Sunday, August 20, 2017
Blog Post #6
Christopher Emdin, in his TED talk, “Teach Teachers How To Create Magic” describes this magic much like Burgess describes the 3rd circle. Do you want to become more ‘magical’ in your presentation? If so, how can we learn to do this and how can this become a part of teacher preparation programs? If not, why not?
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I would love to be more "magical" in my presentations, but truthfully I think I do a really good job at this. I think telling real life stories really grasps the kids attention. For example during our suicide prevention unit, I tell them a story about someone who was very close to, who tried to commit, and I had to kid down their door and call an ambulance. The students have SO MANY QUESTIONS , and the questions are wonderful- so much critical thinking. I also like story telling because it shows them that I am human just like them. During out Nutrition and physical activity unit, I tell them a story about when I was super overweight after a bad accident. Again, being relatable is eye opening to these kids!
ReplyDeleteI would love to be more magical in my presentations. Teaching preschool, you have to be magical in everything you do. This is the first year of school for most of them and being magical and engaging in our lessons start with us. I believe that being magical doesn't have to rely all on you. We have co-workers for a reason, and we need to observe what they do that helps make their lessons magical and then we can incorporate those ideas into our lessons. I love trying to bring real stories into lessons, so it gets the kids attention. They love hearing what we do, and it gets their little minds thinking about all sorts of things. There are also workshops that I can attend to help get a better idea of how to make lessons more magical.
ReplyDeleteDo you want to become more ‘magical’ in your presentation? If so, how can we learn to do this and how can this become a part of teacher preparation programs? If not, why not?
ReplyDeleteI am always looking for ways to become more magical in my presentation. I try to be very positive and come up with new and engaging ways to keep my students learning. Something I do is try to think from a child's perspective. Would I have enjoyed this activity at 8 years old? Would I have ran home to tell my mom all about music class today? Of course, not every lesson can be over the top, but every lesson can have an impactful moment. It is important to also use the kid's interests in my lessons. Nothing gets a student more engaged than bringing up their favorite thing in the lesson. It is important to get to know your students so you know what topics would be the most interesting. That means lessons need to change each year to accommodate to those new things.
Do you want to become more ‘magical’ in your presentation? If so, how can we learn to do this and how can this become a part of teacher preparation programs? If not, why not?
ReplyDeleteI always am trying to be more magical in my presentations. I think it's very important to always be engaging the students and getting them involved with what they are learning. If they aren't engaged, then they aren't going to remember what you are teaching them. I think we can also learn a lot from our coworkers. Asking them for ideas and seeing what they do can help you form ideas on how to make it more meaningful for the students. I also believe that if you are able to bring real life stories into the presentation it will help get your kids minds thinking and then they can try to relate with something real that happened. I do think that there are classes out there that can help teachers get a better idea of how to make things more magical and that is something I want to start investing my time in.
Trina Merideth's Response:
ReplyDeleteI would of course like to become "more magical" in the classroom. I think some of the keys to this is observing other teachers "teaching."
I think it is collaborating with other teachers and asking questions about their lessons, or asking advice, or ideas that they have seen work. I also think attending professional development is important and reading and watching videos about dynamic teaching. I think there is so much to learn by observing others teaching, interacting, speaking, and presenting.
I think "more magical" teaching can become part of teaching programs if students are allowed to see as many teachers "teach" as possible. This should be in all ages (K-12). Teachers can take very "elementary" ideas and transform them to fit older students. Sometimes, new (and experienced) teachers just need a new experience or exposure. Again, visiting and observing as many teachers and classrooms seems like an excellent way to help new teachers thrive.
I know what it is like to have a teacher with "magic". I had a few of them growing up. These teachers are many of the reasons that I became a teacher myself. There are days when I know I've had that magic during my classes, but there are. more days when I don't. I know that I need to work on sustaining that magic everyday. There are days when I allow my emotions, my attitude, or administrative problems to interfere with my magic.
ReplyDeleteAs far as teacher training goes, there needs to be more hands on, in the classroom experience going on and the earlier on in their training, the better. The teacher trainees should be going in schools, walking around, looking at classrooms, and sitting in on different lessons so they get a chance to see what real life, day-to-day teaching is really like. I have always thought that states should require their new teachers to substitute teach for a certain amount of time before they can get their licenses. Going into multiple age group classrooms and trying to teach cold, is hard. I learned more about what kind of teacher I wanted to be from subbing. I knew without a doubt that teaching was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, after I subbed. If you can sub successfully, you will be ready to teach in your own classroom.
I absolutely want to become more “magical” in my presentation. I like that Emdin mentions watching others who engage audiences, whether teachers, artists, preachers, etc. I think this can be a part of teacher education programs. He noted himself that he has been showing videos of rappers to upcoming teachers. This is a little more watch and observe rather than “teaching” which is probably why many schools don't utilize it.
ReplyDeleteDo you want to become more ‘magical’ in your presentation? If so, how can we learn to do this and how can this become a part of teacher preparation programs? If not, why not?
ReplyDeleteI do want to become more magical in my presentation. The way we learn how to do this is to observe in places that you may not have thought of before (a Black church/a rap concert). Study how the presenters that successfully hold attention are doing it! We also have to ask the right questions. These questions get us thinking about how we can get movement, music, art and creativity into our lessons. We all can become magicians, it is just work to get it done.
I do think I would like to be more magical in my presentation. I do think finding outside places where people are performing and engaging their audience is a great idea! The magic of observation is powerful. This could be utilized in preparation programs to some extent, but its even more about going out and finding these experiences that speak to you and observe those magical presentations and reflect what makes them so captivating.
ReplyDeleteI would like to become more magical in my presentation. Throughout my years in school starting with kindergarten to my last year of college I have had several teacher who possess the magic to engage their us in the subject matter they are teaching, but also had many teacher that only taught me the content so I was able to pass a test at the end of the unit. I have to say the subject matter I enjoyed was not solo based on the topic but more so how it was presented. I don't think it is not enough just to have a class in college or go to many different seminars on the magic but also observe your fellow teacher who possess this magic. Engaging your students by using magic is not an easy task to accomplish, but if you do not try or not willing to fail you will never succeed as a great magical presenter.
ReplyDeleteYes I would like to have the magic that Christopher described in his TED talk. I really enjoyed his analogy with a pastor of a Black church because it's so true. Just the simple phrase of "Can I get an Amen" does reengage people in the congregation. I think this could be taught as part of teacher preparation programs by doing what Christopher suggested of attending events of great and engaging individuals. While at these events students need to take notes and analyze what and how the presenter is engaging/interacting with the audience and if it's effective. I feel this will greatly help students studying to become an educator be more effective in their career.
ReplyDeleteI would like to incorporate more magic the way Emdin describes in his TED Talk. A way to incorporate more magic into the classroom could be through observing other teachers who are great at their jobs. Education is all about collaboration and working together, so if another teacher is doing it and it's working, why can't you do it too? The best ideas can come from each other. In teacher education programs, we can encourage students to be active in local school districts & various grade levels/subjects where they can get the opportunity to learn from experienced teachers, as well as trying to implement the things they are learning about in their college courses. The more experience and time spent in a school, the more you are learning valuable skills that you can take with you when you graduate.
ReplyDeleteChristopher Emdi did a beautiful job describing how we can all learn to become more magical in our presentation in our classrooms. I would love to be more magical in my presentation in my future classroom, but I feel I can also apply it in the job I have now too! When I was teaching, one thing that I loved about my district is that I was able to go and shadow another special education teacher for a few hours. This was very impactful for me as a first year teacher to see how a coworker of mine educates her students and runs her classroom. Collaboration and being able to bounce ideas off one another is so valuable in education. In teacher preparation programs, we can encourage students to get involved in school districts and shadow teachers while they are currently in college. This allows them to see firsthand what they are studying for their future degree, but allows them to also get experience and be more comfortable in a classroom setting. These skills and hands-on experience will help their future teaching in their own classroom after graduation!
ReplyDeleteYes, I want to be more 'magical' in my presentation. The first step for me is by being aware of it and bringing energy into my teaching and not just coasting or doing what I've always done. I can evaluate my lessons and find little ways to add the presentation 'magic'. I can also do what Emdin said and watch other presenters who present well and copy what they do. This can be part of teacher preparation programs by having teachers in training watch presenters who captivate their audience and then emulating what that seasoned presenter is doing. Classes that offer presentation helps could also be added to college courses. There could also be continuing education classes focused on adding the 'magic' into presentation.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with him on watching rap concerts and pentacostal preachers, getting the engagement for the viewers (students). I agree that this is NOT taught in any teacher preparation programs. This is why student teacher with a seasoned teacher is so important to do; for learning teachers to see how it is done. Perhaps college education courses should bring in more seasoned teachers to show examples of "magic" and creating engaging presentations. Even these courses, in my experiences, are taught rather perfunctory but minus the "fun"! I truly believe if the teacher isn't having fun (or atleast fake it) the students will not. That said, it is exhausting for me on the days I front load a new lesson or module becuase I try to go all out with enthusiasm and magic and 5 show a day is exhausting. They don't teach you that in college education classes but it is true!
ReplyDeleteYes, I do want to bring more “magic” into my presentations so things are more memorable, exciting, and meaningful. That is the ultimate goal for students to learn and retain it and I believe if you can hit on those areas, especially for social sciences, it will not only stick, but perhaps bring about more engagement.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also need to find a delicate balance, because the subjects I teach do require covering specific content and skills, and I want to make sure the magic doesn’t overshadow accuracy or rigor. So finding that delicate balance can be tricky sometimes. And all classes are different so what worked one year may not the next and vice versa. However, I think best way we as teachers can implement putting more "magic" into our classrooms is to simply try and learn and keep evolving from that process. I also think that collaboration with other teachers to hear their stories/techniques and other types of professional development can be helpful given your context and subject area. Overall though I believe having the willingness to try and experiment are key.
I would love to be more magical in my presentation. I can learn to do this by using engaging hooks, reflecting on how to make lessons interactive, and asking myself how to turn learning into an experience rather than just delivering content. I think this could easily be implemented into teacher preparation programs by providing practice in designing lessons with high engagement, modeling dynamic presentation techniques, and giving future teachers opportunities to receive feedback on how to make learning exciting and memorable for students.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would very much love to be more magical in my presentation of lessons. In thinking back over some of my lesson presentations, it occurs to me that the ones that seem to be the most magical are ones that I was most passionate about, had the most personal interest in, and/or the most confidence and experience in. Dave in part one talked about all his many passions, his hobbies, his interests, and his experiences and how he uses those to enhance his lessons. To become more magical, I need to take risks, develop more interests, and open myself to new experiences. I think, also, that by watching more Ted presenters and story tellers and motivational speakers and looking for shared or unique presentation methods that I could learn strategies to become more animated and magical in my lesson delivery.
ReplyDeleteLooking back to my own teachers and colleagues who have most impacted me would be a perfect place to start. My History of Civilization professor my freshman year of college, short in stature and nondescript in appearance, was a ball of energy and passion for his subject matter. We were a large class in a huge auditorium. One minute he would be on the stage and the next he would have hopped down and be striding down the main aisle. He didn't lecture, he told stories...in graphic detail. It was...he was...magic! He made history come alive for me, and all these many, many years later, I can still picture him and feel the energy in that auditorium. So, oh, yes, I believe in the magic and very much would love to make my presentations more magical.
How can teacher preparation programs help aspiring teachers create magic in their presentations? Mr. Emdin shared many great suggestions of how to do this. I would add that encouraging those who wish to become teachers to gain experiences even earlier than college would be beneficial. Volunteering or job shadowing in classes at every level of their home school to watch various teachers in action would be helpful. Enrolling in drama, debate, and speech classes and taking part in oral interp and class/school plays and musicals would also help prepare them to be storytellers and animated presenters. Colleges as part of their teacher preparation programs could include story telling, acting/drama, and dance classes as a means to build confidence and comfort in performance type presentation. Students could be encouraged to participate in activities of interest to them to build a range of skills and interests, setting the basis for a lifelong habit of being involved and open to new opportunities.
I think the magic that is being talked about in the video is exactly the same and the presentation piece of the venn diagram. I think that they are both designed with the purpose of knowing which 'buttons to press' to get student's attention at the exact moment that we are hoping they pay attention to.
ReplyDeleteI think that the only way to find your own 'magic' is by real world experience. I think this isn't something you can learn in a classroom from a textbook, this is learned on the job through trial and error. A comedian won't have a perfect joke during his first telling of it, a magician's act won't be perfect right away. They refine and tune their act through trial and error, eventually finding what works. I think that teaching is very similar in that sense. Very rarely will we create an activity that goes perfectly the very first time it is done. On most days, my first period compared to my last period are very different as I have fine tuned the lesson as the day goes on. I think the only real way of helping students learn their magic is by putting them in the classroom and giving them an opportunity to try and fail, so that they can go back to trying again. It will save them the embarrassment when it inevitably happens during their first year of teaching in their own classroom, so they can pick up the pieces with the guidance and advice of another teacher.
Yes I would love to add more magic into my lessons. Learning is lifelong and we should always strive to do better. One way we can learn new magical ways is from coworkers and observing others in our profession. I would love to visit another preschool program and see all the magic that happens at other centers. When starting out teaching I had a position that I did go into different classrooms part of the time. I loved it. I feel like I learned so many strategies and ideas from other teachers. It would be nice to have opportunities like this now as I am further along in my teaching too.
ReplyDeleteI believe that striving to be more 'magical' as a teacher is a wonderful idea that many teachers would benefit from. It is easy to lose the 'magic' and to find yourself in a rut, just running on repeat day after day. It's not an easy task to always be positive, fun, and 'magical;, but it is definitely worth the effort to try. Making this concept part of a teacher preparation program is a great idea. It would be a way to demonstrate what this looks like, and to encourage teachers to share ideas of how they would be able to do this in their classrooms. I would love to become a more 'magical' teacher.
ReplyDeleteI responded on March 16th, realized I was signed out of my account so here is my response again:
ReplyDeleteYes I would love to add more magic into my lessons. Learning is lifelong and we should always strive to do better. One way we can learn new magical ways is from coworkers and observing others in our profession. I would love to visit another preschool program and see all the magic that happens at other centers. When starting out teaching I had a position that I did go into different classrooms part of the time. I loved it. I feel like I learned so many strategies and ideas from other teachers. It would be nice to have opportunities like this now as I am further along in my teaching too.
Christopher Emdin, in his TED talk, “Teach Teachers How To Create Magic” describes this magic much like Burgess describes the 3rd circle. Do you want to become more ‘magical’ in your presentation? If so, how can we learn to do this and how can this become a part of teacher preparation programs? If not, why not?
ReplyDeleteI would like to become more "magical" in my presentation. I would like to "make dead classes come alive" by perfecting my 3rd circle. I am beginning to see more clearly that good content and techniques are not enough. I need to find ways to become more magical. I need to become more engaging.
Ways that I could learn to do this include observing some of my colleagues that appear to be more engaging. Other ways described in the video that may help me include observing outside of my classroom and the traditional school environment such as urban communities. Places to observe and takes notes from include barber shops, Black churches, concerts, etc. These observations would help me identify ways to incorporate passion and techniques used in these environments into my instruction with student. It is my hope that the passion and techniques would engage students into my lessons more.
This can become part of teacher education programs. Specifically, colleges and universities could offer classes designed to focus on the presentation side of teaching verses only content and techniques. Even if not a specific course, college and universities could incorporate some of the principles within the current methods courses.
Yes, I would like to be more magical in my presentations. Part of becoming more magical is getting out of my comfort zone and getting exposed to magical presenters. I relate it to coaching, I watch games, videos and clinics to become a better coach, but in terms of being a presenter, I do nothing. I need to take a more focused approach and work to get better at being a presenter. I need to take a more directed approach to getting or developing more tools to put in my tool box in terms of being magical, which means I need to be better about getting out of my comfort zone. As I tell my basketball players, you need to get into the gym and work on your craft, I guess I need to take some of my own advice and get into the areas of great presenters and then work on my craft.
ReplyDeleteYes, anything that I can do to become a better teacher! Being magical means you are good at story telling, you create your own energy, and your passion is contagious. I feel it would be very beneficial right now to look at my bellringers as a way to jumpstart the magic. The bellringer is the hook or sinker that starts the class. I use them right now for spiral review. I need to reevaluate and provide 1 spiral review question and then a inviting hook question to create enthusiasm for the class period. This book study is much needed right now to create some new enthusiasm in teaching.
ReplyDeleteAs far as teacher preparation programs, I would say have a class that focuses on the first 5 minutes of class. Different ideas, strategies, research, and classroom observations.
Teacher education programs are taught by the same people that Christopher was talking about. I think it is the job of the administrator in student teacher cooperating schools to place student teachers in classrooms with teachers who have magic and better presentation skills. Drama teachers should put on in-services at schools to teach other professionals in our schools how to act, how to properly breathe, and show movement. Like Dave says in this section of the book, it is important for students to be active in their learning.
ReplyDeleteBlog Post #6
ReplyDeleteChristopher Emdin, in his TED talk, “Teach Teachers How To Create Magic” describes this magic much like Burgess describes the 3rd circle. Do you want to become more ‘magical’ in your presentation? If so, how can we learn to do this and how can this become a part of teacher preparation programs? If not, why not?
Yes, being magical in my instruction is important to me. As teachers, we do this by being intentional in our presentation.
We need to ask ourselves if our lessons are engaging or if the students are disengaged. Magical teaching needs to be taught at the college level. Professors need to teach prospective teachers how to make their lessons engaging. A teacher who simply stands in front of the classroom spouting facts will not be an effective teacher. Light a spark in your students so they are excited to be present the following day.
Yes, definitely being more magical in the classroom is a desirable trait for all teachers to have as learning is and should be fun for all involved.
ReplyDeleteI think being very choosy with who students are sent out to observe in their first years of education and teachers that are allowed to take student teachers should be considered.
I also do not like and think that curriculum that is scripted is very boring to teach and has to be very boring for students to learn.
College professors need to challenge students to step out of their comfort zones in their college classes in order for it to be a natural behavior that can be brought into the classroom. I like his analogies of observing how magic is brought into churches, rap concerts, and barbershops.
Yes, I want to become more magical within the area of presentation. I feel this can happen more within our schools and teacher education programs when we venture out into the world and take moments to observe magical people in our day to day lives-people like pastors, barbers, beauticians, those who conduct and lead musical/theatrical performances, coaches, and even museum docents. If you cannot go to them, ask them to come to you and present some of the ways they keep the people they work with engaged.
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