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

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

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(yes, math teachers teach literature, science teachers teach art, French teachers teach math and science); - quotes are placed on walls to encourage random learning; - tests are "stand-up" exhibitions; students go on internships and report back to the school what they learned; - every student writes a 75-page biography about their family members (we all need to know where we came from, what our families did and how they got here); and - grading is with a narrative every eight weeks. A student said, "I'm more than a letter in the alphabet," and that inspired Littky to require teachers to write and talk to kids about what they did, how they could improve their work and what will be the next challenges in the next eight weeks. Daniel Pink (2011), the awardwinning author of books about business trends, gives similar educational advice. What motivates people to complete a task? As long as a task is routine, monetary rewards produce what we would expect. Offer more money and youll get more work done. However, those if-then rewards often destroy creativity. The secret to high performance isn't rewards and punishments, but that unseen intrinsic drive -- the drive to do things for their own sake. The drive to do things because they matter. (TED talk transcript

factors. Guides on the side should choose instead to teach toward inner sources of motivation. Isnt this what we mean when we recommend differentiation of the lessons? We want to adapt the lesson to the needs of the individuals in the class. We want to personalize the curriculum.

A screen shot from Dan Pinks TED Talk

Great Teachers are Born, Not Made (oh?) One way to become a great guide on the side is to stop preaching and teaching and instead listen better (Postman, 1969). Become a facilitator, arrange the classroom to follow the principles that Littky demonstrates, that Dennis Yuzenas (a teacher in Palm Beach Florida) uses, that dozens of innovative schools have as part of their curriculum. It's from Pinks TED Talk). not WHAT is taught but rather how students are encouraged to find ways Pink asks teachers to design school to get the material presented to work that connects students to what them. Ken Robinson (2009) points out motivates people (autonomy, mastery that a class of seven-year-olds will all and purpose), not a higher gradeput up their hands if you ask, "Who point-average or other extrinsic likes to draw?" Ask the same question 2

in a class of 16-year-olds and only a minority will raise their hands. Hmmm. How has the school so effectively weeded out the drive to create? How can we teachers encourage creativity? Here are techniques to encourage creativity that Gerald Aungst (2011) recommends: Plant the seed. Instead of a vague be creative, tell someone, give me an idea that only you could come up with.. Make it messy. Creativity is squashed when people feel like they are looking for one right answer. For students, give them problems that have multiple solutions Never accept the first answer. It sets an expectation that one answer, even if it works, isnt the end of the process but just the beginning. Teach creativity techniques. Techniques can give people a concrete handle on something that can seem abstract and complicated. Reverse the roles. Instead of giving an assignment to students, ask them to tell you what they would do if they were the teacher. Get out. Changing the location of the class can change students thinking (from Aungst's blog).

instruction or CAI): Our schools will turn out to be better schools if we design the schools and the curriculum to be more responsive to the client. Right now most of our schools are responsive to the class. Unless we change the organization and structure, there are limits to how we can do better with one teacher and 25 or 22 students. The teacher is teaching the 22 or 25 students as a class. But with the introduction of technology that is responsive to the student, then you can open up the class to make time the variable. It's not a major shift. We're just utilizing modern technology instead of the teacher as the presenter of core information. CAI also gives students even when they are not at the same level the opportunity to form groups. We make sure that each group has a responsive, bright kid, who can give leadership to the group of three. Everyone in the group ought to be able to provide some input to the resolution of what they are working on. These are not profound changes. Teachers can't continue to be the presenters to the class because not everyone in the class is ready to receive what the teachers EBooks say. When talking about English and Teachers who are not familiar Math (and certain aspects of social with project-based learning or with studies and science), the students are constructivist approaches (that build generally at different levels of the curriculum around the individual comprehension because they are student) might ask, "But how do individuals and they have different students get the information if I'm not talents and they learn at different lecturing to them? Who will present rates. It's simple. If you know that the information?" I ask teachers to people have different talents and read Abraham Fischler's description of learn at different rates, why wouldn't the role of the computer in the you make the student the class? classroom (computer-assisted (excerpted
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from TheStudentIsTheClass.com by A. S. Fischler).

