Do you love kids, content, both or neither? A K-12 Perspective

Do you love kids, content, both or neither?  A K-12 Perspective

I have heard it said that educators choose to teach elementary school because they love kids, they choose high school because they love content, and they choose middle school because they love both… or neither.  Obviously, these are generalizations and there are plenty of exceptions to the rule.  There are, however, plenty of teachers that fit these typecasts.  I’m sure you can think of a few.

The aforementioned stereotypes partly find their origins in another stereotype about students; that elementary students are enthusiastic and excited to learn, that middle school students are curious, sassy, awkward, and impressionable, and that high school students have largely made up their minds about the world and about how they learn. These are of course more generalizations and exceptions abound.  But there is plenty of truth here as well.  

Have the teacher stereotypes caused the student stereotypes or is it the other way around?  For good or bad, students can influence the views of their teachers, and teachers can do the same for their students.  Seeing as these are thoughts for teachers to consider, I would encourage you to be the one actively and consciously doing the influencing.  Show your students that you love them, that you love to learn, and that you love to see them succeed.  They are sure to follow, liable to value the same things that their teacher does (even the older students who you think have already made up their minds about things). 

So what?  Now what?  Take a moment to consider where you fit on this K-12 spectrum of stereotypes. Do you love kids while finding content to be a drag?  Are you enthusiastic about your subject, but your students make your job miserable? Whether you teach Kindergarten, high school seniors, or somewhere in between, kids need to be supported and loved.  There is no good reason why teachers and students at all levels should not be geeked out about learning at every turn.  If you don’t love your students and your content, think about what you need to do in order to change.  If you have a healthy love for both, consider how you might affect positive change on your school culture and help others around you. 


Love your students?  Show them something really cool!

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If you haven’t already, lose your Cool Jacket

If you haven’t already, lose your Cool Jacket

“There is something exciting about being in an environment in which it’s really cool to be smart.” – Freeman Hrabowski

My high school basketball coach used to refer to athletes with egos as having “cool jackets”, meaning they walked around wearing arrogance that was so obvious, it was like an article of clothing you could see on them.  He encouraged his players to lose their cool jackets on and off the court, and I have found this directly applicable to the classroom as well.  Whichever grade or subject you teach, kids benefit from connecting with their teachers.  If you have a glaring haughtiness, your students are likely to pick up on it and will have a difficult time connecting with you.  Let your students into your world, assuring them that you aren’t too good for them.  Show them your humility as well as your humanity.  

One of the easiest ways to lose your cool jacket is to do something intentionally silly in front of your students.  It not only entertains them, draws them in, and opens them up to learning, but it also humanizes you.  I know teachers who sing to their students.  Some performed cover songs for a mental break, some did lyric analysis lessons, and others did goofy, rhyming, pneumonic device ballads.  I even knew a no-musical-talent P.E. teacher who still sang to his students; they loved it anyway.  I have known teachers to annually dress up as Abe Lincoln, Dr. Seuss, or Albert Einstein, staying in character with accent the entire day.  

I personally remember running up and down the aisles, screaming and high-fiving my students as we watched a clip of the 1982 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.  The U.S. Hockey team beat the heavily-favored Soviet team in what was dubbed the “Miracle on Ice”.  I regarded hockey with a hardly benign interest, and of course I already knew what was going to happen.  My ridiculousness puzzled them however, and captivated their attention as they latched on for the rest of the lesson.  

A teacher’s excitement is contagious; embrace that truth and take full advantage.  Take the vulnerable step to do something outside your comfort zone, something that may be silly.  If you are still wearing one, take off your cool jacket for the sake of your student connections and for the sake of their learning.

Here's a guide for the film Miracle and other Cold War resources...

Miracle-film-guide-background-level-123-Questions-primary-sources-and-more-1253726

Cold-War-40s-50s-ALL-9-engaging-highly-visual-PPTs-171-slides-in-all-1114359

Cold-War-60s-70s-ALL-9-engaging-highly-visual-PPTs-285-slides-in-all-1194709

Cold-War-80s-90s-ALL-5-engaging-highly-visual-PPTs-85-slides-total-1251072

And here's a few fun ice-breaker games for the first days of school...

FOUR-CORNERS-Get-to-know-you-game-ice-breaker-for-6th-grade-history-class-1884466

FOUR-CORNERS-Get-to-know-you-game-ice-breaker-for-7th-grade-history-class-1884470

SUPERHERO-THEMED Elementary Grades Ice Breaker FOUR CORNERS get-to-know-you game

3rd Grade Ice Breaker - "FOUR CORNERS" get-to-know-you game