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I was absolutely devastated by a conversation that I overheard recently.  I was in a professional development room setting up for an Outrageous Teaching seminar that I would be delivering to 2nd year teachers the next day and I was eavesdropping on a meeting between a 1st year teacher and her support provider.  The teacher was frustrated, confused, and beginning to get emotional.  Here’s the gist of it: She said, “I have so many great ideas racing around in my head and so many things that I want to experiment with and try out in my class but my team has every day all mapped for each unit and they insist that I do exactly what they do.  They have way more experience than me and there is no way that I will be able to convince them to try these things with me so basically I’m stuck.”

Are you kidding me?  Is that what this has come to?  Here is an enthusiastic and creative new educator who wants to be experimental in the classroom and go out on the edge a little to dare for greatness and she is being held back by some misconstrued notion of what a team is all about.  I know that teams, PLC’s, etc are the current buzz in education and I’m definitely not saying they aren’t without merit, but the last time I checked Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant aren’t exactly taking the same shots and playing the same way as their teammates do.  All three are a part of highly functioning teams that work well together but yet don’t stifle the individual creativity of their stars.  I’ve learned plenty from the members of my subject area team and, in fact, I just learned a new addition to review games from a team member that I will begin to use immediately.  At the same time, just because they don’t want to participate in some of my wilder and crazier lesson ideas I will NEVER let that stop me from doing just exactly what I think is right for my students and my style of teaching.  By the way, I will also NEVER insist that my team members do it my way if it doesn’t fit their style.

One size fits all lesson plans are a recipe for mediocrity at best.  Sure, maybe taking a new teacher and insisting that they use the “team lesson” will help bring struggling and low-performing teachers up to the middle, but it will also take the potential superstars and drag them back to the middle.  New teachers are an incredible resource of fresh ideas, new energy, and creativity and the fact that their willingness to step outside of the box is being limited makes me incredibly sad.  One of the greatest rewards of teaching is being able to develop an individual style and voice that best fits your unique personality and the unique strengths and gifts that you bring to a classroom.  Doing anything less is not only a disservice to yourself but also a disservice to your students because you will never reach your full potential unless you fully develop and capitalize on all of those things that are special about YOU.

I wish I could tell that new teacher to run with her new ideas and try her experiments and dust herself off when some of them inevitably fail.  I would tell her to not let anyone stop her from becoming a superstar in the classroom.  Don’t let anyone drag you back to the middle of the pack of mediocrity and sameness.  Leave the cloning to science fiction…not the classroom.

Yet another adventure into the canyons of Tierrasanta yesterday has led to a teaching insight worth sharing.  I was with my two kids and two dogs at a small pond in the canyon when we came across a man walking his dogs and wearing binoculars around his neck.  As we were sharing small talk, he suddenly stopped and whipped the binoculars up to his face and excitedly pointed out a hawk perched on top of a nearby tree.  He told us the type of hawk it was, it’s hunting behavior, and how its feathers were specially designed for the type of flight maneuvers it needed.

I was fascinated.

Now please understand, I couldn’t care less about hawks and I’m about as far from an outdoorsman as you will ever find.  My idea of camping is a hotel room or a cruise ship cabin.  So why was I fascinated and drawn in by this man’s story?  In fact, why was I drawn in for about 30 minutes as he proceeded to discuss the entire ecosystem surrounding the pond and gave an impassioned plea and argument for not killing rattlesnakes?

The answer is very simple.  This man was 100% completely passionate about his subject.  When you interact with someone who is fully engaged and filled with passion it can be an overwhelming and unforgettable experience.  There is no faking it…you can’t “Meg Ryan” that type of passion!  Enthusiasm, yes…passion, no.  There is type of vibration that seems to emanate from people who are fulfilling their definite major purpose in life and it is contagious.  I still don’t particularly care about the 10 types of birds he told me to watch for but I would listen to him talk about them any day of the week.  My kids talked about the man for the entire way home.  People are drawn in and love to be around those who are passionate about their lives.

It doesn’t matter what subject you teach, you can become totally engaging to your audience if they can feel your passion and love for what you are doing.  You will draw students in as if by some magnetic force that is difficult to define.  Some people call it charisma; some people refer to having the “juice.” It’s all about being on fire in front of your class.  I’m fond of the quote, “Light yourself on fire with enthusiasm and people will come from miles around just to watch you burn!”

