Teaching Matters@Portledge February 2018

TEACHING MATTERS @ FEBRUARY 2018

A PORTLEDGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE FOR FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CONTRIBUTORS Editor-in-Chief Shane Cappuccio

Authors Chris Corby Jessie Jang Dan Naftalis Helen Oehrlein Elaina Schroeder The IB Team

Editors Doris Benter Susan Edwards-Bourdrez Harry Grzelewski Trish Rigg

Designers Victoria Levy Coco Sadis

Cherry Blossom Press @ Portledge School 2018

2

CONTENTS 4

Letter From the Editor by Shane Cappuccio

5

Teaching Students to Ask Better Questions by Chris Corby

6

The Benefits of Metacognition by Elaina Schroeder

8

Fostering a Culture of Thinking in the Classroom by Jessie Jang

10

Mindsets for Teachers by Helen Oehrlein

14

Teaching Thinking Skills by the IB Team

16

Mindfulness by Shane Cappuccio

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Teaching is Easy: A Modest Proposal for Pedagogical Excellence in Modern Education Without Effort, or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love My Inner Sloth by Daniel A. Naftalis, M.A., & Master Educator (Uncertified)

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Colleague, In the following pages you’ll find a collection of articles written by your peers. We’ve been working on them in the Think Tank since the start of the school year. Each article summarizes, in brief, a teaching strategy that is supported by contemporary educational research.

These ideas are not handed down from on high, directives of Truth about the essential realities of teaching. They are merely ideas generated and researched by the teachers at our school.

To So what should you do with this magazine? Read it. Write in it. Evaluate it. Engage with it. Debate it. Discuss it. Contribute to it.

Because the truth is that none of us has all the answers; every one of us has something to learn. We are all engaged in the process of professional growth. And we’ll go farther if we go together, talking and debating along the way.

I hope you enjoy reading. And I look forward to discussing it with you.

Sincerely, Shane Cappuccio Editor-in-Chief

4

Teaching Students to Ask Better Questions

by Chris Corby “There is no such thing as a bad question” is a common piece of

strive to ask in class. From that point onward, with a reminder from

wisdom that is obviously false. Some questions are inarguably

me every now and then, students were more likely to ask

more productive than others. So, how do we get our students to

themselves “What kind of question is this?” and were more likely

ask better questions that accelerate their learning? Well, they will

to ask higher level questions.

ask better questions if we make them aware of the wide variety of types of questions. Once students can identify what type of

I suggest that you have this conversation in your classroom. Start

question they are asking, they will start to ask the questions we

with as little as ten minutes and set your students down a path to

want in class and refrain from asking the less meaningful ones.

asking better questions. The benefits of getting our students to ask better questions are well documented, as expressed by Dr.

What are the different types of questions that can be asked? I took

Leslie Owen Wilson: “In exercising the craft of good pedagogy a

some time to meet with other teachers to develop and categorize

skilled educator must reach into learners’ hidden levels of

all the questions that we hear in our classes. We came up with

knowing and awareness in order to help them reach new levels of

three different categories to put them in. I’m not sure every single

thinking through thoughtfully developed questions.” One thing is

question fits into one of these categories, and in some cases you

certain: students will not progress unless they are aware.

could have a question in multiple categories, but it is a good place for a student to start thinking about his or her questioning techniques. We labeled them “Irrelevant,” “Clarifying,” and

To

Discussion Questions:

•

deeper thinking questions?

“Deeper Thinking” questions. Irrelevant questions are off-topic; they slow the class down, and they get the students to focus on

•

How do you encourage students to ask more deeper thinking questions and fewer unproductive ones?

anything but the material. Clarifying questions are the questions students ask when they do not understand something about the

Are you giving opportunities in your class to let students ask

•

How would you follow up with your students to make sure they reach these higher levels?

material. Novice learners will most often ask these. Deeper thinking questions involve connections to other topics, other

•

In what category do most of your questions fall?

disciplines, or something beyond what is directly in the lesson.

