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The impression that you make at your teaching interview is possibly more important than you resume and reference letters. Preparing new teachers for this process is extremely important. This article goes over 11 questions that will help prepare a future educator for their first teaching interview. The most popular question that is to be expected is , "Why do you want to be a teacher?" The author suggests answering this question by knowing a little about the school and making a connection between your experience and their mission statement.

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Commonly asked interview questions you can anticipate-plus tips and links to resources you can tap as you polish your answers.

Congratulations! You've landed an interview appointment for a teaching position at a new school, or for a different position at your current school. This is an important first step, but there will likely be a number of qualified candidates vying for the same spot-how can you distinguish yourself from the pack and land the job?

Your résumé, references, and professional portfolio will help, of course, but it'll always be the impression you make during your face-to-face interview that'll get you hired. Luckily, there are only a few types of questions a teacher can be asked, so it's completely possible to enter a teaching interview confident and prepared.

In addition to questions related to your content area, anticipate that you'll be asked questions based on your knowledge of and experience with meeting the needs of the whole child. Be ready to explain how you honor and attend to the social, emotional, and academic growth of your students-both individually and as a group. And be prepared for questions concerning classroom management, teacher-student relationships, student engagement, and learning outcomes.

Here are the types of questions you'll be asked, along with suggestions and links to resources to guide you in preparing your answers and in practicing citing specific strategies and relevant classroom anecdotes.

11 Questions You Should Prepare For

1. Why did you decide to become a teacher? Prepare a brief professional mission statement that explains not merely how you want to change students' lives but also how your own life is enriched by being a teacher. Also, look up the school's vision statement and reference how your teaching will reflect those goals.

3. How do you cultivate positive relationships with your students and create a sense of class community? Recount a time you bonded with a student who needed some extra attention and understanding. Show your concern for the emotional well-being of the most vulnerable students and describe your plan for developing students' social and emotional learning skills. Also explain how you create a sense of empathy and inclusion among your students so classmates support each other on both a personal and academic level.

4. How do you use data to differentiate instruction and support students identified with specific learning disabilities so all students can learn? First, be ready with the names of a couple of data-rich student assessments you're familiar with. Your interviewers won't demand that they be the same ones they use, but the fact that you're aware of testing practices is important. Then, here are 20 differentiated instruction strategies you can use to prepare your answer on how you respond to data. Also, show your knowledge of these 11 learning disabilities and describe a few ways you work with parents and school resource personnel to meet the individual needs of each child.

6. Do you incorporate collaborative and project-based learning? Discuss the difference between cooperative and collaborative learning, and if you have implemented PBL, describe a specific assignment your students worked on.

7. How do you keep your students engaged and motivated, and how do you promote student voice and choice to help them become self-directed learners? Here are 10 engagement techniques that drive student motivation and enthusiasm. Also describe how you create a student-centered classroom that inspires creativity, passion, and purpose.

8. How do you teach 21st-century learners, integrate technology, and guide students to be global citizens? Be prepared to talk about how you teach global citizenship and encourage critical thinking, creativity, and good communication skills. Here are ways to integrate technology into content learning.

9. How do you include parents and guardians in their child's education? Recount several ways you inform, engage with, and collaborate with parents and guardians-through face-to-face meetings, notes, phone calls, or digital channels.

10. How do you maintain your own professional development, and what areas would you select for your personal growth? You might read books and blogs, watch videos online, subscribe to journals, attend conferences and workshops, or be a member of an educators society in your field. Be ready to talk about the specific resources you use to keep up with the latest trends in education, such as growth and benefit mindsets, flexible seating, flipped and blended learning, STEAM, trauma-informed teaching, restorative practices, mindfulness, makerspaces, and gamification of learning.

In discussing your personal growth, explain ways you want to further expand your teaching efficacy-don't refer to teaching "weaknesses."

11. What questions do you have for us? Try this: "Please tell me the most important thing you know now as an educator that you wish you knew before you began your teaching career." The answers you receive will reveal what your interviewers most value about education, and this insight will allow you to tailor your closing conversation to their interests.

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11 Questions You'll Be Asked at a Teaching Interview

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Commonly asked interview questions you can anticipate-plus tips and links to resources you can tap as you polish your answers.

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Danielle Vollrath takes a look into how our students respond when in stressful and anxious situations. Understanding that the young mind is very complex and can be confusing is an important factor in dealing with strategies. A de-escalation technique could take anywhere between four to six minutes, and sometimes longer. Allowing the student time to regain their calm is most important. Also, helping the student identify and recognize how they are feeling can be helpful during this process. After successfully redirecting the students thoughts, it can be helpful to allow the student a little more time to refocus and get back on track. This can look like allowing them to go for a walk, utilize an electronic, or talk about a topic they enjoy.

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

A simple technique that takes just a few minutes can help an agitated student regain the state of mind needed for learning.

So often we find students in a stressed or anxious state of mind. The most telltale signs are inappropriate behaviors or outbursts, negative comments, and anxiety-ridden movements such as fidgeting, leg shaking, and fist clenching. These signals should raise immediate concern and indicate to educators that a response may be needed. The goal is to guide the student to a self-regulated mindset, but how does a teacher do that?

First let's review what is going on with a student in the middle of an outburst. Cortisol, which is responsible for keeping people alive in the face of danger, is being released. Often referred to as the stress hormone, cortisol plays a crucial role in our ability to protect ourselves. When we experience stressful situations, the release of cortisol helps us respond rapidly, but it comes with a cost, as it negatively affects the brain's ability to function at an optimal level.

Think of it like this: You're in the ocean on a surfboard waiting for the perfect wave. A short distance away, you see a shark fin pop out of the water, heading your way. Immediately two chemicals- cortisol and adrenaline-are released and you enter the fight, flight, or freeze response: You can fight the shark, flee by paddling as fast as you can, or freeze and hope the shark loses interest in you. Whatever your response, you find yourself in a moment of stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and fear due to heightened cortisol levels.

Now let's consider how this might look in a learning environment. At the end of a class, two students learn that they have received a poor grade on a science test. This is not a life-or-death situation like the approaching shark, but the physiological response is the same. The students' cortisol levels are high and they are anxious, a state of mind that doesn't support clear, conscious thinking. Upon entering their English class, the two students are visibly upset. One heads straight for their seat and begins to cry, while the other throws their book bag on the floor and punches the desk. For the teacher, recognizing these signs before beginning class is important.

The Stress Response and the Brain

The young brain can be confusing, complex, and often misunderstood, not only from the perspective of adults but more importantly from that of the students themselves. In order for students to understand how their brain functions, it's important to teach them about a few parts of the brain and their functions. To keep it simple, teach them about the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus.

The amygdala directs rapid responses when necessary-the fight, flight, or freeze response. When the amygdala detects a threat, it responds faster than the prefrontal cortex, which directs the ability to make decisions and problem-solve, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for remembering details and storing memories. The two areas of the brain most needed for academic work are thus bypassed. As a result, an anxious, stressed, or fearful state of mind can lead to poor decision-making, inability to think with clarity, and impulsive behaviors.

Learning how to calm ourselves is imperative for our well-being, and the following technique, which is designed to decrease negative impulses and emotions, can be shared with students. The goal is to lead them to more regulated thinking and learning.

A De-escalation Technique

Let's go back to the two upset students in their English class. They aren't ready to work, but the teacher can help by taking a few minutes to guide them back to a state of calm.

This process should take anywhere from four to six minutes and be centered on the student. I've provided a sample of what a teacher might say at each stage, but you should modify those statements so they feel natural to you.

If you have a paraprofessional or in-class support teacher, you can ask a student who seems upset to step out into the hallway or into an area of the classroom set aside for de-escalation. Or you can do this as a whole-class starter activity for anyone who might have something worrisome on their minds. Students can either choose this de-escalation technique-thinking over their answers instead of sharing them out loud-or engage in a warm-up activity connected to the class such as completing a journal entry or worksheet.

Give the student time to regain their calm: Say, "I notice you're really upset. Let's work together on breathing slowly for one minute in order to manage your impulses."

Direct the student to be aware of their thoughts and feelings: Say, "What's going on in your brain and body right now? Tell me how you feel and what you're thinking, and if you're ready to focus on moving forward with getting calm."

Have the student redirect their thoughts: Say, "Take a minute, close your eyes, breathe slowly, and think about something that makes you happy. I know you told me how much you love your grandma's fresh-baked cookies. Think about walking into grandma's house in a calm state of mind as you smell the cookies, taste the cookies, and feel the warmth of them right out of the oven."

Give the student positive feedback on becoming calm: Say, "Now open your eyes. How are you feeling? If you need more time to settle down, let me know. You should feel happy and excited about your work in getting to this point."

Give the student a little more time to refocus: Say, "Take a minute and do something for you. Go for a walk and get some air, or tell me about your baseball game the other night."

Have the student reflect for the future: Say, "The next time you're feeling this way and I'm not with you, what can you tell yourself in order to take charge of your thinking and behavior, and get yourself to a regulated place?"

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A De-escalation Exercise for Upset Students

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A simple technique that takes just a few minutes can help an agitated student regain the state of mind needed for learning.

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Many first year teachers struggle to find effective and proactive classroom management strategies. Statistics show that teachers lose an average of 144 minutes of instructional time due to behaviors in the classroom. One proactive way to combat behaviors and set the tone for your classroom is to greet your students as they arrive. Another proactive strategy mentioned was the use of reminders and cues. Some type of gesture or sound to notify the students that it is time to listen. Lastly, and most importantly, set specific and clear expectations.When setting the expectations explain to your students why these rules are important to you and your classroom.

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New teachers-and experienced ones too-can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins.

In the 1950s, psychologists Jacob Kounin and Paul Gump discovered a curious side effect of discipline: If a student was being disruptive and the teacher responded with strict disciplinary measures, the student might stop-but other students would start exhibiting the same misbehavior. Kounin and Gump called this the " ripple effect," and it demonstrated that efforts to control a classroom can backfire.

"The teacher who is interested in controlling ripple effects can generally do so best by giving clear instructions to the child rather than by exerting pressure on him," Kounin and Gump wrote.

Decades later, classroom management is still a thorny issue for teachers. Nearly half of new teachers report that they feel "not at all prepared" or "only somewhat prepared" to handle disruptive students, in part because the average teacher training program devotes just eight hours to the topic, according to a 2014 report from the National Council on Teacher Quality. This lack of training comes with a cost, as teachers report losing 144 minutes of instructional time on average to behavioral disruptions every week, which comes out to roughly three weeks over the course of a year.

