A recent article from FastCompany (one of my favourite websites) asks “Should Strong Leaders Also Be Great Teachers?” I hope that you enjoy the article, and please leave your thoughts below.

“As a leader, you have to have a teachable point of view.” How teaching separates great leaders from good ones.”

Jack Welch

By Laura Vanderkam

When the powers that be at a company decide that people need to learn something, they often go one of two ways. Sometimes they send people off to training, either in a classroom or perhaps at an off-site location, with an outside teacher or someone from HR. Other times, employees get video modules or downloadable lessons, with the hope that they’ll learn on their own.

There are problems with both approaches. A lot of people don’t do well learning at their own pace.

Teaching isn’t just a distraction from a manager’s main job. It’s what the job is all about.

While days in deep thought in a classroom sounds ideal, people who study learning are coming to this conclusion: “You learn a lot over 2-3 days,” says Ray Carvey, executive vice president of corporate learning and international at Harvard Business Publishing. “Then you go back to work and forget a lot over the next 2-3 days, [and] the next 2-3 weeks.”

But what if your company took a different approach? What if managers did much of corporate training; building corporate education into their interactions with direct reports?

This idea of leaders-as-teachers has some upsides.

When Your Direct Boss Teaches Something, You Pay Attention

You’re more engaged, and hence have a better shot at remembering what happens. “If you have one of your senior leaders or your boss running the program, you’re not likely to be slacking off,” says Carvey, the way many people check email under the table in classrooms, or watch TV while they’re playing training videos on their laptops at night.

This engagement doesn’t just stem from people worrying about their immediate job prospects. It’s human nature to find information more interesting when people we are close to also find the topic intriguing. That’s why we click on links our friends share on Facebook.

Likewise in corporate education, “role modeling is really important,” Carvey says. “You understand and get the context from someone in the trenches,” when your boss teaches. “You’re not just hearing information from a faculty member you share no history with.”

Education Is A Two-Way Street

Having leaders act as teachers has another less obvious benefit. When managers teach something, “they internalize it,” Carvey says. This reinforces the knowledge and helps managers take ownership of it.

But, They’re Busy

Of course, challenges arise with asking your managers to act as teachers. If they’re already managing too many people to spend adequate time with each, then “you’ve just added another brick on the load,” says Carvey, as your managers need to master new information and skills before passing them along.

If you ever had an amazing teacher—or a not-so-amazing teacher—in school, you also know that teaching is a skill. Not everyone has this skill.

But you can bring in an experienced teacher to design a curriculum, or coach your managers on how to present material. This is also about reframing what management is. It is ultimately about achieving great things by bringing out the best in other people. Viewed that way, teaching isn’t just a distraction from a manager’s main job. It’s what the job is all about, and is probably worth the time.”

What are your thoughts?

If you asked a 10 year old they might say that bears live in caves, fish live in fishbowls and teachers live in classrooms. While this might not be all that accurate, the truth is the classroom is the teacher’s special arena. Like a prize fighter knows the ring, like an actor knows her stage, the teacher is trained to have a clear understanding and respect for the dynamics of his or her classroom.

The classroom is where we spend most of our school days and it is also a place that should inspire our students. So it follows that our classrooms should be exciting and engaging for both ourselves and our students. A recent study from the University of Salford School of the Built Environment, in Manchester, England, has some interesting insights into classroom design. Enjoy.

“A new study shows how color, lighting, and other classroom design choices can have a huge impact on student progress.

As debate over education reform sizzles, and as teachers valiantly continue trying to do more with less, a new study suggests that it might be worth diverting at least a little attention from what’s going on in classrooms to how those spaces are being designed. The paper, published in the journal Building and the Environment, found that classroom design could be attributed to a 25% impact, positive or negative, on a student’s progress over the course of an academic year. The difference between the best- and worst-designed classrooms covered in the study? A full year’s worth of academic progress.

