What is a personal manifesto?
Teaching is a profession that is often misunderstood. It is stereotyped; thought to be “easy”. How could it not be with the entire summer off from what is assumed to be a simple task: teaching kids. What some people don’t seem to acknowledge is the variety of skills and knowledge needed by teachers to instruct kids in mathematics, english, science and social studies. Many of these skills cannot even be learned, they are skills that come naturally to teachers, others have been learned through education and experience. The skills and knowledge base of each teacher can differ depending on pedagogy, discipline, and role within the school. This personal manifesto is what I see as being necessary in order to do my job on a day-to-day, as well as a year-to-year basis.
What is it not?
This document is NOT a “how-to” for being a teacher. It is NOT applicable to every teacher. It is NOT an exhaustive list of every piece of knowledge or skill I use as a teacher.
Criteria to choose content:
It is possible that this personal manifesto may serve current teachers as a “check-in” for what they are doing. Therefore, I considered the following when choosing material to include in my personal manifesto.
Empathizing with Students
As a high school teacher, I work with students who are going through a lot. Personally, emotionally, and even physically. Sometimes, they are frustrating and stress me out. Sometimes, they make me laugh. Sometimes, they make me cry in both good, and bad ways. It is important to keep perspective when working with these kids. The ability to put yourself in their shoes and think “I know the kids have a huge test in science tomorrow, perhaps I’ll save that homework assignment for tomorrow’s class” or “What is going on in Johnny’s life that might be affecting his behavior?” This is known as “cognitive empathy”. Too often, teachers forget that teenagers have a hundred other things happening in their life, things that are sometimes more important than their classes, and that’s okay.
The ability to then pass this sense of empathy onto students is something that, if achieved, can have a deeper impact on a student’s life than the content being taught to them. Its possible students won’t even realize this is what you’ve done for them, but when they do realize it, they’ll be grateful.
Empathy in Education
Making Personal Connections With Students
Taking the time to build relationships with students can have positive effects for both the student and the teacher. These effects can relate to discipline or achievement. When it comes to achievement, these building a personal connection with students can result in “higher levels of achievement than those students with more conflict in their relationships.” A teacher and a student who are constantly butting heads could result in the student losing interest in the class, or perhaps not making as much of an effort. Whereas, if the teacher has taken the time to show an interest and concern for a student, it is likely they will put more effort into the class, seeing more value than they did before.
This also translates to disciplinary issues that may arise with students. If a student is being particularly difficult in class, a positive relationship can help alleviate the stress that may result between the teacher and student, and in some cases, it may even erase the disciplinary issue. Conversely, if there is a negative relationship present between the teacher and the student, the disciplinary issue may very well worsen.
It would not be wise for a teacher to underestimate the power personal connections with students can have on their lives as teachers.
Improving Students’ Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Supports for Learning
Stand and Deliver (Film)
Self-Reflection
In a profession that can be as challenging as teaching, it is an important survival technique to take the time to self-reflect on your craft. Taking the time to stop and think about how something went, why something went the way did or what you could have done differently can greatly impact your teaching career. There are a lot of different avenues you can take in order to reflect, including speaking with other teachers, journaling about your day-to-day experience or asking for feedback from students. Any of these strategies should result in information that will aid in an examination of the job you are doing and what needs to be changed and improved upon.
Teaching Strategies: The Value of Self-Reflection
Management Tools
Any good teacher knows that ineffective classroom management can sometimes pull an entire classroom of kids off course. It can make or break a day, and it can even make for a lousy school year. It is important to have a set of tools and ideas for managing a classroom. Think of it as a toolbox. If you need to fix a kitchen cabinet, you’ll need a screw and a screwdriver. If your kids are off task, you need a strategy in your back pocket to get them back on task. This might involve a reward system or perhaps a participation system. Knowing what you are going to do if x, y or z occurs can save a lot of stressful moments. Figuring out first what is going to bother you the most and what won’t be a big deal to you can help set the tone from day one. There are many different resources out there that can help guide you through managing your classroom, but it is critical that you figure out what works best for YOU.
Love and Logic (Website)
Edutopia (Website)
Content Knowledge: US History
As a teacher of United State’s History, it is vital to be knowledgeable in this area. It can be overwhelming at times because there is so much to know, and kids are curious and ask really detailed questions. The phrase “I’m not sure but let’s look it up” will be your best friend. It’s okay to admit you don’t know something, but there are “must knows” and general knowledge that is necessary to instruct students on a daily basis.