•

Other than promoting deep thinking, do you see any reasons

These are the hardest type for students to produce because they

to encourage deep thinking questions?

require a strong grasp of the content.

Sources and Further Reading:

The first step to asking deeper thinking questions, better clarifying

Jim Knight, High Impact Instruction, (Corwin: London, 2013).

questions, and fewer irrelevant questions in class is

Brandon Cline, “Asking Effective Questions,” Chicago Center for

acknowledging the distinction between them. Our time as teachers is very limited, but taking about half a period to discuss this with your students can go a long way. I explored this by asking

Teaching. Online.

R. Paul and L. Elder, “The Critical Mind is a Questioning Mind, Foundation For Critical Thinking (1996). Online.

the students what questions they ask in class. I put everything the students told me up on the board and then asked them to see if they noticed any patterns. Then I asked if we could group the questions into the three categories I listed above. This process of evaluation let us discuss what kind of questions students should

5

The Benefits of Metacognition

T

by Elaina Schroeder

he phrase “Thinking about your thinking” was first

Kimberly Tanner, author of Promoting Student Metacognition,

coined by cognitive psychologist John Flavell in 1976,

advocates for student reflection and planning at all steps of a project.

but what does this really mean? Simply put, metacognition

Give your students a pre-assessment prior to a large assignment

is knowing what you know and what you don’t know. Metacognition is

asking them to answer the question, “What do I know about this

one of the executive functions that is housed in the pre-frontal cortex

topic?” At the midpoint give them an opportunity to ask themselves,

of our brain. Thanks to modern technology and the new fMRI, we now

“Am I on the right track? What should I continue to do? How can I do

can say with certainty that this part of the brain does not fully develop

things differently?” Finally, after the completion of the assignment ask

until the approximate age of 25. This raises a question: if teenage

students, “Did it come out as I hoped? What could I do differently next

brains aren’t fully capable of metacognition, how do we effectively

time?” Encouraging students to embrace the process and engage in

teach it? This can all be done with simple training by their teachers in

thoughtful reflection helps them see that learning isn’t just about the

the classroom. Teachers should begin by creating an atmosphere

final result.

where critical thinking is of the utmost importance along with one

To

where goals are made, mistakes are celebrated, and flexibility is the

Flexibility is a skill often overlooked by adolescents. In order to work

norm. Teaching students to think about how they think and learn helps

independently, students must be able to recognize when something is

them discover their own strengths and weaknesses. Good

not working for them and to shift gears and try something different.

metacognitive skills help students plan for what they need to work on,

Make this a part of your curriculum and students will come to a greater

make improvements in their work, manage their time better, and

understanding of who they are academically, how they learn best, and

reduce anxiety and stress.

what strategies work for them!

What can you do? Small changes in the classroom can lead to

Discussion Questions

significant improvement in the work habits of your students. In The

•

How do you teach your students metacognition?

Power of the Adolescent Brain, Thomas Armstrong encourages

•

What strategies do you employ to get students reflecting on their work habits?

teachers to “ask open-ended questions, brainstorm ideas on a subject, teach students how to evaluate sources of information, and to

•

How do you create an atmosphere where mistakes are celebrated?

challenge students to take different sides of an argument.” To that end

•

How do you encourage students to be more self-aware?

students should write goals and track their progress towards them so

•

How much time do you devote to metacognition and reflection?

they can feel a sense of accomplishment and self-pride. Teachers

•

How do you teach students to be flexible?

should also encourage students to evaluate their process, asking questions like “Did I really try? When I was stuck how did I approach

Sources and Further Reading:

the problem? What could I have done differently?” Similarly, teachers

Thomas Armstrong, The Power of the Adolescent Brain: Strategies for

should teach students about reading critiques and feedback without

Teaching Middle and High School Students (ASCD: Alexandria,

feeling personally assaulted. When personal feelings are removed and

2016).

mistakes are viewed as opportunities for growth, students feel less stress and anxiety.

Kimberly Tanner, “Promoting Student Metacognition,” CBE Life Sciences Education 11.2 (2012). Online.

