Breakthrough Wisdom by JB Makhani

Don't be afraid to ask questions or give feedback

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Getting into the cheers and encouraging your students to do them too will make BTH more fun for you & everyone else!

Be intentional about caring for yourself

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Carve out time each day to unwind and NOT work on and think about Breakthrough (eg. cooking, working out, going for a walk, spending time with a pet)

Be yourself! let students see your personality (incorporate fun/ relatable stuff in lessons)

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be vocal about your needs

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it's okay if you need extra support!! just be sure to communicate that with those around you

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be silly

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the kids want you to embarrass yourself so it makes them feel less nervous

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be yourself!

Delegate & Ask for Help

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Make sure you are leaning on all of your fellow TFs/TAs! Everyone is here to support you! Also you do not have to reinvent the wheel! It is ok to reuse ideas, search Teachers pay teachers and use google as a resource!

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breakthrough honestly forces you to take care of yourself. you need to find your healthy coping mechanism with the amount of pressure you might be facing!! its okay to step back and take a break. use your resources, a team is here for your success too :)

The kids are diligent with the right direction and attitude!

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Try to find things that they like and incorporate that into your lessons or things you do during class like an energizer or game

You won't be able to bring 100% every day, and that's okay. You don't need to feel bad if you can only bring 75% on some days because it's still better than 0

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Be yourself! Don't try to force a relationship, but you should also make an effort. Students can tell if you're trying too hard and it will make them not want to approach you. However, if you don't talk to them at all, they won't approach you. Find the balance.

set boundaries but be fun and intentional about how you connect with them

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NASA Presentation

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The students (and myself) had an amazing time talking to and learning from NASA interns! It was so informative and inspirational.

OLYMPICS

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planning for it, executing it, and watching the kids have fun!! Olympics was a blast

It's easy to make bonds with the students, but you need to find the right balance. Anything you have in common, the kids will find it really cool.

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Breakthrough students are not like any other type of students you have met. These students are ones that have a passion and love for learning. A simple chat at lunch with them will make a life time of memories!

Be a warm demander

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Always set high expectations for your students, push them and help them grow, but never stop being their biggest supporter. Make sure the students know you are in their corner and only want the best for them!

roller skating, seeing and being seen falling

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Resourcefulness- Teachers Pay Teachers (tpt)

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Math teachers! Tpt has so so many free resources that you can pull to create a more engaging classroom, filled with activities that get the students up and out of their seats and excited to learn! My students' favorites were math murder mysteries, puzzles, mazes, color by numbers, and trasketball. It's not being "lazy" to pull resources...it's being resourceful and fun-ifying learning!

show your personality! really get into the cheers and breakthrough culture!! giving more energy makes them feel more inclined to participate and chat with you

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Don't be afraid to put your foot down if a kid is acting up/needs to be more forcibly redirected. It's for their own (and their classmates') good

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Lesson Exemplars

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Be as specific as possible when you lesson plan. However, understand that even the most intentionally planned lesson may not go as scheduled in the classroom, and that's okay! The more specific the lesson plan, the easier it will be to make real time adjustments in the classroom.

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your students are all smart. there is no such thing as a dumb kid, so please put away any and all biases and personalize your lessons to the needs of your kids

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Be sure to gauge how students are feeling about a particular lesson, maybe how they're feeling that day (energy wise), and their base knowledge! This will help a lot with planning a lesson & building from those things

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If you have questions don't be afraid to talk to your IC. It's why they're there. Also, when they give feedback make sure you're actually using it.

Have fun with boundaries!

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Have fun with the kids! Channeling your inner child can help you connect with the students and get them excited to learn. However, you have to establish boundaries with respect. The kids shouldn't be calling your "bro." Don't sacrifice that respect in order to get on the kids' good sides.

work at Breakthrough!!

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it's so fun to chat with coworkers but get that stuff done at school so you have less to take home!

Elective and Activity time

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these are times when you get to see the students outside of a normal classroom setting and you really have the opportunity to get to know them as people

the interactive zoo. seeing the kids be fascinated by the animals and interacting with them!

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Timing is key!

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Focus on ensuring that your lesson plan can be done in a timely manner. Meanwhile, make sure there is room for error if a student doesn't quite understand the material.

remind students that you're proud of them all the time. give adequate feedback so that they'll actually grow

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Use data!

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Poll your kids one the first day and see what they're interested in, what motivates them, what passions they have outside of the classroom. Then weave that information into your lessons to get engagement.

Put in what you want to get out

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Make the program what you want by putting in all the effort, joy & enthusiasm you can! The students are able to tell if you are committed to the spirit of Breakthrough and they are looking to you as an example!

Olympics Days!

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NASA

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Seeing how interested the kids were and how amazed they got at the huge rockets was so fun!

Roller Skating

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It was so nice to see the students exhibit perseverance & determination in a setting that wasn't just academic! I was so impressed with all the times they got back up after falling. Even if they fell the entire time, they always continued trying and still had loads of fun.

Best Job Ever!

