Thank you for venturing into the digital world for our book study! After reading pages 33-71, take a moment to reflect on the questions below.* Comment on the post with your answer to one, two, or all of the questions - even add to a comment by a colleague!
- "I can't do that. I'm not as creative as you are." Dave Burgess suggests that creativity is calculated and learned. Is he right?
- What are the "right questions" we should be asking ourselves when lesson planning? Ex. Can this lesson be delivered outside?
- Have you developed a system to capture your creative ideas? Digital, pen and paper?
- What is your ideal classroom vision?
- What can you do THIS WEEK that will set that vision in motion?
- Do you have any lessons that you could sell tickets for?
- "If you do nothing else but ramp up your enthusiasm, you will be far ahead of the game." How can your enthusiasm transform the class?
- "When we model enthusiasm it rubs off on everyone around us." Is being a model for change a privilege or a burden?
*Questions from #tlap Twitter chat by Chris Kesler, @iamkesler.
If you're feeling real adventurous, check out the EduAllStars Podcast below featuring Dave Burgess!
"When we model enthusiasm it rubs off on everyone around us." Is being a model for change a privilege or a burden?
ReplyDeleteAbsolute privilege. This part of the reading stuck with me the most. I purposely "lite myself on fire" with enthusiasm today to see what a difference it could make in my math classes. I already believe we must come into the day with a positive attitude, but adding a little extra enthusiasm is indeed contagious. Students trickled in yawning and complaining about "being soooo tired" but after several positive comments from me and other students some students were able to put a smile on their faces. I noticed lots of positive teamwork and whole group participation today that I feel was help along with purposeful "enthusiasm" on my part and several students.
I will continue to remind myself to approach each class, especially those in the afternoon when I'm growing tired, to switch on a little extra enthusiasm.
I totally agree, but I do struggle with this a bit. When I'm feeling enthusiastic I tend to get off track and let the kids get too worked up and scattered. Classroom management tends to go out the window. However, the kids do seem to be more engaged, in general, is those situations. I've learned that the key for me is that the activity/lesson itself has to have a form that allows my type of enthusiasm to be appropriate to it.
DeleteI'm also focusing more on "fake it until you make it" recently. I've always been uncomfortable with behaving differently than I feel, thinking that I am somehow being fake, but I'm learning that isn't really the case and that it's okay to "fake" that energy sometimes. I've also find that when I behave that way I end up feeling that way, more often than not.
"I can't do that. I'm not as creative as you are." Dave Burgess suggests that creativity is calculated and learned. Is he right?
ReplyDeleteI agree that creativity is calculated and learned. We all have something that we are good at, but we didn't not just become good at it overnight. We all have to work hard at becoming a good musician, singer, artistic, writer,etc.
Becoming good at something takes a lot of work. We have students that are great spellers, good at drawing, excellent writers, excel at math, but this happens because their interest in some cases or initial skills have been nurtured and developed over many years. I have heard several students say, "I can't draw," when asked to illustrate a piece of writing. They are reluctant to draw thinking they can't, but they can be encouraged to give it a try. Often the next time they are asked to illustrate a project, they are not as reluctant. The same can be said about writing. Many students over the years have expressed the believe that they aren't good writers. After several one-on-one sessions, many of the students will realize that they can write stories and are quite imaginative/creative in their story telling. They begin to enjoy writing stories and sharing them with friend. Creativity can be learned.
I agree that creativity is calculated and learned somewhat. Everything we do takes practice. Some are born with a natural ability to do one thing or another that comes easy for us. That talent becomes greater as we practice it.
DeleteI always tell the kid who claim they can't draw that of course they can't if they think they can't. No one was born knowing how to write their name. It was a skill they had to learn by first learning how to hold the pencil and then gradually learning how to control it correctly. Drawing is the same, if they can learn to draw a letter to write, they can certainly learn to draw. It's just a matter of practicing the skill and developing it over time. Some take more time than others. Anything can be learned if we are willing to try.
My favorite chapter was the one on Enthusiasm. This one stood out to me because of one of the quotes. "There is nothing more contagious on this planet than enthusiasm. The songs become incidental, what people receive is your joy." ~ Carlos Santana If anything relates to music I'm going to remember it. : ) I also used this quote in my thesis paper for my Master's degree. My educational philosophy has always been to be the kind of teacher that leaves a lasting impression on my student's lives. The content I teach is important, but my character and how I treat my students is much more important. I have noticed lately that I really need to work on my level of enthusiasm. Life is hard and I let that get in my way too much. On that note... I believe that change is definitely a privilege. Changing your emotional and mental state is not easily done. If you can do it, not only are you a master thespian, but you are a selfless person. I am definitely selfless, but I'm no actor. : ) I play music almost every morning as the students are coming in. Music has an interesting affect on me that I cannot explain. It helps me manage my state. I change my state by keeping my focus on those smiling faces and laughs.
