lower the bar; they seek to understand.

  

As a rule of thumb, kids like the teachers who really like them.  So it’s kind of important to like the kids.

Some kids are a bright spot in their teacher's day.  And some kids need a teacher to be a bright spot in their day.

   

Struggling kids don’t make it because they are in the right class.  They make it because they have the right teacher.

     

Some kids are nervous about going to school.  Great teachers understand that a smile, a high five, or a quiet conversation can change the trajectory of a kid's bad day.

     

Kids are not complicated.  They like to feel supported, encouraged, and valued -- same as teachers.

It’s good to know the content.  It’s great to know the pedagogy.  It’s imperative to know the kids.

The best teachers never forgot what it was like to be a kid.

   

Teachers did not get into education to raise test scores… but to make a difference in the lives of kids.  And that makes them heroes!

                                               

                                               Danny Steele

                                                    @SteeleThoughts

Things That Principals Know About Great Teachers

I have had the privilege of working with many great teachers.  These are some things that are true about them:

Great teachers don't always have the best lessons.  But they always have the best relationships with kids.

Great teachers understand that developing the right classroom climate is a prerequisite to teaching the right lesson.

When a lesson does not go as planned, great teachers are not looking around the room... they are looking in the mirror.

Great teachers always come to class ready to teach... but they are mindful of the fact that not all students come to class ready to learn.

Great teachers understand the power of human connection, so they are diligent about building relationships with their students.  They are even relentless about connecting with the knuckleheads.

Great teachers don't show up for WORK... they show up for KIDS!  It's a passion -- not a job.

Great teachers understand the "Golden Rule" for educators: Teach every child the way you would want your own child to be taught.

Great teachers are not intent on winning "battles" with the students.  They understand that if there is a battle in the classroom, nobody wins.

Great teachers define their success by the success of their students.  They understand it's not about the teaching... it's about the learning.

Great teachers are not defined by their lesson plans... they are defined by their passion.

Great teachers are in it for the kids.  It's not about the lesson plan, the rules, or the massive paycheck. It's always about the kids.

Kids leave their class feeling better about themselves... because great teachers understand there is more to teaching than delivering instruction.

Great teachers are never victims of "slacker kids." They refuse to let those students get away without doing the work.

Great teachers are not driven by courses of study... they are driven by the faces in front of them.

Great teachers can look past the bad attitude.  They realize there's always something else going on.

Great teachers did not become great by accident.  They became great because they made a decision that being "good" was not enough.

All teachers have bad days.  Great teachers never lose perspective, and they refuse to let their personal drama undermine the positive energy in the classroom.

Great teachers are always in pursuit of a better lesson.  They demand the same excellence of themselves that they work for in their kids.

Our world is a better place because of the passion and dedication of great teachers everywhere. They inspire me daily.

Becoming a School of Choice: Teaching and Leading in a School We Would Choose for Our Own Child

This summer many parents are going to be deciding where to send their kids to school. This may mean buying a new house so they will be zoned for a "good" school system.  It may mean finding a private school. It may mean trying a charter school.  Or it may even mean homeschooling.  As educators are planning for the next school year, they would do well to simply think about what sort of school they would want for their own children.  

Here are 10 things I think we should be mindful of as we seek to teach and lead in a "school of choice."

Part I: It’s About the Kids

1. Parents want a school that focuses on their kids. They care about their kids more than anything in the world, and they want to feel that the adults in the school will care about them too.  They want a school that recognizes the unique potential, abilities, and challenges of their students. They want to know that their input will be valued and their needs will be accommodated. They want to know that the adults will always be making decisions with the needs and interests of the kids at the forefront.

2. Parents want a school that inspires their kids. They want the school to encourage and celebrate the dreams of their students.  Parents see limitless potential in their kids, and they want the school to recognize that as well. They want a school that expands horizons and highlights possibilities.

3. Parents want a school that communicates about their kids. They value transparency, and they always want to know what's happening at the school. They want to hear about what their students are learning and see pictures of what they're doing. They especially love seeing pictures of their own kids.

4. Parents want a school that will prepare their kids.  They want to know that their students will be provided the knowledge and skills to be successful in the future.  They want their kids to be prepared for college and ready for work, and they want to know that this preparation is a priority of the adults in the school.

5. Parents want a school that is a fun place to learn.  They want their kids to like going to school because the teachers are committed to delivering engaging and relevant lessons. Parents recognize that a school that is a positive place and a happy place will be one that their kids will enjoy attending.

Part II: But it’s Also About the Teachers

6. Parents want a school that empowers the teachers.  They want the teachers to be given the resources and training to provide the best possible instruction to their students.

7. Parents want a school that connects the teachers. They realize that teachers are not as effective when they work in isolation, so they want a school that provides opportunities for teachers to communicate and collaborate with each other.

8. Parents want a school that trusts the teachers.  Their own kids do not fit into cookie cutter molds, and they know the teachers don't either.  They want teachers to have the flexibility and professional latitude in the classroom to always do what is best for their own students.

9. Parents want a school that validates the teachers. They know that the teachers are the most important variable in the success of their student, and they want the teachers to be valued and recognized for the work they do. They know that this validation will increase the motivation of the adults working with their kids.

10. Parents want the school to be a fun place for the teachers to work. They realize teachers are more effective when they enjoy their job, and their classroom will be a happier place for their students to be. They know that a positive school culture creates the best context for teaching and learning.

Every school has the potential to be a great school.  Every school has the opportunity to be a "school of choice." This is the type of school I want for my own children.  What sort of school do you want for your kids?