What Great Teachers Do Differently: Part 1

In preparation for my #PSUAgEd19 student teaching journey, I have been gifted with multiple virtual mentors to guide me in the process. Together, we have decided to dig deeper into the teaching world by selecting the book What Great Teachers Do Differently. 

When choosing a book to explore with my virtual mentoring team, this book caught my eye. Throughout my schooling career, there have been multiple teachers whom have stood out to me as great teachers. However, I was never quite sure what the underlying reason for them being great teachers was. I was hoping that this book would help me to discover those things that make great teachers so great and apply these ideas to my own teaching in the high school classroom. 

The first thing that caught my attention when reading this book was the very first chapter entitled: It's People, Not Programs. This phrase stood out to me due to the relationship that it shares with my school experiences. Although a school can have the most up-to-date technology, the highest rating programs, if the teachers and staff are not there to back up the programs; the school is nothing. Great teachers/staff = a great school/students. 

I believe that I can use this phrase in the Spring while student teaching at Boonsboro High School. Although I will only be a member of the Boonsboro family for a short period of time, my influence on the students can make or break the agriculture program and the school system in general. Going out of state to student teach is a huge undertaking and can be scary not knowing how the school systems are set up. However, I believe that if I take a positive mindset and focus on the person that I am and not the programs that are surrounding me, I can make a positive impact on my students both inside and outside of the classroom (FFA functions, being a part of the community not just "the Ag. teacher". 

In chapter 2 of the book, I found another phrase which stood out to me the most. The phrase included, "It's not what you do, its how you do it." This phrase stood out to me because I am pursuing a Special Education minor alongside my Agriculture and Extension Education major. Each student has individual needs, whether they are in the general education setting or not. All students are different and unique, therefore, not every student will "get" the concept that you are teaching right away. You may have to revamp the way that you are presenting the lesson in order to reach a wider audience and/or make students understand the concept more. 

I believe that I can utilize this phrase both in the Fall and Spring semesters. In the Fall semester, I believe that this phrase will help me both with my microteaching prior to student teaching as well as throughout my Special Education classes. I also believe that I will be able to utilize this phrase while planning my lessons. I think that this will help me to differentiate my lessons and be open to all types of learners. 

Chapter 3 of the book is devoted entirely to expectations and consequences. The chapter discusses in depth the importance of setting up clear expectations from the get-go and following through with consequences. Clear expectations and consequences account for good classroom management. Too many times, I have heard of student teachers entering a classroom and trying to be too friendly with the students. Teachers in general need to keep in mind that students are there to learn and not all of your students are going to like you. 

This chapter will definitely be something that I will look back on throughout my time prior to and during student teaching. The hardest part about coming out of college and teaching high school students is the small age gap between the students and teachers. While Agricultural Educators have more than just a "normal teachers" role (FFA Advisor, CDE Coach), we also need to be mindful of being personable and not personal with students. 

Chapter 4 dives into the difficult topic of self control. Specifically meaning something when you say it. This chapter also uses a parent/child relationship to reiterate this topic. A blurb that stood out to me included "Great teachers focus on the behavior they expect of their students, not on the consequences for misbehavior." Negative mindsets often destroy students. A teacher's tone of voice often determines the reaction of the student. For example, speaking softly and not directly stating consequences often gets through to students more clearly than yelling and directly stating a consequence. 

I know that in my household setting, sometimes I struggle with this concept. If my little brother is misbehaving and I am trying to get a point across; I often find myself yelling. Over the years, I have found that speaking softly and calmly accomplishes more than yelling and acknowledging direct consequences. 

Chapter 5 discusses prevention vs. revenge. Effective teachers focus on preventing the misbehavior from happening again whereas less effective teachers focus on the revenge or consequences of the misbehavior. The chapter digs into sending students to the office and a teacher's bag of tricks. I found the Teacher's bag of tricks incredibly helpful. This section describes how to handle misbehavior situations and arguments with students. Every teacher has the same tricks in their bag. The difference is simply who uses which tricks and when. 

This chapter is incredibly helpful when dealing with students who simply do not like you as a teacher/person. Students who do not respect you will often be the "problem" students in your classroom. Although, I do not want to generalize any classroom- ever! This chapter digs a little bit deeper into how to handle misbehaviors and being sure to respect yourself, your students, and your students parents. 

My mentor team had a lot of great feedback regarding the first part of the book. All of the information was relevant to situations which they have been in. My cooperating teacher was a great mentor when reading the chapter regarding expectations and consequences. I happened to be reading this chapter while attending the Maryland State FFA Convention. Ms. Cashell and I had a deep conversation regarding what it means to be personable with students compared to being personal with students. I intend to use all of the feedback which I received from my mentor team to continue to find ways to use the phrases and stories from within the book and input them into my future classroom.