Shake Up Learning: Ch. 5: Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

My students and I are always taking risks. I model risk-taking. Last year I tried sketch-noting on the whiteboard. It was my first time trying it out, and I let my students know that. It didn’t look great, but we tried it again later, and I improved. By showing my students that I’m willing to try something that didn’t go very well the first time, I showed them that it’s ok to fail. Try again, and you will improve. If my students don’t grasp a concept or skill right away, we reflect. I reflect on my teaching and preparation of the lesson. My students reflect on their understanding and their effort to understand. We do this together as a class. Again, modeling reflection is key. Once we figured out what we have to work on, we work on it. It doesn’t pay to scrap everything and start over if the students have mastered some of the material.

My students are given opportunities to take risks often. My classes are gamified, and my students can take risks without worrying about affecting their grade. They can try a more difficult assignment for XP (experience points), or present their project in front of the class for XP, even when that isn’t required. They can be creative and earn XP for going above and beyond. Students are encouraged to try different mediums in making projects so they can expand their horizons.

I model risk-taking by trying new things myself, and making it clear to my students that it is something new. I start out by telling them we’re trying something new, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll give it a try another time. Just because it doesn’t work one time doesn’t mean it can’t work a different time. I will be starting at a new school this year, and much of what I will be doing there will be a brand new risk and adventure.

I currently do National History Day with my students. These projects are started in September and the contest is in February or early March. Students are encouraged to set their own goals, but I mostly provide weekly assignments for them. I think it would benefit my students if I provided more independence in this regard. I would like to try some long-term learning experiences that provide students with more independence and control over the topic they are interested in researching in order to increase motivation; I’m just not sure what to start with!

Honestly, I’m a risk taker. I am rarely in my comfort zone. I almost avoided applying for the White House History Teacher Institute, but took a leap. Due to my risk, I spent an amazing week in Washington, D.C. with 29 other educators, learning all about the White House and collaborating on lesson plans. I learned an incredible amount, and that is where I discovered the power of using Twitter to grow my PLN. I can’t imagine how stagnant my teaching career would be without having taken that risk. Since then, I leap at opportunities that can provide me with a similarly spectacular experience. I vowed to push myself and ignore my limitations, as they will disappear if I work to surpass them. Even my new position in a new district next year is a leap. I was teaching US History, Civics, Government, Geography, and APUSH at my previous district. Next year I will be almost starting from scratch, teaching US History still, but switching to World History, Psychology, Sociology, and Economics. I am seeking certification in Economics on top of it all. It will be a busy year, but a great adventure!