The study was conducted over the 2011–12 academic year, with 751 students in 34 classrooms, spread across seven primary schools in the seaside town of Blackpool, England. After collecting data on the students’ performance levels going into the school year, the researchers, comprising faculty from the University of Salford School of the Built Environment, in Manchester, England, as well as collaborators from the architecture firm Nightingale Associates, ranked each classroom on a 1 to 5 scale for 10 different design parameters: light, sound, temperature, air quality, choice, flexibility, connection, complexity, color, and texture. Each of these parameters were broken down into a few considerations. Light, for example, included the amount of natural light entering the classroom, as well as the teacher’s ability to manually control the level of lighting; flexibility took into consideration how well a given classroom could accommodate pupils without crowding them, in addition to how easily its furniture could be rearranged for a variety of activities and teaching approaches.

There is, of course, the matter of the teacher, though the paper points out that the multilevel statistical model used to crunch the data, which looks at the correlation between the variables and student progress across classrooms, actually buffers against their influence to a large extent.

So what did they find? Six of the design parameters—color, choice, complexity, flexibility, connection, and light—had a significant effect on learning. Light, as mentioned above, concerns the amount of natural light in the classroom and the quality of the electrical lights it contains. Choice has to do with the quality of the furniture in the classroom, as well as providing “interesting” and ergonomic tables and chairs for pupils. Complexity and color both have to do with providing an ample amount of visual stimulation for students in the classroom.

Professor Peter Barrett, the paper’s lead author, explained the significance in a statement accompanying its publication: “It has long been known that various aspects of the built environment impact on people in buildings, but this is the first time a holistic assessment has been made that successfully links the overall impact directly to learning rates in schools. The impact identified is in fact greater than we imagined and the Salford team is looking forward to building on these clear results.” With the success of the pilot phase, the researchers have found funds to continue the study, and over the next 18 months they’ll track student progress in 20 additional classrooms around the U.K.”

Read more here.

One of my most viewed articles at I’m a New Teacher is, ‘Things that require no training at all.’ If you are trying to get noticed in a school, whether to get more casual days, a teaching block or even to get a permanent position, there are a number of things that you an do today to help you dramatically increase your worth in your school.

A friend of mine, an owner of a highly successful investment company, once told me that he would hire people that had great character before those that had qualifications. The teaching profession is different in that there are mandatory qualifications; and is a great deal of accountability through processes such police checks and accreditation. However, the thought has interesting implications when it comes to increasing your worth as an employee. Even if you do not have years of teaching experience, there are some universal character traits that can make you more employable.

Initiative –Initiative means not waiting to be asked to do something. Whenever I have a meeting, or ask a question from my supervisor I always think of the ‘next question’ that they will ask me. For example, if I ask my supervisor,
‘What I should do about a child that has not returned her excursion note?’ I would anticipate that my supervisor’s next question would be,
‘Have you called their parents?’
This simple habit of anticipating the next question can help you problem solve and take the action required without having to go backwards and forwards to your supervisor with every problem. You not only save time, but you also show that you are able to solve problems independently.

Integrity – Integrity simply means doing what you said you will do. If you tell your colleagues that you will have your programming done by the beginning of Week 2, then get it done by that deadline. People are constantly making judgements and decisions about your integrity. As a new teacher, be determined that what you say matches up with what you do.

Ownership – To me ownership means taking responsibility and having pride in something. Taking ownership of your classroom could mean, taking responsibility for the state you leave a classroom in (whether it be your own or another teacher’s) at the end of the day, it could mean taking the time to create a creative and inspiring space in your own classroom, it could mean setting time to organise your marking, programming and other responsibilities effectively. Ownership means that instead of looking around for others to blame when things are not working, you look at your own actions or inaction and think about what you can do to make a difference.

Diligence – A diligent teacher is someone who consistently approaches their work with a high standard of professionalism. To me diligence looks like arriving at work on time (and earlier), approaching your job with enthusiasm, and continuous professional and personal development. Diligence is a rare, but extremely valuable character trait. It takes time and effort to develop a reputation for diligence because there are no short cuts to doing the right thing.

