Teacher's Aid: It's Not Too Late

We recently had the Winter Olympics.  Most of you probably saw some of the events.  There were highs and lows for each country.  During big sporting events you hear a lot of "should've" "could've" and "would've".  I think back to some of the speed skating and can say some of those words, dealing with Apolo Ohno.  However, I would guess around the whole Vancouver Olympic campus, people were saying that as the games went on.  Some people do well at all the other venues, but when it comes to the "big" one, like the Olympics, they may make a costly mistake which takes them out of any medal opportunities. It would easily make someone want to throw a helmet down in disgust.

After Spring Break is over, you only have a few more weeks left.  I know from my little experience that the kids' level of distraction will let you know how close the close of school is getting. That good ol' "spring fever" starts creeping in and the kids want to be anywhere but in school (it also has a tendency to attack teachers, administrators, and staff). Those few weeks can still be effective. There is still time to make the last quarter of the year a productive one.

Did you set any goals at the beginning of the year that you haven't been able to accomplish yet?  Maybe they were goals that you made a few weeks into the school year, after you found out who your kids were and what their temperament was like, etc.  How are you doing with those goals?  I hope that you haven't given up on any of them yet, thinking that if you haven't accomplished them by the end of March, there is no hope?

Each day is not your "big event", like the Olympics.  Your "Olympics" lasts, approximately, 180 days.  You have four quarters of nine weeks to have the greatest impact you can on the kids that are in your classroom, on your team, etc.  If you're like me, you have probably left the end of a school year saying "should've", "could've", or "would've" types of statements. Even though the end of the school year is starting to creep up and weeks are being chipped away, I want to cheer you on by directing you back to those goals that you may have set and not giving up on them.  There is still time to make this year a "I'm glad I did" rather than a "should've", "could've", or "would've" year.

Maybe it is time to put on the "rally caps" and "kick it up a notch" as you see the finish line approaching.  There are those kids in your school who still need you, maybe they came in to your school in the middle of the year after you set up your goals.  A teacher is a leader and when a leader coasts (or worse), its followers will coasts.  You can set the tone for your co-workers and students. 

You can still have a tremendous impact on your school year and your students!  It's not too late!

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Teacher's Aid: "I Don't..."

This month I am doing a sermon series called "I Don't" couched around the concept of marriage.  Oftentimes, you will hear the phrase “I Do” at a wedding, so we’re used to that, but not “I Don’t”.    Examples are: “I Don’t Want Anyone Else” and “I Don’t Want You to Be Unprotected”.

As I have that on my mind, I thought about taking this into another realm, on of educators.  So, I have come up with a few “I Don’t” phrases for you to consider as you transform young minds…

I Don’t…Know All the Answers     ...Want to Give Up    ...Think You Can’t Do It     ...Want to Prejudge Students

You’ve went to school, you’ve experienced life, and you may have taught for a good while, but should you know all the answers?  Have you ever given an answer that you actually didn’t know?  I have.  However, there have been times that I’ve had to swallow my pride and say “I don’t know”.  You don’t look unknowledgeable, even thought you may feel it.  Rather, you appear real.  No human can know all the answers, even if it is in your field.  Try it sometime, don’t let pride get in the way.

I think all teachers, administrators, and staff have those days where they just want to pull their hair out.  Or those times in your life when you can’t wait for the school year to be over so you can  interview for another job. You are hoping to find a better place.  You rarely will.  You have the        opportunity to transform many lives in the place where you are teaching.  Don’t give up and keep on making a difference to the many kids you see each year!

Sometimes it is easier to give advice than to take it.  You may be compromising your values when you want to throw in the towel, but you try to tell kids not to give up. Each student has their   different needs and you have the opportunity to bring out the best in each child, even when they want to give up on themselves or say “I can’t”.  Maybe they cannot accomplish something right now, but they might be able to build up to accomplishing that feat in the future.  You’re belief in that child can make a world of difference.  The movie “The Ron Clark Story” comes to mind...great show!

