I told a longtime teacher that I was going to a third conference that year:
Wise Veteran: Why are you going to conferences?
Rookie Ian: Well, I’m always looking for new teaching ideas!
Wise Veteran: Weren’t you just complaining that you have way too much to do?
Rookie Ian: Uh…
Yep. I didn’t need any more ideas. I should have been getting good at the fundamentals. I should have been purposefully practicing the two or three most important ideas. And we already know those. We’ve known about those for decades. Perhaps centuries?
My mentor explained that, if I wanted to be a better teacher, I should do three things:
- Get into the classrooms of the best teachers. Watch them teach. Notice the most important two or three things they do differently.
- Pick one skill and practice it. Record yourself teaching.
- Invite people to watch you teach. Tell them what you’re working on. Listen to their feedback. Incorporate it.
If anything, I needed *fewer ideas.