Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth

What is Your Watch? #TeacherMyth

Posted on by Aaron Hogan

I started last school year with a watch that had a dead battery.

All day long, my watch showed it was 11:11.

I told myself I’d get it fixed. It wouldn’t take much time. It wouldn’t cost a lot of money. It’s not even terribly inconvenient. What would stop me from fixing that which I knew to be broken? 

I made plenty of trips to and from places that could have fixed my watch for me. And still my watch does not have a new battery. 

So why, a full year later, am I still looking at this watch that has yet to have a new battery installed?

In short–It’s a lot easier to realize something is broken than it is to change in response to that realization. (That’s even true with something as small as a watch battery.)

The watch isn’t the way I tell time anymore. I’m rarely away from my phone (that’s another post, but not the focus for today), and there are clocks in most every meeting room is be in otherwise. My watch no longer serves its original purpose.

It looks right, but it’s broken. I was able to wear my watch every single day for an entire school year without actually needing it. What’s more, nobody else noticed it was broken either. 

WHAT IS YOUR WATCH?

I wonder if there are other things like that for us. Things that look right, but with a closer look, might actually be broken. Maybe they don’t need to be tossed out, but they’re no longer serving they’re original purpose.

A few things spring to mind, but I’d love to hear from you: As you prepare for the new school year, ask yourself this: What isn’t serving its purpose anymore? When you have a few answers, what will you do with those things? What are the biggest changes you feel you can make in these areas?

(For this post, don’t say testing. There’s plenty to say about testing, but standardized testing is here for another year. It’s certainly something worth thinking through, but I don’t want us to miss the things that are closer to us, the things we have much more power to change.)

WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

I’m still wearing my watch (and I still haven’t replaced the battery). Past the fact that it was a gift from my wife and I just like it, that watch has become a reminder for me of our need to be routinely reflecting on what’s working, what’s not, and what’s giving a false appearance that may be fooling us.

I’d like you to think through what your “watch” might be before you go. Think through these questions and consider what you can do to identify your watches as the new school year begins. 

  • Sometimes things look like they work until we take a closer look. What isn’t working like it should? Is there anything that is still taking up your time that no longer serves its purpose?
  • The routines we adopt as the year begins will stick with us throughout the year. What do you need to add to your routine to make this a great year? What needs to be removed from your routine? What do you need to keep telling yourself throughout the year? What do you need to stop telling yourself this year? Where is there rest built into your weekly school routine? 
  • We educate in a world that is rapidly changing. Norms from long ago are not always the norm today. What are you doing this year that you weren’t doing 5 years ago? 3 years ago? Last year? What are you doing to challenge yourself to move past what you’ve always done? 

I hope you spend a few minutes reflecting on your practice with these questions. I wish you nothing but the best of luck as you begin the new school year!

If you like what you’re reading here, consider checking out my book, Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth. The book highlights six truths that will help you THRIVE as an educator, including one–Imagine It Better–that discusses how we can and should disrupt the status quo in education. Read more about the book here or find the book on Amazon. 

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4 Questions to Help You Actually Create Change #TeacherMyth

Posted on by Aaron Hogan

Before Roger Bannister ran the first mile under four minutes, it was thought to be impossible. Not only that, if you talked to a medical professional about the idea of running a mile in less than four minutes at the time Bannister was chasing that mark, he or she would have likely told you that there were serious health risks associated with even attempting such a feat.

Last month (June 2017), the tenth high school student recorded a sub 4 minute mile. Think about that. 65 years ago, common thought among medical professionals was that this would be seriously risky for your health, but here we are with a new understanding of what is possible because someone dared to push back on an established idea.

Sometimes it feels like we might need more than we feel we have to offer to create meaningful change. Maybe we feel need more courage or different ideas. Maybe it’s that we simply lack confidence. Maybe fear keeps us in our place, or perhaps it’s simply our own inertia that keeps us from moving forward.