In my Outrageous Teaching seminar I spend a good deal of time discussing exactly how to bring this passion into your classroom but suffice it to say that the passion does not necessarily have to be for all of your content.  Sometimes it is more about consciously focusing on the parts of our profession that we can always be passionate about regardless of the day’s content.  For example, I am passionate about developing and delivering engaging presentations so I can get fired up about THAT, even when the subject of my lesson leaves me feeling a bit lukewarm.  It can also help to bring outside passions into your lessons whenever and wherever possible.  That is yet another reason why a cookie cutter approach to teaching will never be the most effective.  What gets me fired up and passionate in the classroom (and therefore more effective) might not be the answer for my colleague down the hall.  Resist any movement that attempts to “clone” teachers and lessons and instead rejoice in the fact that it is your individuality and uniqueness that will always lead to you becoming the most effective teacher you can be.  You might face resistance from the powers that be but the last time I checked it was the teaching professionals in the classroom who have the best read on what really works on the frontlines of the educational landscape.

Light yourself on fire and don’t worry if it’s not a controlled burn.

I had a major reminder of one my seminar principles over Thanksgiving week.  I was home with my two children everyday all week while my wife was working.  Normally this would be fine, but I also had several things I was working on like sitting at the computer and brainstorming blog ideas.  As my children competed for my divided attention, I felt the beginnings of frustration creeping in (O.K., O.K., more than the beginnings!).  Right before I snapped, it hit me…sometimes I need to take my own damn seminar.  I teach this stuff!  I was not following the principle of “Immersion.”  Divided attention is ineffective and creates a major loss of personal power.  I set my work aside and made the firm decision to just “be” with my kids.  That means being fully present, going with the flow, and surrendering my need to be in control all of the time.

How did it end up?  We had an incredible day exploring the canyons of Tierrasanta and going wherever they wanted to go.  We chatted along the way and I bore witness to the innate creativity that children can show when not over-scheduled and “structured” to death.  By the way, by personally letting go, I also freed up my mind to come upon my blog topic naturally.  I got more ideas and clarity by taking a walk then I ever would have by staring at a computer screen.  Sometimes we need to give our brain the vision and then let our conscious mind get out of the way and let the unconscious do its thing.

This applies to the classroom in more ways than I can possibly mention.  I’m a firm believer in having structure and definite plans for the direction of lessons but…and this is a big but (apologies to Sir Mixalot), sometimes things happen that demand a change in direction and a “letting go” of the plan.  The teachable moment is called that because if you wait it will be gone!  It’s O.K. to surrender your structure in the pursuit of something far more valuable in the moment.

“But wait…the state test is coming up soon.  Surely my students will never recover and get back on pace.”

Well, here’s what I say: At some point in your career you have to decide if you are about teaching to tests or teaching to kids.  My decision was made a long time ago.  I teach kids.  Don’t let the current overemphasis on standardized test scores lead to the loss of the teachable moment.  The reason for structure and the effective use of time in the classroom is to allow you the flexibility to let “the moment” happen without any sense of guilt.  Sometimes we need to just “be” with our students and let our class take the figurative walk through the canyons together.

I just wanted to take this Thanksgiving opportunity to let you know that I am thankful to have you as a part of my Outrageous Teaching e-mail and blog family.  I look forward to being able to stay in contact with you through this format and would love to hear your thoughts, examples, and questions.

One of the best changes I’ve made in my life is to try to start each day with an attitude of gratitude.  Each morning when I swing my feet out of bed I take a moment and mentally run through the things in my life for which I am thankful.  I don’t do it like I am reciting a grocery list but with sincere feeling and emotion.  If you want more positive things to come into your life, the best place to start is by showing thanks for all that is already there.  Next, I firmly and confidently set my intentions upon actualizing the type of person and life that is my goal and vision.  All of this might only take two minutes of time in the morning but it can be as powerful as you make it.

I have started to do a similar ritual during the last few minutes of my drive into work.  I turn off whatever I am listening to and concentrate on breathing full and deep, in through the nose and out through the mouth, while affirming the type of day that I intend to have and the type of teacher I intend to be.  I know that this is too far “out there” for some of you but all I can say is don’t knock until you try it sincerely for a month.  You might just find it to be an addicting habit and not the type of habit that you need to kick.

Thank you for dedicating your life to a profession that is one of the most influential and powerful in the whole world.  I can’t think of anything more important than shaping and molding the minds and spirits of young people.  I know teaching has had some bad press lately and there are always a few idiots who think they know everything that’s wrong in education but have never taught a day in their life.  I don’t even bother to engage them or worry about the press because it’s not worth my time and energy and it’s not worth yours, either.  You can’t measure a teacher’s impact in D/F rates and standardized test scores.  A teacher’s impact can only be measured through generations.  I know what it takes to stand in front of a class and teach everyday so I appreciate that you have chosen to rise up to the challenge and fulfill one of the most significant roles that any society has to offer.