The Lesson of Maroon-Covered Faces

     Sometimes, kids have the best ideas. We adults don't always want to admit this, because we assume we know better than the younger generation, but kids can sometimes impress and amaze with their creativity, ingenuity, and bright ideas. I mean, just watch a few episodes of Saved By the Bell and you'll see firsthand how Zack and the gang came up with some pretty great ideas. Who could forget "Zit Off" (Crater-face Coburn couldn't)? Or the video yearbook/video dating service concept to enhance the school yearbook? How about Zack's scheme to utilize subliminal advertising to hypnotize Belding and Kelly (at least he learned to apply the lesson)? And of course, perhaps the most genius idea of all...Buddy Bands! ("hey, they work")

     I found out recently that its no different in my classroom. I have been constantly trying to improve my AP US History class ever since I started teaching the subject four years ago. I can never seem to be satisfied with how I teach the class and how I can best prepare my students for the AP exam at the end of the year. This year, I noticed students struggling on tests and having difficulty staying engaged during the class (hard to blame them since it is a 7 AM class!) So last week I decided to ask the students...how can I better serve you? I asked them what they would add to, or take away from the current class structure to make it the most ideal class for them. This led to a spirited discussion where students shared opinions, learning preferences, and wishes. Obviously not all their ideas were realistic, but there were enough suggestions that I could easily comply with: more review for tests, daily practice questions, shorter lectures (not a real surprise there), recorded lecture podcasts, small discussions/debates. My hope is that as I begin to implement this personalized approach, it will lead to results in my students' performance.

     Time will tell if these are great ideas, but it has made me think recently about how accountable I am to my students. I truly believe that I work for my students so that they can reach their greatest potential. Like many teachers, I repeat lessons and activities each year because I think they work and are effective. At the same time, however, I know that my students are different each year. There's no guarantee that last year's lessons will result in this year's success. I get new ideas from my colleagues but sometimes they don't translate in my classroom and with my personality/teaching style. I know administrators occasionally come in to evaluate my teaching, but I usually pre-determine what they see and purposefully demonstrate one of my better lessons that utilize multiple good teaching strategies.

       The trick is for teachers to be vulnerable with the very group of people they're supposed to act "perfect" in front of...our students! Since they are in the classroom each day and have a great deal of responsibility in the learning process, shouldn't they know what's best? This doesn't mean that I turn the entire class over to my students' whims (I can only imagine the "study hall" every day experience). But when it comes to becoming a better teacher, sometimes my students have a "Buddy Bands" idea that needs to be allowed to come out.

Kelly and Screech!!??

     I installed a new kitchen faucet the other day in my house all by myself. I'm sure that my wife is tired of me bragging about this "do it yourself" project, and some of you may even wonder why this is a big deal. Well you have to understand, I am usually horrible when it comes to home improvement stuff. I get easily frustrated, or get stuck at the easiest of steps, or have to call in help from someone with "handy-man" experience, or do things wrong and have to start all over (sometimes a combination of all four). Usually I doubt myself before I even begin. So when we decided to finally purchase a new faucet, I couldn't sleep the night before I was going to install it! Now it wasn't a Jessie Spano hyperventilation because she got a "B"...but it was pretty close.

     After 3 hours (hey I'm not Ty Pennington!), I was done and I have to admit that I did a little happy dance in the living room when water came out with no leaks. I had this incredible sense of pride that I was able to accomplish something that normally, I fail at. My wife has always believed in and encouraged me, but I had to see for myself that I could do it! It reminded me of Kelly's struggles with science on Saved By the Bell. She turned to Screech for tutoring help and after some Barbie and popcorn demonstrations and some late-night sessions with Kevin the Robot, Kelly understood the material and passed her next test. You could literally see the thrill in her eyes when she knew the answers to Screech's questions about radio activity. I felt the same way with my kitchen faucet.

      This, in turn, made me think of my students. As a history teacher, I see plenty of frustration at students who have a hard time with memorization, or essay writing, or test-taking. I'm sure teachers of other subjects can relate. I've been wondering if I give students opportunities to have their "kitchen faucet" moments. Too often I encourage them with only words. What if I gave them a makeup or modified test, or daily practice questions to prepare in advance, or talked through an essay with them before they wrote one? What if we play a review game where students can actually see for themselves that they can memorize the amendments to the Constitution or the chronological order of events in China's history? This is going to sound obvious, but students are inspired the most when they see results. Discouraged and frustrated students are usually those who have struggled before and are quick to give up and not try.

     I know some teachers are hesitant to make things too easy for students. We have a natural tendency to want to push our students, challenge them, set high goals and have them go out and reach them. My suggestion is that we create small milestones along the way that students can reach, realize their potential, avoid making excuses, and push on towards the bigger goals we have for them.