Aphorism Education is NOT the filling of a pail, but rather the LIGHTING of a FIRE. Other sources of information are Yeats, also attributed to Plutarch videos, ebooks and audio CDs. Why Most students might forget what you not do what many professors at taught them, but they will always Stanford University are doing and put remember how you treated them. -your lectures on videos and send often stated in teacher-training them home with your students? seminars. Students are expected to review the I never let school get in the way of videos before the class and arrive my education. Mark Twain reading to discuss the themes of the Drive out fear. W. Edwards Deming day (Fellet, 2011). Class time turns Keep Talking Time" to a minimum. into "Question and Answer" sessions dictum in the CELTA teacher training where students "perform their course understanding" (Howard Gardner's Schools teach children to obey. But term) and the teacher checks for we need creative answers to the misconceptions. The concept of challenges of our times. Many of the "flipping the classroom" is easily people who've had the greatest conveyed to parents and students influence on our times were failures in with Katie Gimbar's YouTube school. Ken Robinson performance (search "Katie Gimbar The greatest sign of success for a flip classroom"). A collection of videos teacher is to be able to say, The directed at parents could supplement children are now working as if I did what is sent home for students to not exist. Maria Montessori watch. Lets create people who are capable of doing new things, not simply of Seventeen Quotations repeating what other generations Perhaps the most effective have done. Jean Piaget strategy that emerged from my Innovative schools offer small classroom is the use of quotations. classes, individualized instruction, and Instead of asking students to change flexible curricula which can their behaviors, I presented these accommodate the child. The same quotations to the students. After they teacher stays with the same group of had studied the quotations, several children for as many as eight grades. students asked that I continue with The teacher has to grow and learn the new method of letting them with the children. Dennis Littky decide individually what they would Many teachers believe that they work on during the week. Less need to control how they teach and lecturing, more independent projects; how they test. Other teachers fewer tests, more exhibitions (stand negotiate with their students what up and deliver some information). they will learn, when they will learn it Here are some quotes that guide me and how we will check that they have in becoming a facilitator. learned it. Dennis Yuzenas The teacher of the future is a GUIDE Unfortunately, to most people, on the SIDE, not a sage on the stage. teaching is the giving of knowledge. 4

What are you going to tell the for my students than I am spending as students? What is your expertise? But a traditional teacher (writing lesson teaching is really about bringing out plans, developing tests and assigning what's already inside people. Dennis grades). The list of "survival skills" Littky (Tony Wagner, who interpreted a list If individuals have different kinds of from p21.org) gives a lens that helps minds, with varied strengths, interests students focus on what they should and strategies, then could biology, pull out of each lesson, each ebook, math and history be taught AND each video, and each activity that I ASSESSED in a variety of ways? send home. Howard Gardner Conclusion Trust. Truth. No Put-downs. Active Become an ex-teacher. Listening. Personal Best. Become a facilitator. Read these NewCitySchool.org quotations daily with your students (in Clarks Two-Factor Rule for online classes, distribute one or two of Posters: I place these quotations on the quotations and ask students to walls, I assemble them on a single reflect on how we can apply page and lead a workshop with procedures in the class to meet the parents, I send the quotes home and aims of the quotations). Paste the ask parents to talk about the quotes words on walls (or in email messages) with their children, I call each home and ask students to rewrite the ideas and talk with the parents about what in their own words. "Let's gradually ideas they have after reading the transfer the responsibility for quotes. In other words, posters their learning to the students" (a (when properly formatted) help me quotation by John Gardner). The confront questionable assumptions mantram is NO MORE BORING that students have about education LESSONS (A mantram is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is (see Clark, 2004) and flip the considered capable of "creating classroom. The posters conform to transformation" -- Wikipedia). Using Richard Clark's two-factor rule: a) Clarks rule, we should add a specific posters should have an easily procedure: personalize the remembered analogy and b) posters should go beyond merely curriculum by setting up personal drawing attention to an issue and learning plans for each student. should give specific procedures to Let's see how transforming one teacher can transform a school. follow (Clark, personal Download ebooks and videos on a communication, February 8, 2013). DVD or USB flash drive and send your Academics have become about 25 lessons home. If your students have a percent of my classwork, since nutrition, physical health, emotional robust connection to the Internet at home, then compile lists of websites health and the spirits of my students are now together taking up and videos that they can watch with their parents (starting with Ten three-quarters of my time as a Videos, Ten Ebooks and Ten Websites). teacher. I'm spending more time looking for and talking with mentors Observe what happens, write your
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anecdotal evidence and send your are invited to spread this virus of observations to guiding on the side. TheGuideOnTheSide@gmail.com. You

