13 Simple Education Truths

Thirteen simple educator truths that when embraced can get our education system on the path to success.

1. Being an educator is not an 8 HR a day job with weekends, vacations, and summer completely off. Educators must plan, prepare, grade, and get training during a lot of those times for little pay compared to other degreed positions with such heavy responsibilities. We need to pay our educators better much like we need to pay our police and first responders better.

2. A teacher can choose to teach to the top end of a class and support the bottom half in getting to the top expectations through small groups or you can teach a 1 size fits all and only 25% -50% of the students will show growth. America needs for educators to do the first. Parents should ask for and expect rigorous instruction. If it's easy, then it isn't work. Whose job today is always easy? Are we preparing our children for the workforce of tomorrow?

3. Think about math like guided reading and teach a rigorous shared math mini lesson then run math groups much like reading groups to meet the needs of all learners. Note, if you as an educator still aren't doing guided reading groups or book clubs geared towards the higher end of each student's reading level/lexile K-8, please get this in place effectively immediately. It's best practice. Parents, if your student isn't doing math and or literacy at their instructional level, then you need to start pushing for it.

4. Teachers, if you still aren't using complex and rigorous texts that shift every 2-3 years as your shared or read aloud selections in lit/science/social studies, then you are allowing yourself to slip into a comfort zone that can become dangerous. Challenge yourself to stay on top of current events and shifts in text complexity so that students are prepared for secondary and college. That does not mean that you leave out classics. You find a balance.

5. As a teacher, are you are using textbooks as an everyday source in science, social studies or literacy, please find yourself some training on how to find differentiated nonfiction articles and trusted resources (like newzela) and/or utilizing nonfiction guided reading or library books to access informational text. A 5-10 year old textbook does not have current information in our quickly changing world. If you are still using the questions at the end of each chapter as the only higher level thinking, please stop. Create questions with students, try some Kagan structures for discussion, and learn the Socratic questioning method. You can use those questions at the end as the floor/launching pad.

6. As an educator, if you don't "buy into" flipped, project based, artful, STEM, expeditionary, personalized,  inquiry based, conceptual based, or any other pathway to learning than traditional teacher led, please push yourself to try at least one new learning pathway per year then pick what you want to perfect. I embrace multiple pathways to learning; there is no proven 1 way to prepare for post-secondary/college/tech school! If you have not heard of these, either start educating yourself or turn in your keys. It's your job to stay on top of methodologies. Kids and teachers need variety to prepare for our quickly changing tech driven world by education leaders who change and embrace the dynamic of the digital age. One size does not fit all for students or staff.

7. If you aren't challenging math students to defend their learning in writing and then in pair shares or table groups, you are missing out on some fun discourse and students are missing out on key learning from each other and about their own thinking.

8. Learning should be rigorous work. If it's too easy, no one is growing. If students have a hard time grappling, encourage them. They can do it with belief in them. If it's too hard, figure out what supports they need to get it. You are the teacher, and your job is to help students get it. No excuses.

9. Don't criticize and condemn kids. Coach. If you can't positively coach which means asking questions, helping kids to discover the path rather than just telling them the path, and/or collaborating with kids to support getting through errors positively and supportively, then education may not be for you. If you think listening to you all day is teaching, you are wrong. Anyone can talk.  Teaching is an art which is why we have specialized degrees in teaching.

10. There are a lot of ways to present what you know beyond a power point, poster, newsletter, article, etc. Prezi, Powtoon, Google slideshow/form/doc/et al, as well as many other tech resources and authentic student created products are great! Have you looked at Product Pouches by Enginuity? Get some product ideas that let kids have some choice while requiring they do something different with clear expectations on writing, conventions, facts, defending, or whatever the learning goals are for the unit. Better yet, make the kids research ways to share ideas through tech, writing, or products and choose 2 of their own innovative products that illustrate their learning.

11. Rubrics should be given before a project in kid friendly language with the opportunity for kids to ask questions about the expectations. If you have learners who are in the gifted programming, they may shoot for a 2/C because gifted kiddos often like to do the least possible. Don't let them. Meet weekly with the kiddos while working on projects to encourage and nudge to a 4/A.

12. Kids who are never pushed get to college and drop out because it doesn't come easy. We are setting kids up to fail and be right back home when we don't make them grapple with learning then problem solve how to find solutions.

13. Sarcasm, name calling and rudeness have no place in a school. Our job is to create safety to share, take risks, fail, succeed, try again, et al.  If you feel compelled to use sarcasm or name calling, please attend Capturing Kids Hearts. Sarcasm used as a literary device or not at a student's expense is a little different tool.

Are you already thinking of why you can't do the above as an educator? Then education may not be the life choice for you. If you are thinking it sounds like too much work on the teachers and students, you are right in that it's work, but it is possible. It is all doable, and I wouldn't expect something that I couldn't do myself.

If you can't walk the talk, you have no place leading children or leading in a school. If you are an educator, you are a leader. No more excuses. No whining. Our job is to teach and encourage children and educators. Don't give up, don't back down, and hold tight to the belief that not only can they do it but so CAN YOU!

No more apologies for being passionate about what I do. My one word goal for this year is #fearless. No fear allowed, and no more apologies for believing more, pushing harder, and not settling for anything less than the best. Any educator can change his/her practice if he/she is willing. Half the battle as a leader is finding people who believe they should be striving to continuously improve and perfect his/her craft. Educators should model a Growth Mindset (Dweck).