Never Work Harder than your Students- PD Session

I recently attended a professional development workshop by Robyn Jackson based on her book Never Work Harder than your Students [order here.]  I loved this book and was excited to meet the author! This was part of a series for new teachers created by my school district called:

Although I am not a new teacher, I am a mentor to several new teachers and thought the information Robyn shared would be of benefit to me and increase my effectiveness in new teacher development.

She is not only a captivating speaker, but vastly knowledgeable in effective teaching. She mentioned, “I’m always teaching. I cannot stop it. It’s in me.” That is how you become the master of your craft- live it, breathe it, love it.

She posed many questions that got me thinking about my own mindset-

1. Did teaching turn out to be what you expected? (No. I used to think it was grading papers and hugging kids. I realize now that its more than that. I’m molding children in powerful ways and its the most honorable job I could have ever dreamed to have!)
2. Have you become the teacher you thought you’d be? (I thought teaching would be easy and I’d be this HUGE game changer. Although I make a positive impact daily, I know I can continue to be better and do better. I am growing each year and proud of my journey but I am certainly not the World’s Best Teacher that I dreamed up as a child… haha!)

She continued, asking what is a good teacher? What is good teaching? What is a master teacher and what does master teaching look like?

I realized that many great teachers out there teach differently, and that is okay. There is not one recipe for effective teaching. This concept is powerful for new teachers to know. Find yourself, create your teaching identity that is true to who you are and who you are becoming, and then borrow teaching strategies that have proven to be effective. This takes a lot of pressure off a teacher trying to follow in someone’s footsteps. You cannot be them. You will never be them. And that is okay. However, find qualities you like in masterful teachers, take a piece of each of them, add in a mix of yourself, and that will be the path you lead. Robyn shared, “Don’t just survive. Thrive. Don’t be someone else’s version of a master teacher.”  She continued, stating you “can’t make a difference if you are trying to be somebody else. Become your best self and give it to students everyday to learn.” She even mentioned to reach out to your principal explaining that “I am on a journey to become a master teacher. I need to find my own teaching style. I need your help.” I thought that was insightful. Many people might think its taboo to tell your boss you are trying to find your way instead of portraying that you are skillful in all areas. I started thinking about the times in my career that I grew the most, and Robyn is right. It was when I was honest with myself about my development and reached out to various leaders in my building. Their expertise can help you figure out your next steps but they also are the able to be supportive of what you are going through. They lay low as you figure it out and only offer advice when you ask, instead of you shutting them out and a potential issue arising because of that.

Robyn also had some great advice to share:

• Learning is a journey and it’s messy; Mastery isn’t a destination it’s a journey.– The journey is what makes mastery so fulfilling. Many master teachers don’t even know that they are master teachers. They feel there is still more work to do. They never feel like they have arrived at the destination. If they solely focused on the end result they would feel very frustrated and unsatisfied. Focus on the growth.
• Invest in yourself continually and you will get there…if you put in the work.– A commitment to working hard in all that you do is character building. I am very goal focused and full of drive. It has paid off and I have been able to achieve many goals that I have set for myself. I want my students to have that same desire and feel how sweet success can be when you give it your all. Moreover, new teachers I work with should also have this mindset. Do not sit back and let teaching happen. Go out there and make teaching happen the best you can. Each day give a little more and the result will be outstanding.
• Teach the students in front of you, not the ones you wished you had. – I started teaching in a Title-One school and know first hand how hard it is to not get caught up in the level the student should be achieving at or the behavior they should be displaying. Rather, accept what is in front of you and do your best each day to cultivate growth in those students. It is too frustrating to focus on some imaginary scenario that is not your current reality. Keep your head out of the clouds and your feet on the ground. Then, find one good thing about the students in front of you and go to work!

What resounded with me the most, however, was when Robyn said to pick one aspect (she calls these principles) of teaching you want to get better at, and begin there. Then as you begin to refine that, add in a part of something else. Everything is interconnected but if you try to implement too many things too fast you will dive bomb and have the opposite effect that you started out wanting. She’s absolutely right. With anything in life, bite off a piece and master that before biting off even more. You cannot hone a craft by trying to fix too many parts all at once. Start small and add on as you go.

The rest of Robyn’s presentation focused on 7 things master teachers can do to increase “leverage” (to gain effectiveness). Although I would love to share all 7 with you, its worth it to hear them first hand. Find out where she is speaking at a city near you, and see for yourself.  In the meantime, I will share a few that stood out to me:

• Catch student under-achievement early so that you don’t work yourself to death. This support begins day 1 with building relationships, defining boundaries, identifying yourself and others, celebrating success, and being on “stand by” throughout the whole learning process.
• Find a way to give feedback students can use. Man, do I still struggle with this! I made novice mistakes and wrote “Good Job” on A papers and “Try Again” on less than average assignments. As I gained momentum and years in teaching, I switched to specific feedback like “try another hook that relates to the reader” or “use an alternate strategy to ensure you understand the mathematical process.” Although this feedback was more specific, students still were not getting better academically. It was not until I heard Robyn speak that I realized I needed to figure out what approach students preferred to receive feedback so that it would be a good use of both our time. Why spend hours writing comments if students just glance at the grade and throw out the paper? Why force students to read comments if they cannot commit them to memory so that they can apply them later? I needed a better system. HELLO…. No Grade Feedback system. I am thinking it might look something like this… In order for a student’s grade to be revealed, they have to read the comments, make the adjustments right then and there, re-submit the assignment and then meet with me individually. During this meeting we would discuss the progress that was made, the original grade (surprise!), and then discuss the final grade based on revisions. This sounds great on paper, so we will have to see once I carry it out! If you have an effective system that works just as well, please share!
• Obviously, never work harder than your students. I am guilty as charged! I thought that when I signed up to be a teacher that I had to come to grips with the work load. But, it wasn’t until I saw the benefits of putting more leadership and ownership onto my students that I realized just how hard I was working- cleaning up the classroom, taking attendance, monitoring bathrooms during recess, etc. Present material and let students work. Provide leadership and let them work. What’s the message? Do more by doing less. I know that sounds crazy, but when you do all the doing and the thinking, students are left to sit back and relax. This is not setting them up for success in the world of college and/or career.

Robyn is a master teacher. Learn more about her and find some free resources, like webinars and tutorials, at www.mindstepsinc.com. She also provides a free monthly teaching tips email that goes out on a Wednesday that I encourage you to sign up for! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting her and listening to her insight based on many successful years of teaching!

 How else can teachers become masters of their craft?

About the author, Gretchen

I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.

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