I don’t know if it is true or not when I hear it, but I hate hearing students say that a teacher “hates” them.  I know the teacher never said that to them, but it is the student’s belief. It could be for a number of reasons.  Sometimes it may be because a teacher is creating boundaries that the student is crossing and the student doesn’t like the consequences.  However, if one, after looking at a student, decides to dismiss their learning abilities based on how they dress or carry themselves, then that can lead to bigger  problems.  May you see each as individuals, coming from different backgrounds, and different circumstances, even daily and help transform that young mind the best way you know how.

Pledge to say “I Don’t” this month as you continue on in your pursuit to transform young minds.

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Math Alternative

Learning arithmetic has a natural progression. Start off with addition, then its counterpart, subtraction. Then, you learn multiplication, then its counterpart, division. Within each of those are learning to handle fractions and decimals. After that, algebra creeps up on us. If you're "lucky" you get into calculus. There are many areas that I didn't even mention which are incorporated in mathematics.

How did you do with math in school? Did it not take very long to arrive at your ultimate frustration point? Was it the "tables", the proofs of geometry, or the unknowns of calculus? As much as we use math in every day life, there is a math alternative which is mentioned in this week's quote...

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings. ~ Eric Hoffer

Blessings are the areas of math we take for granted. They are the "knowns" of the equation. We "know" they are supposed to be there. We "know" we should be receiving them. However, we often overlook them; treating them like the "unknown" variable(s).

You know the blessings are there, in the equation of life, but just can seem to locate them...why is that? May I encourage you to look harder. Asking the question, "What is good in your life" can be like asking a child "What did you learn today in school?" They often say, "I don't know" or "Nothing."

Write down or make a mental list of all the positives in your life. You have life, that is one. You fill in the rest.

As a math alternative, add up the blessings...they're often the hardest, but the most worth it!

Adding them up...

Substituting...Quite the Experiences

Most of you know that I have had the privilege, yes, privilege, of being able to be a substitute teach in the local schools. Practically all the time, it is in the high school. Being there frequently has allowed the kids to get to know me. This allows for me to have a certain sense of respect. During my time, I have not had to give anyone a detention. Part of that is due to that punishment not being that effective, in my opinion. And two, I don't resort to that until they are defying me. Occasional talking, I can handle. Being defiant, I can't.

I think, in the two and a half years that I have been doing this, I have filled in for almost every teacher. The only one I can think of that I haven't filled in for is the driver's ed teacher. This has allowed me to be in a variety of classrooms. Each classroom brings its own sense of challenges.

Last week, I was in the band room. I didn't have to do anything musically with them, but their freedom brought boredom and boredom brings trouble. The school has a cell phone policy. I was never told about what the policy actually is, so I have my own. It is based on me catching them and their honesty. During that period of forty-four minutes I confiscated three cell phones! Kids trying to text because the were bored! In the middle of the week I caught two, in another class. The first one gave up without a problem. The second one didn't want to give up his phone too easily. I asked for it, and he said "no". We visited, but he still wouldn't give it up. I gave him until the end of the hour (about 6 minutes) to decide if he was going to give it up or not. I even started to write a detention slip, and at that point, he gave it up. I drew the line, and he had to decide which side he was going to be on. That is a "secret" to my success, giving students a choice and then sticking with it.

I also do the same with the class, as a whole. Depending on the situation, they have the choice, as a class, to behave or not. Sometimes they want to go to lunch early or they have to read the entire class period. In these two cases, I will put up numbers from highest to zero. These numbers represent how early they can go to lunch or how much free time they have after reading. I tell them that they've already been given a warning. Then, if even one student is not doing what they are supposed to be doing, I mark a number off. They now have less time for free time or to be able to go to lunch early. It is very effective. Kids have the choice and they take care of each other to win the reward. I don't believe in warning kids over and over. I draw the line and they have the choice of where to stand.

Subbing has given me great opportunities to make Kingdom impacts in the community. Much of the time, the community doesn't even realize it. I love to observe what kids are going through and try to help them as they go through. I like to reach out to those who probably never get reached out to. I enjoy seeing them learn. I enjoy seeing them in the community. I enjoy congratulating them on their achievements. I enjoy meeting their parents. I really have enjoyed subbing and look forward to today, when I get another chance to be in the classroom having many more experiences! I could write about so many things, but this was long enough!!!

Surprised at School

Subbing today led to a day full of surprises...

First, a student comes in wanting to work on the computers, partly, and didn't like the sub in the class she was in, partly. As time passed, a conversation arose about relationships/marriage. God allowed me to use a passion for relationships, combined with Love and Respect, with someone.

Later on in the day, I noticed a brochure that I had created laying on top of some books. I asked whose it was, the student sitting there said it was theirs. The assignment was to make a copycat version of the brochure. I told her that I had made it. I was excited that someone chose a brochure that I had created to use as something to model for an assignment. She showed me the brochure, as it was almost finished. It looked very close to the original. She only lacked some pictures, which I proudly told her that I have the graphics and would give them to her. This was an open door to help someone in need of something I could provide, pictures.

In the last class, a student finished his work and decided to come and visit with me because he was "tired of typing". I know the student, I know his family. I enjoyed our visit. Our conversation allowed us to deepen our friendship. God used me to play the part of "dot connector" in the life of this young man.

These weren't the only "God showing up" moments. One other was being asked to be a reference for someone. I get pumped anticipating as to what the next minute will hold and how God will show up and use me.

How has He been using you?

Walked Through the Door...Though Hesitant

Yesterday, I had another opportunity to be a substitute teacher. Last week, a kid asked if being a sub was "degrading". I told him, "No, not at all". For me, I really enjoy teaching and I have another job, so this is just a great opportunity to be around people I don't normally get to be around. All the while, sharing and showing Jesus to them! Now back to yesterday...

I had subbed in this class last year and remembered that there was a class in which they normally had a lot of discussions. But when there is a sub, it is a time to study. Feeling comfortably nervous (if you will), I decided to have a discussion on Love and Respect. (This is a title of a published book, but it is also a logical relationship concept from the bible) I had the boys make a list of five things that annoys/bothers them about girls, and I had the girls do the opposite.

It was funny when one girl said to the group, "Only five?" They couldn't do anything that was inappropriate or about someone specific (like in a recent breakup, etc.)

I then took the lists and read the boys, one at a time, sometimes asking the boys to defend their reasoning, and then discussing what they wrote. Then, I did the same with the girls' list. It went really well. They laughed, yet saw truth. One boy turned around two different times to calm some of the guys who were talking because he wanted to hear what I was saying. Then, a few classes later, a girl that was in that discussion came in for a different class and asked if they could do it in the current class. I said she already did it and she responded by telling me that "it was fun."

God opened a door. I was a bit hesitant to walk through it. I wasn't real comfortable doing a lesson in someone else's classroom, but I did walk through the door and God surprised me! God is good...!

What doors will God open for you, today?

Have a great day!

Checking the knobs for open doors ~
Jarrod

Open Door: Subbing

Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to sub in our local high school. I love doing this because it gives me a purposeful opportunity to be in the environment of the kids of the community. I hear things that I don't normally hear. I see people who I rarely see. And the reverse happens in each instance.

On one such occasion, last week, I was subbing in what most know as "home economics" class. One class was the "Foods and Nutrition" class. This is a two period class, where they will later be cooking, so extra time is needed. I finished all of what was asked of me with about 25 minutes to go in the total time. I decided to ask about what I and/or our church could do to give kids something to do. It was a total off-guard question, so, needless-to-say, they had nothing immediate to share. I didn't leave the situation disappointed. I took it as God opening a door for me to talk to them. I told them that if they ever thought of anything, they would have an opportunity any time they saw me to share their thoughts with me. I returned to my seat and shortly thereafter a student came up and was asking me questions regarding some of the thoughts I had expressed. We had a good conversation and I expressed appreciation for him coming to me. I told him any other time he wanted to, I was always open.

God is good...all the time! He makes doors open when we least expect it!

I don't consider it a defeat...regardless, I still praise Him!

What has God been doing in your life?