The ABC's High School Teachers Really Need to Know

If you are battling stress and anxiety about starting the school year, working as an educator, etc., remember that teaching is incredibly rewarding.  Are there challenges?  Absolutely.  However, the positives far exceed the negatives.  We teach  because few can do what we do.  We teach because we can reach kids.  We teach because we are obsessed with watching students succeed.  We teach because we...

Effective teachers focus constantly on community building because it generates better learning experiences and outcomes.  Strong communities are built by consistent student investment, student empowerment, and a personalized learning environment.  A sense of community in your classroom will also allow your students to overcome mistakes and difficult days, build relationships with you and others in...

It's time to come to terms with the necessity of tools like lesson plans and curriculum mapping.  Many teachers spend a significant amount of time complaining that these tools are in fact a waste of time.  No, that kind of attitude and mentality are a waste of time.  An effective process needs a defined plan to better assess what is working and what is not working in the classroom.  No teache...

Bathroom policies are draconian, and even some of the best schools and teachers obsess over them.  Beyond the potential medical consequences of denying a student a bathroom trip, it is also a questionable violation of student rights and respect.  Effective teachers know that good classroom management centers around relationships and trust.  We need to trust students when it comes to their private...

As we have talked about many times, effective teachers know that they bring a ton of value to the classroom.  You bring so many superpowers and unlimited experience and expertise.  Not everyone can teach.  With the current teacher shortage and countless challenges facing educators today, now is the time to recognize our value, advocate for ourselves, affect necessary change, and shine as professio...

Effective teachers are solution-oriented.  However, if you don't clearly identify the problem, it's unlikely you will ever solve it.  Stop putting band-aids on symptoms, and instead, start solving real problems with real solutions.  If you stay intentional about doing so, your classroom management, process, and outcomes will improve.  

Effective teachers ask for help when they need it.  The phrase "I don't know" is not a sign of weakness.  Not being able to say it, however, is definitely a weakness.  You have to be resourceful and turn to others to improve, grow, and learn.  If you don't, you will not be at your best and neither will your students.    

This episode is about a critical choice.  Will you choose to dwell in the negative and surround yourself by negative people or will you choose to walk a path of positivity?  In a world and occupation that seems often out of our control, you need to know that we are in charge of making that choice.  You must make the right one.  

There is no question that athletics has an important and necessary place in our schools.  However, the balance is becoming increasingly disproportional and kids (and their childhoods and families) are paying the price academically.  Effective teachers understand they shouldn't be at war with athletics.  Instead, teachers should be part of the solution.  Teachers should make it clear that they...

As teachers, we spend most of our time making great lessons, developing content materials, and writing/grading assessments.  However, how often do we actually think about what characterizes  our "ideal" classroom?  How often do we think about what success looks like in our classroom?  If we don't think about those things, how could we ever effectively plan and adapt?  Effective teac...

Update your process in stages - one assignment, unit, and student at a time.  However, don't feel like you have to go home and blow up your whole process and start over.  Instead, study, research, and be intentional about why and when you renovate things.  Keep it fresh, and keep it current.  Your kids will appreciate it, and they will likely learn more.  

Trusting your instincts will guide you down the right path most of the time, especially when working with kids.  Effective teachers know that trusting ourselves as professionals is necessary.  We have to be bold enough to be innovative, creative, and different - even if that means occasionally going against "consensus."  Trust is important in any relationship.  That includes trust in you...

Student ownership goes beyond students being "busy" or even "engaged."  Classrooms with a culture of ownership place students at the center, connect them to the content, empower them, present both challenges and successes, ask them to apply information (even in ways we don't expect), and motivate them to like learning.  As effective teachers, we have to ask the RIGHT quest...

Effective teachers know that students MUST read regularly.  But,  HOW do you get kids to actually read and learn from it?  In this episode, some key strategies and approaches are discussed.  From using multiple formats and knowledge checks to breaking down reading assignments into smaller parts, this episode will help you and your students meet learning objectives and develop a culture of reading...

Stop blaming yourself.  Perfection is NOT obtainable - no matter how much parents, administrators, and the school system itself try to demand it.   Effective teachers don't try to be perfect.  Here are a couple of truths talked about in this episode:  1.  Few (if any) lessons will reach all learners.  2.  A student's academic progress is rarely one person's fault.  3.  Observation t...

Power struggling with students is always a losing proposition for effective teachers.  Don't get baited into arguing back and forth, engaging in "bartering," or being shy about dealing with conflict.  Be an effective firefighter and a deescalation expert.  They are kids. You are a professional.   Don't dwell on proving your point or proving them wrong.  Instead, focus on creati...

Effective teachers use relationships, positive reinforcement, modeling, one-on-ones, scaffolding, and  individualized feedback to generate better students and academic outcomes.  Use this episode to assess where you are with your own feedback practices. Obsess about learning and the feedback you give - not grades.

Effective teachers have self-awareness down to a science.  Whether you are talking about students, co-workers, administrators, or parents, you need to notice what they are saying.  Do they describe you, your classroom, and your process as you do?  If not, the learning - and even your job - can suffer.  Stay tuned in and adjust as necessary.  Don't allow things like bad perception and an inabi...

On-Demand resources are great tools, but they in no way replace your facilitated process in the classroom.  Excessive On-Demand content demotivates students from actively engaging in your class, limits differentiated learning/instruction, and devalues the expertise you bring to the process.  Students need you.  If the pandemic taught us anything, kids cannot effectively learn and experience conten...

Learn to establish balance in your life and in your classroom.  Balancing in your own life will lead to the best version of yourself for your students. You can't take care of others if you can't take care of yourself.  Balancing your instructional strategies, lessons, resources, and assessments will create better learners. 

Effective teachers realize that setting up a genuine, authentic environment in the classroom leads to better academic outcomes.  Lessons must be connected to the real world.  Feedback and communication between students and teachers must be open, honest, and bidirectional.  Students must ultimately understand why they are learning what they are learning, the rationale behind your methods, and where...

It's becoming increasingly difficult for students to maintain a healthy work/life balance.  In practice, teachers must realize that when assignments and preparation must be done away from the classroom, there should be clear learning goals and a reasonable amount of completion time.  Otherwise, you're likely to skew your performance metrics (like grades) and increase cheating and incompl...

How would you describe an effective classroom?  That's an example of an open-ended question - the type of question that all effective teachers must utilize.  This episode is all about the necessity of weaving an inquiry-based approach into your classroom.  Challenge them to explore, use information, and demonstrate skills by asking probing questions that require those things.  Ultimately, the...

If you believe that strong relationships in the classroom lead to better outcomes, then you need to know that genuine two-way communication is the key to relationship-building.   Sadly, many teachers fail to set up an environment where students can communicate openly,  be honest, and be themselves.  This completely undermines the learning process.   Effective teachers hear their students and as a...

Why do so few teachers set short and long-term career goals?  That is a huge mistake.  Your career matters - even as a teacher!  Your sense of self-fulfillment and happiness matters.  Work on building your resume` and marketing your countless talents.  Keep growing.  Stay ambitious.  Recognize your value.  Go after the best jobs.  Don't fall into a self-created rut.  You deserve better.