2024-07-30 13:07:07 UTC

Breakthrough is a one-of-a-kind experience. All of your hard work will be so worth it when you see the difference you are making in these kids lives. Middle schoolers can seem scary, but they're really just silly and want you to see them as soon-to-be adults.

kids really like when they can see they're doing a good job! using things like checks/stickers/etc. can really help with motivation to keep them wanting to participate and complete their work in class. also clear instructions are so incredibly important, even if you think it's easy and simple enough make it simpler.

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breakthrough really helps expose you to a lot of very fast growth. i have changed as a person immensely since i joined the program in ways that i couldnt have imagined two months ago

Don't let BT completely take over your life. dedicate time to sleeping and eating. Never give up your absolute needs, but remain willing to make sacrifices with some leisure time.

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Just get to know them and they will know that you actually care about them

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Create an After BT Routine

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Value your routine and hobbies-- hold yourself accountable to them! Limit your tv hours, and schedule SPECIFIC times/days that you're going to call family or friends, read, go for a run, crochett, etc.

Seeing kids push themselves

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One of our family's students led a cheer this summer. After going up to the front, they struggled to get started on the cheer, probably out of nerves. We cheered them on two times, but it was amazing seeing the growth happen in real time. They kept trying, and other students supported them whenever they got discouraged. I thought this was literally a "breakthrough" moment.

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Take all the feedback you can get. These students see you as a role model to their academic journey, so be it! YOU are the leader of the classroom! By the end of the summer you will have 100% understood what it means to be a leader.

Separation

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It is important to know when to shut off for the day. So, make sure to get work done early and on time. Staying after and leaving with little to no work to do at home is super helpful. Experiment and find what works for you!

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Use your department time wisely. Yeah it's fun to chat with coworkers during department time, but actually focusing and getting things done during this time is going to be better in the long run when you don't have to stay late every night. Also, be on top of your work! Set goals, make checklists, do whatever you need to do to be successful. Also, don't be afraid to hold others accountable. If someone on your team isn't pulling their weight, talk to them about it to find a solution.

Especially for partner/group work--> At the start of class, assign stronger/more talkative students to sit with the not as strong/less talkative students. The stronger student can be a great (and less stress inducing lol) teacher than you

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Take charge!

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Do you have a secret (or not-so-secret) passion? Use your skills and interests to make Breakthrough better! Be creative and innovative. Don't be afraid to take the lead on a project, lesson plan, or committee. You can provide so many unique views to our program. Please don't be satisfied with the bare-minimum. Reach for the stars and continue to grow!

Humility

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You won't be recognized for quite a good portion of the hard work you put in, but know that the students see and appreciate it, even though they work very hard not to show it!

hobbies

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having some hobbies to do after work is helpful and relaxing after a full day of dealing with kids!

Be outgoing!

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Talk to other teachers and students you see least! You might make some great bonds!

BT is BBOOOOMM dynamite- it propels you towards becoming a leader by all the work they give you. In the end, it's all for everyone's benefit

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Delegate and trust in your coworkers, or have conversations about trusting your coworkers.

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People are going to be your most valuable resources this summer. Learn when you should let go and when you need to step up. Your greatest assets are your department teammates, so don't be afraid to ask for help, split the work, and give each other advice

2024-07-30 13:09:13 UTC

Definitely establish a clear division between work and your personal life. It's okay to do some stuff at home (for hours LOL), BUT don't make it something that completely takes over your life. Give yourself boundaries (ex. only spending 2 hrs on BTH stuff after BTH) because it can be really easy to lose that distinction between the two as the weeks pass!

Just immerse yourself in the program and watch yourself grow like crazy

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Don't be afraid to put your opinions or solutions out there. It can be scary to think you could possibly be dismissed, but it's better to present multiple solutions to problems than nobody having a solution. Also, if nobody is leading a group/discussion, don't be afraid to take on the role yourself.

Encouragement

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Encourage ideas and thoughts in the classroom, but do so with a designated time. Don't let them blurt out but take time to let them get all their relatable (to the material) thoughts out.

Spirit Stick

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When students add things to the spirit stick because of something you did with them in your class, that's a sure sign you are making a positive impact on their lives and motivation to learn! One time, a student added loteria boards to the stick because we played a loteria math review and he absolutely loved it:) Best feeling ever!

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My favorite memory is taking a field trip to NASA. I enjoyed seeing the kids learn about space exploration.

Buy in!

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Breakthrough will ask you to go above and beyond many times, and some of the activities BTH will ask you to do will apparently have little purpose. Try to find the purpose and reason why we do cheers outside, stay late to talk about the kids, or spend time writing kudos at the end of the day. This will help protect you from being bitter. Your kids can tell when you don't want to do something, and it will rub off on them. So buy in! And this will ripple on to those around you, too.

If you're considering a career in teaching

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This is the program for you!

2024-07-30 13:10:57 UTC

I took a lot of feedback from my IC and any other TF's. I think that helps a lot in terms of Overall Growth. For leadership development, just make sure you're not shying away from leadership because it can be fun & turn out fun!

Student of the summer

2024-07-30 13:11:28 UTC

When giving out the student of the summer award, I felt so much pride for my student! They really truly deserved it and it was just them being themselves. Seeing him light up with the surprise was amazing.