I bought this book years ago and actually used to teach part of it in my CC 2 class. Since then, though it's kind of faded out of my curriculum and found a place as a free reading book for the Sticky-Note book report I have my CC 2 students do.

I had nearly forgotten about it until one of my former students found it on one of the book shelves in my room, read it, and then presented on it. I was reminded of how interesting it was so I re-read it.

It's by George Louis, who is a legend in the advertising world and, legend has it, was the real person who Don Draper from Mad Men, was based on.

The book's design and shock value are testaments to Louis's ability. The full title caught me when I saw it: Damn Good Advice (for people with talent!): How to Unleash Your Creative Potential by America's Master Communicator.

Some of my favorite pieces of advice: #1 There are only four types of person you can be. Identify yourself: 1) Very bright, Industrious (You're perfect.) 2) Very bright, lazy (A damn shame). 3) Stupid, Lazy (You'll just sit on your ass, so you're a wash). 4) Stupid, Industrious (Oh, oh, you're dangerous). - If you're a number 1 or a 2, you'll get a lot out of this book. If you're a number 3 or 4, why are you reading this book?

I need to put that line back into my syllabus.

The entire book is like that. I you need a dose of creativity and inspiration, this is the book for you.

Week #19 – January 19-22

Teaching Thought #80 - Students Need Role Models

When I read Leon Botstein’s excellent, Jefferson’s Children, again this summer, he talks about the importance of children seeing what happens in school reinforced in the adult world around them.

He argues that this is one of the most crucial areas for why schools fail. Sure, we want kids to learn how to read. But how often (if at all) do kids go home and see their parents (or other adult figures in their lives) reading for pleasure or reading at all?

How often do students see adults enjoying their work? But students are supposed to do their homework after 6 hours in school and for many others a few more hours at practice, rehearsal, or work? I had one student confess that he was so tired of his parents harping on him on to do his homework that he finally had it and said, “Well, why don’t you go back to Digi Key and work for another 3 hours?” Ha ha. Now, I’m not condoning this. But I think it makes a great point: let’s model at home what we ask of our kids and let’s think twice before blindly telling them to just do their homework.

How often do students see their parents or adult figures working hard at something that won’t come for another decade? In other words, how often do students see their parents practice delayed gratification? Botstein notes that we all expect students to practice delayed gratification when it comes to working hard in school in order to graduate and then do more school, yet they rarely see it practiced anywhere else in the adult world! How long do marriages last today? How often do parents save their money for a vacation or vehicle rather than just taking on debt? How often do they go to the gym over the course of months in order to lose weight as opposed to trying some ridiculous fad diet? Even then, how many keep the weight off? What examples are these sending to our kids?

What ways do you model the attributes you want your students to develop?

Teaching Thought #81- Average is for Losers

That is a quote from one of my favorite thinkers, Seth Godin.

When you really reflect on it, when do we - as consumers at least - ever settle for average? If Kristie and I actually go out on our own without the kiddos, you can be sure we aren’t looking for an average place to eat and an average movie to watch. If you go to the dentist, do you really want an average dentist? If you’re prom dress shopping, do you really want an average salesperson helping out?

We all seek greatness. At least when it comes from our pocketbooks. But what about when it comes to our courses and classes?

Think about this for a second:

An average teacher teaches a subject. I think most of our textbooks and curriculum materials are designed for average teachers. They seem to say to us, Don’t think. Just do the guides and go through the motions, stick to the pacing guide, read the suggested notes and comments the teacher text has in the margins, and anyone can do this. It’s teacher proof.

A good teacher teaches students how to learn. No textbook or curriculum can assist with this. This involves a teacher knowing their students individually. Even more importantly, this involves the teacher having time to allow the student to know themselves. That’s even more difficult. It’s difficult because that takes away time from what the average teacher does to teach a subject.

A great teacher teaches students to love learning. Again, no student gets out of bed and comes to class eager because of the textbook or the new fangled curriculum. They come - if you ask me - because of two things: the culture you create in your class and the environment that allows them to take risks, experiment, and learn and grow. The hard part about that is that stuff isn’t easily measurable by a cheap standardized test. But it can change a kid’s life.

Don’t settle for average.

Teaching Thought #82 - How Can We Add Value to our Community?

This podcast episode, from Shifting Our Schools, examines how schools can add value to their communities.

Focus on learning. That’s what school is all about. I get it. That’s true. “School” doesn’t look like it did in the early 1990’s when I attended. School was about getting some skills. I’m not going to lie. I took Accounting from Mr. Thompson and learned nothing. I sat next to my best friend, Lon, and we did nothing other than plan out where we were going to party that weekend. I didn’t deserve to pass, but Mr. Thompson got me through. School for me, though, wasn’t about academics as much as it was about seeing my friends. In other words, it was just as social as it was academic. The other factor that played a role in school for me: athletics.

I’m not saying that those three factors still don’t exist in schools. They certainly do and they’re a driving factor for many students. But I’ve seen quite a bit of a shift in this over the past generation.

First, academics are still vital. But now students can earn college credit while still in high school. This was just beginning when I was in high school, and I was far too terrified to try it. We graduate many students who have already amassed enough credits to begin college as sophomores! But the focus isn’t so much on the skills as it is about getting free college credits.

