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In Your Corner, Relationships and Connections, Thinking Frames
Common Characteristics of Life-Changing Teachers
Can you recall a teacher whose influence changed the way you think, ignited a passion, or opened in you a vision for what was possible and who you could be? If so, you’re very fortunate. Many people experience an entire educational career, never having the opportunity to learn from a life-changing teacher.
They may have been exposed to committed, well-prepared teachers who supported their learning and provided guidance and advice. Yet, they didn’t encounter a driving force that led them to see possibilities and open doors to learning beyond their imagination and aspirations.
Of course, not every life-changing teacher is life-changing for every student they encounter. Also, life-changing experiences aren’t always recognized during the time students are with these teachers. Sometimes the impact isn’t realized until years later when students find themselves recalling and reliving experiences that shaped their lives.
Let’s explore the common characteristics of life-changing teachers. We can start by noting that life-changing teachers tend to the basics. They build strong relationships with students. They’re skilled in their craft and are professional in their approach. In addition, these teachers typically possess and practice some, or all, of a shared set of characteristics and behaviors.
Life-changing teachers hold a belief in the potential of students at levels that exceed what students often dare to believe. These teachers are talent scouts, gift seekers, and expectation lifters. Being in their presence makes students feel brighter, more competent, and more committed. They give students hope to dream and strive for more than they imagined they could achieve.
These teachers nudge and challenge students at the leading edge of their skills and beyond. They’re never satisfied with what students already can do. They search for what might be the student’s next level of learning and how they can awaken an interest and emerging passion that students will own. Regardless of where students may be when they encounter life-changing teachers, these teachers are committed to nurturing growth and expanding learning.
They have an infectious passion for what they do. Students find it almost impossible to not be energized and excited by what these teachers care about. What may sound boring and mundane seemingly comes to life in these teachers’ presence and is compelling to learn.
These teachers have a voracious learning appetite. For them learning is like breathing. They’re curious, inquisitive, and engaged. They’re always searching for something interesting, new, and sharable.
Life-changing teachers often have a level of persistence bordering on tenacity. They refuse to give up on students, even when students may be tempted to give up on themselves. These teachers possess a combination of patience and confidence that sustains their efforts. They believe students will eventually respond to their faith, nudging, and influence, even if it takes weeks, months, or longer.
Uncommon teachers hold uncompromising standards. These teachers have a commitment to have all students be successful. The question never is whether standards should be lowered. Rather, they search for paths and processes that‘ll help students meet them. Their mantra often is “Whatever it takes.”
Interestingly, life-changing teachers frequently are famous with their students for their quirkiness, often even bordering on eccentricity. These teachers may have unique sayings, engage in unexpected behaviors, or share surprising insights and perspectives. Often students discuss with each other and treasure these aspects of their experience with these teachers long after they’ve moved forward in their own lives.
The good news is that being a life-changing teacher is something to which we can all aspire. In fact, the characteristics of life-changing teachers are learnable, achievable, and practicable. Further, not every life-changing teacher must possess and practice all the characteristics that are common to these teachers. Every student deserves to encounter a life-changing teacher. We can be that teacher.
In Your Corner, Student Learning, Thinking Frames
Build Long-Term Learning Skills with Five Coaching Questions
Students typically see us as the ultimate “answerers” for their questions. Of course, many questions they have, such as classroom expectations, routines, assignments, etc., are our purview. Our timely and efficient responses can move classroom activities along and minimize confusion and distractions.
Students also frequently have questions related to the learning tasks, challenges, and projects that support their learning. These questions can be important to moving learning forward, but we’re not always the best person to answer them. In fact, when and how students wrestle with these questions can help their learning to grow, inject greater meaning into their learning, and build learning-related skills for the future.
In the interest of time and convenience, we may tell students what their next steps should be, how to find the answers to their learning questions, or we may simply give them the resources they seek. Yet, when we do, we may be helping them to solve today’s problem, while neglecting some of their most important learning.
Rather than supplying ready answers, the learning interests of our students are better served by our helping them to find answers, develop strategies, and tap resources available to them. Our positioning shifts from being the “chief answerer,” to coach and co-explorer. Rather than immediately answering the learning-related questions students pose, we might respond with coaching questions to help them see options to finding answers and alternatives to pursue. Here are five coaching questions we might employ.
First, what do you think? Students often come to us without having given much thought once they encounter a barrier or are not certain what to do next. We might have a “try three before me” expectation, but even so, students may have ideas and perspectives they’ve not considered or pursued. By asking students what they think, we send a message that their ideas and perspectives matter, and they may have answers they’ve not recognized. At the very least, this question reminds students that learning is what they do. We can’t do it for them.
Second, what else might you try? The typical response to this question is, “I’ve tried everything I know.” We might explore with students the attempts they’ve made and what they’ve learned from doing so. We also can coach students to think about additional steps and strategies that have worked for them in the past that might be useful. The goal is to have students “mine” their experience and develop additional options and steps they can try.
Third, what do you know that doesn't work? With this response, we’re coaching students to reflect further on what they've tried. Even though previous attempts weren’t successful, they may have encountered an element or aspect that could be part of the answer they’re seeking. The underlying message is that failed attempts can contain information they can use and be valuable learning experiences.
Fourth, how else might you think about this? Sometimes the answer lies in backing up and starting anew rather than pressing harder and pushing farther. This question invites students to reframe the problem or situation and consider it from a different perspective. When approached from a new direction, the answer may be clear and immediately useful.
Fifth, who else could you ask? Students can become trapped in the mindset that they must solve every learning problem on their own. Yet, classmates often can be good resources. Other people in their lives may have insights and ideas. Even experts in the community and beyond may be helpful resources. In life, success is less often determined by how intelligent we are and more by the intelligence we’re willing to tap.
Of course, we need to place our questions in a coaching context, so that students understand our purpose is to build their learning skills and flexibility, not torment them. Our questions can provide valuable opportunities to remind students that the work they’re doing and the support we’re providing are intended to prepare them for future learning success, not only to complete today’s assignment or this week’s project.
Behavior, In Your Corner, Student Learning
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Climate and Culture, In Your Corner, Thinking Frames
Communication, In Your Corner, Thinking Frames
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We can attempt to shut down disruptive student behavior with quick admonishments and directives, but this approach is more likely to prolong such behavior than prevent or extinguish it.
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