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Fostering a Culture of Thinking in the Classroom

by Jessie Jang

O

ne of the central beliefs of Project Zero at Harvard University is the idea that we must do more than just

1. Hello & Goodbye

• Saying hello to our students is a small way to acknowledge

teach content: we must teach students to be

them as people. Students are more willing to learn when they

thinkers. Dr. Ron Ritchhart argues that students learn more when we

feel respected, and “they are more likely to show respect” to

create a “culture of thinking” in the classroom. An environment

their teachers. Additionally, it helps serve as a moment of

where students see themselves as “thinkers” helps make the

mindfulness, connecting students to the present moment in

classroom a place where growth is the norm and where student

the class.

knowledge is used in a meaningful way.

2. What Makes You Say That?

• Asking students to take responsibility for, and explain the logic Because learning is a social endeavor, shaping student behavior

behind, what they have shared lets them know that the

means shaping classroom culture. One of the ways we can shape the

process through which we arrive at conclusions is as important

culture of a classroom is through the language we use.

as the conclusions themselves.

3. Talk to me about what you’re doing.

Ron Ritchhart provides a series of carefully worded phrases for

• Prompts like this make the metacognitive process explicit,

teachers to use that foster a “culture of thinking” in his article “10

recognizing students’ ownership of the task at hand, and they

Things to Say to Your Students Everyday … and Why They Are

provide valuable insight into their thinking and understanding.

Important.”

8

EXPLORE CREATE EXCEL 4.

Here’s where we are going with this.

• When students feel a sense of purpose, learning increases. A phrase like this helps communicate our goals and objectives, and it helps learning feel more meaningful. But it’s more than just putting an objective on the board; it’s an ongoing process where we constantly remind students of the value of what they’re learning.

10. WOW!

• According to Ritchhart, if nothing about your student’s thought process surprised you, “then something has gone wrong.” Either we weren’t paying close enough attention to our students’ thoughts, or we didn’t plan a hard enough lesson.

5. Here’s the thinking you’ll need to do.

• For Project Zero, teaching explicit thinking skills is a

Bonus: Say Nothing, instead WAIT: Why Am I Talking?

fundamental part of teaching. Making habits of thought such

The person doing the talking is most likely the person doing the

as “wondering,” “considering different viewpoints,”

learning. Students need the chance to “discuss, question, and play

“reasoning,” “making connections,” or “drawing conclusions”

around with ideas.”

part of the routine of the classroom helps students develop their thinking skills and expands their learning.

6. Let’s debrief.

• “Research shows that learning gains in a class are very fragile and that when time is not available to consolidate the learning through reflection and personal summary, it can easily be lost.” Make sure to plan for three minutes at the end of class for students to reflect on their learning.

7. I’ve noticed…

• Identify the characteristics of student work that stands out to signal what you care about. For Ritchart, this is much more valuable than saying “I liked” because “I liked” suggests that the purpose of school is to please a teacher. “I noticed” puts greater emphasis on student work.

Some questions to ponder as we strive to build a culture of thinking in our classroom and school.

• Which of the phrases listed above do you work into your classroom? Which ones are you interested in using more often?

• How often do you use a language of curiosity? (I wonder...?, I’m puzzled by…? I’m finding this challenging…?, what if…?)

• How do you encourage your students to be comfortable learning through mistakes?

• What is the ratio of teacher talk to student talk in your classroom?

Why? • Which do you emphasize more: teaching students content or teaching them how to learn?

• How do you make activities purposeful and full of personal meaning for students beyond preparing for tests and

8. We

• Using plural pronouns such as “we,” “our,” and “us” helps communicate to students that they are part of a community

assessments?

• What thinking routines do you teach your students?

of learners.

