Attention! You Can 'Be a Great Teacher by Friday' If You Read This
It seems like the school year has barely ended and summer vacation has just begun. It’s time to put away the books, forget about studying, and consume all that the next two months has to offer.
The summer is a great time for students to make a splash into activities that create family memories lasting a lifetime. Collecting seashells at the beach, spying a bear on a hike in the mountains, or riding a thrilling roller coaster may be part of the plan for kids, but for teachers, this time off is often spent thinking and planning for the next school year.
It is during these seemingly endless summer days that quality educators sift through the myriad of ways they can do a better job of making a positive and lasting impact on their students. And for those who don’t, there is hope.
New York Times bestselling author Dr. Kevin Leman believes that becoming a tremendous educator is easier than you think. He contends that by following a few simple steps, you can inspire and energize your classroom for a lifetime of success.
In Be a Great Teacher by Friday: 5 Winning Ways to Spark World-Changing Potential, Dr. Leman along with his daughter, Kristin Leman O’Reilly (a longtime educator herself), offer wisdom fueled guidance on how to best refine education basics and craft an intentional culture to match your teaching goals.
I recently sat down with the Lemans to discuss the greatest challenges facing teachers these days, some positive developments currently happening in classrooms across the United States, and the most important thing educators need to know to be successful.
As we get started today, I must know what the experience of writing a book together was like for father and daughter? Quite frankly, I don’t think I could write a book with my son without one of us being committed.
Kristin Leman O'Reilly: It was easy because he's (Kevin Leman) written so many books. I really trusted the path and the guidance that he gave in this whole process. And for us, sometimes people that know us well will say that we're like two peas in a pod. And so, it actually was enjoyable, seamless, and just a delight to be able to collaborate on something together that we're both very passionate about.
Kevin Leman: It's been a fun way to do it with my daughter who is very clone-like. A lot of people comment on that. So it was an easy trip.
So many people get into teaching because they see it as a way to help chart a positive course for the next generation or to make a difference in the lives of others. Sounds great, but unfortunately so many become disillusioned due a variety of factors. What is the greatest challenge for teachers these days?
Kristin Leman O'Reilly: That's a great question. Depending on the school system that they work in, some teachers don't feel the support from their administration. And a growing concern, quite frankly, is just the support of parents. When I first started teaching in 1996, in my first teaching job parents were very supportive. And if you ever had to have a conversation with a parent about something that happened at school, the majority of the time those families supported the teacher. That paradigm has shifted to the point where they now support their student and they question the school. It has just become harder on so many different levels. Teachers are stressed. The work-life balance you'll often hear about is hard. Depending upon the school system and just the politics, unfortunately, can really drive a lot of teachers away from the profession.
We have been talking about some of the negative aspects of teaching. What are some of the plusses or positives for teachers today?
Kevin Leman: I think the positives are that the teachers are in a unique position to put an indelible imprint on a young scholar's life. Whether they be a little ankle-biter, a kindergartner, first grader, or even those high school students who some people think are really hard to teach. I don't think they're hard to teach if you come across as authoritative, but not as authoritarian. There's a big huge difference. Certainly not as a permissive, but I look around our world today, it's become permissive to the nth degree. So, one of the things that Kristin and I try to teach people and we make this point in Be a Great Teacher by Friday, is that you have to have a game plan in the classroom. The moment you walk in as a teacher, you better have a game plan. Your yes better be yes. And your no better be no. That signals to the learners in the classroom, wait a minute, this teacher is an authority. Now again, there's a huge difference between an authoritarian and being an authority, but that yes is yes. And that no means no is a great head start for a teacher, especially when she has 25 to 33 little kids in her classroom.
Digging into the book, your focus is predicated on the concept you can become a great teacher, or a much improved teacher in 5 days. Why is that?
Kristin Leman O'Reilly: We really tried to highlight the essential strategies that will help a teacher to be successful. If you do not know how to manage your classroom, your students will end up managing you. And that's just a recipe for disaster. So, we try to really equip teachers with being that presence and authority in the classroom. But it’s all based on relationships. Having a deep relationship with your students, knowing them, knowing their families, and getting to know each of your students as individuals is the biggest game changer. That's the thread that is throughout this entire book. It’s just being in relationship with your students. This is because until they know that you deeply care about them and have their back, they really are not interested in any lesson you might be presenting to them. So, you really see the chip on the shoulder fade away, the grudge, all of those things fade away when those kids know that you care about them. The reality is not all kids that sit in our classrooms have parents at home that care about them. So, they try to find that support and care at school. And that's why the role of the teacher is so vital.