In her 2008 Harvard commencement speech, J.K. Rowling reminded graduates that they did “We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”

I agree with her wholeheartedly. We have the power to imagine better, but I often find myself doing the same old things. Making a plan won’t create the change we want to see, but we will not break out of our old routines and practices without a plan.

FOUR QUESTIONS FOR DISRUPTORS

What do you want to change next year?

Go ahead and think big here. (Of course you don’t need my permission, but a little encouragement never hurt, right?) What is it that you would most like to see change in the next school year? What would you like to change in your classroom?

Why are you in education? What made this sound like a worthwhile career to invest yourself into when you began? Don’t just think about that–write it down.

Now compare that to what your day to day looks like. How will this change bring you back to your why?

What are your current obstacles?

One of the trickiest things about creating change is the dynamic landscape we are often working within. No two schools are exactly alike, and although many are similar, we have to be careful about broad stroke comments about how to actually create change on the ground in schools.

Think about your situation. What are the obstacles that you can already see coming? Anticipating those road blocks (because there will most certainly be road blocks) will allow you to avoid some of the frustration that comes with those interactions with those who do not share your perspective. Will it make it easy? No. Will it help you feel like you are the one continuing to drive this movement forward? Absolutely.

Who will help you create this change?

For this to become a movement (that’s what you want, right–not just you toiling away on your own trying to make a difference), you need to make sure you’re not going to take this journey alone.

Successful change happens when passionate people do what others believe is impossible. What you hope to change is going to make a difference, and that’s why people are in education: to make a difference.

You need a few people around you to help you refine your idea and help you identify those early obstacles mentioned earlier. You also need them as a sounding board for when you begin to get feedback (because as someone who is about to stir things up and create change for good, you will get feedback).

Two things will happen when you begin to get some movement: People will love it, and people will hate it.

Don’t move forward without at least two people you can count on to support and challenge you throughout this process.

Change calls people out of their comfortable routines. Some are going to see what you are doing and be invigorated to make their own change. Some will want to join your cause. And some will not be happy with you. Be prepared for that. Don’t give in to that feedback. I’d shy away from completely dismissing it, but take it in, determine if there’s any validity to the critique, and move past it. You have work to do and only so much energy to spend doing it.

What time & energy can you commit to this change?

You cannot continue to pile more things onto your plate forever. You are not limitless. You cannot do everything. (Yes, I’m talking to you, too, if you just responded, “Yes I can” to that claim.) We have a finite amount of energy, and that’s ok.

You cannot give more than all you have to give.

But that reality is hard to swallow because the common narrative is that the best are the ones who can keep going forever, the Energizer Bunnies who never seem to stop, never seem to waver, and always accomplish their goals beautifully. I’m tempted to say, “That’s great if you can pull it off,” but I am really coming to believe that nobody can pull that off. At least I can’t, so I’m trying to dedicate my available time to the goals that matter most to me (more on that as the school year approaches).

If you give everything you have at school, you likely won’t have enough for your family and yourself when you get home. (I know I’ve heard Jimmy Casas share about the difficulty of balancing an emotionally draining job with the desire to be fully present at home when you’re there. I feel like I’ve heard others share a similar sentiment. If there’s a chance I heard that from you or you recognize where I should give other credit, please let me know so I can give credit where it’s due.) Certainly there are days like this. Things come up, the reality of serving others is that it can be simultaneously live giving and incredibly draining all at once. I’m not exactly sure how, but that’s my lived experience. What I’m saying is that we cannot schedule ourselves to that point. We have to keep something in the tank for the others in our lives and for ourselves.

Giving every last bit of energy you have to your work is not a healthy long term solution. Figure out what you have to give and go full throttle into giving that amount. Be dialed in, focused, and determined to drain every ounce of that dedicated time to create change, but be willing to give yourself the white space to recharge afterward.

Achieving the Impossible

Bannister’s record breaking run in 1954 changed the landscape of track and field. The next runner to break the “impossible” four minute barrier did so just two months later. Hundreds have done it since. Last month, the tenth high school student broke the four minute barrier. Some runners have finished a mile under four minutes more than 100 times.

