growNman
growNman
I am growNman 93
Discover the long-term project, "Becoming Greatness," designed to inspire students to pursue their passions and grasp the journey to mastery through dedicated daily practice. This episode also stresses the importance of effective communication in learning mathematics, helping students feel comfortable making mistakes and asking questions. By promoting clear and respectful dialogue, I aim to enhance student engagement and growth, making math an enjoyable subject. Tune in to see how we're laying the foundation for a transformative educational journey, both academically and personally, for my students.
what up dope and welcome back to I'm growing man. It's your man, john d, in the building. Uh, want to thank everybody out there who's been reaching out. Um, your words of encouragement is great feedback. I'm taking it into account because I want to get better.
Speaker 1:I just completed my first week at a new school as a math teacher and it was by far the best week, or the best first week of my professional career. The reason why I don't know what type of expectations I had, but it was more so. What can I do to create a culture where the kids are going to understand the teacher they got? And I think I came in and told them I know some people are not going to like this, but I told every kid in there I said by December should be a favorite teacher and if I'm not, I'm working on it. I told them you know, when students like to come into a classroom, they're a lot more engaging and they're looking to learn and it's our job to make learning, I wouldn't say, as fun as possible, but you have to make it interesting enough for them that feel like they need it. And I think this, this, this approach thing, changed the culture. And I told them I say I'm going to teach you so many different things. Math is just one of those. But I need you to know that no question is stupid if you don't know the answer and if you don't ask it. I'm not a moderator, so it was more so just letting them know. Hey, we're learning each other. I have boundaries.
Speaker 1:I went over my rules. As far as my rules, I told them why it was a rule and I even said that some of you guys are going to break it because you just have bad habits. And I know you're not breaking these rules because it's me, but just because bad habits. So I'm going to show you what I plan on to change the culture of this room. And I told him. I said some of you guys curse all the time. Teachers just want you to know that you apologize and you don't work on it. It's not going to happen again. But if it's a bad practice, knowing being a teacher over 20 years or an educator over 20 years, I know that those students are not directly cursing me. So when I hear it, I just look over and I'm going to say something like hey, your language. But this week students looked up to me like my bad. Because I told them, if you say my bad, a teacher will leave you alone. And I even gave them some more responses. I said if a teacher don't like it, just say look, I have bad habits and I'm trying to work on them. I apologize and I won't have it again. I told them this will change the relationship you have with your teacher.
Speaker 1:My job is to give them the tools so that they can be equipped to be successful. When they leave me and I know a lot of teachers don't approach it that way they really want to teach the content because that's what their expertise is. Way they really want to teach the content because that's what their expertise is, but they forget their trials and tribulations they had to go through to get to this point and sometimes we forget we didn't have that and that's what makes us and a friend of mine on a post about it was something about the long way is the best way to line a process. He said it was the only way. I don't believe it's the only way, because if I can give you some information to prevent you from making a mistake and I can explain it, you don't have to go the long way. You just don't have to take a route that's not in your best interest. And who's to say it's not? You never know what lesson you can learn, because I'm just assuming if you go this way you're going to get the lesson that I got and yours could be totally different.
Speaker 1:But getting back to this, past week, I gave these kids, I gave them a look inside of what my intent is. I told them, I said I can make you a millionaire by 12th grade. Now these students are sixth graders, I have one seventh and I'm going off the perspective of 10,000 hours by Malcolm Gladwell and I told them that they have to work on it every single day. I said if you put in 40 hours a week of just whatever you do, you're going to make a find interest. It breaks down to about 250 weeks, which is about 4.8 years. That will put them in 11th grade. So my job is to get them motivated to the point where they're using their time when they leave school to work on their craft. Now I know that the odds of them actually practicing it regularly is really low, but I plan to see, by planning to see you create a different excitement in certain students Some of them that it may go dormant and it may not see, but somebody may be able to elevate that student in a different way. But, like I heard that and it goes, it just puts them in a whole different realm of completion. Now I do have a project. It's called Becoming Greatness and it's aimed for 12th grade, to be done by 12th grade. But just remember, even if they don't complete it by 12th grade, they'll be 17, 18 years old.