Second, the social aspect of school is non-existent. Yes, it’s nice to see your friends face to face, but since every kid has a cell phone and numerous social media accounts, they are in constant contact ALL THE TIME. Gone are the days where if I didn’t see Lon in school, I didn’t see him or talk to him AT ALL. That just isn’t the case. So this idea of being together with your friends to have fun and make memories for 8 hours a day just isn’t true of school anymore.

Third, athletics. Yes, these still play an important role for both the students and their parents, but what percentage of our student body plays athletics anymore? I wouldn’t argue against playing athletics for a second as they gave me some great transferable skills. But if we don’t have students solely focused and driven by academics (and check to see what our average ACT score is to base your judgement on that), if they don’t need school for social reasons (at the high school, anyway, students are constantly in contact. In fact, sometimes it feels as if they are sending us the message (from constantly checking their phones) that class kind of just gets in the way of their contact), and if athletics isn’t the driving force, then what purpose is school serving anymore?

I think that is a serious question every teacher and administrator has to discuss. If school needs to focus on learning, then we need to wake up to the reality that the world we all live in now doesn’t require us to sit inside a building for 8 hours a day to learn. Period.

Teaching Thought #83 - What is “School for?”

I loved showing this to my UND students during the first night of my Teaching and Learning class. Then we’d spend the rest of the semester returning to it.

I’d like to hear your answers and ideas.

The hosts talk about the 70 or so teachers any given students will have throughout your education career.

Why do you remember some and totally forget others?

It's all about connections. We are all stressed, but now we have to re-prioritize those relationships and connections we have with students.

This is one reason I can't wait to have students back in my room instead of via Zoom.

What a great tool to investigate our own biases!

I love this point from the article - "You think you have the answers to all important questions? That suggests that you are either clueless — you have no idea how rapidly the world is changing — or that you are lying. In either case, you won’t find that trust that you’ve been looking for."

Why is it so important to ask good questions? Well, the days of having one leader that has all the answers are gone. There are too many sources of information streaming in to all people in the organization. That's just too much responsibility for any one person to bear.

In fact, two leaders I not only admire greatly but also have heard remarkable things about, Dave Doherty at Digi-Key and Jeff Skaar at North Risk Partners are among the greatest question askers I know. They will ask questions until the see a problem or issue from every side. They will ask questions until they have a variety of possible solutions from which to choose.

Furthermore, asking questions allows team members to have input. Asking broad questions also decreases anxiety. They correctly give team members the impression that problems are being addressed and that the organization is moving forward.

My favorite aspect about asking questions is that it dismantles the most damaging mantra of old school organizations: "But this is how we have always done it."

If you're constantly asking questions, you realize that yes, that might be how we have always done it, but sooner or later, we are going to ask the right question to arrive at way to do what we always used to do even better.

Think of the possibilities for you and your students!

I am married to the most amazing person in the world, Kristie. It was love at first sight. At least for me. And it still is.

We have four wonderful children, Casey, Koko, Kenzie, and Cash. And now we have been blessed with five grandchildren!

I also happen to have the greatest job in the world: teaching English to high school students.

I am in my 23rd year of teaching at Lincoln High School. I graduated from Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls in 1992. I decided to enter the field of education because of two amazing teachers, Mr. Mueller, my fourth and sixth grade elementary school teacher and assistant baseball coach, and Mrs. Christianson, my 9th grade English teacher.

I attended Northland Community College, and had my life changed by the amazing Dr. Diane Drake. Then I transferred to Bemidji State University in 1995. There I had amazing professors who further inspired me to teach English (Dr. Helen Bonner, Dr. Mark Christensen, Susan Hauser, and Gerry Schnabel). I graduated with my BS in English Education in 1997.

I student taught with the wonderful Lisa Semanko and then began teaching full-time at LHS in 1998.

I took a year's leave of absence in 2001-02 to return to BSU for my MA in English. There I had the privilege to teach and work closely with my greatest mentor, Dr. Mark Christensen. I earned my MA in English in 2006 and was honored with "Thesis of the Year" for my creative non-fiction, braided, multi-genre memoir, "Meeting Myrtle: A Biography."

In 2013, thanks to my dear friend and mentor, Dr. Jodi Holen, I was offered an adjunct teaching position fall semester at the University of North Dakota. Tuesday nights I teach Intro to Education: Teaching and Learning 250 from 5-8. Those three hours fly by in about ten minutes.

Then in 2016 I was blessed to win a WEM award (thanks to a nomination from a former student (and now an elementary school teacher), Ciera Mooney).

In 2017 I became part of the #pineconepd podcast club along with Brian Loe, Jeff Mumm, Kelsey Johnson, Kelly Weets, Josh Watne, Tevia Strand, Megan Vigen, Mariah Hruby, Laura Brickson, Loren Leake, Katie Hahn, Melora Burgee, and new members all the time. This has been one of the best forms of PD I've ever been a part of. They make me a better teacher every time we meet. Please think about joining us in the summer at the Pine Cone Pub from 6:30 - until we've solved all the world's problems. For that evening anyway.

Thanks to the inspiration of Shane Zutz (our former principal) I devised this as a way to distribute my Teaching Thoughts and add more content to, hopefully, help out and inspire others.

Email: kurt.reynolds@myprowler.org
Website: http://teacherscribe.blogspot.com
Location: 101 South Knight Aver Thief River Falls MN 56701
Phone: 218-686-7395
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