A Trip Down Memory Lane...

     One of the last episodes of Saved By the Bell (and I should know because I own all of them on DVD...which shouldn't come as a surprise by now) is a strange "time capsule" episode where a group of new Bayside students discover a video from Zack and the gang describing their years at Bayside. Its basically a series of flashbacks and favorite memories from each character (but why isn't anyone else in their graduating class in the video...what, the six of them are the only students that matter?...but I digress). To many, this may seem like a pointless episode, one only made to fulfill an entire season, and simply a "look back" before the graduation episode. But I have to admit, it is one of my favorite episodes because it reminds me of all the moments that made Saved By the Bell great.

     It may very well be the history teacher in me, but I enjoy reminiscing about the past. My wife and I will sometimes find ourselves talking about our time of dating and courtship to revel in how everything came together so perfectly for us. I can easily get lost in looking at family photos of my kids as they've grown up and instantly the memories those pictures capture come flooding to my mind. I keep every card or note any student has ever written me so that I can re-read them for encouragement or for plain old sentimental reasons.

     The other night, while my wife and I were at Disneyland for a date night, I ran into a former student of mine from six years ago (she spotted me as we waited in line for Space Mountain...remember when Mario Lopez used to do the video instructions for that ride?...anyways, her yelling "Mr. Harp" certainly got me to turn around). She's in college now, but it seems like just yesterday she was a little 7th grader in my world history class. That's how I feel about all of my former students whether they come back to visit or I see their updates on Facebook...weren't they just sitting in my classroom the other day? When did they grow up? How did they become these young adults all of a sudden, embarking on their futures? (it also makes me feel a little old, but that's beside the point)

     This reflection always makes me wonder what impact I have made on my students. Did I make a difference in their life for the one or two years they were in my class? Was I a positive influence and role model for them? Sure a lot of my former students remember my games/activities and the "fun" we had in class, but I hope that there's more than that. You see, like many teachers, I didn't go into this profession for the money (shocking, right?) or for fame, or even because of an intense love of history. I wanted to be a teacher to influence the younger generation. To leave them with an idea of how education and learning can be fun. To help them discover their passions and gifts. To develop their abilities to lead and work as a team. In short, I hope to inspire them, through my words and actions, to be better people. That means more to me than whether or not they remember ancient empires or antebellum America. Who cares if they passed my class or a state test if they're not a better young man or woman?

     I may never find out if I make this difference. I don't get to hear from most of the students I have had in the past. For every random Disneyland run-in, there is another couple of dozen students that I have no idea what they are up to and where they are headed. I unfortunately don't get to be there to see the flowers that are my students grow and blossom. But its still an important job to plant the seeds.

Stupid Johnny Dakota...

     “There’s no hope with dope!”…ah, yes, the catchphrase from the Saved By the Bell drug episode. You know, when famous actor Johnny Dakota comes to Bayside to film an anti-drug commercial using Zack and the gang, but it turns out that Johnny smokes marijuana and offers some to Zack and Kelly (yeah right, because Hollywood actors always invite high school students to their parties) so he proves he’s a hypocrite and the students quit on the commercial. Mr. Belding was so proud that they turned down a chance for fame and did the right thing. It was one of those “serious” episodes where the characters were role models for young viewers like myself. In fact, it was an example of an “inspirational” moment on Saved By the Bell, right up there with taking on the big oil company on behalf of dead animals, saving “The Max” with an all-night radio-a-thon, and helping a homeless father and daughter during the holidays (hey…I thought she moved in with Zack…)

      As teachers, we sometimes (or frequently) have plenty of reasons to be discouraged and to lose hope when it comes to our profession or students. It can be quite saddening to hear about a student’s personal problems at home (parents divorcing, sick loved ones) or watch them struggle to stay afloat in your class academically (can never seem to pass a test or turn in homework). And it can be pretty frustrating to handle the students who seem to purposefully cause behavior problems on a daily basis. Just last week there was even drama at my school over conflict between some teachers and our principal. It is stuff like that that makes the teaching job suck. It makes me come home and breathe out a huge, depressing sigh once I hit the couch. I love what I do, but every year, I have my moments of feeling disheartened.

      Fortunately, I was inspired. I held a mock trial for the Boston Massacre where students act as the witnesses and lawyers and jury. They get character role-sheets but have to create their own testimony and cross-examination and opening/closing statements. They do 100% of the work and all I do is guide and offer suggestions. When they presented, I was blown away. Everyone was so prepared and there were several moments where the classroom felt just like a real courtroom. A few days earlier, some of my students invited me to join their Facebook group where they post their own poems (some silly, many serious). I can’t tell you how impressed I was with their writing and their reflections. I couldn’t wait to share it with some of the English teachers at school, and hopefully we’ll be able to put on a Poetry Reading night at school or at a local coffee house.

