Suggestions for Principals Transforming Teachers, Transforming Schools: Turning "Sages" into "Guides on the Side" By Steve McCrea,

M.P.A. Instructor, Broward College, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Abstract Many teachers teach the way they their students from Italy) asked to sit were taught. If asked to explain why in my lessons. They took notes. they lecture to their students, the Something was going on here. response is often, "My teachers wrote Something I had done or read had on the board and I took notes. It changed me so that my classes were worked for me." Brain research somehow magnetic. This article indicates that other techniques shares with you what happened to increase blood flow to parts of the me. brain associated with cognition. This I was a lecturer for the first nine presentation provides anecdotal years of my teaching career. From evidence about the impact of this 1996 to 2005, I worked as a teacher of research when applied to a single English to adults and I spent every classroom or in online classes. When a class giving lectures. Then I heard a teacher becomes a "guide on the remarkable interview on National side," there is a change in the school's Public Radio with Dennis Littky, culture that can be measured. This founder of the Met Center in presentation is extracted from four Providence, Rhode Island, USA. Until books: 57 Free Posters to Transform we learn what the students passions Schools, How To Be a Virtual Mentor and interests, its just school. After we and Let's Lecture Less, edited by start teaching to the students Steve McCrea (Visualandactive.com) passions and interests, there is and Mario Joel Llorente Leyva nothing to stop them from wanting to (TransformTeaching.org). A book for learn more and to connect the parents called Ten Videos, Ten Ebooks schoolwork to their future lives and Ten Websites sets the stage for (Littky, 2004, page 34). teachers to distribute a DVD for Dennis Littky's Seven Points parents and students to use for Go to the website of Littkys random learning away from school. school, MetCenter.org, or search "NPR Littky April 2005." You will Introduction have the direct experience that I did The idea for the and you might be impelled to put into website GuideontheSide.com and practice the seven key points book Guide On the Side came when I mentioned by Littky: realized that students were clamoring - students learn through projects; to get into my classes (I was teaching - teachers get to know the students an intensive three-week English (eating dinner at least once every two language program in Fort Lauderdale). months in their homes); Three teachers (who were escorting - teachers teach every subject

Available from TransformTeaching.org

(yes, math teachers teach literature, Guides on the side should choose science teachers teach art, French instead to teach toward inner sources teachers teach math and science); of motivation. - quotes are placed on walls to Great Teachers are Born, Not encourage random learning; - tests are "stand-up" exhibitions; Made (oh?) One way to become a great students go on internships and report back to the school what they learned; guide on the side is to stop - every student writes a 75-page preaching and teaching and instead listen better (Postman, 1969). Become biography about their family members (we all need to know where a facilitator, arrange the classroom to we came from, what our families did follow the principles that Littky demonstrates, that Dennis Yuzenas (a and how they got here); and - grading is with a narrative every teacher in Palm Beach Florida) uses, that dozens of innovative schools eight weeks (a kid said, "I'm more than a letter in the alphabet," and that have as part of their curriculum. It's inspired Littky to require teachers to not WHAT is taught but rather how write and talk to kids about what they students are encouraged to find ways to get the material presented to did, how they could improve their them. Ken Robinson (2009) points out work and what will be the next that a class of seven-year-olds will all challenge in the next eight weeks). Daniel Pink (2011), the award- put up their hands if you ask, "Who likes to draw?" Ask the same question winning author of books about in a class of 16-year-olds and only a business trends, gives similar educational advice. What motivates minority will raise their hands. people to complete a task? As long Hmmm. How has the school so as a task is routine, monetary rewards effectively weeded out the drive to produce what we would expect. Offer create? Here are techniques to more money and youll get more work done. But as soon as cognitive There is encourage creativity that Gerald Aungst (2011) recommends: a mismatch between what science knows and what business does. And here is what science Plant the seed. Instead of a vague knows. One: Those 20th century rewards, those be creative, tell someone, give me motivators we think are a natural part of an idea that only you could come up business, do work, but only in a surprisingly with.. narrow band of circumstances.Two: Those if- Make it messy. Creativity is then rewards often destroy creativity. Three: The squashed when people feel like they secret to high performance isn't rewards and are looking for one right answer. For punishments, but that unseen intrinsic drive students, give them problems that -- the drive to do things for their own sake. The have multiple solutions drive to do things cause they matter. (TED talk transcript). Never accept the first answer. It Pink asks us teachers to design school sets an expectation that one answer, work that connects to what motivates even if it works, isnt the end of the people (autonomy, mastery and process but just the beginning. purpose), not a higher grade-pointTeach creativity techniques. average or other extrinsic factors. Techniques can give people a 2

concrete handle on something that can seem abstract and complicated. Reverse the roles. Instead of giving an assignment to students, ask them to tell you what they would do if they were the teacher. Get out. Changing the location of the class can change students thinking (from Aungst's blog).