What’s the most important thing all teachers need to know to be successful? Is there a secret sauce to teaching?
Kristin Leman O'Reilly: Yes, for sure. Every time you get a new roster and the new school year starts, I remember for myself sort of being sad at the beginning because it wasn't the kids that I just sent on to the next grade because of those rich relationships that I had, not only with them, but with their families. Part of what we talk about in the book is that it all has to be an open door. So, meeting with parents, but the parents may not be the ones that drop the child off every day and pick them up. If grandma and grandpa are the ones that's mostly involved, if we're all sitting around the table, then we need to include all the stakeholders that are going to impact that kid’s life. Because if we're all on the same page and pulling in the same direction, you'll see change happen so quickly.
The problem is when kids sense that divide. When home is giving one message, when the school's giving another message, then the turnaround just takes a lot longer. And it's an uphill battle where you really ask that question. Not to sound cliche, but it's truly based on relationships and getting to know each child, and being interested in what they're interested in. And that's really the secret sauce, if you will, of being a great teacher by Friday. It’s taking the time, and relationships take time. Sometimes they're bumpy and you have to build that trust.
Kevin, you are an expert on birth order as you have written several successful books on that subject. What exactly is birth order? And how does it help teachers uniquely motivate their students?
Kevin Leman: One of the things you've got to understand is your own birth order. If you're a first born, you might be a tad bit perfectionistic. Good luck with that, because life isn't perfect if you're a middle child. You ought to be really good at mediating things. If you're the youngest child, fun ought to be your middle name. So, understanding the birth order of the students in your classroom is really important. Do a little birth order diagram and you find out, oh my goodness, those four boys are all the youngest children in their families. Well, let me ask you, the teacher a question. Would it be a really good idea to let those four babies in the family sit together in the classroom? No, I would put those four in the four corners. I'd keep those guys as separate as I could. And so we think that birth order is part of understanding the full child.
I've always told teachers this. In the first week or two, make that 120 second phone call to the home. Introduce yourself and give them 30 seconds on how little Michael or little Josie is doing in the classroom. Give them your cell phone number and tell them if something comes up in the family I can help with, I'm available. Now, it goes back to what Kristin said earlier. They don't care what you know until they know you care. But when that parent hangs up that phone and has that conversation with her husband or wife at dinner time, ‘Hey, you won't believe it. The school called and gave us a little rundown on how little Michael's doing. Wow. That school's different.’ And from that moment on, you've won the cooperation with the parent. That's why it's important for teachers to understand the birth order.
This book is obviously written primarily with teachers in mind? Can general audiences get anything out of this book?
Kevin Leman: Yes, absolutely. Life is all about relationships. We sort of beat that into the reader's mind, but it's really true. I talked with a CEO recently and I asked her, "What do you do when one of your people has done something really well?” She said, “Well, I send them an email.” An email? That's the second worst thing you could possibly do. The worst thing is to ignore it. Who needs another email? And I go back to the fact that our book is based upon being relational. You pick up the phone, you make that call. If it's someone that works for you and you want to encourage them, you pull them aside and say, “Hey, listen, I’ve got to tell you something. All that hard work you put in on that Lennox project that really paid off, I just want to tell you man to man, eyeball to eyeball, woman to woman, that was really a great job and I really appreciate the work you did.”
Now, that's encouragement. And so, we want to be an encouragement to teachers, but we want parents to get something out of this too.
After people have had a chance to read Be a Great Teacher by Friday what would you like your readers to take away from that experience? What is your greatest hope for the book?
Kristin Leman O'Reilly: That teachers would just look at their class and see the opportunity that they have with a new lens. Maybe it will open their eyes to something that they didn't really see before. We are so driven and scared by our letter grades, our standards, and having to teach with high expectations. You can't build that up if you do not have a relationship with your kids. I honestly just hope it will encourage them. I hope this book will also continue to draw people into this awesome profession. It is incredibly rewarding to teach and to walk alongside someone else on their educational journey and know that you're playing a part in their life. So, I hope this book will continue to give hope and encouragement to teachers and remind them that they're doing the most important work.
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