First day of school tomorrow. And it makes me think about what Godin says about fostering tribes. Find people with passion, and provide them with vehicles to communicate.
In many ways, the first day of school consists of a good bit of marketing. Now, not the kind of “investment” marketing that happens in traditional classrooms. Where teachers trick kids into liking something they don’t, akin to selling a ketchup popsicle to a person wearing white gloves. This is about marketing their role in connecting with the world. About marketing their own self-confidence. Their own self-discipline. Their own right to and hand in this changing world.
I have to “market” the idea of my kids being self-directed learners.
I have to “market” the idea of my kids being responsible with their equipment and relationships online.
I have to “market” the idea of my kids being respectful to each other and safe in an environment that looks drastically different than the learning environments they are accustomed to.
I have to “market” the idea that school can be about what you passion, not what you find boring.
To focus this year, my third in teaching, I want to “market” four new ideas.
- Communicating with actual people from around the globe.
- Making sense of global misunderstandings by understanding yourself.
- Finding your own engagement.
- Creating new things and telling stories that are interesting to people outside the classroom.
I’ve always used video to “market” these ideas. It provides support that these ideas come from outside my own head, and were created by groups of people who believe these four things are crucial to the future.
Here are the videos I’ve chosen for tomorrow, I hope other teachers might find them helpful.
Idea #1: Self Control
As kids walk into the room, every student from Kindergarten to 8th grade, I hand them a marshmallow. ”If you can resist eating it” I say, “you have proven to yourself that you have the sort of self-control necessary to make a difference”. The ones who can’t resist (usually only a few each year): “we have some work to do : ) “
Idea #2: The world is a much different place than even when I was your age, just 11 (or 13 for 6th graders) years ago (I began 8th grade in August 1999). Anything is now possible (with access and knowledge)
Idea #3: Social Media has changed the way this world talks and works with each other, even in places you wouldn’t immediately think.
Thought #4: Things are changing…really fast (sometimes for good, sometimes for bad). The world will be different when you are older too. Don’t you want it to be your choice?
Thought #5: Language helps us understand each other.
Thought #6: Other people think other languages are important, other than me.
(I’m always careful with using Obama, because lot’s of people use Obama as an example that Black kids can do anything, which a lot of my kids find incredibly insulting).
Thought #7: You need to get better at something everyday. This is an opportunity for you to work on something exciting.
After watching the last one, my students will eat their marshmallow while writing their “sentence” on an index card to post on a wall in my room.
I’m super excited about tomorrow. I get to start a relationship with students I’ve never met, and to continue relationships with kids I’ve known for 2 years.
Good luck starting school everyone.
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When I read the word “marketing”, my first thought was parents: the letter or post home that helps parents buy into modern classroom practice even when it’s a little different than what they grew up with. But, yes, schools also market to children — and they need to (especially since the rest of the world is).
Great ideas here. It strikes me that teachers have a lot of roles, which include marketer and even actor. The marshmallow activity — and other simulations — have a bit of the theatrical about them.
what a great day you have planned.
enjoy.