Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.{New Orleans edition}

As I have written many times before, traveling is undefeated. Removing ourselves from our comfortable surroundings, and familiar haunts can immediately open our eyes to new perspectives in a wider world.

Over the past several decades, our society has become increasingly more polarized - and high schools most often reflect the communities that we serve.  So, the need for us (teachers) to take our students beyond the school walls, and into the wider world is more pressing than ever.

St Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square New Orleans

Last week's trip to New Orleans, Montgomery, and Atlanta illuminated a different world for many of us.  It is hard to find authentic culture in this globalized world where we can get anything we want (with two day shipping) from Amazon Prime.

So, sometimes you just have to get on the bus and walk the streets of a far away town...and experience it through the smells, tastes, and sounds - which (as of yet) Amazon can not provide.  So, eating beignets and drinking cafe au lait along the mighty Mississippi, smelling the gumbo and horses in the French Quarter, or hearing the brass band of a second line parade tearing down Toulouse Street brought it home.

Georgia Aquarium

We learned local history along our tours, and even paddled down the river on the Steamboat Natchez - but standing in Martin Luther King's home in Montgomery, where the floor of the front porch still has a hole in it from a bomb, is simply something that you can not get from a book or movie.  From walking down the same street, in the same Alabama heat, as all of the marchers did from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 - to tasting a greasy cheeseburger at Atlanta's Varsity, we were no longer bystanders to the forces of history and culture that have come to shape our world.

Selma to Montgomery March, Alabama State House

And, as always, traveling with these teenagers is undefeated.  They roll with the punches, make the best out of most things, and are full of spirit and energy.  I'm so incredibly grateful for this work, and for these kids, that it overwhelms me sometimes.  I return home with a full heart, and ready to plan a trip for next year.

This trip continually reminded me of the great Mary Oliver quote:
"Instructions for a life: Pay attention.  Be astonished.  Tell about it."

What new, incredible things will we experience?

Second Line Parade, New Orleans

The Case for Teaching

It is easy to get down about teaching.  It is easy to believe that the job is thankless, but I still find it amazing, and here are some of the reasons why:

1.  Teenagers are ...fun.  The kids that I teach still get so exited about things.  From music, to prom, to Starbucks - they exhibit an unbridled enthusiasm for so many things.  They introduce me to new memes, music, YouTube videos, fashions, and slang - and it is often hilarious.  Not yet jaded, they appreciate levity and fun, and continue to actively seek it.  That teenage ethos is 100% contagious, and constantly helps me see the wonder in my day.  It is both a challenge and a gift to channel their enthusiasm into curiosity about history, and global connectivity.  But that is what keeps me coming back.

2.  Teaching history forces me to constantly read, learn new things, and just...get smarter.  The thing about teaching high school kids is that they will challenge you.  So, because my business is teaching history - I have to be so on my game.  If I mess up a fact, or mispronounce a name, or incorrectly spell a term - they will let me know...immediately.  Thus, I have to work hard to make my students believers.  I have to sell it every day - and I love it.

3.  It makes me more compassionate.  Working with these kids, and seeing them everyday - has increased my capacity for compassion.  Though instilling rigor is crucial, I find myself most interested in how my students feel each day.  Are they happy?  Do they feel sick today?  Is there joy on their faces?  Seeing the ups and downs of a teenager's life throughout a ten month period has grown my heart, and inspires me to be a better person.

4.  I need to be creative, and teaching enables me to do it.  Whether it is coming up with new lesson plans that get us outside of the four walls of the classroom, or designing new t-shirts - the culture of my classroom demands that I push creative boundaries.  I love being surrounded by 20 - 30 creative people daily - who have an expectation for excitement.  This makes me excited each morning, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

5.  Academic wrestling is fun.  Introducing and engaging in conversation about the impacts of the Green Revolution, decolonization movements, or the rise of feminism is invigorating.  It encourages me to see new perspectives, and listen with an open mind.  I love hearing what students have to say about topics that they are hearing for the first time.