      Now these are the moments that make teaching worth all the discouragement. Students have the ability to inspire all of us, even during our darkest moments. I think often teachers tend to dwell in the negative. When someone asks about our day or our classes, we often share of the troubles we are having first, rather than celebrating the positive. If we stay in the “mud” too long, we will completely miss out on the wonderful things are students have done and are doing, both in and out of the classroom. I also think we need to provide more opportunities for students to be able to shine in our classes. Too often I spend a lot of class time in front teaching or running an activity. I am inspired by other teachers at my school who create projects or assignments that allow their students to take the lead, giving them a chance to showcase their talents (my mock trial revealed I have a few young actors and actresses in my class and a couple of future lawyers…)

      Inspiration is there, sitting in my desks every day…I just need to have the right perspective to look for it. And it shouldn’t take Johnny Dakota to discover it.

Fantasy Classroom?

     For the past couple of years, I have played fantasy football. My wife thinks its geeky and a waste of my free time, but I have enjoyed having other reasons to watch more football. Not to brag, but I've done pretty well every year that I've played, always finishing near the top of the leagues I'm in. My strategy is always the same: draft the perfect, well-balanced team and then look to add or trade for up-and-coming players. I spend hours over the summer and each week during the season reading about statistics and studying schedules of the players I want for my team (this is where my wife could be right about that whole "waste of time" thing). Like everyone else who plays fantasy football, I look for players who will consistently perform at a high level and deliver yards and touchdowns for my team week in and week out.

     It has gotten me thinking...wouldn't it be cool to draft the perfect classroom? You know, comb through the "statistics" of the students at your school to find the best and brightest students. The ones who study hard, always turn their assignments in, think critically, go beyond what is expected of them, behave perfectly, and have a genuine love of learning. The ones who never give you a problem all year long. Then you and the other teachers hold a draft and take turns selecting your ideal students. Just like Zack chose teams in that Army Cadet program episode. He stacked one team with the athletically gifted and the other team with the pathetic wimps. Yes I realize that the episode ended with the "underdog" team winning, but you get my point. With the perfect class, my job as a teacher would be so much easier! There would be no need to adjust my lessons to make sure all students understand the material. There would be no need to provide extra help at lunch or after-school because no one would need extra help. There would be no need to ever change my teaching style because my students would adjust to me. Oh imagine the possibilities!

     Wait a second...there's a reason they call it "fantasy" football...its not real. I could waste time dreaming up this perfect classroom, but its not going to happen. And to be honest, maybe that's a better thing! Technically, the students I receive each year are random and haphazard (sometimes the only reason they are in my class is because it works with their schedule), but I firmly believe that there is a God-appointed reason each one is in my class. The reason may not be obvious right away but I try to make it my goal to figure out why each of my 160 students occupies a desk in my room each year. Each boy and girl brings their own unique personality, learning style, needs, and past with them. I have to believe that such diversity will encourage me to be a better teacher to help them. Perhaps I need to provide extra help to the two girls who struggle with tests and how to study. Maybe I need to experiment with different teaching techniques to reach the students who don't learn by just lectures. Perhaps I need to show more compassion to the boy who needs extra time on homework because he doesn't have access to a computer at home. Or maybe I need to be a positive role model for students when it comes to life outside of the classroom.  If I don't believe, I'll become the teacher who spends most of their time complaining about their students rather than celebrating them.

     Maybe instead of focusing on ideal students, I should spend more time asking how I can be the ideal teacher (who still plays fantasy football) for them.

All You Need is Love...

     Mr. Dickerson. That name may not sound familiar to you, but it struck fear in the hearts of Zack and the gang. He was mean, sarcastic, yelled at his class, always graded hard, and even gave students nightmares before tests (unfortunately he was a history teacher on the show, like myself, thereby continuing the mythical stereotype of history teachers...thanks a lot Mr. Dickerson). Thankfully he went crazy, literally, and Mr. Belding's brother comes to save the kids by having kids tear up their test and then decide on their own grade (yeah, because that's realistic). But Mr. Dickerson serves as a reminder of how important kindness is in the classroom.

