Part 1: Reflection on Summer Reading

Part 1: Reflection on Summer Reading

My insight on the book Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students By Their Brains by Louanne Johnson

Overview

Louanne Johnson is a teacher with many years of teaching different age levels, backgrounds, skills, and subject areas under her belt. In her third edition of the book Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students By Their Brains, Johnson provides teachers of all levels and disciplines a colorful insight into the lives of teachers and how to make best use of your time, resources, and skills to give students the best education they can receive. Johnson uses a mix of her own stories, other's stories, research, and more to prepare teachers. She caters to the needs of new teachers while also exploring new methods to experienced teachers. In every explanation she gives, the reader can clearly see the dedication she has to giving teachers the ability to inspire students and truly grab them by their brains--sometimes without them even knowing it. Johnson wants students to be jumping at the chance to learn, and not because of how "interesting" a subject area is. She recognizes that the subtlest changes in the classroom can mean big differences in student's motivation and encouragement.

The following are my observations and thoughts to the first part of the book. I will share my thoughts from the chapters and how I hope to relate it or use it for my student teaching opportunity.

Connections

Have you ever had one of those experiences where you memorize, study, analyze, and get assessed on a particular subject or skill in the classroom but then hear someone talking about that very topic in the most random scenes? Maybe you over hear the conversation in a coffee shop, pick up on the terminology in a comedy skit, or read about it in a magazine? Maybe it's just me, but I always get a little excited when that happens because not only do I know what they are talking about, but it makes what my teachers have taught me a reality. I'm reminded that these things we do in school are supposed to be carried with us as we pursue our careers and other life achievements. That other people around the world are on the same page as me, and that it's not just something my teacher made up. 

Reading this book does just that for me. In past classes, I have learned about theories and practices, but reading what Johnson has to say about those theories shows me that they will be useful and I can implement them in my classroom too. 

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
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In part 1, which I designated as chapter 1 to chapter 4, Johnson mentions a few things that I have been able to make connections to. This includes philosophy statements, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Do Now's, and pedagogy. Each of these things I believe is equally important in establishing myself as a teacher and being able to manage my classroom. Seeing an example of a teacher that has done this and swears by it emphasizes it's value and how I can use it for my students. 

Perspective

Though I made many connections, I learned much more. I couldn't stop reading, and there were moments when I would just sit and ponder for a few minutes on what the author wrote. Do I agree? How would I do that? How can I personalize this? Would students actually do this?  Has there been a teacher in my life that has used this method? Other times I was writing notes and little things I want to do when I teach. It didn't matter how small it was, I wanted to record my thoughts in case I ever needed to remind myself of what my goals and ideas were.

One of the first things that struck me was the idea of a "Super", "Excellent", and "Good" teacher. Naturally, a Super teacher sounds like the best so that's automatically what I wanted to be. And funny enough, when I saw the word Good teacher and Super teacher together, I assumed that Good wasn't really a good teacher at all. 

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But what Johnson said of the three styles changed my perspective. She said that Super teachers might be labeled as those super star teachers that always makes time and go above and beyond. Okay perfect, right? However, she warned that these teachers tend to burn out quickly and have the potential of becoming tired of teaching because of the amount of work they place on themselves.

Next, she talked about Excellent teachers. These teachers still do a lot for their students but they recognize that they have limits and needs to attend to. Excellent teachers also have to be on the look out for burn out, though, because they too may tend to do a lot, and you'll often see them staying after school, or taking some work home with them. As I reflect, I believe a lot of ag teachers fall into this category because of the amount of work they do in and out of the classroom, but also because of the commitment they have for students over holiday breaks and vacations. 

Finally, she explained what her interpretation of a Good teacher was. She said it was a teacher who expended less energy but was still able to accomplish many of the tasks needed for a strong classroom. This teacher might not always come in super early or stay super late, but tries to help many students when they can. These teachers make time for their personal lives and are able to separate work life and home life. 

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When I read this about Good teachers, I asked myself if this was a role model teacher to which I quickly thought "not really". But Johnson brought up some really great points supporting all three teaching styles equally. About Good teachers she said that they are the ones that have the long successful teaching careers because they enjoy what they do and don't get burned out. She also brought up a great point that if every teacher was a Super teacher, students would be overwhelmed. Let's face it, if every single teacher did complex activities every day or if they were extremely passionate about the subject material every day, students might be even more drained by the end of the day. Having that balance of more calm teachers can actually comfort the students and give them the appropriate balance of personalities. Not to say that a Good teacher is easy while a Super teacher is challenging; just that some students learn better when the subject matter is presented in different ways and intensities. Every teacher's personality is different and doesn't always need to be a Super or Excellent teacher. 

Needless to say, I gained an appreciation for those teachers who are able to do a wonderful job teaching no matter what style. As I gauge my own personality and abilities, I hope to fall in the Excellent category. I don't want to burn out and I'm usually very good at knowing my limit. But teaching agriculture and running an FFA chapter can present challenges which won't always allow me to leave right after school or having free weekends. I'm interested to see whether this will remain true as I teach or if there are a mix of all three depending on time of year, class subject, or students. 

Preparation

Much of the rest of part 1 focused on some form of preparation. Johnson expressed how valuable it was to sit down and think about how a teacher was to go about performing tasks such as grading, explaining rules, seating arrangements, bathroom procedures, etc. These are things that I assumed would just fall into place when I arrived. But I quickly learned that if I want to be on my A game all the time, to be an Excellent teacher as I expressed, I need to be intentional in everything that I have my students do. Therefore, even something as trivial as hall passes needs to have plan of sorts.

I will briefly touch on a few of the things that really jumped out to me as I prepare to stand in front of students and teach. The first thing that jumped out at me was her section titled Control your classroom, not your students. She said that you can't control students' behavior, but you can control your own behavior and you can manage your classroom. If you let students influence your emotions and behavior, they will continue to walk all over you or have discipline problems. But if you don't lose your temper or get upset every time a student causes a disruption, and instead, as she suggests, hold a private conversation with the student and give the student the opportunity to change their behavior, you begin to gain control of your class and show students a good example to follow. 

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I worry that being on the smaller side and not usually one to have my voice carry over loud noises, that I might not get that control I'm looking for in my students. But I realize now that it's not about how I can change them, it's about how I carry myself in my classroom and address those issues without bringing emotion or temper into it. Of course, students should see that you care about them and know that you feel upset that they are not behaving. But the difference is that you are not expressing those emotions in such a way that gives the student the idea that they are in control or that they have the ability to direct the show. They must respect your rules. 

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The next thing I thought was really interesting was Johnson's take on the bathroom dilemma. While schools have rules on bathroom procedures, she urges teachers to not be so strict on bathroom rules. It is a physiological need, not a right or a privilege to be able to use the bathroom. Further, if students are concerned about their need to use the restrooms, then they are not concentrated on learning and may act out or may feel "shamed by their need to go". When they are given responsibility and flexibility within reason to use the bathroom they are more likely to be more comfortable and ready to learn, and feel they are fairly given a sense of responsibility as opposed to being treated like children.  

Part 1 Wrap-Up

I could go on about the little tidbits that I gained from Johnson's stories and research, but for now, I feel this will suffice. I hope to make connections as I go through my year, articulate my perspective on the type of teacher I want to be, and prepare as much as I can on the most minute things so that I can be ready for the first day of school and focus on the more challenging things. I am thoroughly enjoying this book and hope to apply much of it to my own teaching when I get in front of my students. 

Leaving Thoughts

"Learning ignites curiosity we never even knew we had"--Unknown