leadership to the group of three. Everyone in the group ought to be able to provide some input to the resolution of what they are working on. These are not profound changes. Teachers can't continue to be the presenters to the class because not everyone in the class is ready to receive what the teachers EBooks say. When talking about English and Teachers who are not familiar Math (and certain aspects of social with project-based learning or with studies and science), the students are constructivist approaches (that build generally at different levels of the curriculum around the individual comprehension because they are student) might ask, "But how do individuals and they have different students get the information if I'm not talents and they learn at different lecturing to them? Who will present rates. It's simple. If you know that the information?" people have different talents and Read Abraham Fischler's description of learn at different rates, why wouldn't the role of the computer in the you make the student the class? classroom (computer-assisted (excerpted instruction or CAI): from TheStudentIsTheClass.com by Our schools will turn out to be A. S. Fischler). better schools if we design the schools and the curriculum to be more Other sources of information are responsive to the client. Right now videos, ebooks and audio CDs. Why most of our schools are responsive to not do what many professors at the class. Unless we change the Stanford University are doing and put organization and structure, there are your lectures on videos and send limits to how we can do better with them home with your students? one teacher and 25 or 22 students. Students are expected to review the The teacher is teaching the 22 or 25 videos before the class and arrive students as a class. But with the reading to discuss the themes of the introduction of technology that is day (Fellet, 2011). Class time turns responsive to the student, then you into "Question and Answer" sessions can open up the class to make time where students "perform their the variable. understanding" (Howard Gardner's It's not a major shift. We're just term) and the teacher checks for utilizing modern technology instead of misconceptions. The concept of the teacher as the presenter of core "flipping the classroom" is easily information. CAI also gives students conveyed to parents and students even when they are not at the same with Katie Gimbar's YouTube level the opportunity to form groups. performance (search "Katie Gimbar We make sure that each group has a flip classroom"). responsive, bright kid, who can give
Available from TransformTeaching.org

Seventeen Quotations repeating what other generations Perhaps the most effective have done. Jean Piaget strategy that emerged from my Innovative schools offer small classroom is the use of quotations. classes, individualized instruction, and Instead of asking students to change flexible curricula which can their behaviors, I presented these accommodate the child. The same quotations to the students. After they teacher stays with the same group of had studied the quotations, several children for as many as eight grades. students asked that I continue with The teacher has to grow and learn the new method of letting them with the children. Dennis Littky decide individually what they would Many teachers believe that they work on during the week. Less need to control how they teach and lecturing, more independent projects; how they test. Other teachers fewer tests, more exhibitions (stand negotiate with their students what up and deliver some information). they will learn, when they will learn it Here are some quotes that guide me and how we will check that they have in becoming a facilitator. learned it. Dennis Yuzenas The teacher of the future is a GUIDE Unfortunately, to most people, on the SIDE, not a sage on the stage. teaching is the giving of knowledge. Aphorism What are you going to tell the Education is NOT the filling of a pail, students? What is your expertise? But but rather the LIGHTING of a FIRE. teaching is really about bringing out Yeats, also attributed to Plutarch what's already inside people. Dennis Most students might forget what you Littky taught them, but they will always If individuals have different kinds of remember how you treated them. -- minds, with varied strengths, interests often stated in teacher-training and strategies, then could biology, seminars. math and history be taught AND I never let school get in the way of ASSESSED in a variety of ways? my education. Mark Twain Howard Gardner Drive out fear. W. Edwards Deming Trust. Truth. No Put-downs. Active Keep Talking Time" to a minimum. - Listening. Personal Best. dictum in the CELTA teacher training NewCitySchool.org course POSTERS: I place these quotations Schools teach children to obey. But on walls, I assemble them on a single we need creative answers to the page and lead a workshop with challenges of our times. Many of the parents, I send the quotes home and people who've had the greatest ask parents to talk about the quotes influence on our times were failures in with their children, I call each home school. Ken Robinson and talk with the parents about what The greatest sign of success for a ideas they have after reading the teacher is to be able to say, The quotes. In other words, posters children are now working as if I did (when properly formatted) help me not exist. Maria Montessori confront questionable assumptions Lets create people who are capable that students have about education of doing new things, not simply of (see Clark, 2004) and flip the 4

