On The Fly

Half Dome photo by: Patrick Ball It’s a disarming thought, always do what you say you’ll do—simple yet profound. It’s another way to show the world your commitment to integrity. More importantly, it’s how you demonstrate your dedication to your professionalism. As Socrates said, “Know thyself.” In a classroom environment, doing what you say you’ll do becomes paramount in the students’ minds. It can be as simple as this: You’re reviewing the equipment, books and tools each student receives for your class. The student who lives to challenge you says, “The pencil in my packet is broken.” Without giving it much of a thought, you say, “We’ll get you a new one during the break.” Well, it better be a new one, and you better get it before or during the break. If you get busy with other issues that arise and forget to replace the pencil, not only have you ruined your reputation with that student, but he or she will spread the word that you don’t keep your promises. Today’s Tip: ...

Let’s face it. You’re the expert in your field. You know your subject matter inside out. Whether you’ve taught for a number of years or just beginning, how many times will you present the same material? Many of you could present the information in your sleep and sometimes probably feel like you do. How did you become the master of your subject? By teaching it to someone else, over and over again, of course. If you want your students to master what they’ve learned from you, they need to do the same. Let them practice teaching it to someone else. Sharon Bowman, M.A. has a terrific tip you might like to try: Terrific Teachers Have your students pick a partner and ask them to teach the other person one skill they just learned. One person explains the skill and demonstrates it, and has the other partner practice it. Then they reverse roles and repeat the process with another skill. Give it a try. Start a lab session or break up a lengthy lab session after a break with ...

Grade School Smithfield, Illinois You’ve just finished one of your best presentations yet and you triumphantly close with, “Are there any questions?” What’s the usual response? That’s what I thought — nothing. You’re looking at blank faces and vacant stares! Questions are your best teaching tool. Timely questions from your audience can “turn the light on” for a struggling student. So you say, “No questions? OK, let’s move on to the next subject.” You know this question is a sure way to silence a group, is this your intention? If not, try the following: Say to the group, “You have 30 seconds to turn to your neighbor and tell that person one question you still have about what you just learned.” Wait 30 seconds then say, “Would one or two of you share with the whole group the question your partner asked?” Or give it a twist: Instead of having your students come up with questions, write a question for all to see about what you just presented and have them pair up and...

Attendance problems, late assignments, whispering with others in class, “You can’t imagine how demanding this group is. My students are such a problem, they make this class intolerable.”  Have you ever caught yourself sharing the misery of your “difficult students” with other instructors on break, or before and after class? If so take the following challenge: The next time you talk about a student with anyone else make it something constructive and positive. Then as you walk away from the conversation pat yourself on the back and consider how good it feels to build up others instead of tearing them down. I’m convinced when you treat people exactly like you see them you get the results you expect.  It’s like mining for diamonds, you move tons and tons of dirt to find a single gem diamond – but you don’t go into the mine looking for dirt — you go in looking for the gems. According to Earl Nightingale; “Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a...

Evaluating diamond rough in South Africa “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” I was reminded of this quote recently while teaching a diamond grading class in Seattle. The teacher is the student in you. As educators, we tend to forget what it’s like to be a beginner. You tend to take for granted things you do by habit. You explain things based on your level of knowledge and understanding, rather than on the student’s level of mental preparedness. People selectively hear what they’re ready to hear when their experience, confidence, and skill balance. I call this selective absorption. Learning  a new skill can be a struggle. Facts, figures, and formulas, set up mental roadblocks for students who think they must memorize these things to understand the concepts. It’s not always true that memorization leads to understanding. Students learn best when the instructor challenges them to teach themselves.  That requires drawing out what they know...

Photo by; Patrick B. Ball Transport yourself to a simpler time—the late 18th century. It’s spring. Stop for a moment and listen. With a palm to your ear, can you hear the birdsong? As you stroll the gardens, feel the lush lawn  beneath  your feet, smell the fresh mountain air at Monticello , Thomas Jefferson's retreat in Charlottesville, Virginia. On this beautiful spring morning, we begin with a tour of Jefferson's home. Our docent, dressed in period attire, is a knowledgeable guide and polished presenter. He begins with the story of how Jefferson welcomed his guests in this very entrance hall . As we make our way through the house, it strikes me that the adults in our tour don’t ask questions. Later that morning, I slip into a group of third-graders. With small hands and arms flailing, the kids barrage the docent: “Did they brush their teeth?” “Why is there dirt here?” “How did they wind the clock ?” Questions that adults perhaps considered but were too embarrasse...

Earl Nightingale “We become what we think about.” I must have been about nine when that  quote  first entered my  subconscious , growing up in Cuba, Illinois. My family’s morning breakfast routine was to listen to the local radio station: “WBYS - AM and FM—Canton, Illinois.” That jingle vividly echoes in my mind. Little did I know that Earl Nightingale’s daily five-minute program, “Our Changing World,” would have such a profound impact on me. His deep, resonant voice could captivate the imagination. The program first aired in 1959, then continued for five minutes a day, five days a week for more than 40 years. Heard on more than a thousand radio stations, it was the most widely syndicated program of its time. Almost 50 years later I still start my day with this positive daily routine, set aside time just to listen and think. Enjoy music, audio-books, or podcasts that make your heart sing. For me, it’s “The Strangest Secret for Succeeding in t...

An incredible convergence of technology and human ingenuity was achieved as Commander Neil Armstrong and Colonel Buzz Aldrin stepped cautiously down the ladder of the lunar module Eagle and onto the moon’s surface. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” came Armstrong’s crackled transmission from the moon's surface. That sentence would resonate with millions on Earth for years to come. It was July 21, 1969, when I was 13 years old, watching a fuzzy black and white television transmission with fascination and anticipation; the space program held me captive. As an avid science fiction reader, I know this was not fiction - but mankind’s greatest achievement. That memory was rekindled over four decades later while clattering along the rails in a passenger train from Kansas City to Galesburg, Illinois, recently, while listening to Buzz Aldrin’s audiobook version, Magnificent Desolation, retelling the story in detail. I was transported back in time...