     My three-year old daughter started preschool a few weeks ago. For the first couple of days, she enjoyed playing with new toys, tracing, showing off her Elmo backpack, and eating animal crackers for snack time. But when she went back the second week, everything changed. She cried as we left and the teacher needed my wife to come back to calm her down. When we tried the next day, she clung to my wife and wouldn't let go as they walked to the door. At first, we assumed she was just having anxiety (she is young and has never done something like this before), but being scared is not natural for my little girl. After talking to her and her teachers, we discovered that she was feeling lonely and hurt herself on the playground one day, and was just having a hard time adjusting to a whole new experience. The teacher, after noticing my daughter's tendency to want to hold a hand or an adult's leg when she's nervous, asked my wife if she was too accustomed to physical affection at home and suggested that perhaps that may not be a good thing for her when she's away from us!

     To be honest, I'm kind of proud of the fact that my daughter is used to hugs and kisses. It means that she feels loved and safe, and when something goes wrong (like falling off a slide or dancing into a wall...which yes, she has done), she knows that Mommy or Daddy will be there to comfort her. That gives her a sense of peace and confidence where she's willing to be adventurous and uninhibited. So how can I recreate that atmosphere in my classroom? I want my students to feel assured and know that I truly care about them. After all, how many times have I witnessed how my treatment of students directly impacts their performance? If I give students reasons to fear me, like a Mr. Dickerson, how can I ever expect them to want to do well for me? My little girl's unease about preschool caused her to not want to go back and she was less willing to do the work her teachers asked of her. The same is true for students of any age. It seems like a no-brainer...kids will respond positively to a teacher's kindness and respond negatively when they are afraid.

     Sadly, though, I have experienced and talked to teachers who think that kindness if overrated in the classroom. They think being friendly isn't necessary nor important and they even seem to enjoy the superiority over students that accompanies fear. Yes, I understand that you always run the risk of student's trying to take advantage of your kindness, but compassion and generosity doesn't mean that you let kids walk all over you. I believe that its time to give more "hugs" and "kisses" in our classrooms (of course not literally...we all want to keep our jobs). Our students deserve our smiles, encouragement (don't be afraid to be a cheerleader, even if you're a guy!), high-fives, fist-bumps, and laughs. In the end, the results will speak for themselves.

Fly Teachers Fly!

     Saved By the Bell isn't perfect. Wow...you don't know how hard it was to write that for me. But its true. One of my few complaints about the show is how every athletic competition that Bayside High was involved with...they won! Slater always won his wrestling matches, the football team always came out on top (even with maroon-covered faces!), "Running Zack" won his track meet races, and even Screech was chess champion. Obviously it makes for better television to portray winning rather than losing, but its completely unrealistic! Sometimes even our favorite teams/characters lose...and that's okay!

     This comes to mind for me, because a new football season is about to begin. I am an extremely passionate fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. I keep track of their record, the results of their last game, and their upcoming game on my whiteboard for my students to see. I play the Eagles fight song on Mondays after big victories as students walk in my classroom (I have also learned not to grade student work during or after games in case the Eagles lose and I consider taking out my frustration). Like every fan for any pro sports team, when the season begins, I have an incredible sense of optimism that this is the year...this is the year the Eagles win it all...this is the year that won't end in disappointment...this is the year I'll get to run around my school campus the day after the Super Bowl to remind everyone who are the champions. A new season brings new hope and renewed devotion for the team I love.

      Isn't this the same feeling that all teachers have at the beginning of a new school year? We have the optimism that every student has great potential, we have the energy to spend extra time to prepare for the year, we are reminded of the fervor that drove us into teaching in the first place, and a fire is rekindled in our hearts. Sure there may be sadness that our summer break is over and we return to a daily work routine, but for the most part, there is excitement and anticipation in the voices of teachers as they talk about the start of a new year.

      But how come that fire doesn't last? Why do teachers feel burnt out by Christmas (or worse, Veteran's Day)? In football, my optimism can start to fade when the Eagles lose games they "should" win or injuries strike some key players. I get discouraged and start to give up on the season, even if there are several games left to play. Similarly, we teachers can lose hope if we are met with challenges early on. If our students don't meet our expectations and struggle, we could fall into the trap of giving up on the "season." We might assume that things cannot be turned around and a feeling of despair, bitterness, and/or cynicism might set in. What kind of fan would I be if I gave up on the Eagles after a loss? What kind of teacher would I be if I quit on my students after a single test, essay, or project?

       We owe it to every one of our students to do whatever it takes to maintain throughout the school year the same drive and optimism that we have at the start of the year. Unlike Saved By the Bell, there will be losses. Obstacles will come up unexpectedly and we will have to weather the storm to get past the negative and stay positive. Our students know when we throw in the towel. It shows in our attitude when we teach. When they see us quit, they will consider quitting too. As a new school year begins alongside football season, my goal is to be a passionate and dedicated fan of both my Eagles and my 7th, 8th, and 11th grade students.