9. I’m sorry.

• “When we admit our mistakes we aren’t lessening our

Sources and Further Reading:

Ron Ritchhart, Creating Cultures of Thinking (Jossey-Bass, 2015).

authority, as some might think, but modeling our humanness

Mara Krechevsky et al., Visible Learners (Jossey-Bass, 2013).

and the importance of admitting and learning from

Carl Hendrick and Robin Macpherson, What Does This Look Like in

mistakes.” Showing students the parts of our thought

the Classroom? (John Catt Educational Ltd: Woodbridge,

process that we have reconsidered helps model the reflective

2017).

process for them.

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Mindsets for Teachers

by Helen Oerhlein

Mindsets are beliefs about learning and intelligence.

Growth Mindset Beliefs

Fixed Mindset Beliefs

Intelligence and talents can be developed through hard

Intelligence and talents are fixed traits. There is nothing

work, good strategies, and help from others. Everyone can

you can do to change them. Talent alone determines

grow. It’s OK to make mistakes. That’s how we learn.

success, not effort. Mistakes are to be avoided.

Fixed mindset students have no motivation to work hard or

“I’m just not any good at math.”

to take on challenges. A growth mindset promotes better motivation and performance, especially when things are It is important to note that most people fall on a continuum

difficult. Current brain research supports the idea that the brain continues to develop and grow throughout our lives.

To

between a fixed and a growth mindset. Which mindset a student has can also be situational. A person can have a growth mindset in one subject and a fixed mindset in another.

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The Research

analysis reviewed 113 studies and concluded that people who

The research on mindsets has connections with research on

believed that human attributes are malleable rather than fixed

praising children and research on grit. Carole Dweck, now a

were significantly more likely to engage in a number of goal-

psychologist at Stanford University, has focused on the study of

related behaviors and strategies linked to enhanced performance.

why some children rise to new challenges while others shy away from them. One of her first studies was an experiment on 400

There is convincing evidence that teaching students about their

fifth-graders. The children were all given an easy nonverbal IQ test

ability to grow their brain by learning new things has a positive

and most did fine. After the test, half were told “You must be

impact on their learning. Those closest to a growth mindset have

smart,” while the other half was told “You must have worked really

the most opportunity to grow and improve.

hard.” The students were then asked to chose between two tests, one that was similar to the first and another that was harder.

Sources and Further Reading:

Those praised for being smart tended to opt for the easy test,

Carol Dweck, “Growth Mindset is on a Firm Foundation, But

while those praised for their hard work almost always chose the

We’re Still Building the House,” Mindset Scholars Blog (Jan

harder test.

18 2017). Online.

Carol Dweck, MindSet: The New Psychology of Success (Ballantine Books: New York 2016).

Dweck concluded that students who were told they were smart did

Po Bronson, “How Not To Talk To Your Kids,” NY Mag (Aug 3 2017).

not want to take a risk with a harder test and perhaps find out that

Online.

they were not “smart” after all. The students praised for hard work were willing to challenge themselves.

To find out if children’s beliefs about their intelligence had anything to do with their academic success, Dweck looked at several hundred children going into seventh grade and assessed which believed that their intelligence was unchangeable and which

To

believed that their intelligence could grow. She looked at their math grades over the next two years. “We saw those with the growth mindset steadily improving their grades over the two years,” she says. Those with the “fixed mindset” showed a decrease in their math grades.

This led Dweck and her colleague Lisa Blackwell from Columbia University to the next question: Would teaching students that their intelligence was not fixed make a difference?

Students from a group of 100 seventh graders, all doing poorly on math, were randomly assigned to one of two study-skills workshops. One workshop gave lessons in how to study well. The other taught about the expanding nature of intelligence and the brain. By the end of the semester, the group that had been taught about the brain’s capacity for growth had significantly better grades than the other group.

Conclusion This research has been going on for 30 years. A recent meta-

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1. I want to be better than other students in my class.

