Here is a collection of things to help every teacher. These short chapters of Move Your Bus make a lot of sense to anyone who is a lifelong learner. If not, author Ron Clark lays them out for our consideration. Taken to heart, this collection should help the learner become something better than s/he is. Say hello |
Sit with the Runners
This is what tends to happen in high school: you're inclined to acquire the characteristics of the people you choose to sit with, eat lunch with, and hang around with after school.
Change the conversation to change the culture
Trust me, people will allow you to be a sponge, soaking up all their negativity...Don't be someone's sponge...A positive conversation brings positive results. It can empower everyone around you.
Ask for help
Don't be afraid to ask for direction when you need it. I think sometimes employees fall into this trap of thinking they must prove themselves by demonstrating they have all the answers...
Accept criticism
If you want to improve constantly, then you must tinker with the bus on a consistent basis. There are always ways to be more efficient and effective...
Listen more than you talk
When you meet with other team members, it's important to be present. You want to make eye contact with the speaker and look interested.
Stay in your lane
Tunners fall into this trap more often than you might think, because they are so focused on moving that bus along and always trying to pick up speed. But there's a fine line between helping the organization as a whole to accelerate and meddling in someone else's job.
Find solutions
When you become known for offering up solutions and finding ways to get something done, you raise your worth in the organization and become the most valuable player in your supervisor's eyes...When others can't find a way, but you can, trust me, your initiative will always be recognized and rewarded.
Mr. Clark covers a few other topics in this section of Move Your Bus, but these are the ones that stood out to me. Again, they are real and realistic, and they just make sense. I need to remain conscious of these important skills and ethics as I teach, and I must teach my students to do the same.