Recent research confirms what Kounin and Gump discovered decades ago. A 2016 study found that while negative attention-reprimands like "Stop chitchatting!"-may temporarily stop misbehavior, students eventually became more likely to engage in disruptive behavior. Students in the study felt disengaged, had difficulty concentrating, and weren't able to effectively regulate their thoughts and emotions-a vicious cycle that "actually amplifies students' inappropriate behavior," the study authors explain.

8 Proactive Classroom Management Strategies

Instead of handling disruptions after they've happened, it can be more effective to set up conditions in which they are less likely to occur. Here are eight classroom strategies that teachers have shared with Edutopia, all backed by research.

1. Greet students at the door: At Van Ness Elementary School in Washington, DC, Falon Turner starts the day by giving each of her students a high-five, handshake, or hug. "During that time, I'm just trying to connect with them.... It's kind of like a pulse check to see where they are," she says.

In a study published last year, greeting students at the door helped teachers set a positive tone for the rest of the day, boosting academic engagement by 20 percentage points while reducing disruptive behavior by 9 percentage points-adding roughly an hour of engagement over the course of the school day.

For older students, give plenty of warning if you need them to follow instructions. Reminders and cues are helpful ways to encourage students to follow instructions without being overtly controlling or forceful. For example, if you can anticipate a disruption-such as students getting out of their seats if they finish an assignment early-give a short reminder of what they should do instead.

Reminders are commonly verbal, but can also be visual (flicking the lights to signal that it's time to be quiet), auditory (ringing a small bell to let students know they should pay attention to the teacher), or physical (using a hand signal to let students know to get back in their seats).
Courtesy of Emily Polak
But that doesn't mean choice is always bad. Giving students a sense of ownership in the room, paired with clear expectations for behavior, can have surprisingly positive effects. A welcoming space can reduce anxiety and boost academic performance. Emily Polak, a ninth-grade teacher in Madison, Alabama, gave her room a cozier feel by adding a couch, a loveseat, rugs, a coffee table, and posters. Her students decide where to sit-but if they can't get their work done, they get moved back to a desk. "Discipline issues have significantly decreased. My students seem to feel more relaxed and more motivated in a setting that honors their choices," Polak says.

It's also helpful to avoid using the word don't, suggests Alyssa Nucaro, a sixth-grade English teacher in Memphis. Students are more likely to listen to instructions that include clear reasons.

6. Set clear expectations: Instead of just displaying rules for behavior, have a discussion with your students about why those rules matter. Bobby Shaddox, a seventh-grade social studies teacher in Portland, Maine, works with his students to create a list of norms-words such as inclusive, focused, and considerate -to build a sense of community. "It helps us own the behavior in the classroom," Shaddox says. "Instead of a top-down list of rules that a teacher gives a class, these are words that we generated together. These are words that we believe in."

A 2017 study found that a teacher's nonverbal cues-such as smiling and making eye contact-can "reduce physical and/or psychological distance" with their students, boosting students' positive feelings toward the teacher and the course material while improving behavior.

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New teachers-and experienced ones too-can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins.

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When becoming a teacher there are a number of things that college courses don't teach you. One of them being that emotional trauma that students face and how it can affect you as their teacher. Emelina Minero explains how trauma in students Is usually displayed outwardly by students who act out, avoid making eye contact, and tap their foot repeatedly. Minero describes what teachers are experiencing as vicarious trauma or the cost of caring. It can manifest itself in ways such as headaches, missed meetings, and anger. Emelina gives ways to cope with this and recommends talking it out with someone you trust. In comparison to building your own coping strategies like counting to five when feeling upset, and mapping out your day taking note of the times you get the most angry.

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Alysia Ferguson Garcia remembers the day two years ago that ended in her making a call to Child Protective Services. One of her students walked into drama class with what Garcia thought of as a "bad attitude" and refused to participate in a script reading.

"I don't care if you've had a bad day," Garcia remembers saying in frustration. "You still have to do some work."

In the middle of class, the student offered an explanation for her behavior: Her mom's boyfriend had been sexually abusing her. After the shock passed, the incident provided an opportunity for the class-and Garcia-to provide the student with comfort, and to cry.

When Garcia first started teaching, she wasn't expecting the stories her students would share of physical and sexual abuse, hunger, violence, and suicide. The stories seemed to haunt her all the way home, she says, recalling nightmares and sleepless nights spent worrying about her students. They also dredged up deep-seated memories of her own experiences with abuse.

"When you're learning to be a teacher, you think it's just about lesson plans, curriculum, and seating charts," said Garcia. "I was blindsided by the emotional aspect of teaching-I didn't know how to handle it. I was hurt by my students' pain, and it was hard for me to leave that behind when I went home."

The Real Costs of Trauma

Data shows that more than half of all U.S. children have experienced some kind of trauma in the form of abuse, neglect, violence, or challenging household circumstances-and 35 percent of children have experienced more than one type of traumatic event, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have impacts that extend far beyond childhood, including higher risks for alcoholism, liver disease, suicide, and other health problems later in life.

Trauma in children often manifests outwardly, affecting kids' relationships and interactions. In schools, the signs of trauma may be seen in a student acting out in class, or they could be more subtle-like failure to make eye contact or repeatedly tapping a foot. (To learn more about how trauma impacts students, read " Brains in Pain Cannot Learn! ")

For teachers, who are directly exposed to a large number of young people with trauma in their work, a secondary type of trauma, known as vicarious trauma, is a big risk. Sometimes called the "cost of caring," vicarious trauma can result from "hearing [people's] trauma stories and becom[ing] witnesses to the pain, fear, and terror that trauma survivors have endured," according to the American Counseling Association.

"Being a teacher is a stressful enough job, but teachers are now responsible for a lot more things than just providing education," says LeAnn Keck, a manager at Trauma Smart, an organization that partners with schools and early childhood programs to help children and the adults in their lives navigate trauma. "It seems like teachers have in some ways become case workers. They get to know about their students' lives and the needs of their families, and with that can come secondary trauma."

When you're learning to be a teacher, you think it's just about lesson plans, curriculum, and seating charts. I was blindsided by the emotional aspect of teaching-I didn't know how to handle it.

Vicarious trauma affects teachers' brains in much the same way that it affects their students': The brain emits a fear response, releasing excessive cortisol and adrenaline that can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, and release a flood of emotions. This biological response can manifest in mental and physical symptoms such as anger and headaches, or workplace behaviors like missing meetings, lateness, or avoiding certain students, say experts.

Yet many teachers are never explicitly taught how to help students who have experienced trauma, let alone address the toll it takes on their own health and personal lives. We reached out to trauma-informed experts and educators around the country to get their recommendations for in-the-moment coping strategies and preventative measures to help teachers process vicarious trauma. We share their tips below.

Talking it Out

Garcia, now a teacher of eight years, says she's found that confiding in others-either a therapist, her boyfriend, or colleagues-helps her process students' trauma and her own emotions.

Connecting with colleagues to talk through and process experiences can be invaluable for teachers coping with secondary trauma, according to Micere Keels, an associate professor at the University of Chicago and founder of the TREP Project, a trauma-informed curriculum for urban teachers.

"Reducing professional isolation is critical," said Keels. "It allows educators to see that others are struggling with the same issues, prevents the feeling that one's struggles are due to incompetence, and makes one aware of alternative strategies for working with students exhibiting challenging behavior."

It doesn't serve anybody to pretend that we're teacher-bots with no emotions, which I think sometimes teachers feel like they have to be.

Finding a wellness-accountability buddy-a peer who agrees to support and keep you accountable to your wellness goals-or using a professional learning community as a space to check in with other teachers are also ways to get that support, offers Alex Shevrin, a former school leader and teacher at Centerpoint School, a trauma-informed high school in Vermont that institutes school-wide practices aimed at addressing students' underlying emotional needs.

At Centerpoint, time for a monthly wellness group-where teachers, administrators, and social workers support each other on their personal wellness goals like exercising and creating work-life balance-is built into the professional development schedule. Staff also use in-service time to focus on taking care of their health together, by hiking, biking, going to the gym, or even learning to knit.

"If I had one wish for every school in the country, it would be that they made time for teachers to really sit down and talk about how they're feeling in the work," said Shevrin. "It doesn't serve anybody to pretend that we're teacher-bots with no emotions, which I think sometimes teachers feel like they have to be."

Building Coping Strategies

Students affected by trauma can have combative personalities and learn which buttons to press to upset you in class, says Garcia. When a student acts out in class, Garcia takes a few deep breaths, drinks coffee, or goes to a different part of the classroom to help another student.

"If I get upset, it never goes anywhere," Garcia said. "When you try to have a battle in class, you automatically lose as the teacher."

That's a good approach, says Keck, who suggests developing proactive coping strategies to address stressful situations in advance. A strategy may be counting to five, visualizing a calming place, or responding with an opposite action-like talking to a student quietly when you want to yell. Waiting until you're actually in a stressful situation means you're likely to overreact or to say or do something unhelpful.

Keck also recommends mapping out your school day and taking note of the times of day you feel most stressed, and then integrating scheduled coping strategies into your daily routine. If you feel stressed when students start to lose focus midday, for example, guide your students in a quick group stretch and some deep breathing to shift energy before getting back to work.

"Look at your schedule. If you see a stressful pattern, don't wait for it to happen. Don't wait to feel overwhelmed and stressed," urges Keck.

The important part is customizing the strategy to meet your needs.

Garcia applies this strategy when she's at home. She knows that after she puts her daughter to sleep, the worry for her students creeps in-so she makes sure to take time for things she enjoys, like watching movies and playing video games.

While many teachers say they don't have time for self-care, experts insist that it's necessary to develop long-term self-care practices-and stick to them-to build up your overall well-being and resilience. These self-care activities could be going for a walk, reading, watching a movie, practicing mindfulness, or talking with a friend-whatever invigorates you.
©Shutterstock.com/Dudarev Mikhail
Establishing Coming Home Rituals

It can be hard to leave work at work, but to address vicarious trauma, teachers need to create clear boundaries between work and home life. Part of that can be developing a ritual or routine that signifies the end of a work day, either before you head home, on the way home, or at home.

"For me, sometimes it's just as simple as turning off my work phone before I go into my house," Shevrin says. "I hear the sound of my phone turning off and then I know that I'm home."

After an emotionally difficult day, many teachers will write about their experiences before they leave, or sit down with a colleague to help process it, Keck told us.