T F

2. An important reason why I do my class work is because I like to learn new things.

T F

3. I’d like to show my teacher that I’m smarter than the others in my class.

T F

4. I like class work that I’ll learn from even if I make a lot of mistakes.

T F

5. It’s very important to me that I don’t look stupid in class.

T F

6. If I do poorly on an assignment or test, it’s because I didn’t try hard enough.

T F

7. Natural ability is more important than effort for doing well in school.

T F

8. I can do well on any assignment if I try hard enough.

T F

9. If I do well on an assignment or test, I think it’s because of good luck.

T F

10. An important reason why I do my work in class is because I want to get better at it.

T F

11. If I do poorly on an assignment or test, it’s usually the teacher’s fault.

T F

12. Effort is more important than natural ability for doing well in school.

T F

13. My intelligence is something very basic about me that can’t change very much.

T F

14. No matter how much intelligence I have, I can always change it quite a bit.

T F

15. I can learn new things, but I can’t really change how intelligent I am.

T F

When you are done, go to the next page for scoring instructions.

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Name_______________________________

Student Mindset Reflection

1. Add up the number of TRUEs for the odd-numbered statements. __________________

2. Add up the number of TRUEs for the even-numbered statements. __________________

3. If you have more for ODD, you have a fixed mindset, and if you have more for EVEN you have a fluid or growth mindset.

My mindset is primarily ___________________.

4. What does it mean to have this mindset?

5. How does this mindset affect how you do in school?

6. What can you do to change your mindset to an overwhelmingly growth mindset and/or to maintain a growth mindset?

7. How can your teachers, parents, etc., help you have a growth mindset?

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Teaching Thinking Skills by â?¤ The IB Team

14

On November 7th 2017 the IB team discussed the following question:

“

Suzda’s Secret Strategy for Clinical Analysis of Music • Rhythm, Melody, Harmony; Terminology; Texture; Articulation; Tempo;

How do we to teach students to be better thinkers?

Here were some of our ideas:

”

• Thinking takes time! Make a habit of pausing for 30-60 seconds to give students time to think.

• Train students to use thinking routines or frameworks.

• Create a classroom culture where students use their thinking routines to tackle hard concepts.

• Higher order thinking is built on surface knowledge; so teach content knowledge and then ask for higher level thinking.

Mode; Dynamics; Instrumentation

Teach Students About Questioning

• Teach students about the different kinds of questions. Selfawareness about questions is the first step towards improving them. ⎻ Irrelevant, Clarifying, Deeper thinking ⎻ Level 1 (details), Level 2 (analysis), Level 3 (thematic) ⎻ Open vs Closed; divergent vs convergent • Ask students to evaluate questions. ⎻ Sample questions: Which kind of question is this? Why is this question better than that one? How could we improve this question?

Use Thinking Routines or Frameworks

Get Students Reflecting

• Create or adopt a set of thinking skills that are relevant to your

• Make use of critique sessions where students share their work, and

classroom.

• Teach students to use each skill or strategy in your framework by

ask students questions about their thinking process. ⎻ Sample questions: Where did that idea come from? Can you

defining the concept, giving students opportunities to practice, and

describe a challenge you faced and how you overcame it? What

then adding them to the students’ “thinking toolbox.”

are some ideas you left behind? How will you approach this

• Some tasks and assessments should explicitly ask students to employ a particular skill.

• Once students have become more familiar with the framework, give

task differently next time?

• Ask students to make personal connections to difficult concepts, connecting the familiar to the unfamiliar.

them quiet time to think about which skills are most relevant to the conversation at hand, and give them quiet time to develop their

Discussion Questions

thoughts.

• How do you teach your students to be better thinkers?

• What strategies have you found to be successful?

Here are some examples of Thinking Routines or Frameworks that

• What thinking frameworks do you use?

teachers are already using within the school.

• How often do you give students time to pause and think?

• How do you balance the need to get through content with the desire

The Elements of Thought:

to train thinking skills?

