A little while back I was in a very nice high school that served about 1600 students. The next day I was working with teachers in a high school that had about 160 students. It is a very cool and unique thing I do, working with teachers and administrators in all kinds of schools. The ties to teaching teachers about parent communications and teaching students about how to express their ideas on paper are endless. You know that lesson you’ve done that you know so well it’s almost automatic? The one you do 1st period, 2nd, 3rd, etc.? The one that works really well and you’re excited about doing because you know your students are going to get it? Yep, that’s what I do with teachers nearly everyday.
You know that kid who gets it right away and knows all the answers? Yep, they’re among your colleagues, and I’ve gotten to train with them. That kid that doesn’t get why they are there and doesn’t see how this is relevant? Yep, they’re among your colleagues, and I’ve gotten to train with them too. That kid that starts off the class hostile, they are mad about something else and they slowly come around to the lesson? Yep, they’re among your colleagues and I’ve gotten to train with them too. The funny thing to me is that those teachers, those students, and those issues are the same if your school has 1600 or 160 kids.
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I have been lucky enough in my career to have taught at both kinds of schools. I was the entire English department in my teaching job, and I was one of about 12 English teachers in my second teaching job. Working with SchoolStatus lets me go to schools with hundreds of teachers, tens of teachers, and everything in between. I’ve been in urban schools, suburban schools, rural schools and schools that have everyone from pre-K - 12 on one campus.
Here’s what I’ve seen in all of those schools: teachers work hard. Teachers care. Teachers know their students. Teachers are willing to learn. Teachers in big schools, medium schools and small schools are the same, they are tenacious advocates for our kids and they are my heroes.
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Tyler is a former classroom teacher, current trainer, all-around amazing dude. Find out more about engaging the unengaged parents here:
