Make teaching fun again… The 3 Shifts.

When asked, “Who was your favorite teacher?” most people will warmly recall that special Mr. or Ms. that really “got them.” 

This is the person said they were glad to see you every morning, even when everyone else in your life thought you were the “bad kid.” They're the person who saw past the low math scores and focused on the young human who needed a more personalized approach. This person challenged you, invited you to be something great, and helped you chart the path to get there. 

Unfortunately, out of all the times we’ve asked this question, we’ve never heard anyone say something like, “all my teachers were so inspiring and supportive, I couldn’t pick just one.”

In contrast, recollections of teachers who had the opposite effect abound. 

While sad, this occurrence is completely understandable, considering we have created a nearly impossible job - the job of a teacher. We ask teachers to be content specialists, inspiring lecturers, masterful behavior managers, data scientists, and lamination experts. We force curriculum schedules on them, overcrowd their classrooms, turn the pressure up for standardized testing, and then criticize them when their students don’t perform.

 It’s no wonder that most of them aren’t able to fully Ms. Frizzle it all the time. 

Great news- there's hope. 

By making a few shifts, we can lower student anxiety, increase motivation and academic achievement, AND make teaching fun again. Here's how...

The Three Shifts

From Carpenter to Gardener

Sometimes we think of our role as teachers or parents (or both if you homeschool 😘) as a carpenter - molding and shaping the future generation. However, if you think about it, the work of a carpenter is to take something that is already dead and shape it into something specific, chipping, shaving, and sanding until it is useful. 

However, when we see young people as inert things to be molded, we use methods that make it difficult to establish relationships of trust with them (grades, comparison, punishments, rewards, yelling, etc.).

On the other hand, the work of a gardener is to create the conditions necessary for a seed to grow, carefully cultivating it, monitoring and responding to its needs until it fruits or flowers. When we acknowledge that young people need to be cared for and nurtured more than they need to be molded, we can respond to their needs in ways that encourage them to trust us and to follow our example (empathy, flexibility, support, non-judgment, etc.). 

When we make the shift from carpenter to gardener, interacting with young people becomes more fulfilling and invites us as adults to lean into warmth, understanding, and curiosity. This makes spending all day with young folks more enjoyable and less of a battle and sets their brains up to learn and manage their behavior better. Win-win.

From Train Conductor to Travel Agent

The role of a train conductor is straightforward: keep the train on the tracks and get it from point A to point B on time. This approach is similar to how many of us think about the role of a teacher. Get all the kids from point A to point B by moving them through the pre-determined curriculum according to the pacing schedule. 

In contrast, the work of a travel agent involves seeing each client as an individual with a personal destination, unique needs, and variable schedule.  In the classroom, this might look like helping each student set personal goals, learn through different methods, or move at a pace that works for them. 

When we shift from train conductor to travel agent, we can let go of the need to push and pull students along the same path. We can embrace their strengths and struggles as part of the terrain and lean into creativity, flexible thinking, and acceptance. 

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From Manager to Consultant

Managers own outcomes and are responsible for delivering results. They are held responsible when things go poorly and celebrated when things go well. Like managers, teachers are held accountable for the results their students experience, so they are motivated to drive their students forward no matter how much they resist or struggle.

Conversely, consultants don’t assume ownership of the outcomes of a business that they consult for. Their role is to guide, suggest, and share lessons learned from their experience and then let the company's CEO make the calls. Treating students like employees instead of the CEOs of their education creates students who depend on adults for direction instead of taking ownership of their learning.

Shifting from manager to consultant means we can help students accept ownership of their learning instead of micromanaging their tasks. Stepping into the consultant role naturally makes teaching more fun and less stressful while also increasing students' sense of autonomy and motivation.

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So why is this all so important? 

While all of us are unique individuals, we share at least one thing in common. 

We all have an autonomic nervous system! 

One of the most important thing the autonomic nervous system is responsible for is keeping us “safe.” When we don’t feel safe, our autonomic nervous system activates our stress response causing our brains to secrete neurotransmitters that change how the brain operates so we can prioritize keeping ourselves safe. This results in the familiar “fight, flight, or freeze” reaction. When this response is triggered, the part of our brain that handles things like emotional regulation, behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and problem-solving goes offline, making it hard for us to keep cool, pay attention, and learn. 

Any threat to one’s physical safety will trigger this response. However, research indicates there are 3 other main causes of autonomic nervous system activation. 

1. Threat to ego or social judgment
2. Something new or unpredictable
3. Lack of sense of control 

Experiencing these things triggers the stress response and takes that important part of the brain offline. 

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This means that when kids are stressed, they can’t actually do anything we ask them to do at school! They can’t inhibit their behavior (“Stop talking and sit still”), they can’t regulate their emotions (“Why are you so upset? You need to calm down”), they can’t stay focused (“Eyes on the board. Stop doodling and take notes.”), and they can’t learn or remember things well (“Why did you get this wrong? We just learned this yesterday.”). 

Sound familiar? 

The key to helping our students and children thrive at school is providing them with learning environments and relationships that support the full use of their brains by not triggering their stress response. How can we do this? 

You already know! 

Cultivate connection by acting like a gardener. 

Offer them your warmth and acceptance even when they struggle. Ask, “What does this student need?” instead of “How can I get this kid to shape up?” 

Prioritize personalization like a travel agent.

Come alongside students with curiosity about where they want to go and how they want to get there. Ask, “What’s right for this student?” instead of “How can I make this kid the same as everyone else?” 

Honor ownership like a consultant.

Offer your assistance and guidance respectfully and invite students to make their own choices. Ask, “What experience and counsel can I share with this student?” instead of “How can I make sure this kid complies?” 

By leaning into the three shifts, you’ll find greater satisfaction and less stress in teaching, and your students will learn with greater confidence, motivation, and hope.

Are you wishing there was a really short animated video that summarizes all of this? You're in luck...

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