The Q-Kids - Keeping It Real

By John R. Nocero PhD, CCRP & Andrea Bordonaro

JRN: You said something last week again that it important and worth discussing……”it is absolutelyessential that they see how critically important the work that you/they will be doing so...by showingthem real life evidence. In order to be really driven and dedicated to one's work, it is really important to know what the outcome is and how important it is in the overall realm of work in the particular field….real life experiences is the best way to learn.

”Sometimes the evidence is right there in front of you, you see it, and feel it and sometimes they stil ldon’t get it. You know why you are teaching and leading them, providing value and real-life empiricalevidence as to why, but people resist..because they have always done it THIS way or THIS is the way they are SUPPOSED to do it. But what if it isn’t?

I had someone tell me a long time ago…”John, what got you here won’t get you there. What ifeverything you knew..well, what if it was wrong? You got here by making all the decisions you havealready made but if you want to do something else, you need to make different decisions.” It focused me on mindset, which is everything. your comfort zone is going to be where you’re mostuncomfortable. In other words, you’re going to grow the most when you step outside it. You have a goal and you want to teach someone something. You want to achieve something but you are not attached to the outcome. You are okay if it happens, but if it doesn’t happen, there is a better opportunity or situation coming down the road. Most people are not willing to invest this time or to question themselvesbecause their way is right, or so they think. It’s knowing it will all work out, isn’t it?I am curious to your answer here:You said sharing genuine, real life experiences is the best way to learn…how do you do it as an educatorand how do you do it when you are being educated, because you said yourself…“This applies to humansof all ages and situations, based on my own personal experiences being both an educator and a lifelonglearner as well.”

ALB: Very much worth exploring further; I agree. I think we've all been guilty at one time or another of saying "this is how I know it works" or "this is how I've always done it," etc. We, as a society, need to get past this mentality, especially when we are trying to reach a goal, whether it be a personal or professional one. I agree - it's uncomfortable but it's essential that, in order to truly experience success in any way, we push ourselves out of our own comfort zones, as hard as it may be. We all like to rely on familiarity and lean on ways that we "know works," but rarely does this bring happiness and success. It creates a mundane lifestyle and the inability to "move up the ladder," in a sense, whether it's personally or professionally. We NEED to explore new approaches, strategies, and ways to pursue our goals as they relate to our real life experiences, even if we've spent our lives relying on a certain comfortable way for any period of time. It's so important, as you point out, John, to attach yourself to the outcome in order to become passionate about the process. That's the best way to not only achieve your goal, but make the process the most meaningful, thus, making oneself more driven.

For instance, when teaching simple math concepts, I try to relate it to real life experiences in the eyes of a six/seven year old by talking about going to the store to buy something with "that gift card that you got for Christmas" because "we need to figure out how much money things cost and compare it to how much we have because you aren't going to be able to get it just because you're cute." When I flip the switch and am on the other end of the table being educated in a professional development situation, I try to take what I am learning and relate it to what I am actually doing in my classroom and how I can change things up accordingly. After 25 years in the profession and with the majority of it in the same grade level, I tend to rely on dependable practices, but I constantly remind myself how my students deserve for me to practice what I preach and be a continuous learner...which benefits them in the long run. I need to stay up to date and refresh my strategies, approaches, and planning techniques as needed to be the most up to date and innovative teacher.?