ReplyDeleteCaroline Cozart
"When we model enthusiasm it rubs off on everyone around us." Is being a model for change a privilege or a burden?
ReplyDeleteGoing off of Caroline's response, I agree that Enthusiasm was probably my favorite chapter. I think because I caught myself reflecting upon my own teaching as I was reading. Do I put in enough enthusiasm into my teaching? Could I have made that more exciting? I think enthusiasm does rub off, and it is so important to model that children. As educators, we want kids to be excited to have a new adventure in learning every time they enter the classroom. I think our facial expressions alone go a long way. I do not believe creating elaborate lessons is necessarily the answer but the expression and tone you convey can mean a lot. I realize I put the most excitement and enthusiasm into math and social studies (maybe that is because I enjoy them personally the most). I agree, I think sometimes it can be hard to always be "on" but I am trying to make that a goal of mine. I look at being a model of change a definite privilege and one I do not take lightly. I feel that I am a huge influence in my students' lives; that I want to make sure I encourage them to make positive change for the future.
Leslie Jordan
I often find myself wanting creative lessons, but don’t seem to follow through with the execution. I’m guilty of spending lots of time exploring lesson ideas on social media, such as Pinterest, to only abandon the idea and teach something the way that it has been taught for many years. I am guilty of thinking that creativity just comes natural to some teachers and believing that I am not one of those educators. I do think that creativity can be learned (for those of us that are not creatively inclined), but I also believe that it does come natural to some.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the statement, “If you do nothing else but ramp up your enthusiasm, you will be far ahead of the game.” I see every day how our mood can affect our students. This goes along with the Passion chapter of this book, if you don’t have the passion or enthusiasm on the subject you just need to fake it. If you seem like you enjoy what you are teaching and you enjoy teaching it, ideally the students will have no choice but to enjoy it too. You can tell from his writing that Mr. Burgess is so excited about what he does, I found myself wishing I had the opportunity to observe him teaching.
"I can't do that. I'm not as creative as you are." Dave Burgess suggests that creativity is calculated and learned. Is he right?
ReplyDeleteHe is right to a great extent. No matter how creative you are "naturally", you will certainly have little success with having anything worthwhile result from that creativity without the proper effort. Creativity is like any other kind of thinking (for example, applied logic), it can be learned and practiced, and thereby applied. My experience (not only as a teacher, but as a musician and artist) is that a lot of creativity is simply a result of thinking of things in a certain way, asking the appropriate questions, and choosing what you focus on, and how you focus on it.
However, I do believe it is true that it is certainly easier for some, at least in specific "mediums".
What are the "right questions" we should be asking ourselves when lesson planning? Ex. Can this lesson be delivered outside?
ReplyDelete1-Why should/would the students care about this?
2-What is fun and interesting about this?
3-How can this be learned through "play"?
4-Can this be learned through cooperation?
5-Is there a "story" for this content?
6-How can this be taught without me speaking?
7-What is the best medium for the students to experience this?
8-Why does this content matter to me?
•What are the "right questions" we should be asking ourselves when lesson planning? Ex. Can this lesson be delivered outside?
ReplyDeleteThe Ask and Analyze chapter was a good reminder to think about thinking! Metacognition is essential when I lesson plan. I often think about the goal, but do not phrase it as a question in my mind. Questioning yourself as you plan forces you to focus on your exact goal. I especially like the quote, "What we experience in our lives is a direct result of our focus."
Questions I ask myself as I plan:
How can I tap into their prior knowledge of this content?
How can I keep the studentes engaged during the lesson?
How can I present the material in various ways for multiple learning styles?
How will I assess the students during/after the content is taught?
How can I relate the content to their lives/interests?
"I can't do that. I'm not as creative as you are." Dave Burgess suggests that creativity is calculated and learned. Is he right?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Dave Burgess is correct when he states that creativity is calculated and learned.
Creativity is just like any other skill that a person needs to develop. Some people might be born with an advantage or grow up in a household that encourages the growth of creativity but that does not mean everyone else has no chance. Obtaining creativity is like any other activity that humanity enjoys. A great example is sailing. Sailing can be very enjoyable or a complete nightmare depending on your sailing experience. If you would prefer an enjoyable experience then you will need to learn about proper sailing procedures and terminology. Hopefully if you are learning how to sail a boat you do more than just read a book or watch a couple of YouTube videos. You will need to surround yourself with fellow sailors and spend time on a boat with an experienced captain. Reading a book about what it is like to sail cannot provide you with the proper skills you need to command a boat of your own. The same is true about creativity. To become creative you have to take some action. You need to jump in with two feet. The more you attempt the better you will become.