If you were employing a recent graduate, what character traits would you be looking for?

You’ve made it!

I wanted to congratulate you again for choosing this career. Teaching is a fast paced and challenging profession and schools need dedicated and committed professionals now, more than ever. I have worked in schools for a number of years, and I have met many wonderful and inspiring teachers. I am so impressed by the standard and the commitment of the new teachers that I meet. I want to tell you one more story about the greatest prac teacher I’ve ever met.

The prac teacher  was completing her first ever practicum and was quite nervous about implementing her first lesson in my class. She was shaking, hesitant but professional. Previously she had handed me her program, a well planned, well structured, and well practised lesson on fractions. Her preparation was outstanding. However, as she walked to the front of the classroom to deliver her masterpiece, one of the students projectile vomited all over her shoes and proceeded to spray his classmates in a thick covering. I watched this poor prac student arrive at a crossroads – she had the option of either taking the distraction in her stride and attending to the situation at hand, or, as I would have probably done on my first prac, crying and giving up. This brilliant prac student, calmly and professionally, navigated through the situation and restored order in an otherwise chaotic situation. The good news is, the prac student delivered her lesson, and continued to grow and develop her teaching skills. She’s certainly not the first teacher to ever face an unexpected interruption to a lesson, but her confidence and composure under fire remind me of the strength and determination it takes to teach in any environment we find ourselves in.

As the next generation of teachers you have a huge responsibility. You have been charged with the responsibly of teaching our students, and supporting the education system of this country. You have the responsibility shaping minds and lives of tomorrow’s citizens. It’s easy to get caught up the busyness of the profession, the politics of the school and the masses of paperwork. Each day you will come across a huge range of students from a variety of educational, social and cultural contexts. There will be students that offer to help you carry your things, give you handmade cards and others that seem to have been put on this Earth to test every shred of patience you have. The challenges facing teachers and education are immense and there will always be things that are out of your control. However there are also many things that are in your control, and the most important of these is providing the best opportunity for your students to learn something new in the time you have together.

So keep up the good work and I hope to see you back on the I’m a New Teacher website again soon.

Sometimes we forget just how much we can learn from our students. One of the most valuable pieces of advice that I’ve ever received came from Sarah Brown-Wessling – the American 2010 National Teacher of the Year. In her classes, Sarah focuses on ‘flattening the hierarchy’ within her class.

This means that learning and the construction of knowledge is largely bilateral, instead of hierarchically, where knowledge is ‘imparted’ down from the teacher to the students. I totally agree with Sarah and I believe that effective learning takes place when hierarchy is removed. I feel like my students teach me so much every day.

So, today I thought I’d share some life lessons that my first Kindergarten class taught me.

 Laugh at yourself. Life can get pretty boring if you take everything too seriously. I remember many times in my class full of Kindergarten stand up comedians, that when I just had to laugh. Funny stories, opportune comments, quirky observations – they all have the potential to brighten up your day and create great memories if you let them.

Loose yourself. Kindy children don’t really care what anyone thinks of them, they do the most ridiculous things without batting an eyelid. I remember once, while trying to illustrate a point, I put on a pair of pink fairly wings and prancing around the room. I can’t remember what on Earth I was trying to teach them, but I do remember thinking “If any of my friends saw me now I’d die of embarrassment.” The class loved it and I had their full attention for the entire lesson. Sometimes the best teaching happens when you let go of what others may think of you and focus on what is memorable for the class.

Get perspective. When you work with young children, the world they experience is in such sharp contrast to our world. They are not concerned with bills, a mortgage or family issues – they see the world as a place full of infinite possibilities. Sure we adults have responsibilities, but it’s a nice reminder that these stress and weight of life is not all there is to focus on. Perspective for me is taking a step back and trying to keep things simple, focussing on what the most important things in life are.