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Crash Course: US History
Content Knowledge: World History
World History content is a challenge to grasp. It is best to focus on major concepts, or else you will never be done learning. Because world history covers such a drastic amount of time, it can again, be an overwhelming task to learn. These resources offer brief overviews in comparison to the actual amount of information there is to cover. There is also a third resource that offers a more in-depth look at the history of the world, in the eyes of everyday people.
This Fleeting World: A Short History of Humanity by David Christian
Crash Course: World History
A People’s History of the World by Chris Harman
Reading & Writing Skills
Just because you teach “History” or “Biology” does not mean that other disciplines will never appear in your classroom. As a history teacher, reading and writing are important skills for my students to have and develop. That means that I must have skills in teaching reading and writing. It is crucial for students to understand what it means to read and write within the context of history. Finding resources that aid your ability to help them in this area will make a difference in their achievement both within your classroom and outside of it.
Stanford History Education Group: Reading Like a Historian (Website)
How To Measure Students Learning
At the end of the day, the goal of ours job in a nutshell, is for our students to leave our classrooms with knowledge of our subject and a variety of skills. We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we weren’t checking for learning and understanding throughout the lessons and units. Therefore, it is critical to understand how to appropriately measure students learning. There is a variety of ways this can be done, whether is formative or summative. Knowing what works best for your content and what fits with your style of teaching is beneficial knowledge in your classroom.
kahoot.com
Basic Technology Skills
As a teacher, basic skills are necessary when it comes to technology. Computer skills such as the use of word processing, electronic grade books and e-mail are simple things that most teachers already use frequently. In addition to these technological skills, possessing the knowledge to use the different apps within Google Drive will benefit both the teacher and the student. Google Drive makes it easier to create and share documents with students so they can gain access at school OR at home. Additionally, being familiar with a course management system such as Google Sites, Weebly, or Haiku will further provide students with the ability to engage in the content beyond the classroom walls.
Google Suite
Weebly
Haiku
Effective Use of Technology
Using technology for technology’s sake is quite possibly the worst idea in education. Technology should NEVER be used just because it is there. Teachers need to understand how to effectively use technology in their classroom, and the impact it can have on students. Students learning can be transformed through the correct use of technology, whether it is a flipped learning style (which you can see in the TED talk below) or an app that allows students to interact with historical content.
Salman Khan: Let’s Use Video to Reinvent Education
Ten Reasons Today’s Students Need Technology in the Classroom
Project Tomorrow: Speak Up
Teaching is a profession that is often misunderstood. It is stereotyped; thought to be “easy”. How could it not be with the entire summer off from what is assumed to be a simple task: teaching kids. What some people don’t seem to acknowledge is the variety of skills and knowledge needed by teachers to instruct kids in mathematics, english, science and social studies. Many of these skills cannot even be learned, they are skills that come naturally to teachers, others have been learned through education and experience. The skills and knowledge base of each teacher can differ depending on pedagogy, discipline, and role within the school. This personal manifesto is what I see as being necessary in order to do my job on a day-to-day, as well as a year-to-year basis.
What is it not?
This document is NOT a “how-to” for being a teacher. It is NOT applicable to every teacher. It is NOT an exhaustive list of every piece of knowledge or skill I use as a teacher.
Criteria to choose content:
It is possible that this personal manifesto may serve current teachers as a “check-in” for what they are doing. Therefore, I considered the following when choosing material to include in my personal manifesto.
- Personal Applicability. This is MY personal manifesto, so the resources needed to apply to my work as a teacher, that way there is no false representation of what I consider important to my job.
- Simplicity. While some of the references chosen are lengthy, they are not the only references for that particular topic area. Offering resources that are “quick reads” or in some cases “quick watches”, as well as easy access is important as it is realistic to assume teachers do not have unlimited amounts of time.
Empathizing with Students
As a high school teacher, I work with students who are going through a lot. Personally, emotionally, and even physically. Sometimes, they are frustrating and stress me out. Sometimes, they make me laugh. Sometimes, they make me cry in both good, and bad ways. It is important to keep perspective when working with these kids. The ability to put yourself in their shoes and think “I know the kids have a huge test in science tomorrow, perhaps I’ll save that homework assignment for tomorrow’s class” or “What is going on in Johnny’s life that might be affecting his behavior?” This is known as “cognitive empathy”. Too often, teachers forget that teenagers have a hundred other things happening in their life, things that are sometimes more important than their classes, and that’s okay.
