Next-Level Teaching: Empowering Students and Transforming School Culture

by Jonathan Alsheimer

You cannot change the school’s culture or the future of any student by standing off to the side idly watching.

You might have to be more than a teacher and take on a bigger personality than you might have outside of school.

In what ways could you make a powerful next-level influence on your students and school outside of your classroom?

Field Day - create a challenge. Wear fun clothes Create a challenge with other classrooms Kickball tournament?

One of the most effective tools for creating enthusiasm and engagement in your classroom is identity or branding, which allows you to create something special for your students to be a part of.

Classroom branding can increase student buy-in and promote academic success.

Three key tools are leadership, inclusivity, and engagement.

classroom branding means helping students take ownership of their class by creating a family atmosphere.

have your students come up with a classroom logo around its name. A logo is a key component that allows the group to identify as a single united team.

hand signal

cool slogans to represent the classroom for the year.

Great teachers strengthen classroom culture by making things exciting and different. In what ways could you implement your own classroom brand, taking your classroom to the next level and making it unique?

Everyone design a logo on adobe spark Mccormick nation Buy them shirts

Bringing doughnuts into class, making root beer floats with students, or telling them a personal story (that relates to the content) can all be incentives. Strategies that are nonacademic can produce some amazing academic results.

headbands.

Next-Level Discussion How could you enhance your instructional strategies to make them more engaging, and how would those next-level adjustments increase student engagement and improve student learning?

Add time for games. Make popcorn. Root beer float

That’s right: the most influential lesson I ever learned about being a successful teacher I learned as a failing student.

“How are you preparing for the future?” Then I tell them that they’re either preparing themselves for something great or preparing for a life

they’re going to hate. “But make no mistake,” I say, “you are preparing for something.”

If you praise them for their effort, students will work hard for you.

All it takes is one moment to build a positive relationship.

By praising effort, you give students so much support, which leads to stronger relationships.

“The key is to value your students; hold them to high standards without making them feel like you don’t approve of who they are.”

Change what’s cool, and you change the bully.

Do not ignore behavioral issues you see in the hall or pretend you did not see them because you would rather not deal with them. Bring passion to all you do.