“It’s my way, or the highway.”
Does that work in class? For somethings, yes.
Rules. There are non negotiable items. ”Nobody has the right to laugh at someone else’s mistake.” “No cheating.” “No swearing while in class.” These are a few examples of my way, or the highway.
When it comes to serving students, an approach based on ‘It’s my way or the highway’ is completely broken. Effective teachers know it’s not about them. It’s about their students and meeting their learning needs.
If you notice that the way you feel comfortable teaching is not working, who needs to change? You or your students? Hint: it’s not your students. Your job is to notice when you’re not connecting, and alter your approach.
What would happen if teachers found a simple way to perform personality/strength finders/DISC profiles of their students before their course began? Or even better, what if some sort of personality/behavior profile test was part of the intake phase, and results were delivered to teachers as part of their info pack for the class?
Would knowing and understanding more about how your students learn and interact BEFORE you begin working with them impact your performance over the year? Would it help you be better at helping/adapting to them?
Consider this podcast: Why You Must Discover Your Strengths
What are you doing to know your students learning needs and adapt to them?
Photo by Sean Rogers1