Speaker 1:I learned this process when I was in my 40s. So me teaching math, teaching them different ways to respond to other people, to reduce conflict and to work on a craft of their liking. I told them that they could pick any number they want. I said whatever you pick, understand it's going to take a certain amount of work that you haven't seen and it's going to take a practice you need to do every single day. If you don't do it every single day, you can't be upset when you don't get the result that I'm talking about today. So they have a Google document that is going to like. They're going to work on it every single day. I'm going to remind them that this is the time where you're going to reflect what did you do yesterday to get closer to your goal and it's going to become an everyday practice so that when they do leave me, the practice continues and, even if it doesn't, they'll be able to know at least the stages of what I'm trying to get them to get to.
Speaker 1:I told them that if you put 10,000 hours in a specific area, you should have a level of expertise where people will want to pay you and, depending on your area, they could pay you a whole lot of money. So instead of teaching students to pass tests, we should teach them that it's a process and if they haven't gotten the grade or the amount of money that they never completed the process it takes to get there. Sometimes you'll find a process that can get to the result a lot sooner, but it doesn't necessarily mean they took the best route. Now. Some people will lie and cheat and do whatever they can to get there, but that is something that they'll have to face at a later time. What I'm trying to teach them is, if they learn the process of anything, they'll always be able to complete it, as long as they're taking care of their health and have their mind on the go.
Speaker 1:A lot of times we, even as adults, are distracted by things that are not important. And I feel like, as a teacher, where I am, I'm taking them on my journey with me because I haven't completed anything other than consistency in what I want to become. And I told them I want to be a really good podcaster, along with my wife, where we can talk about optimism in relationships, and they were really excited for me and I told them that I really don't have bad days. And they were really excited for me and I told them that I really don't have bad days and they were smiling. I was like, if I have a bad day, I want you to let me know and call me, but I don't have bad days. Too much of my life is too happy for me to have a bad, a whole bad, 24 hours, 16 hours. I don't see it, and the reason I say 16 hours because eight of them hopefully I'm asleep, but overall, I may have some moments that may not be in my best favor, but I'm going to learn the message from it and try to make sure that it doesn't happen again.
Speaker 1:So, as we go into week two, I'm really excited about changing that perspective of how to attack problems. Every problem out there has a solution. It just depends on what are you doing to get closer to it. Before I go, I want to send a special shout out to my students over on West Saginaw going toward Grand Ledge. I don't want to name the school because I'm still disappointed, but I love my the opportunity I'm given. But I just wanted to say congratulations to all those students to wear the first week. I heard your week was awesome. Send me nothing but mad love. I expect all of you guys to be great on purpose to the students that I have now have.
Speaker 1:Now, whenever you do get this, understand that I am working constantly to come up with words for anyone who listens to me to receive. And if you're one of my students, I want you to know that I actively work on communication so that you're not ever offended and the information I'm giving you is not difficult or confusing. And I know I'm not there yet, but that is my intent is to become the most understood communicator ever. You know, when you practice communication, it's less misunderstandings, less conflicts and better engagement amongst whoever's listening. You get better questions and hopefully we can grow together as people.
Speaker 1:So, as their teacher, I want to teach them how to enjoy life that much more, and it has to start with math. Math, to me, is the easiest subject in the world. Now, getting your mind wrapped around it may not be the easiest, but you're supposed to learn from your mistakes. You got to give a lot of mistakes and aim at, and without mistakes it's almost like you know everything. And what would that be? What would life be if you do everything? So let's try to promote struggle and in a collective understanding that we all can help each other learn. Y'all make today better than yesterday. Don't worry about anything you can't control. G-a-t-a Get after that action or that action will get after you. Be great on purpose.