National Board Renewal Got Me like {grateful}

Illustrated Timeline

I am currently in the process of renewing my National Board certification this semester.  Though time consuming, I have come to enjoy certain aspects of the process.  Any time that I get an opportunity to slow down and reflect on my craft is a good thing.  If nothing else, this process has cultivated reflection.

How To Build an Empire: Children's Books

But it has also forced me to document many of the activities that we do in my classroom, that I typically would not take the time to capture.  And though it has illuminated certain areas where I need to grow and develop - it has also made me proud of my students, and the work that we do together daily.

So, my ultimate takeaway from the National Board renewal process is: I am grateful.  I love my job, and I love leading high school kids through this curious labyrinth of history.

New Orleans

Once again, we are taking our AP history students on a trip to a new city.  This time, we are headed to New Orleans, by way of Montgomery and Atlanta.

As always, we are all excited - and I feel like it is one of the most important things that we do for our students throughout the year.  Like our previous tips to Chicago, Gettysburg, Philadelphia, and DC - this year we will try to immerse the students in a place heavy with history.  

Moving beyond our discussions and readings about faraway places, to actually experiencing the tastes, smells, and feelings of a new place remains unparalleled.

Dead. Of. Winter.

The dead of winter is always a challenge for me, as a history teacher. So much of what I do is about keeping a good pace, while continuing to make history meaningful. Missing days for snow, and the constant unpredictability of that, creates barriers to the above goals. It is hard to know when to push through content (for fear of getting too far behind the pace), or to slow down and dig in with more meaningful strategies.

This past week has been the first week in a while where I have felt comfortable enough to slow down and use precious class time minutes to pursue activities for interest. It has been fun, and enjoyable for us all. From review game dress up relays outside, to dancing to the Istanbul song, to human statues portrayals of revolutions - we have had fun while working hard. 

Here's to spring time!

Relationships {over programming}

Relational teaching is more important than programming.
Recently the state of public education is getting more attention.  There is a growing chorus in the media, and in government, that our public school system is in immediate need of change and reform. In many instances, I agree wholeheartedly that our schools need change.  From scheduling, to teacher training, to innovative methods of pedagogy - we need reform.  

But what is the trick to bring about meaningful change to our schools?  How do we make meaningful changes  to grow student learning at the classroom level?

In my experience that question has been answered with the introduction of new programs.   It is an annual rite that each public school teacher will sit through a new programming proposal each year that promises to make each of us a "better teacher," and/or "improve student learning." In the past several years, my school system alone has introduced: PLCs, Balanced Literacy programs, PBIS, a statewide Formative Assessment program, Learning Targets, The Big Six, etc.

Each of us is expected to learn these strategies, and incorporate each of them into our classroom instruction.  And many of these programs are effective, and include quality methods for teaching.  I can honestly say that I currently utilize individual elements of all of the above strategies in some way in my classroom.

But so do most other teachers in my system....and we are not all equal teachers.

Because great teaching is not taught by a program.  Great teaching is a byproduct of great relationships.

In order for our students to truly learn anything from us, they must believe in us.  The fact that state government hired us, or that we have the word "teacher" beside our name, is not enough to impress a teenager.  (if anything, it has the opposite effect).  Our first step as a teacher must be that we seek to understand our students.  This is the necessary first step in teaching and learning, is to show an interest in the student.

Let's not take ourselves too seriously....

I stole a great idea from my teacher friend Lizzie, who requires each student to write her a letter on the first day of school - telling her everything about themselves that (s)he most wants his/her teacher to know.  Since implementing this letter into my classes, I am most amazed by what students choose to tell me about, as well as what they omit.  Basic biographical information often gives way to deeply held passions, and family dynamics.  I have learned to keep these letters, and re-read them when I need a refresher on what makes certain students tick.

It was through this method that I was able to connect with one of my  most amazing students, who until that time was mostly disengaged with school.  Through her letter, and conversations, we bonded immediately over our shared love of punk rock music - namely Minor Threat.  From there, she became the most engaged, helpful, and inquisitive student in my class that year.