Others organize their desk or create a to-do list for the next workday so they can let go of worry before heading home. While driving home, teachers listen to audiobooks, call a friend, or sit in silence to decompress. A ritual could even be as simple as changing clothes or taking a bath once you get home.

For Garcia, it's about putting her daughter's needs first and making the most of the time she has with her.

"It's very easy to get overwhelmed and let the job consume you. But teaching is about balance," she said. "When I come home, I try to just focus on my kid so she gets as much of me as she can. It's not always easy, but I've learned to put my life and my daughter's life first."

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When Students Are Traumatized, Teachers Are Too

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Trauma in students' lives takes an emotional and physical toll on teachers as well. Experts weigh in on the best ways to cope.

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In this article the author opens up a discussion about how to make our students feel safe while wearing masks this school year. Also, how to help them begin to communicate with their teachers about how these new changes make them feel and how they are affected by it. The author offers suggestions such as creating new routines in the classroom that enforce cleanliness and safe practices. In comparison, connecting with the parents so they know that their child is safe and so that educators can grasp a better understanding on how to effectively reach their child.

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In many places, students returning to school buildings will be required to wear masks. These strategies can help elementary students adjust.

Bill Graham / The Meridian Star via Associated Press

Our brains do not like surprises-they love to make predictions by finding patterns that are familiar, and they learn from associations, connections, and patterned experiences. But as schools begin to resume in late summer, there will be many unfamiliar experiences: new routines, schedules, and guidelines. Especially for young students, it's going to be challenging at best to adjust to wearing masks for extended periods.

States, districts, and schools that are returning to in-class teaching will have a variety of regulations and protocols, and we need to think collectively about how we can help young students follow those protocols. Parents can help by getting their kids used to wearing masks for increasing intervals even before school begins, and I have some suggestions for how we might introduce masks to students while creating safe and predictable environments to allay the expected fear and anxiety these changes could create.

It will be particularly important for educators to share their own feelings and sensations when wearing the masks in the first few weeks of school. When we share our vulnerabilities, worries, and questions, we can sit beside our students in creating a safe, open space for them to express their concerns and worries.

Connections and trust will need to be our priorities at the onset. What props, hats or other pieces of clothing, fictional characters, or objects could you share to introduce yourself and create positive associations and connections right away? How could you reveal your passions, interests, and personal stories while wearing your mask during that first day or week of school? I've shared the strategies below with teachers all summer. They have started implementing these with pre-K students, who report loving the activities and feeling a sense of calm.

In my work as a professor of education, I'm fortunate to be able to spend two mornings a week in K-12 classrooms. When I meet my new fourth-grade students in a few weeks while I'm wearing my mask, I will bring a plastic brain, a pair of flip-flops, and a picture of my family's rescue dog, Nellie. The students will learn a little about me through these objects as I in turn, will invite them each day for the first few weeks to share their passions and interests through objects or images.

Strategies for Starting the Year in Masks

1. A calming bag: Tangible items such as Band-Aids, mints, a personal note or encouraging sticker, extra pencils, etc. can often feel comforting when someone notices our fears or worries. Rather than share these items, at the moment it might be best if teachers create a bag for each student-if a grant or other funding is available-or send home a list of items so that parents and guardians can create the bags. Students keep them at school and use when needed. What would you put in a calming bag?

2. New routines: Teachers should be purposeful about creating classroom routines to ease any embarrassment, discomfort, worry, or anxiety students may have about wearing masks. Many of our students will not walk in already accustomed to wearing masks, so routines and predictable structures can help them feel calm and ready to learn. Routines can include things like drawing or journaling thoughts.

3. Connections with parents: A letter to parents outlining class procedures and routines will ease their anxiety and that of their kids. Teachers can also use this letter to invite parents to share the celebrations and challenges their children have experienced over the past several months.

Here are a few questions to consider asking parents:

What are the two or three best ways I can create a positive experience for your child this year?

Please share your favorite memories of your child. What makes him or her smile and laugh?

What do you need from me that would be helpful for your family?

What are ways I could help your child adjust to the mask this year?

Are there any changes at home that would be helpful for me to know? (You can frame this as a yes/no question, and give parents the option to explain if they wish.)

How can we work together this year? Is there anything you would like to teach or share with our class this year?

4. Face masks and superhero powers: This is a new focused attention practice designed around masks. Ask students what superhero they are, and ask them all to create a power pose. As they hold this pose, have them breathe in three deep breaths, hold for a couple of seconds, and then breathe out a superpower they wish to send to themselves, someone they care about, or the world.

5. Morning meeting questions: These are some questions teachers can use in the first week or two as students get used to their masks and each other.

How does a mask protect us?

Do you know of any superheroes that wear masks?

Maybe we could all decorate our own paper masks? What colors, shapes, and designs do you want on your mask?

6. Theme weeks: The first weeks of school are going to feel rough for many educators and students. Sometimes redirecting our attention away from our masks can more easily occur if we focus on something else. One way to do that is to designate theme weeks with a variety of associations and connections. Ideas include things like Favorite Color Week, Animal Week, Favorite Tradition Week, Artist Week, Music Week, and My Buddy Week. You can also ask students for suggestions so that they feel empowered by the themes. Teachers and students together can also come up with activities for the themes.

7. Emotion reading practice: We are capable of reading facial expressions from the eyes up. Teachers can spend a few minutes a day practicing this. Have a student wearing a mask think of a feeling and try to express that with their face, and ask the class to guess the emotion or feeling. Another option is to put little masks on the emojis on feeling charts. Students can work to become experts at reading facial expressions of people wearing masks, which could be a fun ritual that reduces anxiety and fear.

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In many places, students returning to school buildings will be required to wear masks. These strategies can help elementary students adjust. Bill Graham / The Meridian Star via Associated Press Our brains do not like surprises-they love to make predictions by finding patterns that are familiar, and they learn from associations, connections, and patterned experiences.

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The idea of schools and teachers being a "family" is a message that has become a norm. All throughout school systems teachers are experiencing burnout due to taking on more than they can handle. Unfortunately, this happens because staff are left to feel like they are letting their colleagues down and even administration if they don't do what is asked of them. Author Angela Watson explains that referring to your workplace as a family leads to feelings of guilt and one should rather refer to it as a "school community." Angela also expresses the importance of making yourself a priority, along with your students.

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The first time my principal asked me to take on the role of yearbook sponsor, I said no. In the upcoming school year, I would be teaching 130 seventh graders, and all five of my preps would be writing classes. Back then our state had formally assessed writing portfolios in seventh grade, and I was responsible for getting all of them done. It was a notoriously difficult teaching position, and I was actually excited to take it on, but I knew it would be even more time-consuming than other years had been, and adding yearbook responsibilities would put the workload way over the top.

So when he asked, I kind of grimaced and I said I'd rather not. Then I asked if there wasn't someone else who could do it.

It turned out there wasn't. Together, sitting in his office, we mentally checked off the rest of the faculty: If they weren't coaching a sport, they were sponsoring an extracurricular activity or doing some other "extra" thing. Or they were brand-new. Or a year away from retirement. Or pregnant and heading toward maternity leave. After a few silent moments, I finally said what we were both thinking: "So if I don't do it, then someone has to take on a second extracurricular."

He shrugged. "Or we just don't have a yearbook this year."

And that's when-surprise!-I became the new yearbook sponsor. Despite my gut telling me it was a bad idea, I agreed to do it. And over the next two years I did school work 2-3 hours every night, plus another 8 to 10 hours over the weekend, just to keep up. What else was I going to do? The reality of our school was that the workload always exceeded the labor force, so if we didn't all do more than was reasonable, then someone was going to suffer: either our colleagues or the kids. And who wanted that?

Unfortunately, this scenario is probably all too familiar to many of you. In fact, some of you might even be thinking, "He just wanted you to sponsor ONE extracurricular? You ONLY had 130 students?? You had it easy."

Anyone who has ever taught even one year knows that teachers are always being asked to do more, to squeeze more into less time, to multitask and juggle and figure it out because that's what teachers do. You cut back on sleep, eat more fast food, skip workouts, spend less time with family and friends, generally spend less time on all the things that the experts tell us are necessary for a good, healthy life to make room for school-related work. And even though so many educators recognize that this is an unsustainable system, the system holds steady.

Except for one problem: Every year, thousands of outstanding, talented, passionate teachers are leaving the classroom. Although the reasons may vary, many teachers I've known have left because they got to the point where they had to choose between quality of life and their job, and ultimately they chose quality of life, even if it meant taking on less meaningful work.

On top of these high attrition rates, the number of people entering the profession has dropped sharply over the past few decades, so that means every year, we have fewer and fewer teachers available to fill the classrooms where our students so desperately need them.

So maybe the system isn't holding so steady after all. And if it's not going to collapse entirely, one thing that's got to change is this idea that teachers should be willing to pick up the slack all the time, no matter what. That if we're not willing, even eager to do this, then clearly we don't really care about kids or about our colleagues. And that message-which is conveyed to us in all kinds of subtle ways-is what we're going to talk about here.

Angela Watson

To explore this issue, I'm getting help from Angela Watson. Angela has done more than anyone I know to try to solve the problem of teacher burnout, and she's made a ton of progress in that area. Over the last few years, her incredibly popular 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club has helped thousands of teachers take their lives back without leaving teaching.

And now, in her new book, Fewer Things, Better, she is encouraging teachers to stop trying to do it all, to get clear on what really matters and focus most of your energy on those things.

But doing that requires us to change the way we think about things, the way we hear certain messages. Let's look at how three common school norms-"We're a family," "Do it for the kids, no matter what," and "Be a team player"-can all contribute to teacher burnout, and how we can start pushing back on these messages.

The Messages

"We're a family."

This message is usually meant to make teachers feel like their school is a warm, supportive environment, and in many cases, that may be as far as it goes. But sometimes it may also end up manipulating them into doing an unreasonable amount of work.

"When we hear that being said to us," Angela says, "particularly by someone who is in a position of authority above us, we need to stop and ask, What's the intent? What's the impact? Is this being said to make me feel loved and supported like a family? Or is it being used to exploit me for unpaid labor? I think the school family analogy can be used to manipulate you into doing all kinds of unpaid extra duties, so it can be code for 'You're expected to spend all your free time going above and beyond with no compensation.'

"You're irreplaceable to your family," she continues, "but your school can hire someone else to take your place within a week. So I encourage teachers to question this internally when you hear it. And when you're choosing which words to use yourself, consider finding a term that's a little bit less loaded. I like the phrase 'school community.' In a community you have a responsibility to work together and be cohesive, but you don't have all that baggage and implied guilt trip of letting your family down."

"Do it for the kids, no matter what."

Angela's thinking about this phrase shifted about a year ago when she read Seth Nichols' piece, Why Teachers Are Walking Out. Nichols pointed out that in education, where so much of the leadership is male and the vast majority of the employees are female, teachers may go along with unreasonable expectations because if they don't, they risk being seen as uncaring.

"(Nichols) observed how the teachers around him would do whatever it took to prove that they are good caretakers and good nurturers," Angela explains. "He called it the Woman's Honor Code: Do it for the kids no matter the cost."

Obviously all teachers care about kids, she says, "but the problem is that teachers' pure intentions and genuine desire to make a difference have been exploited, because the powers that be know that if the school doesn't provide what kids need to thrive, we as educators will pick up the slack. We will work dozens of unpaid hours every week, we will make our materials from scratch, we will spend money from our own paychecks. We'll neglect our health, our relationships, our home, even our own kids because we need to do whatever it takes for students. And for many of us there's no clear alternative, because no teacher wants to feel like they're short-changing kids."

A healthier message? It's perfectly reasonable to be there for the kids and the paycheck. "It's not a volunteer position when you're supposed to be there for purely altruistic reasons and nothing else. You can enjoy making a difference and also enjoy paying your mortgage. Those two outcomes are not mutually exclusive."

In the end, Angela says, making ourselves a priority along with the kids will keep more good teachers in the classroom.

"Teachers should have the opportunity to be fully actualized human beings who have career aspirations and hobbies and hopes and dreams, apart from just sowing into the lives of other people's children. We can't agree to just do whatever it takes at any cost, because the cost is our physical and mental health, our marriages and relationships and children and parents. (Often) the students suffer, because we're so overwhelmed and overworked that we can't show up as the best version of ourselves, and many of us ultimately decide the sacrifice is not sustainable."

"Be a team player."

This call to action, Angela says, is most often used when people are being asked to give unpaid labor. "Lesson planning and grading papers," she says, "that's your job, what you're paid to do. So no one ever says be a team player, grade your papers, right? It's when you're being asked to do things that aren't part of the core of your job.

"So for example, your school deserves aides to handle supervision duties during non-instructional time. So you shouldn't be pressured to do lunch and recess and cafeteria and bus and hallway duty. Because when are those things happening? It's during your planning or your prep time. That's when you're supposed to be focused on your real job, which is planning and preparing lessons and assessing student work. But instead you're mopping the cafeteria floor, because there's no one else to do it. And you want to be seen as a team player. So all the stuff that would really move the needle for your students either doesn't get done or it gets done on your own time for free in the evening."

Does this mean a teacher should never pick up a piece of trash in the hallway? Of course not. "Everyone has to do things that aren't in their job description," Angela says. "But I think awareness is really the most important step."

So...We're All Being Brainwashed?

Talking to Angela about this situation, I never got the impression that she felt administrators were trying to deliberately fool teachers or that their promotion of a student-centered, family-like school culture was somehow disingenuous. These norms have been passed down for generations, and for many schools, she says, they have become survival mechanisms. "They're so underfunded, so under-resourced and understaffed and the only way to function with what they're given is if everyone buys into this mentality that they're part of the school family and they need to do whatever it takes and be a team player."

And it's not just school leadership that perpetuates these norms. Teachers reinforce them with each other every day. "We all prop up this system," she says. "We are complicit in this system, and I include myself in that, because I've done it myself for 11 years in the classroom." Being the teacher who is willing to go the extra mile makes us look good, and that creates a competitive environment where everyone is expected to go well beyond their job description.

On top of that, there's the risk of hurting your colleagues if you're not pulling more than your weight; this fear keeps us from supporting each other. "If you say no, then who's going to have to pick up the slack? Me. So I'm afraid. If you create boundaries for yourself, what kind of impact is that going to have on me?"

Ways to Push Back

1. Speak Up with Solutions

"I think a lot of teachers are afraid to speak up," Angela says, "because they don't want to be seen as the angry teacher, or they don't want to be the one who's always complaining. And that's for good reason, because we've seen colleagues get blackballed for being negative."

But if we speak up and provide a viable solution, things tend to go much better.

"If you go to your administrator in a professional, solution-oriented way, your 'complaint' can actually turn you into one of the most valuable members of the faculty, because most people are just going to be talking about the problem to each other.

"But if you can approach the principal directly with actual solutions, not just saying, 'This is unacceptable, you need to fix it,' but say, 'Hey, we both know the situation isn't ideal. So I've been trying to brainstorm some alternative approaches here, and I would love to be able to share some of them with you.' If you can do that, you're either going to lead the discussion, getting something closer to what you want or you're going to have a better understanding of all the limitations and extenuating circumstances. And either way, you're going to have more information about how to create change."

2. Support Others Who Speak Up

If you're not quite ready to advocate for change personally, you can be more vocal and visible about supporting those who do.

"I think in every school there are a handful of teachers who feel like they're the ones doing all the heavy lifting," Angela says. "They're the ones that all the other teachers go to when they're upset, and when they want something changed, they go to this handful of people who are not afraid to be outspoken.

"And what I hear from those teachers is that they are tired of being the only ones with their necks on the chopping block all the time. What they really want is for other teachers to stand with them.

"So maybe you don't want to lead the change on a particular issue. But if another teacher is speaking up on it, show them support. If the discussion's happening online, retweet it, share it, comment on it. If it's happening in the staff meeting, nod, affirm, raise your hand, add an additional point to let your colleagues know you are with that person rather than just thanking them afterward."

3. Quiet Subversion

If you think a problem just can't be solved, you're in a situation where communication between staff and leadership has broken down, or you just don't have the energy to put up a fight, another solution is to simply subvert the system.

"Teachers are being expected to do an increasing number of things that really aren't good for kids and that are completely burning them out," Angela says. "You can't face every problem head on, because there's just too many of them. You do have to pick your battles.

"But you don't have to just suck it up when it comes to all the other issues. I think that a lot of teachers are rule-followers. We want to do things right. We want to be seen as caring and committed and dedicated. And so not doing what we've been told is just not even a consideration. It's not even on the table. There's a lot of fear placed in the heart of teachers that they're going to be pink-slipped or blackballed if they don't do what they're told.

"But all the best teachers that I know are quietly subverting the system. They will smile and nod, and then they will close the door and they will do what's best for kids. They will document stuff on paper like they're supposed to, and then that teachable moment comes up, and they run with it whenever they can. And I just want that to be said here publicly, because obviously someone who's employed by a school district is going to be really reluctant to announce that they're doing that.

"And that's why people think it's not happening. That's why when you look at those teachers that you admire and you wonder, 'How are they doing all that awesome stuff? How are they making everything work?' They've either found the school that is a good fit for their values, and they have a little bit more freedom, which I think is often true for some of the more visible educators online, or in the majority of cases they're being quietly subversive.

"And both of those options, by the way, are available to every person listening to this. A myth that I really try hard to debunk is this disempowering mode we tend to fall into where it's like, 'I don't have a choice.' You do have a choice. You are a trained professional who brings a tremendous amount of wisdom and insight and life experience to the profession. So you can choose to make some sacrifices and find a school where you can thrive. You can find something that is a better fit for you. It's your career, it's your life.

"And if you choose to stay where you're at, you don't just have to do everything you're told if what you're being told is not best for teachers or kids. The most effective teachers I know are not blindly following orders. They are quietly subverting the system."

It's well intended, a phrase like "We're a family." And we should all feel like we work in places where everyone cares about the kids and pitches in as a team. But if teachers want to be treated as professionals and given the time and space to do this work well and live healthy lives, it might be time to look at these messages with a more critical eye.

We've only scratched the surface of all Angela does to help teachers bring balance to their lives. You can learn more in her book, Fewer Things, Better, or by joining the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club.

Come back for more.
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"We're a Family" and Other School Norms that Can Cause Burnout

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Sponsored by Pear Deck and The Teacher's Guide to Tech This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. When you make a purchase through these links, Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. The first time my principal asked me to take on the role of yearbook sponsor, I said no.

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Jessica Gonzalez turns to Michael Linsin to gather tips on how to manage your classroom while students are being talkative. Linsin begins by saying people need to talk, and that it is human nature. I found the point of building personal relationships with your students as a way to combat talking in your classroom to be the most important. Linsin suggests that educators should make their expectations known and detailed. Another important tip given was to teach the consequences of excessive talking.

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Listen to my interview with Michael Linsin ( transcript):

Sponsored by Write About and Peergrade
In my first few years of teaching, student talking was like popcorn.
I gave the class instructions for some kind of work; let's say journal writing. And for a few seconds, they did it. Things were quiet. Then, like that first kernel of popcorn, one student said she didn't know what to write, so I walked over to her desk to help her. While we talked, two more raised their hands-two more pops-and said they were stuck, too. I signaled to them that I'd be over in a minute, but in the meantime, someone else was closing his journal, finished already. Another pop. The two who were stuck asked him what he wrote about.

The room needs to stay quiet so we can concentrate, I told them.

Someone else had a question. Another pop. I squatted by her desk, and behind me, a conversation started between two others. Pop pop. Another journal closed while a different hand went up.

Okay people, I said, this time louder. Let's keep it down. And with rascally smiles, they turned back to their journals to pretend to write some more. At this point, it had turned into a game.

Someone needed to sharpen their pencil. Pop. Someone else decided to race them over to the sharpener. Pop. In a matter of seconds, the whole room had erupted, a huge hysterical bowl of popcorn, exploding all around me, and I couldn't find my way out.

And then I yelled.

If this sounds anything like you, you're not alone. I hear it from teachers all the time. One of the things they don't teach us in our education courses is just how freaking much students talk, and how hard it can be to quiet them down in order to get anything accomplished.

To find solutions to this problem, I went to Michael Linsin, the creator of Smart Classroom Management and my go-to person for all classroom management needs. Last year, he taught us how to set up a clear, simple classroom management plan. Now he's going to help us understand the causes of excessive talking, what you should be able to realistically expect from students, and how you can fix the problem.

First, two quick caveats.

One: I believe students need to talk. People need to talk. So if you're shooting for a classroom environment where students sit silently and do rote seat work all day long, where they never have an opportunity to talk to their peers, where they never get out of their seats, and where the work is not engaging, you are going to have problems.

Two: A big part of good classroom management is building good relationships with your students. If you haven't taken the time to get to know them as individuals, if you mispronounce their names, if you regularly use sarcasm or make them feel stupid for asking questions, then they aren't going to want to behave well for you. And that's a different problem.

So this post is based on the assumption that you're planning engaging lessons and you have a decent relationship with your students. Without those two, these solutions might kind of work, but you're still probably not going to love your job.

Why It's Happening

Before you can solve this problem, you have to understand its cause. According to Linsin, excessive talking-talking that occurs during independent work time or direct instruction-happens for two reasons.

Reason 1: They don't believe you mean it.

Despite the fact that you specifically tell students not to talk, deep down they don't believe you mean it. "Or they don't care," Linsin says.

"At some point," he explains, "Your authority has faded. If you're able to teach to a quiet classroom in the beginning of the year and now you're not able to, or if it happened right off the bat, then somehow at some point, the students' respect for you and for the process, for the classroom, and your authority has faded."

So even if they hear you, even if they understand that you want quiet at a certain time, they don't believe anything negative will happen if they ignore your request. If they come to you with this behavior, it's likely that it has just been part of their conditioning.

"Because so many teachers struggle with this problem," Linsin explains, "many after a while kind of throw up their hands and just decide they're going to talk over students, they're going to do their best to keep things as quiet as possible during independent work time, so the students come to you (from) classrooms where the teacher asked them to be quiet but doesn't really follow up on it."

Reason 2: They don't understand what "no talking" means.

This one is going to be harder for teachers to believe, but bear with us here: "No talking" may not mean exactly the same thing in different contexts, and if your students are talking more than you want them to, there's a good chance you're working with different definitions.

"When they come to your classroom," Linsin explains, "and they've had teacher after teacher say the same thing, yet continue to allow it to happen in the classroom, then students think, Well, he or she just means we need to kind of keep our voices down, or We're mostly quiet, but if we have important things to say to a neighbor, then we're allowed to do that. And so they're confused as to what the definition of 'quiet' really is."

In many cases, Linsin notes, the problem is likely being caused by a combination of both of these reasons. But notice that neither reason is a blanket statement about students being disrespectful. This is why I like Linsin's approach: He puts control for classroom management in the teacher's hands, rather than placing blame on the student. That's not to say that you won't have disrespectful students, but shifting the blame to them means you have no power over the situation. Blaming the students simply isn't a useful way to address the problem.

"When students are not doing something that you've previously taught them how to do," Linsin says, "whether it's talking or entering the classroom, and they don't do it well, even though the students are responsible for their behavior, when most of the class is not doing what you ask, it's on you. It's about you. There's some disconnect there, there's something they're not understanding."

What You Should Be Able to Expect

Some teachers might wonder whether it's reasonable to expect students to be quiet at all, especially if they are younger. Linsin says yes without hesitation. "You should absolutely expect, no matter where you're teaching or what grade level, that the students are able to sit quietly while you're giving instruction or directions, and they should be able to sit quietly and work during independent work times."

Should there also be times when talking is permitted? "Absolutely," Linsin says. "It's really important to give students an opportunity to express themselves, to get up and move around, to work in groups and pairs and discuss. Classrooms should be vibrant and interesting, exciting places, and so I'm all for getting students up and moving and having fun. Those things just make classroom management stronger, and they free you to ask anything of your students, including silence."

The Solution

If you came here looking for a few tricks to end excessive talking, the bad news is that you won't find anything clever or earth-shattering. The good news is that the solution is pretty simple, and it requires no behavior charts, tokens, or Jolly Ranchers.

Step 1: Define expectations in explicit detail.

"The fix," Linsin says, "is to define, in detail, exactly what you want during independent work time and when you're teaching a directed lesson."

If you believe you've already done this, and it hasn't worked, the issue is probably lack of detail in your explanation. Linsin says you need to go far deeper than what most teachers probably do.

"So you may bring a desk or a table up in front of your classroom, sit down, and pretend to be a student. You may have other students acting as models also. Show students how you expect them to behave while you're giving instruction, and then how you expect them to behave when they're doing independent work."

"It's also important to include what not to do," he adds. "So you'll model those exact behaviors that you're seeing, those exact talking behaviors, whether it's side-talking or standing up and whispering to someone, or whatever your classroom looks like. Even if it's chaotic, whatever that chaos looks like exactly, you want the students to be able to see themselves in your modeling and what isn't okay."

Step 2: Have students practice.

Once you've modeled the desired behavior, have students practice it, just like you'd have them practice any skill you're teaching.

Linsin gives an example of what this might look like. You'd start by saying, "'I'm going to give you 60 seconds, and I want you to show me what good listening looks like, and no talking. So let's pretend I'm standing and giving you a lesson. I want to know what that looks like.' And then you'll stand and maybe you'll cross your arms and put your hand under your chin, and you'll watch them."

Keep this instruction light, he says. Keep it fun. "You'll stare at them and you'll walk around the room, and you'll watch one of them, and you'll nod your head and say, 'Mmhmm, okay, that looks good. Mmhmm. Chin up a little higher!' It's okay to have fun with it. None of this is a punishment. It's just good teaching. Whether you're teaching how to find a topic sentence or how you want your students to line up before recess, it's all teaching. So it's okay to have fun with it. It's okay for them to laugh at some of the things you say or to see themselves in the behaviors, which they love, by the way, especially if you exaggerate it and have some fun with it."

The Sign Strategy: Students are often put in an awkward position when a classmate tries to talk to them during these quiet times. They want to follow your guidelines, but they also don't want to be rude to a classmate. Agree on some kind of physical sign they can give each other at these times. "It can be a scissors or peace sign or whatever's culturally acceptable wherever you teach. And all they do is just hold the sign up, and the sign means, 'I'm really sorry, but I have to listen to the lesson,' or 'I'm really sorry, but I have to do my work.' And you can tell them that if they give the sign and that student who sees the sign turns and gets back to work, you will not enforce a consequence, because they're showing responsible behavior."

Step 3: Teach the consequences.

"Walk them through the exact steps that would happen if they turn and talk to a neighbor, for example," Linsin says. "The exact steps a misbehaving student would take from your initial warning to contacting parents or whatever your consequences look like."

In order to do this, you have to know what your consequences are. Spend some time making sure you're clear on that. If you need help, read our post on creating a classroom management plan.

Step 4: Do it for real.

Once students have been taught your expectations and have practiced exactly what they look like, it's time to apply it in a real lesson. "Have a directed lesson ready," Linsin advises, "to have them prove to you they can do it in practice."

If you've taught the expectations in detail, students should do a good job, but if they don't, you need to enforce your consequences exactly as you described. "You almost hope during that first wonderful lesson, that one student maybe turns, and so the class can see that you're holding them accountable."

If enforcing your consequences is difficult for you-and for many teachers, it will be-read Linsin's post on why teachers struggle to consistently enforce consequences.

Step 5: Continue to define expectations in small chunks.

This last step is crucial. From this point forward, keep telling students what is expected of them before every switch in classroom activity. When you are about to do group work, let students know that talking within the group is okay. If you then switch to independent work, remind them that absolute quiet will be expected. Briefly describe what that will look like, even spelling out what not to do if that fits the activity.

Taking time to do this might seem unnecessary, but being clear ahead of time will prevent problems. "Anytime you can give a reminder before misbehavior," Linsin says, "it's a good thing. Anytime you give a reminder after you see misbehavior, it's a bad thing. You should be holding students accountable, but be preemptive whenever you can."

Learn More from Michael Linsin
The Happy Teacher Habits
(Links to this book are Amazon Affiliate links, which means I get a small commission on purchases you make through my links at no additional cost to you.)

There's more where this came from.
Join my mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration-in quick, bite-sized packages-all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to my members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Come on in!!

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What they don't teach us in education courses is just how freaking much students talk, and how hard it can be to quiet them down. Help is on the way.

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Jessica Gonzalez takes to twitter to ask other educators what their ideas were on students turning in late work. Gonzalez begins the article by telling the educator to first reflect on why they grade. Also, educators should shift their grading to represent learning and not compliance. Later in the article some suggestions are offered that include reducing the number of scores you are taking, and offering a point deduction on late assignments. Other educators on twitter responded with giving out next class passes which allows a student to turn the assignment in the following day. Lastly, an educator shared that not assigning homework could be an easy and effective way to tackle late assignments,

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Sponsored by Learners Edge and Microsoft Teams

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Most of my 9-week grading periods ended the same way: Me and one or two students, sitting in my quiet, empty classroom together, with me sitting at the computer, the students nearby in desks, methodically working through piles of make-up assignments. They would be focused, more focused than I'd seen them in months, and the speed with which they got through the piles was stunning.

As they finished each assignment I took it, checked it for accuracy, then entered their scores-taking 50 percent off for being late-into my grading program. With every entry, I'd watch as their class grade went up and up: from a 37 percent to a 41, then to 45, then to 51, and eventually to something in the 60s or even low 70s, a number that constituted passing, at which point the process would end and we'd part ways, full of resolve that next marking period would be different.

And the whole time I thought to myself, This is pointless. They aren't learning anything at all. But I wasn't sure what else to do.

For as long as teachers have assigned tasks in exchange for grades, late work has been a problem. What do we do when a student turns in work late? Do we give some kind of consequence or accept assignments at any time with no penalty? Do we set up some kind of system that keeps students motivated while still holding them accountable? Is there a way to manage all of this without driving ourselves crazy?

To find answers, I went to Twitter and asked teachers to share what works for them. What follows is a summary of their responses. I wish I could give individual credit to each person who offered ideas, but that would take way too long, and I really want you to get these suggestions now! If you've been unsatisfied with your own approach to late work, you should find some fresh ideas here.

First, a Few Questions About Your Grades

Before we get into the ways teachers manage late work, let's back up a bit and consider whether your overall program of assignments and grading is in a healthy place. Here are some questions to think about:

1. What do your grades represent? How much of your grades are truly based on academic growth, and how much are based mostly on compliance? If they lean more toward compliance, then what you're doing when you try to manage late work is basically a lot of administrative paper pushing, rather than teaching your content. Although it's important for kids to learn how to manage deadlines, do you really want an A in your course to primarily reflect the ability to follow instructions? If your grades are too compliance-based, consider how you might shift things so they more accurately represent learning. (For a deeper discussion of this issue, read How Accurate Are Your Grades?)

2. Are you grading too many things? If you spend a lot of time chasing down missing assignments in order to get more scores in your gradebook, it could be that you're grading too much. Some teachers only enter grades for major, summative tasks, like projects, major writing assignments, or exams. Everything else is considered formative and is either ungraded or given a very low point value for completion, not graded for accuracy; it's practice. For teachers who are used to collecting lots of grades over a marking period, this will be a big shift, and if you work in a school where you're expected to enter grades into your system frequently, that shift will be even more difficult. Convincing your students that ungraded practice is worthwhile because it will help their performance on the big things will be another hurdle. With all of that said, reducing the number of scored items will make your grades more meaningful and cut way down on the time you spend grading and managing late work.

3. What assumptions do you make when students don't turn in work? I'm embarrassed to admit that when I first started teaching, I assumed most students with missing work were just unmotivated. Although this might be true for a small portion of students, I no longer see this as the most likely reason. Students may have issues with executive function and could use some help developing systems for managing their time and responsibilities. They may struggle with anxiety. Or they may not have the resources-like time, space, and technology-to consistently complete work at home. More attention has been paid lately to the fact that homework is an equity issue, and our policies around homework should reflect an understanding that all students don't have access to the same resources once they leave school for the day. Punitive policies that are meant to "motivate" students don't take any of these other issues into consideration, so if your late work penalties don't seem to be working, it's likely that the root cause is something other than a lack of motivation.

4. What kind of grading system is realistic for you? Any system you put in place requires YOU to stay on top of grading. It would be much harder to assign penalties, send home reminders, or track lateness if you are behind on marking papers by a week, two weeks, even a month. So whatever you do, create a plan that you can actually keep up with.

Possible Solutions

1. Penalties

Many teachers give some sort of penalty to students for late work. The thinking behind this is that without some sort of negative consequence, too many students would wait until the end of the marking period to turn work in, or in some cases, not turn it in at all. When work is turned in weeks or even months late, it can lose its value as a learning opportunity because it is no longer aligned with what's happening in class. On top of that, teachers can end up with massive piles of assignments to grade in the last few days of a marking period. This not only places a heavy burden on teachers, it is far from an ideal condition for giving students the good quality feedback they should be getting on these assignments.

Several types of penalties are most common:

Point Deductions In many cases, teachers simply reduce the grade as a result of the lateness. Some teachers will take off a certain number of points per day until they reach a cutoff date after which the work will no longer be accepted. One teacher who responded said he takes off 10 percent for up to three days late, then 30 percent for work submitted up to a week late; he says most students turn their work in before the first three days are over. Others have a standard amount that comes off for any late work (like 10 percent), regardless of when it is turned in. This policy still rewards students for on-time work without completely de-motivating those who are late, builds in some accountability for lateness, and prevents the teacher from having to do a lot of mathematical juggling with a more complex system.

Parent Contact
Some teachers keep track of late work and contact parents if it is not turned in. This treats the late work as more of a conduct issue; the parent contact may be in addition to or instead of taking points away.

No Feedback, No Re-Dos
The real value of homework and other smaller assignments should be the opportunity for feedback: Students do an assignment, they get timely teacher feedback, and they use that feedback to improve. In many cases, teachers allow students to re-do and resubmit assignments based on that feedback. So a logical consequence of late work could be the loss of that opportunity: Several teachers mentioned that their policy is to accept late work for full credit, but only students who submit work on time will receive feedback or the chance to re-do it for a higher grade. Those who hand in late work must accept whatever score they get the first time around.

2. A Separate Work Habits Grade

In a lot of schools, especially those that use standards-based grading, a student's grade on an assignment is a pure representation of their academic mastery; it does not reflect compliance in any way. So in these classrooms, if a student turns in good work, it's going to get a good grade even if it's handed in a month late.

But students still need to learn how to manage their time. For that reason, many schools assign a separate grade for work habits. This might measure factors like adherence to deadlines, neatness, and following non-academic guidelines like font sizes or using the correct heading on a paper.

Although most teachers whose schools use this type of system will admit that students and parents don't take the work habits grade as seriously as the academic grade, they report being satisfied that student grades only reflect mastery of the content.

One school calls their work habits grade a "behavior" grade, and although it doesn't impact GPA, students who don't have a certain behavior grade can't make honor roll, despite their actual GPA.

Several teachers mentioned looking for patterns and using the separate grade as a basis for conferences with parents, counselors, or other stakeholders. For most students, there's probably a strong correlation between work habits and academic achievement, so separating the two could help students see that connection.

Some learning management systems will flag assignments as late without necessarily taking points off. Although this does not automatically translate to a work habits grade, it indicates the lateness to students and parents without misrepresenting the academic achievement.

3. Homework Passes

Because things happen in real life that can throw anyone off course every now and then, some teachers offer passes students can use to replace a missed assignment.

Most teachers only offer these passes to replace low-point assignments, not major ones, and they generally only offer 1 to 3 passes per marking period. Homework passes can usually only recover 5 to 10 percent of a student's overall course grade.

Other teachers have a policy of allowing students to drop one or two of their lowest scores in the gradebook. Again, this is typically done for smaller assignments and has the same net effect as a homework pass by allowing everyone to have a bad day or two.

One teacher gives "Next Class Passes" which allow students one extra day to turn in work. At the end of every marking period she gives extra credit points to students who still have unused passes. She says that since she started doing this, she has had the lowest rate ever of late work.

4. Extension Requests

Quite a few teachers require students to submit a written request for a deadline extension rather than taking points off. With a system like this, every student turns something in on the due date, whether it's the assignment itself or an extension request.

Most extension requests ask students to explain why they were unable to complete the assignment on time. This not only gives the students a chance to reflect on their habits, it also invites the teacher to help students solve larger problems that might be getting in the way of their academic success.

Having students submit their requests via Google Forms reduces the need for paper and routes all requests to a single spreadsheet, which makes it easier for teachers to keep track of work that is late or needs to be regraded.

Other teachers use a similar system for times when students want to resubmit work for a new grade.

5. Floating Deadlines

Rather than choosing a single deadline for an assignment, some teachers assign a range of dates for students to submit work. This flexibility allows students to plan their work around other life activities and responsibilities.

Some teachers offer an incentive to turn in work in the early part of the time frame, such as extra credit or faster feedback, and this helps to spread out the submissions more evenly.

Another variation on this approach is to assign a batch of work for a whole week and ask students to get it in by Friday. This way, students get to manage when they get it done.

Other names mentioned for this strategy were flexible deadlines, soft deadlines, and due windows.

6. Let Students Submit Work in Progress

Some digital platforms, like Google Classroom, allow students to "submit" assignments while they are still working on them. This allows teachers to see how far the student has gotten and address any problems that might be coming up. If your classroom is mostly paper-based, it's certainly possible to do this kind of thing with paper as well, letting students turn in partially completed work to demonstrate that an effort has been made and show you where they might be stuck.

7. Give Late Work Full Credit

Some teachers accept all late work with no penalty. Most of them agree that if the work is important, and if we want students to do it, we should let them hand it in whenever they get it done.

Some teachers fear this approach will cause more students to stop doing the work or delay submission until the end of a marking period, but teachers who like this approach say they were surprised by how little things changed when they stopped giving penalties: Most students continued to turn work in more or less on time, and the same ones who were late under the old system were still late under the new one. The big difference was that the teacher no longer had to spend time calculating deductions or determining whether students had valid excuses; the work was simply graded for mastery.

To give students an incentive to actually turn the work in before the marking period is over, some teachers will put a temporary zero in the gradebook as a placeholder until the assignment is turned in, at which point the zero is replaced with a grade.

Here's a twist on the "no penalty" option: Some teachers don't take points off for late work, but they limit the time frame when students can turn it in. Some will not accept late work after they have graded and returned an assignment; at that point it would be too easy for students to copy off of the returned papers. Others will only accept late work up until the assessment for the unit, because the work leading up to that is meant to prepare for that assessment.

8. Other Preventative Measures

These strategies aren't necessarily a way to manage late work as much as they are meant to prevent it in the first place.

Include students in setting deadlines. When it comes to major assignments, have students help you determine due dates. They may have a better idea than you do about other big events that are happening and assignments that have been given in other classes.

Stop assigning homework. Some teachers have stopped assigning homework entirely, recognizing that disparities at home make it an unfair measurement of academic mastery. Instead, all meaningful work is done in class, where the teacher can monitor progress and give feedback as needed. Long-term projects are done in class as well, so the teacher is aware of which students need more time and why.

Make homework optional or self-selected. Not all students need the same amount of practice. You may be able to get your students to assess their own need for additional practice and assign that practice to themselves. Although this may sound far-fetched, in some classes, like this self-paced classroom, it actually works, because students know they will be graded on a final assessment, they get good at determining when they need extra practice.

With so many different approaches to late work, what's clear is that there are a lot of different schools of thought on grading and assessment, so it's not a surprise that we don't always land on the best solution on the first try. Experiment with different systems, talk to your colleagues, and be willing to try something new until you find something that works for you.

Further Reading

20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half
This free e-book is full of ideas that can help with grading in general.

On Your Mark: Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting
Thomas R. Guskey
This book came highly recommended by a number of teachers.

Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School
Starr Sackstein

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Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

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The problem of late work never seems to go away. Teachers use these eight smart solutions to manage it with their students.

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Sheldon Eakin takes on a very controversial yet prevalent topic in this article. He begins by explaining how multicultural education is not just about helping students of color see themselves within the context being taught, but he stresses the importance of predominantly white schools incorporating multicultural and social justice education. The author believes that educators should help students find ways to take action in response to what they have learned. The primary goal of social justice and multicultural education is wanting students to do more than notice issues, but wanting them to respond to issues of racism, prejudice, and discrimination.

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Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Sponsored by PowerSchool and ViewSonic

These last few weeks have been especially difficult for me as the news continues to reflect that racism still exists in 2020. I've witnessed video footage of Ahmaud Arbery shot and killed while jogging, George Floyd murdered by the police, and Christian Cooper harassed while bird watching in Central Park. As we think about the next generation of adults we are influencing, particularly our White students, now more than ever, we need to teach more than kindness.

As an equity advocate, I have lots of conversations about culturally responsive teaching and multicultural education. Not too long ago while I was consulting with an elementary school principal she said, "Multicultural Education is nice, but we are well over 90% White at my school."

A common myth regarding multicultural education is that it is about helping students of color see themselves within the content. But multicultural education is about more than just race: It refers to any form of learning or teaching that incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds ( Glossary of Education Reform). And even if the majority of your students are White, it doesn't mean we shouldn't teach from a multicultural perspective.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not advocating for a bunch of Kumbaya moments in the classroom. This is not a post about how we need to teach students to embrace diversity and love each other. It's about the influence we can and should have on our students. Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings taught us that we teach what we value. Therefore, we are part of the problem if we refuse to teach about antiracism and speak out against police brutality. Our students look up to us as adults, and many of our students mimic our behavior. If we are silent around social justice matters, we send a loud message to our students about where we stand as these issues impact many of the communities we serve.

In fact, we need to go beyond multicultural education. In this 2017 interview, Zaretta Hammond differentiates between multicultural education and social justice education, which provides "a lens for the student, really being able to look at the world and seeing where things aren't fair or where injustice exists." To ensure the changes our society is hurting for, we need to give our White students both multicultural and social justice education. Additionally, Dr. James Banks, the father of multicultural education, advocates for educators to teach our students about social and civic action. Ensuring that students engage in multiple perspectives without coupling their learning with civic engagement does not complete the process of developing socially just citizens who are willing to take a stance against the mistreatment of others. We need to help our students find ways they can take action in response to what they have learned.

Going back to the principal I was speaking with about whether there was a need for multicultural education at her school, I was thinking, "This is why multicultural and social justice education is so important!" Even with her assumptions that because there wasn't a lot of racial representation at her school, does that mean the small percentage of students of color don't matter to her? If that's the case, what would her teachers say? Would they support her sentiments?

Why Multicultural Education is 100% Relevant in All-White Schools

"Whiteness" is Complex

When someone asks why multicultural education is needed at a predominately White school, an assumption is being made that White people are a homogenous group. But White people are as heterogeneous as other racial and ethnic groups: there's socioeconomic status, gender and sexual orientation, identity, religion, language, age, and disability, to name a few. All of those represent different cultures. Sometimes, when you're in a dominant culture and used to things being a certain way, you don't necessarily think about your ancestry or heritage and how things have changed over time. And because conditions have changed over time, it may appear that Whiteness is Whiteness, but there are so many different cultures embedded within that broad category.

I think it's essential that we help teach our White students about their ancestors and the origins of when their families first arrived in the United States. The languages, the cultures, the traditions, all those things don't necessarily have to be lost. They can be retrieved.

Let's go back to the 1790s, where the first census was started. With the first US Census, they classified race. The classifying of race allowed those in power to determine or allow a few rights: Who gets the right to get jobs? Who gets the right to marry? Who gets the right to own property? That's how the social construct of race started.

Above is a view of Europeans, or some of the first immigrants, who were coming from various countries. And if you look at the picture, they're White people, right? But they're coming from multiple countries. At this time, there were several languages represented. You had folks that came from Italy, Germany, Russia, England, and so on. There were all types of cultures coming into the United States.

There were also various forms of religions represented when the Europeans began to arrive in the US. In Russia, you had the Orthodox church. In England, you had the Anglican church. When they first came, they weren't willing to give up their culture and become this one White race. They held onto their traditions, values, and beliefs. But we see that over time, things have changed to where White supremacy and racial hierarchies began to form. Today, there are a lot of families who have European origins that may not necessarily speak the language from their original land of ancestry because those things might have been lost over generations.

Multicultural Literacy Is a Separate and Necessary Literacy

The concept of "literacy" is broad. Still, it can be divided into many different sub-categories. One of these is multicultural literacy, the ability to uncover biases relating to culture, and the skills to view the world through different cultural perspectives.

Dr. Robin DiAngelo says, "Historically reinforced ideologies such as individualism and color-blindness have left many White people racially illiterate but racially conscious when perceiving other racialized groups." So because they're in the dominant culture, they don't necessarily have to think about race, but they'll maybe notice racial issues that are not related to Whiteness.

In other words, maybe they might notice police brutality in a Black community. Perhaps they might see issues of race with Islamophobia and discrimination. But we want our students to do more than notice; responding to issues of racism, prejudice, and discrimination is essential.

Having literacy in this area is also key for equipping White students to participate more actively in conversations about racial justice. If they are not regularly exposed to these conversations, they are less likely to speak up on this topic. White friends and colleagues tell me all the time that they want to say something when racism and equity come up, but they often hold back because they don't know what to say or are afraid to say the wrong thing. With a higher level of multicultural literacy, our students will build more confidence.

What We've Been Doing Isn't Enough

Although multicultural education certainly isn't new, it's clear that what we've been doing up to this point hasn't been enough.

As recently as a few weeks ago, there have been instances of White people utilizing the police as a means to address their encounters with people of color. The underlying issue of racism is apparent in many of these instances. Discussing current events and helping White students understand why they should also be upset at discrimination and racism may prevent a continuous cycle of White people remaining silent and complicit when issues happen that do not directly impact them.

These conversations are essential to have. It's also critical to teach students about becoming allies and co-conspirators, especially at the middle and high school levels. It might be a little bit difficult with your first and second graders, and maybe your kindergartners, but I think there are some messages you could still portray to your students even at that age.

What Can Multicultural Education Teach Our White Students?

We've already established multicultural education goes beyond race. There's so much within the concept of "culture," and we must help our White students understand how race can impact them and how they can actively use whatever privilege they have to reduce issues of racism, discrimination, and bigotry.

1. Understanding Their Own Cultural and Ethnic Background

It's not uncommon for White people to say, Oh, I'm just White. I don't have a culture. We need to teach our White students about what their cultural background is and their ethnic backgrounds so they can understand and think about their language and religions going back to their ancestry. Lessons on their culture may help them start to understand how privilege and White supremacy began. So begin with going back and taking some time to help your students understand that. You can also work with students by exploring community history and cultural influence.

One of the things you can teach your students, your White students, is in history. Many White immigrants have been accused of marginalizing other White immigrants. For example, the Irish and Italians were mistreated, discriminated, and marginalized against by other White immigrants. If we can teach our White students how their ancestors might have perpetuated that oppression or perhaps were part of that oppression against each other, maybe that will help them understand a little bit how in 2020, oppression continues to exist to those who are not included in the dominant culture. They can kind of see how the "haves" and the "have nots" happened back then. One of the things we want to do is help students relate items from their background knowledge and be able to bring those to light.

2. Studying Implicit Bias in Everyday Language

Another thing we can do is discuss everyday language. How are words associated with white and black used? Words such as blackmail, blackballed, or blacklisted have different connotations than words like white labeled or whitelisted. We can have students examine how these words may spark negative perceptions based on their meanings and associations.

Consider how words such as "alien" or "immigrant" may trigger the thoughts of someone of Mexican descent. These types of stereotypes in our language may trigger our Latinx community. The same rule applies to phrases like "You should speak up more, you're so quiet" to an Asian student.

The language we use every day may not seem significant because of the implicit biases we have developed in our lives. The words we use daily are influenced by how we were raised, our social circle, and the media. We may not notice how some of the words we use may have adverse effects on particular groups of people (stereotypes, derogatory language, etc.). We can teach students about implicit bias and how to overcome bias in our language usage.

3. Examining Representation in Curriculum and Beyond

Let's take a look at our school curriculum. Have your students investigate how various cultural groups are represented in the school's curriculum. Lead these discussions with your students and have them understand it because a lot of times, that's not a thing we think about. When we are discussing representation in the school's curriculum, allow opportunities for a dialogue beyond heterosexual, cisgender, Christian-based educational norms. Instead, talk about subjects that aren't reflected, such as disabilities, and how they are depicted in the curriculum. How are people from the LGBTQ community portrayed or even acknowledged in the content? Chimamanda Adichie talks about the danger of a single story. We need to make sure that we can bring in various perspectives in our curriculum and instruction.

If students find minimal to no representation of certain groups in the curriculum, discuss ways to bring in a variety of multicultural perspectives. The website We Need Diverse Books is an excellent resource for building a more inclusive classroom library, and Milner published an article that discusses developing a multicultural curriculum for an all-White classroom.

From there, you can expand your communications by discussing popular culture and how various groups are represented in multiple media outlets such as the news, music, movies, and social media. Have them study or research certain groups and how the articles that come up and the titles of those articles. What do the reports say versus other articles about various groups?

4. Understanding and Recognizing Privilege

A combination of multicultural and social justice education can help students see the trouble with implicit racism and how even though they are not doing anything actively racist, they are still benefiting from a legacy of racism. Calling the cops to say that "an African American man is threatening me and my dog" is a result of White privilege. Knowing that Black people have historically been mistreated by law enforcement and using that knowledge to one's advantage is inhumane.

Teaching White students about power and privilege may be a touchy subject for some as White guilt and fragility may seep into the mindset of White teachers and students. However, we must learn to "disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed." Starting at a young age, we can help our students learn to understand that not everyone has access and the same opportunities as others. Students as young as six years old can learn about race and class. And this work doesn't have to be limited to social studies class. We can embed these principles in all subjects, including mathematics.

5. Dismantling Racism

It is not enough to teach White children to embrace racial and cultural diversity. We've got to go beyond cultural competency. "Children must also develop individual and group identities that will recognize and resist the false notions of superiority and racial entitlement" (Derman-Sparks, Ramsey, and Edwards, 2011). Because today we have to teach our students how to be antiracist and how to work to dismantle racism actively.

Invest in meaningful dialogue that brings awareness to issues impacting both local and global communities. Additionally, a social justice-minded educator teaches their students to develop their own socio-cultural consciousness and advocacy skills so they can advocate for themselves and others.

For elementary students, that action may include students committing to do more than not bully or laugh at each other. They may also commit to bystander intervention by stepping in and helping their peers who they see are being mistreated. We can help our students take a stance instead of just teaching them to be kind to each other and not engage in activities that include mistreating others.

For secondary students, action may include writing their school board about their concerns and calls for change. A strong student group organized with a mission and objectives goes a long way toward challenging institutional practices that are unjust toward certain groups. On local and national scales, have students engage in lessons that address mass incarceration, police brutality, civil rights, immigration, racism, healthcare disparities, unequal pay issues, trauma, suicide, drug abuse, and women's rights, and privilege.

Sometimes we teach our students how to be kind to others, embrace diversity, and respect differences. We can go beyond that by teaching our White students how to be antiracist actively and do their part to support advocacy towards social justice and reform. The foundation for teaching our students how to engage in these practices actively is by helping students understand their White racial identity and positionality in society. From there, students may have a better understanding of the need for a multicultural approach in education and what they can do to find their voice and role in creating a socially just society.

Additional Resources
Framing Brave Conversations About Race and Ethnicity 8 Ways Teachers Can Address White Supremacy in the Classroom Teaching About Racism, Antisemitism and White Supremacy How Does Race Affect a Student's Math Education? Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activity for Project Based Learning Racism No Way: Anti-racism Activities, Years 3-12 How Should I Talk About Race in My Mostly White Classroom?
Learn more from Sheldon Eakins on his website, the Leading Equity Center, where he offers resources, courses, and his podcast, the Leading Equity Podcast.

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Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

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Why White Students Need Multicultural and Social Justice Education

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Sponsored by PowerSchool and ViewSonic These last few weeks have been especially difficult for me as the news continues to reflect that racism still exists in 2020. I've witnessed video footage of Ahmaud Arbery shot and killed while jogging, George Floyd murdered by the police, and Christian Cooper harassed while bird watching in Central Park.

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Jessica Gonzalez interviews author, Melissa Anderson, and covers a topic known as subversion. Subversion refers to the undermining of the power and authority in an established system or institution. In Andersons book she shadows a first year teacher, LaQuisha Hall. Although Ms.Hall views herself as a rule follower, she found herself being subversive when she refused to make her students read material that was not interesting to them. Contrary to what others may have said about Ms. Halls decision, her class succeeded with the changes she made, and now reads more than they required to.

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Sponsored by Teaching Channel and Listenwise

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. When you make a purchase through these links, Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

When you hear the word "revolutionary," what kind of person do you picture? Are they marching in the streets, fist in the air? Speaking passionately to crowds? Leading boycotts, strikes, demonstrations?

I'm guessing that whatever you're seeing in your mind, it's not a teacher. Maybe you can picture a teacher's strike, but beyond that, do you ever think of teachers as revolutionaries?

I'm starting to. Because some of the best teachers perform revolutionary acts every day. I'm not talking about helping a child get over a difficult academic hurdle or inspiring a class to try hard on a test. I'm talking about breaking the rules to do what's best for kids. I'm talking about subversion, and I've come to the conclusion that if someone wants to be a master teacher, acts of subversion are a necessary part of the job.

I've always kind of known this, but the idea really crystalized for me while I was reading Melinda Anderson's new book, Becoming a Teacher.

In the book, Anderson illustrates the complexities and joys of teaching by following the career of LaQuisha Hall, an English teacher in the Baltimore public school system. Readers watch Hall struggle to find her voice as a first-year teacher, hook up with mentors who would support her growth, and work through the trial-and-error cycle of developing lessons that would reach the kids in her classes.

As her career progresses, Hall also occasionally chooses to buck the system for the sake of her students. The first instance of this was when she allowed students to opt out of reading the text required by her school's curriculum, and instead choose something from Hall's library of racially and culturally diverse books. The move resulted in far more students being engaged in and excited about the task of analyzing literature.

This small but significant act of subversion is the kind of thing I'm talking about. Hall knew her decision was risky; it could get her into trouble with her superiors, and because she is a Black teacher, she was assuming a greater personal and professional risk than if she were white.

But it worked.

And this kind of thing happens in classrooms everywhere: smart, qualified, ethical teachers breaking rules, finding work-arounds, and flying under the radar to do things in a way that aligns with their expertise and experience, not the way they are told to do them. These decisions are not made to avoid work or for the sake of being defiant; they arise from a perfect storm of knowing what your students need, learning best practices from educational research, and being stuck in a system where change comes slowly, if at all.

Becoming a Teacher is not a book about subversion. It's a book about a devoted, creative, award-winning teacher who impacted the lives of so many students. But when we planned our conversation about her book, I asked the author, Melinda Anderson, if we could focus on the theme of subversion, because it surfaced so many times in the narrative. Anderson has written prolifically about education and equity for years now, and I knew that experience would give her a unique perspective on the topic, so I was excited when she said she'd be willing to give her take on this question: Is subversion a necessary part of being a master teacher?

Here are some highlights from our interview.

Why Subversion is Necessary

Anderson starts our conversation by pointing out that Hall's story does not start out as one of subversion; rather, she evolves in that direction out of need.

"She doesn't start that way. She very much identifies as a rules follower. She comes into the profession, she follows the curriculum, she does everything as it's supposed to be practiced, but you see her actively work against what she sees as restrictive policies and systems that overlay teaching. (She) becomes a teacher who engages in actions that are subversive and liberating."

Whether they take action or not, "It's something that a lot of teachers struggle with," Anderson says, "because they know what works for a unique group of students, but they feel obliged to rigidly follow either the district's curriculum or buy into conventional wisdom. When a teacher goes against the norm, that's characterized as showing initiative or being innovative. Yet in a system that really rewards conformity and obedience, this is really teachers as dissidents. This is teachers being subversive and being willing to take risks that best serve their students."

In the book, Anderson includes this quote from Black historian Lerone Bennett: " An educator in a system of oppression is either a revolutionary or an oppressor," she quotes. "When you think about that, teachers have to be revolutionary to do their best work for students in a system that's really built to oppress."

What Subversion Looks Like

For some teachers, subversion might mean choosing not to enforce rules you disagree with or actively speaking out against an ineffective or unjust policy. In LaQuisha Hall's situation, her subversive acts are more subtle:

Choosing Materials that Speak to Students

School curricula are almost always chosen by people outside the classroom, and are too often guided by "tradition." But many teachers know that the prescribed curriculum in their school is not relevant to the students in the room, so it's often necessary to veer from it. Hall does this by offering the book opt-out described earlier.

"She was teaching students that often came to her begrudgingly reading or who came to her having failed English and believing they didn't like to read or that they couldn't read," Anderson says.

The risk pays off. When more relevant books are put into their hands, many of Hall's students become real readers for the first time.

"These were young people who by the time they had completed the school year had read nine books a year, and they're now reading on their own, and they're reading for enjoyment. Last spring, (students) were tweeting her and on Instagram sharing the books they were reading. They didn't have to read. They weren't in the classroom anymore. It's because she had created the space for them to be able to read books that energized them, that interested them."

Diving into Challenging Topics

Although many teachers steer clear of controversial topics in their classrooms, Hall chooses to tackle them head-on.

"The combustible topics of race and politics are regularly discussed in Hall's classroom," Anderson writes in Becoming a Teacher. "She makes a distinction between civics education and political partisanship, noting that her students should know about voting, elections, the branches of government, and the democratic process to be informed and engaged participants in civic life. 'I don't have to persuade you to take a certain route, but you should be educated on the routes,' she says. 'We're producing graduates who don't know the difference between a Democrat and a Republican, so I'm going to tell them when they're in my class.'"

"It's clear that she believes that the classroom is a space not only for academic learning," Anderson says in our interview. "It's a place to prepare our students for the world outside the walls of our high school, and that's a really tricky affair right now because everything is so divisive. But you also have to remember who she's teaching. She's teaching young Black people to go into a city and a world that doesn't see their promise and possibility many times. She's teaching them to question and investigate and think critically about what they're told."

Changing the Narrative

Frustrated by the negative way the media, community members, and even some of her colleagues talked about her students, we see Hall work tirelessly to push back with a different narrative. She does this in all corners, from staying upbeat when talking about students in the teacher's lounge, to regularly sharing positive images and stories of her students on her Instagram account, to publishing student writing in books.

"She makes a very intentional stand to refute the negative portrayals of Black youth in the media and is very persistent in taking on news reports that are so negative about Black students who she knows," Anderson says. "What she continually returns to is that the kids that you're describing are not the young people that I teach. They're not the ones that I see that are sitting in my classroom writing stories, that are publishing books. She is very clear about saying over and over again to people who seek to disparage Black youth that no, I'm not going to stand for that.

"She's not content just to go along with the notion that Black kids can't do this, or they can't learn this, or they should be reading this or be able to do that. She refuses to buy into society's deficit views of Black young people because she has a firsthand perspective that says otherwise."

Bothering

Sometimes subversion looks like making an extra effort in situations when most would ask, Why bother?

In the book, we see an example of this when Hall spends $2,500 decorating her classroom. This expense covered furniture, commissioned artwork from a local artist, and a special "Scholar of the Week and Friends" corner. While no teacher should be expected to spend anywhere near this amount of money on classroom décor, it's just one example of an area where Hall felt the extra effort was worth it. For other teachers, that effort might look like something entirely different; the point is, if we conform to the why bother attitude that some teachers embody, we may miss an opportunity to meet a need for our unique group of students.

"Some educators shun spending a lot of money decorating and creating this showpiece classroom," Anderson says. "But (Hall) knows that her classroom is a refuge for a lot of her kids who see it as kind of a beautiful tranquil space for them to learn. She rebuffs these naysayers who say that aesthetics don't matter because she sees firsthand the difference it makes for young people living in West Baltimore. I think that she will very clearly tell you, I'm doing it because I know that many of my students when they come to school, all they pass are dilapidated buildings and people standing on the street. I want to create in my classroom a space that honors them and creates a space for learning that is appealing and makes them feel good when they're here."

Why work in a profession that requires this much struggle?

In her years as an education journalist, Anderson has seen a lot of classrooms, a lot of teachers, and a lot of schools that aren't meeting the needs of all of their students. When I ask her whether she feels teaching is a worthwhile profession, she pauses just briefly, then says yes.

"I have had Black teachers specifically say to me, Why should I stay in the classroom? I say, Because Black kids need you. And other kids need you. I don't say this to be Pollyanna-ish, because I know it's an incredibly hard job. (But) the only way that you make a change within a system is to be in the system and to be part of the fight.

"That doesn't mean you fight individually," she continues. "You organize and you find ways to network, and you find others who are like-minded, and you work to the best of your ability to make the changes that are necessary for you to do the teaching, the kind of teaching that you want to do."

Anderson believes one key to that change is helping the public understand the realities of a teacher's work. "Teachers work in very isolated environments," she says. "You go in, you close the door, you teach. People just don't understand what goes into doing the job. I myself, as a reporter, did not, and I've covered education for many years. It wasn't until I spent days after days sitting in a classroom really seeing not just the teaching as a skill but how the system interacts with her as an individual teacher that I fully understood.

"And so I would say, yes, become a teacher. Don't go into it idealized, and don't go into it thinking it's all candy and rainbows. Go into it knowing that it is a political position. It is a position that you have to fight for."

You can find Melinda Anderson on Twitter at @mdawriter.

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Subversion: An Essential Tool of the Master Teacher

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