I look for inspiration to support teachers everywhere, but I never thought I’d find it from a Mike Rowe video in my Facebook feed, but alas, I did. Here’s a 5-minute video to make you smile and provide you with some insights that just might increase student engagement in your classroom.
http://mikerowe.com/2017/01/truth-in-advertising/
Teachers as Salespeople
Let’s face it, as teachers, we are salespeople just like Charlotte. Instead of girl scout cookies, we sell content and inspiration. Instead of money, we deal in the currency of engagement. Charlotte does not sell 300 girls scout cookie boxes because she crams the published literature down her clients’ throats; she sells 300 girl scout cookie boxes because she is authentic, and humans are suckers for authenticity.
Authenticity in the Classroom
If you want them to learn from you, they have to trust you. When they see you are genuinely interested in their success, when they understand that you struggle with some of the content too, when they discover that you have unique strengths and weaknesses and interests, they will not only learn from you, they’ll seek you out as a source of knowledge and inspiration for years to come.
So don’t hide your flaws or try to emulate another teacher or stick to the published curriculum at all cost. Be human. Be humble. Be real. Then teach.