From there, we have to provide opportunities for each student to express himself throughout our time together.  My ninth grade civics teacher, Mr. Thompson was a master at this - allowing us to enjoy his class by playing team games that allowed us students to gain points for our team by demonstrating a non-academic skill.  I was a less than enthusiastic student of civics, but I became a commodity on any team for my knowledge of popular music - which was one aspect of his game.   I try to emulate this in most of my classes: playing Name That Tune, having Three-legged races, and asking sports questions.

And for the student to get to know us, we must be more relational, mostly by humbling ourselves...often - and by not taking ourselves too seriously.  We must make mistakes, admit these mistakes, laugh at ourselves, and allow for silliness.

In our AP World and Government classes, we take an annual road trip to a major city in the US.  (I have written about these trips and their importance on this blog before).  As a high school student I traveled to Western Europe with students and teachers, and it had an incredibly positive impact on  me.  Not only did that trip open my eyes to the awesomeness of the world abroad, but I continue to have a kinship with many of the fellow students and teachers who were on the trip.

So, now we (fellow teachers and myself) orchestrate similar trips, in the hopes that it will have a similar impact on the kids.  And these trips have proven to be a fantastic way for us to develop relationships with our students and their families - as travelling together is one of the best ways to create lasting memories.

And though our students learn more as a direct result of improved and meaningful relationships - it is not a panacea.  Like any healthy relationship, boundaries are crucial - and trust is everything.  As teachers, we must constantly be vigilant that we model these healthy relationships - while engaging our students and their families with meaningful, authentic teaching.

Mining the Past {Thanks Adam Sandler}

I spend my workdays mining the past for inspiration.  I constantly read books, look at photos, listen to music, and have conversations about what came before.  And I get paid by the state to try and translate my passion for the past into a liberal arts education for high school kids.   It is an amazing life for me, and I am grateful.
But lately, it is my youngest son who is showing me just how powerful the past can be as a tool of inspiration.
He has become obsessed with early eighties culture...

It started with our family recently seeing the movie Pixels.  This Adam Sandler vehicle is the story of adults who are called in by the President to help fight aliens who have attacked the world using video game characters from the early eighties.  The story goes that, as children in the eighties, these adults were the "world champions" of games like Pac-Man, Centipede, and Donkey Kong.  Hoping that their childhood skills will be the secret to success - they lead the attack.

Watching this movie, especially the scenes that take place in 1983, was an absolute revelation for both of my boys - but especially for Avery.  They had been inspired by movies before, especially by the historical scenes in Mr. Peabody and Sherman), but this time was different.  On the drive home, They simply could not stop asking questions about these old Atari games.  Within a week, both boys bought a jean jacket, and now Avery's favorite song is Surrender by Cheap Trick (which was first released in 1978, and opens the movie).  We have it on vinyl at our house, and he played it 12 times in a row yesterday...12 times.  In reward for having good weeks at school, all he wants to do is go to the Asheville Pinball Museum, because they have a backroom that is filled with eighties video games.  He asks constantly which games I was good at, and how, exactly, my older brother flipped Frogger (which he did, and it was amazing).

For me,  I was alive in 1983, and thus I remember all of these cultural things.  But for him, all of this is brand new.  And it is inspiring him to try these "new" things.  Because of Surrender, he wants to learn to play the drums.  Though he is not much of a fan of writing outside of school - he recently wrote, illustrated, and colored an entire book on the video games of the early 80's, completely on his own volition.  Both of my kids want to ride their bikes around the neighborhood freely, "like the kids did in the eighties.." We have 20 minute conversations about what it was like to go to an arcade at the mall.

And it occurs to me that this is why historical curiosity is incredible.  Some argue that we study history so that, "we are not condemned to repeat the past." And in some cases, that is certainly true.  But most of the time, our studying history is totally about repeating the past - or at least finding inspiration in it.  We WANT to emulate the bravery of Martin Luther King Jr.  We WANT to design buildings like Frank Lloyd Wright.  We WANT to skateboard like Tony Hawk.  So, the first step is to be introduced to this greatness.

And it seems that Pixels (as bad of a movie as it probably is) -  did the job perfectly.

Thanks, Adam Sandler.