The ability to then pass this sense of empathy onto students is something that, if achieved, can have a deeper impact on a student’s life than the content being taught to them. Its possible students won’t even realize this is what you’ve done for them, but when they do realize it, they’ll be grateful.
Empathy in Education
- This website discusses the importance of having empathy towards your students as a teacher, as well as the importance of helping your students develop empathy. Unfortunately empathy is not something you learn through reading an article or two, it is something that is learned through practice. It does however, offer lessons to be used to help teach empathy as well as assessments to use in class.
Making Personal Connections With Students
Taking the time to build relationships with students can have positive effects for both the student and the teacher. These effects can relate to discipline or achievement. When it comes to achievement, these building a personal connection with students can result in “higher levels of achievement than those students with more conflict in their relationships.” A teacher and a student who are constantly butting heads could result in the student losing interest in the class, or perhaps not making as much of an effort. Whereas, if the teacher has taken the time to show an interest and concern for a student, it is likely they will put more effort into the class, seeing more value than they did before.
This also translates to disciplinary issues that may arise with students. If a student is being particularly difficult in class, a positive relationship can help alleviate the stress that may result between the teacher and student, and in some cases, it may even erase the disciplinary issue. Conversely, if there is a negative relationship present between the teacher and the student, the disciplinary issue may very well worsen.
It would not be wise for a teacher to underestimate the power personal connections with students can have on their lives as teachers.
Improving Students’ Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Supports for Learning
- This article from the American Psychological Association helps to explain the positive connection between the teacher and the student, specifically focusing on the impact it can have on the student's success in the classroom. It then offers many ideas on what this does and does not look like, references for further study and FAQs regarding this particular topic. This is something that again, cannot be learned by studying research, its learned through experience and practice and figuring out how you can personally connect to students but being aware of some of the ideas put forth in this article can help one to understand the importance of this skill.
Stand and Deliver (Film)
- This excellent film is a great example of the impact positive relationships can have on students. The teacher is having a difficult time with his students until he begins to challenge them with more complicated math while developing personal relationships with each of them. They end up taking the state Calculus test and their high scores are doubted and they are forced to retake the test.
Self-Reflection
In a profession that can be as challenging as teaching, it is an important survival technique to take the time to self-reflect on your craft. Taking the time to stop and think about how something went, why something went the way did or what you could have done differently can greatly impact your teaching career. There are a lot of different avenues you can take in order to reflect, including speaking with other teachers, journaling about your day-to-day experience or asking for feedback from students. Any of these strategies should result in information that will aid in an examination of the job you are doing and what needs to be changed and improved upon.
Teaching Strategies: The Value of Self-Reflection
- This article can help you figure out HOW to reflect on the job you are doing as teacher with a helpful list of ways to reflect on your craft as well as different areas to focus on and questions you should ask.
Management Tools
Any good teacher knows that ineffective classroom management can sometimes pull an entire classroom of kids off course. It can make or break a day, and it can even make for a lousy school year. It is important to have a set of tools and ideas for managing a classroom. Think of it as a toolbox. If you need to fix a kitchen cabinet, you’ll need a screw and a screwdriver. If your kids are off task, you need a strategy in your back pocket to get them back on task. This might involve a reward system or perhaps a participation system. Knowing what you are going to do if x, y or z occurs can save a lot of stressful moments. Figuring out first what is going to bother you the most and what won’t be a big deal to you can help set the tone from day one. There are many different resources out there that can help guide you through managing your classroom, but it is critical that you figure out what works best for YOU.
Love and Logic (Website)
- Love and Logic is a philosophy that has been popular amongst educators for a few decades. It can act as a guide for managing your classroom if you feel it fits with your pedagogy as a teacher. There are many different philosophies out there that teachers can choose from, again the key is figuring out what works best for you. Love and Logic is a good place to begin.
Edutopia (Website)
- Edutopia is a great way to interact with other teachers and get advice that you can immediately apply to your classroom. The website offers information and advice on a lot of different topics, but this particular page focuses on classroom management. There are 4-5 featured articles as well as a place to discuss ideas. There are videos, additional articles, and other resources to use to manage a classroom.
Content Knowledge: US History
As a teacher of United State’s History, it is vital to be knowledgeable in this area. It can be overwhelming at times because there is so much to know, and kids are curious and ask really detailed questions. The phrase “I’m not sure but let’s look it up” will be your best friend. It’s okay to admit you don’t know something, but there are “must knows” and general knowledge that is necessary to instruct students on a daily basis.