• Learn Information, Data, and Facts; Define Concepts; Ask Questions; Consider Points of View; Consider Purpose; Discuss Implications and Consequences; Identify Assumptions; Draw Inferences and Conclusions

Harvard Project Zero’s Understanding Map: • Make Connections; Uncover Complexity; Capture the Heart and Form Conclusions; Build Explanations; Describe, Wonder; Consider

Different Viewpoints Cappuccio’s Close Reading Framework • Observe; Analyze; Speculate (connect to personal knowledge); Question

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Mindfulness

by Shane Cappuccio

M

indfulness has become a trend in education for a simple

of practicing, these parts of the brain will both grow in size and the

reason: decades of scientific studies show that practicing

connections between those parts of the brain will grow stronger. A

mindfulness can reduce stress and improve learning.

popular saying in neuroscience is “Neurons that fire together wire

To

together.” In other words, our habits shape our brain, and our brain shapes our habits.

Defining Mindfulness

According to Mindful Learning, by Dr. Craig Hassed and Dr. Richard Chambers, mindfulness is “a mental discipline aimed at training attention” (6). If being mindful means staying focused on the present moment, then teaching students to be mindful means teaching them to be better at “voluntarily bringing back their wandering attention” (5). In addition to this willful control of our attention, other concepts routinely associated with mindfulness include being aware of our feelings and the feelings of others, practicing gratitude, and accepting the things we

“

Practicing both concentration and mindfulness

meditation is like honing the tool of attention, which then makes it easier to perform throughout the

day. Like an ax that is sharp, we become much more efficient…Mindfulness practice becomes an investment

cannot control.

“

Some Practical Applications

in productivity (56-57).

In our modern world, which is so wired for

distraction, practicing mindfulness can “literally

shape our brain” to improve concentration, learning, regulation of emotions, and our ability to think abstractly (26).

”

”

If mindfulness improves productivity, we should find ways to incorporate mindfulness into our classroom. Here are some ideas for how to do that: Use a breathing exercise

Neuroplasticity and the Science of Mindfulness

Before beginning or ending a task, have the class take deep breaths

The physical layout of our brain “constantly changes in response to

and encourage students to focus on the task at hand or on the task

what it experiences,” a concept known as “neuroplasticity” (20). For

that just took place. Encourage students to take deep breaths during

example, when a person plays the piano the parts of their brain

the activity if they find themselves distracted. This helps ensure “the

associated with finger dexterity and the parts of their brain associated

mind is in the room with the body” (70).

with discerning sounds are both stimulated. If the pianist makes a habit

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Short Breathing Exercise: 3 Breaths

emotion they feel. “Do you feel happy? Stressed? Upset? Anxious?

Lead the class in taking three deep breaths together. Narrate

Concerned? Joyful?” This helps them practice self-awareness.

“Inhale … Exhale … Inhale ... Exhale ... Inhale ... Exhale.” Breath along with your class.

Practice Gratitude

Ask your students to share something or someone they are Medium Length Breathing Exercise: Isolated Nostril Breathing

thankful for.

Have students cover their left nostril and take 3 deep breaths, then cover their right nostril and take 3 deep breaths, then open

Discussion Questions

both nostrils and take 3 deep breaths.

• What other definitions of mindfulness have you seen? How do you define it?

Longer Breathing Exercise: Breath Counting

• How do you practice mindfulness in your own life?

After leading the class in one of the previous two breathing

• What strategies do you have for coping with stress or difficult

exercises, ask students to continue to take deep breaths. To

emotions? Do you teach them to your students?

encourage them to focus their attention, have them count their

• How often do you talk with your students about how they feel?

breaths. You can have them count to a particular number (such as

• How do you practice mindfulness with your students?

20 or 50) or you can have them count to 5 or 10 and then repeat

• How do you encourage your students to be more self aware?

the count. Remind them it’s okay, even normal, if their mind

• How do you teach your students to focus?

wanders; when it does, they can refocus by beginning to count

• How do you deal with a group of students who are resistant to

again.

practicing mindfulness?