References Aungst, G. (3 October 2011). "Don't be creative." Retrieved at http://www.connectedprincipals.com/archives/4676 on 24 October 2011. Clark, R. and Feldon, D. (2004). "Five Common but Questionable Principles of Multimedia Learning." Retrieved at http://www.cogtech.usc.edu/publications/clark_five_common.pdf Fellet, M. (2011). Faculty collaborate to improve online education. Stanford Report (newspaper, June 28). Retrieved at http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/june/improved-online-courseware062811.html on 24 October 2011. Fischler, A. (July 2006). "My vision." http://Abe.TheStudentIsTheClass.com (blog). Also at www.Transform-Education.com Gardner, H. (1994). Intelligence reframed. New York: Basic Books. Gimbar, K. (2009). Why I flipped my classroom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aGuLuipTwg King, A. (1993). From sage on the stage to guide on the side. College Teaching 41(1), 30-35. Littky, D. (2004). The Big Picture: Education is everybody's business. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD.org. McCrea, S. and Llorente, M. (2011). Let's Lecture Less. Lulu.com. Pink, D. (2010). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. New York: Penguin Group. Pink, D. (2009). TED Talk. The Puzzle of Motivation, retrieved from

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html.
Postman, N. and Weingartner, C. (1971) Teaching as a subversive activity . New York: Dell Books. Robinson, K. (2009). The element. New York: Penguin Group. Stanford University (2009). Faculty collaborate to improve online education. Retrieved from the Internet http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ld5yexNl5I0 on 24 October 2011. Wagner, T. (2009) The Seven Survival Skills. http://www.tonywagner.com/7survival-skills

Yuzenas, D. (2011). "Motivation," an article in Guide On The Side. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Sundial Press. Author Steve McCrea is founder of BuildingInternationalBridges.org (BIB), a charity inspired by the lifework of Brooks Emeny (a pioneer in international relations). BIB promotes wider use of social networks and computer-based discussions in classrooms and homes through BIBPenpals.com. He is a part-time instructor at a charter school and at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale. He is currently coordinating the translation of his book Let's Lecture Less (which prints pieces of his website www.GuideontheSide.com) into eight languages and the translation of Dennis Littky's book The Big Picture into Spanish and Arabic. He wrote a curriculum for a project-based learning high school ( QBEAcademy.net). Eight people have taken his online workshop to become qualified as Visual and Active Teachers (VATT) and his Certificate of Applied Instructional Technologies is offered through the University of Havana. He is a doctoral student at Nova Southeastern University. He can be reached at TheEBookMan@gmail.com, www.Facebook.com/TheGuideontheSide and by mobile at +1 (954) 646.8246. The

posters and ebooks mentioned in this article are available for download at TransformTeaching.org and he will send a free copy of the "DVD for Parents" (with videos, ebooks and audio files) on request ($2 to cover the cost of duplication and shipping is appreciated). The 4 gigabytes of files can also be transferred via a strong Skype connection (Steves Skype account is SteveEnglishTeacher). Free Ebooks available at www.TransformTeaching.org and on the DVD for Parents. Ten Videos, Ten Ebooks, Ten Websites Lets Lecture Less Guide on the Side Dominos for Schools Building Better Schools by Abraham S. Fischler (edited by S. McCrea) Free Posters Videos at www.Youtube.com/visualandactive Blog at www.theIndependentEducator.blogspot.com