 Plan and prepare, but remain flexible. One of the most significant things that I have learnt from teaching is the importance of flexibility. Yes, plan, prepare and be diligent, but remain flexible. Things can change in a heartbeat, a student might throw up on the floor, someone could break their arm, or the photocopier may choose not to cooperate. As a teacher you just have to go with it. This kind of attitude could greatly reduce your stress and increase your creativity!

I believe that the best teachers are the ones who stay open to their environment and look for opportunities to keep learning.  Learning and knowledge creation is a bilateral process, so never for a moment think that your students are the only ones learning in your classroom.

What are some of the things that your students have taught you?

Here is a great video from Takaharu Tezuka, called ‘The best kindergarten you’ve ever seen.’

http://www.ted.com/talks/takaharu_tezuka_the_best_kindergarten_you_ve_ever_seen?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2015-04-18&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_content=talk_of_the_week_button

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8AdyYMkxgI

This post was inspired by the work of Austin Kleon. He is a ‘writer who draws’ and his work is fascinating.

After reading his article, I gave it try….

I had been trying for year, sometimes successfully and other times not so much, to become more of a morning person. I live in a beautiful part of the world, with lots of peace and quiet, and a short walk from the beach – I really have no excuse to not enjoy the morning! Mornings to me represent starting well. If I start the day well, eat a nutritious breakfast and have some time to myself, then the rest of the day tends to flow quite nicely.

I noticed the importance of my morning ritual, when I first started in my teaching career.  For many years, I would go to bed late (due to marking), get up early and skip breakfast. By the time I arrived at school, I was rushed, unprepared, hungry and caffeine overloaded. I hadn’t even started the day and I’d be feeling stressed and desperate for a break.

It wasn’t until recently that I began to seriously look at and approach my morning routine strategically.  One morning, when I was tired of being tired, I decide to write down everything that I did that morning. My aim was to see where my time was being spent and what I could do better. This exercise was confronting and immediately highlighted areas that I could improve on.

Below are a few suggestions (in no particular order) of how I re-engineered my morning schedule:

• Each morning I try to have time to myself, to think and reflect about the day ahead of me. It’s a great way to push pause and clear your mind of the clutter and stress buzzing around in there.

• Each morning I try to exercise (either got to the gym or go for a walk). It helps me to focus and feel energised for the coming day.

• Each morning I try to eat a wholesome and nutritious breakfast. Proper nutrition helps to keep you focused until recess. I tend not to eat breakfast at home because I leave quite early in the morning. Instead I keep a bag of oats at school.

• Each morning I try to plan and prepare for the next day. Things in school change quickly; someone is sick, the photocopier breaks, or a myriad of other tings can happen. By planning ahead I can have contingency plans and remain flexible if I need to.

Starting the day feeling refreshed, well nourished and focused can have great positive effects on your teaching day. Remember if you don’t look after yourself you will not bring your best into the classroom.

Even if you’re a night owl, you can still benefit from doing mornings well. Your morning ritual can change your whole day, if you get a little deliberate about it.

A little while ago I was speaking to a colleague of mine and she told me that ‘one of the hardest things about teaching is dealing with the guilt.’ I though that was quite a strange thing to say. The truth is I think that she is right, my colleague is an exceptional educator and she is one of the most gifted teachers that I have had the privilege of working with.  Her comment got me thinking and made me reflect on the way I approached my profession.

As a recent graduate I think that teacher guilt is a huge problem. As Teachers you commit completely to the learning and the lives of those you teach. As a graduate I remember working until all hours of the night, taking marking home, programming and refining the next day’s lessons. Despite priding myself on having little to no life in the first few years of the profession I still arrived at the end of the year feeling guilty that I hadn’t done enough.

At the end of Term, I would always feel like I had let my students down and that I could have done more.  As a new teacher it is important to keep striving to get better and to refine your craft, but sometimes you need to give yourself a little credit.

Here are a few ways that can help you deal with teacher guilt:

Rewards. Make sure that you take time to reward yourself.