classroom. The posters conform to daily with your students (in online Richard Clark's two-factor rule: a) classes, distribute one or two of the posters should have an easily quotations and ask students to reflect remembered analogy and b) posters on how we can apply procedures in should go beyond merely drawing the class to meet the aims of the attention to an issue and should give quotations). Paste the words on walls specific procedures to follow (Clark, (or in email messages) and ask personal communication, February 8, students to rewrite the ideas in their 2013). Academics have become own words. "Let's gradually transfer about 25 percent of my classwork, the responsibility for their learning to since nutrition, physical health, the students" (a quotation by John emotional health and the spirits of my Gardner). The mantra is NO MORE students are now together taking up BORING LESSONS (A mantram is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that three-quarters of my time as a is considered capable of "creating teacher. I'm spending more time looking for and talking with mentors transformation" -- Wikipedia). Let's see how for my students than I am spending as transforming one teacher can transform a school. Download ebooks a traditional teacher (writing lesson plans, developing tests and assigning and videos on a DVD or USB flash drive and send your lessons home. If grades). The list of "survival skills" (Tony Wagner, who interpreted a list your students have a robust from p21.org) gives a lens that helps connection to the Internet at home, then compile lists of websites and students focus on what they should pull out of each lesson, each ebook, videos that they can watch with their parents (starting with Ten Videos, Ten each video, and each activity that I Ebooks and Ten Websites). Observe send home. what happens, write your anecdotal evidence and send your observations Conclusion Become an ex-teacher. Become to TheGuideOnTheSide@gmail.com. You are invited to spread this virus of a facilitator. Read these quotations guiding on the side.

Available from TransformTeaching.org

References Aungst, G. (3 October 2011). "Don't be creative." Retrieved at http://www.connectedprincipals.com/archives/4676 on 24 October 2011. Clark, R. and Feldon, D. (2004). "Five Common but Questionable Principles of Multimedia Learning." Retrieved at http://www.cogtech.usc.edu/publications/clark_five_common.pdf Fellet, M. (2011). Faculty collaborate to improve online education. Stanford Report (newspaper, June 28). Retrieved at http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/june/improved-online-courseware062811.html on 24 October 2011. Fischler, A. (July 2006). "My vision." TheStudentIsTheClass.com (blog). Gardner, H. (1994). Intelligence reframed. New York: Basic Books. Gimbar, K. (2009). Why I flipped my classroom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aGuLuipTwg King, A. (1993). From sage on the stage to guide on the side. College Teaching 41(1), 30-35. Littky, D. (2004). The Big Picture: Education is everybody's business. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD.org. McCrea, S. and Llorente, M. (2011). Let's Lecture Less. Lulu.com. Pink, D. (2011). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. New York: Penguin Group. Postman, N. and Weingartner, C. (1971) Teaching as a subversive activity . New York: Dell Books. Robinson, K. (2009). The element. New York: Penguin Group. Stanford University (2009). Faculty collaborate to improve online education. Retrieved from the Internet http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ld5yexNl5I0 on 24 October 2011. Wagner, T. (2009) The Seven Survival Skills. http://www.tonywagner.com/7survival-skills Yuzenas, D. (2011). "Motivation," an article in Guide On The Side. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Sundial Press.

Author Steve McCrea is founder of BuildingInternationalBridges.org (BIB), a charity inspired by the lifework of Brooks Emeny (a pioneer in international relations). BIB promotes wider use of social networks and computer-based discussions in classrooms and homes through BIBPenpals.com. He is a part-time instructor at a charter school and at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale. He is currently coordinating the translation of his book Let's Lecture Less (which prints pieces of his website www.GuideontheSide.com) into eight languages and the translation of Dennis Littky's book The Big Picture into Spanish and Arabic. He wrote a curriculum for a project-based learning high school ( QBEAcademy.net). Eight people have taken his online workshop to become qualified as Visual and Active Teachers (VATT) and his Certificate of Applied Instructional Technologies is offered through the University of Havana. He is a doctoral student at Nova Southeastern University. He can be reached at TheEBookMan@gmail.com, Facebook.com/TheGuideontheSide and by mobile at +1 (954) 646.8246. The posters and ebooks mentioned in this article are available for download at TransformTeaching.org and he will send a free copy of the "DVD for Parents" (with videos, ebooks and audio files) on request ($2 to cover the cost of duplication and shipping is appreciated). The 4 Gigabytes of files can also be transferred via a strong Skype connection (SteveEnglishTeacher).