The impossible is happening.

I’m excited for you and for your future. The changes you make this year will have an impact far greater than you are likely to every know. But they won’t happen without someone like you getting back to the reason you got into education and pushing your reality back toward that original motivation.

Where will you upset the status quo?

If you like what you’re reading here, consider checking out my book, Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth. The book highlights six truths that will help you THRIVE as an educator, including one–Imagine It Better–that discusses how we can and should disrupt the status quo in education. Read more about the book here or find the book on Amazon. 

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Making the Most of Summer #TeacherMyth

Posted on by Aaron Hogan

Summer is such a gift. That opportunity to reset, to relax, to engage in other passions and hobbies. It’s great. But only if we use it well.

In the past, I’ve found myself frustrated because I’m not making the most of my break. (I know, big problem, right?)

But here’s the thing: I hate wasting a break.

No, I don’t end every break rethinking how I should have done things, but I know that a passive approach rarely yields desired results.

This week is my first week of summer, and I’m determined to figure out a way to make this summer a great one. It shouldn’t be that hard, right? I’ve spent some time thinking through what I can control to help this summer be a great one. Here are a few of the guidelines I plan to use to keep me focused throughout the summer of 2017.

Actually take a break

(This one is really easy and really tough. I’m putting it first because it’s the one I’m most likely to forget this summer.)

Slow down. Slow way down. Do something that has nothing to do with your work. Read a book. Sit by the pool. Enjoy time with friends and family. Press into a hobby that the school year keeps you from. It will make you better at your work when you return. You’ll have experiences that you can pull from and stories to tell. Both make you a better educator.

Challenge yourself as an educator

There are so many ways to grow yourself over the summer. Jump into a Twitter chat, read a book (maybe even one just for fun), join a Voxer group, attend a conference or visit an EdCamp. Whatever it is, find something to push your thinking this summer. We so rarely have a chance to pull back from the busy nature of the school year. Don’t miss the opportunity to do something great with the gift of time we have over the summer.

Establish a new habit

Making the choice to do something different and actually developing the habit of doing something different are totally different practices and experiences. Summer provides enough margin for most educators that we should take advantage of the time and use it to our advantage. What do you want to work into your daily routines that isn’t there now?

Invest at home

For me, this is a big one. The school year is something that I love, but it really takes it out of me at times. We get overextended for all sorts of reasons throughout the school year. To say the least, our work in education is tough. And we’re not wired up with infinite energy. We absolutely have limits to what we can give. Probably the most challenging tweet I saw last year asked, “Are you giving so much at school that you don’t have anything left to give when you get home?” I can’t recall where I came across it, but I’ll never forget that idea.

During the summer, I don’t have to balance that. I can be fully present, but I have to choose to do that. So here’s my little pep talk for myself: Ignore your work email for a bit. Maybe go a whole day or two without even checking it. Whatever you do, do something with the people who matter most to you. Then, do more with them. They’re what matter most. /PepTalk

Create a plan for disrupting the status quo next year

I love that we get that new year feel twice a year in education–once in August and again in January. Just like a new year’s resolution, any change we want to make next year isn’t likely to be the result of a simple choice or two. It’s within reach, but it’s going to take a plan. More than a resolution, I hope you take next year head on. What is it that you want to reimagine about the school experience you provide for others? Do you want to drop grades and give students better feedback? Trade status quo faculty meetings for personalized PD? Have kids show up to a classroom that doesn’t look at all like what they expect and gets them excited about learning next year? I hope your last school year was incredible, but I hope that 17-18 is even more amazing! Don’t wait to see if your August PD is going to set you on a course for an amazing school year.

What else do you do to make summer great? If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments below.

I hope you have a wonderful summer!

If you like what you’re reading here, consider checking out my book, Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth. The book highlights six truths that will help you THRIVE as an educator, including one–Imagine It Better–that discusses how we can and should disrupt the status quo in education. Read more about the book here or find the book on Amazon.