Protect your time outside the classroom. Your weeknights and weekends are precious, make sure that you guard them. I don’t answer work emails and very rarely do any schoolwork on the weekends.

Be careful what work you take home. During the teaching day I work really hard, and I seldom take marking home.

Follow your passions outside the classroom. Make it a priority to pursue other things outside of the school term. This may be an exciting project or hobby that you have, travel or something that you have always wanted to do.

Learn from your mistakes and let them go. There is no point in holding on to your mistakes. Give yourself time to reflect, implement change and then move on.

Look after yourself . You must take time to look after yourself. If you don’t eat well, make time to regularly exercise it will catch up with you.

Committing yourself completely to your students (when you are at school) is important, but you need to have a life outside of the classroom. There will always be something more that you should have or could have done, but there comes a time when you have to give yourself a little bit of credit.

As a teachers we all want to be the best for our students and we can only be the be when we are refreshed and when we have lives outside of the classroom.

A few years ago I had a student called Marcus (not his real name). Marcus was a student in my Kindergarten class, and he had come from a hugely challenging background. His mother fell pregnant with him in a refugee camp in Africa. A few months later his mother and her remaining family fled her home due to civil war – inhabitants of whole villages were being murdered by rebel soldiers. While they were fleeing the country, with Marcus still unborn, all of his aunties, cousins, uncles, brothers and sisters were murdered as they fled. Marcus and his mother miraculously survived and he was born a little while later. Marcus and his mother walked thousands of miles to safety and caught an illegal fishing boat to Australia to start a new life.

Understandably, Marcus was a challenging student. He could not socialise with any of the students, he would steal food from the canteen and belongings from people’s bags (mine included). However, considering the atrocities that he and his family had experienced, he was settling in remarkably well.

To be honest, I was a relatively new teacher at the time and I didn’t really know what to do with him. He was on countless behaviour plans, individual learning plans, reading plans, writing plans, eating plans, and the list went on. One day, when I was at my wit’s end, I decided to allow the students to have some quiet time and I put on some music – The Lion King’s Hakuna Matata to be precise. Marcus, upon hearing the music, put his pencil down, focused his attention on the music and began to dance – and did he dance! To the delight of his audience he twirled, jumped, shook, twisted and leapt in ways that were befitting of a Broadway production.

I am not claiming? that I was the one that ‘found’ his inner genius. By the precision and form that he displayed, he showed that it was something that he had loved for a long time. But that day, untapped potential was discovered in my class.

Classrooms are becoming more and more busy, more and more frantic and the curriculum is becoming more and more crowded. So how do you as a teacher create environments that untap your students’ potential?

Facilitate Play. Play, especially in the early years, is vital. It allows students to discover, challenge and interact with other students. Unfortunately subjects perceived as ‘non-essential’, such as the arts, are being squeezed out of the curriculum. If we ever get to the point that students cannot play, interact and problems solve in this way, it will be a tragedy.

Teacher across the curriculum. Why is it that we teach subjects in isolation? There is a fascinating movement of schools called A+ where teachers are encouraged to use such learning tools as thematic webbing (establishing connections between various subject areas) and the use of interdisciplinary thematic units – the curriculum is built around experiential learning.

Give students problems. Problem solving is a crucial skill that students need to learn. In a recent article I argued that we are preparing students for jobs that have not yet been created . The jobs of social media marketer, blogger, restaurant reviewer and a plethora of others were not even heard of 10 years ago. What we need, must, teach our students is a how to use a range of skills and how to solve problems across a range of contexts.

Do special inquiry projects. Have you ever been in a classroom where students are in control of their own learning? Where students can choose what and who they work with, they can choose and how they will investigate and present their information? It is a wonderful experience, an experience where, surprisingly, very few behaviour issues appear and student engagement is high.

Your classroom is a wonderful place. It is full of ideas that have not yet been perceived and concepts that have not yet formed. This year I would like to encourage you, as well as your students to take risks.

There is untapped potential lying just below the surface.