Culturize (Book #8)

Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about who you are, where you are from, what you teach and anything else you want to include!

Just Talk To Me ~   The author states, “We cannot allow average to become our standard.   Our kids deserve more than the status quo;    they deserve our very best.”   Where does average currently exist in your school?   Where does average currently exist in your teaching practice? How can you raise the bar?   How can you work with others to raise the standard at your school?

Jimmy Casas, in the MESPA YouTube video,   “Whose Keynote Is It Anyway”, shares his favorite quote from Field Of Dreams. Share your favorite quote from this video (this Jimmy Casas talk).   Describe why it is meaningful to you.  

Champion For Students:   The author states, “You probably know a few educators who embody this first core principle of championing for kids.”    Who is a champion for students at your school?   Describe what makes this person a champion for students. What does being a champion for students look like?  

Pierre Pirard, in his TED talk “The 5 Principles of Highly Effective Teachers”, discusses his career shift from CEO to teacher.   Of the 5 principles   discussed, which principle do you embody well?   How? Which principle do you need to work on most? Share at least on thing you can do to improve in this area.

Expect Excellence:   In this chapter, the author discusses   things excellent leaders do and things excellent leaders don’t do. Choose one “do” and one “don’t” from the chapter and write about why these are important to you as a teacher.

Mareike Hachemer, in her TED talk “Empowering Educators for the Global Goals”, asks her students, “What can you do in the next 4 weeks that will change the world around you just a little bit?”   We are challenging you in the same way:   What can YOU do in the next 4 weeks that will improve the world  around you just a little bit?   In addition, if you choose to pass this challenge on to your students, please share the ways they showed they are change-makers!

Carry The Banner:   In this chapter, the author begins, “I have had the opportunity to observe hundreds of teachers in my career.   By watching others, I’ve learned that the best teachers…” and he goes on to list several traits of successful teachers.   Identify the two traits from this list that you do best.   Give examples of how these traits look in your classroom.   Identify two more traits from this list for which you could do better.   Describe how these traits will look in your classroom as you incorporate them.

Lisa Lee, in her TED talk “Getting at the Heart of Teaching”, touches on the value of humor in teaching.   Share your most humorous classroom story.    Or, describe at least one way you do, or could, bring more humor into your classroom.  

Be A Merchant Of Hope:   Choose either a quote or a story from this chapter that inspires you. Describe that inspiration and how you will apply it in your own practice.  

Please post your thoughts about this course below.  What did you like about it?  What didn’t you like about it?  Would you recommend this book study to a colleague?