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
- Offers a detailed, in-depth history of the United States, in the perspective of ordinary, everyday people, instead of the “elite”
Crash Course: US History
- Fast-paced, interactive lectures on specific events through history. This particular link is to a playlist of videos on different topics in United State’s history.
Content Knowledge: World History
World History content is a challenge to grasp. It is best to focus on major concepts, or else you will never be done learning. Because world history covers such a drastic amount of time, it can again, be an overwhelming task to learn. These resources offer brief overviews in comparison to the actual amount of information there is to cover. There is also a third resource that offers a more in-depth look at the history of the world, in the eyes of everyday people.
This Fleeting World: A Short History of Humanity by David Christian
- Brief overview of the history of humanity
Crash Course: World History
- Fast-paced, interactive lectures on specific events through history. This particular link is to a playlist of videos on different topics in World History.
A People’s History of the World by Chris Harman
- In-depth analysis of the history of the world with the perspective of everyday, ordinary people versus the perspective of the elite.
Reading & Writing Skills
Just because you teach “History” or “Biology” does not mean that other disciplines will never appear in your classroom. As a history teacher, reading and writing are important skills for my students to have and develop. That means that I must have skills in teaching reading and writing. It is crucial for students to understand what it means to read and write within the context of history. Finding resources that aid your ability to help them in this area will make a difference in their achievement both within your classroom and outside of it.
Stanford History Education Group: Reading Like a Historian (Website)
- This website and the resources it provides are a staple in my classroom. It provides me with lesson plans for helping students read and analyze primary sources from history. Kids are given an opportunity to see real, historical material and use it for themselves. For example, they might read Rudyard Kipling’s “A White Man’s Burden” and relate it to the United States own age of imperialism.
How To Measure Students Learning
At the end of the day, the goal of ours job in a nutshell, is for our students to leave our classrooms with knowledge of our subject and a variety of skills. We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we weren’t checking for learning and understanding throughout the lessons and units. Therefore, it is critical to understand how to appropriately measure students learning. There is a variety of ways this can be done, whether is formative or summative. Knowing what works best for your content and what fits with your style of teaching is beneficial knowledge in your classroom.
kahoot.com
- I love using this website as a quick assessment once a week or so. It is quick, easy to put together and the kids love it. Simply create questions and have the kids take their devices out. It plays like a trivia game, giving more points for the fastest responses, displaying the top five scores of the class. At the end of the game, it allows you to download results and you can see which questions proved to be the trickiest for the students and address those key points with the students.
Basic Technology Skills
As a teacher, basic skills are necessary when it comes to technology. Computer skills such as the use of word processing, electronic grade books and e-mail are simple things that most teachers already use frequently. In addition to these technological skills, possessing the knowledge to use the different apps within Google Drive will benefit both the teacher and the student. Google Drive makes it easier to create and share documents with students so they can gain access at school OR at home. Additionally, being familiar with a course management system such as Google Sites, Weebly, or Haiku will further provide students with the ability to engage in the content beyond the classroom walls.
Google Suite
- Google Drive: Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Draw, Google Slides
Weebly
Haiku
Effective Use of Technology
Using technology for technology’s sake is quite possibly the worst idea in education. Technology should NEVER be used just because it is there. Teachers need to understand how to effectively use technology in their classroom, and the impact it can have on students. Students learning can be transformed through the correct use of technology, whether it is a flipped learning style (which you can see in the TED talk below) or an app that allows students to interact with historical content.
Salman Khan: Let’s Use Video to Reinvent Education
- Salman Kahn discusses the way his “tutorial” videos on youtube, turned into Khan Academy, can change the way classrooms operate. Specifically, he focuses on the idea of flipping classrooms. Posting lectures online that students can watch at home, and then spending time with students in the classroom on assignments and assessments.
Ten Reasons Today’s Students Need Technology in the Classroom
- This article serves to highlight the reasons technology is a necessity in classrooms today. It is a great introductory article to WHY technology is a positive tool. The reasons include preparation for future jobs, differentiation, and engagement.
Project Tomorrow: Speak Up
- This infographic shows statistics from both teacher and student perspective regarding technology in the classroom. But, still, this is just here to help us understand WHY technology can be a positive thing, we want to focus on HOW it can change our lives as teachers.