Longer Body Scan

Sources and Further Reading:

This kind of meditation focuses the attention on the physical

Craig Hassed and Richard Chambers, Mindful Learning

sensations of the body. Talk students through the process of

(Shambhala: Boston, 2015).

taking deep breaths and bringing their attention to the different parts of their body. Start with either the top of the head or the bottom of the feet, and work your way to the other end. Say things like “Bring your attention to the top of your head. Be curious about what it feels like. As you exhale, release any tension you may be holding. Now bring your attention to your forehead. What does your forehead feel like? Take a deep breath and relax it. Bring your attention to your cheeks ….” Encourage them to notice when their mind wanders, to take a deep breath, and to bring their attention back to their physical sensations.

Mindful Listening

Like a body scan, mindful listening focuses the attention on a sensory experience. Have students close their eyes, breathe deeply, listen intently, and be curious about the soundscape around them.

Ask Students How They Feel

A simple way to practice mindfulness without meditation is to ask your students how they are feeling, and ask them to respond with an emotion. If students respond with something other than an emotion (e.g., “I’m fine” or “I feel okay.”) push them to identify an

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Teaching is Easy: A Modest Proposal for Pedagogical Excellence in Modern Education Without Effort, or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love My Inner Sloth Written By Daniel A. Naftalis, M.A., & Master Educator (Uncertified)

M

any “experts” will claim that teaching is complex. They’ll claim that it’s both a science and an art, a complex amalgamation of performance

great way to let them know who’s in charge.

6. Take yourself too seriously at all times. Lord your expertise

over your students. Name-drop and mention personal and

and expertise that can inspire others to drink deeply at the font

professional accomplishments at every opportunity. You went

of knowledge. They’ll speak about the nobility of teaching and

to school and now have fancy letters after your

the sacredness of the act. They’ll remind you about the

name. Laughing at yourself will reveal your weakness, not

immense privilege, responsibility, and exhaustion inherent in

your humanity.

educating the young so that they become informed citizens, dynamic thinkers, and morally upright people.

7. Stop bothering to learn. You’re a teacher. You’re done

learning. That’s the students’ job now.

8. Create disciples, not learners. Genuinely teaching someone

These people are wrong. These people are losers who try too

something is real work. It’s easier to establish a cult of

hard. They’re suckers who waste their time reading and thinking

personality around yourself. (Year after year you’ll have a new

about their “craft.” Reading is dumb and boring. Black marks

cadre of friends!) Identify favorite students who will flatter you

on white pages? Snoozeville, USA. Avoid the sucker’s game of

and feed your ego. Make sure everyone knows how special

reflecting on and refining what you do in the classroom. I

you think you are.

already did it for you. You’re welcome:

9. Don’t talk to your colleagues. Your fellow teachers are

losers. That’s why they’re teachers. (Except you. You’re 1. Set unclear, inconsistent, and unrealistic

different.) Wasting words with these dullards will only get you

expectations. Today’s students are of a dynamic and

thinking about teaching again and who has time for that

collaborative sort who love the uncertainty created by your

balderdash?

whim of the moment. They enjoy the puzzle of never knowing what to expect — keep them guessing!

2. Don’t return graded work. Students hate the tyranny of being

graded. (Who are we to judge?) Do them, and yourself, a

10. Be rigid and inflexible. Adaptation is for the lower species,

not for you. Never back down and refuse to adjust what you do. Claim it’s a matter of principle, not obstinacy, and people will leave you alone.

favor and don’t bother. You’ll save everyone a lot of headaches.

3. Keep criticisms vague. You may feel the need to offer your

So do yourself a favor and just follow these ten steps to educational excellence. Or perhaps I’ll make this into a TED

students thoughtful feedback so they can improve. Resist

Talk. After all, everything you really need to know these days is

this urge. Instead, let them know that even with sustained

online anyway.

hard work they won’t see much progress. When they stop trying, you’ll have the satisfaction of being proven right.

4. Blindly follow the trend of the moment. “Make it new!” Sure,

there were educational masters in days past, but many of them are old and/or dead. Novelty is always better than proven quality, and don’t you forget it.

5. Rant to your students. Therapy is expensive, time-consuming,

and exhausting. Bemoaning your latest personal drama or imagined injustice to a captive audience of young people is a

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Contributing to

Teaching Matters

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