The Joy of Teaching

Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms
by Timothy D. Walker
Copyright 2017
Published by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Oh, the joys of being an educator! Life as a teacher is full of sunshine and laughter, right? Well, during the summer maybe, but American teachers have lost their joy. I taught for 16 years before becoming a librarian and lost my zest for the education profession around 2006. High-stakes testing, budget issues, paperwork (oh, my gosh, the paperwork!), inconsistent and unfair practices, and more cause a lot of educators to leave the profession. I still managed to teach, and my students still managed to learn; but I was exhausted from the stress and worry. I truly worried about my students, and I'd even wake up at night thinking about how to help improve their lives. When I left the field in 2009, I was so stressed out, that I was 30 pounds underweight and seriously losing my hair. So I quit, went to graduate school, and am now a school librarian. I still teach several classes a day, and I still worry about my kiddos and work long hours; but the feeling is so different now. I LOVE MY JOB!

So how can teachers still in the classroom find their joy again? By doing some very simple things that are done in Finland. Mr. Walker moved to Finland after teaching in America and was stunned by how different everything was. Kids went home on their own at the end of the day (no car line, parent pick-up, stress about which bus the kids got on, etc.). Some rode public transportation, and others walked; but the teachers didn't really worry about it. I was pretty shocked too when I read this, as end-of-the-day student pick-up is one of the most stressful things in the elementary school. At least in my opinion.

He also noted that Finnish teachers would actually take real breaks during the day. Many teachers in America work, plan, grade papers during their lunches. Some of us even take meetings instead of having lunch. Finnish teachers might sit back and read a magazine (not a journal) or just talk about their weekend plans with each other. Not only does this reduce some stress, it also helps build relationships among the staff. I recently worked at a school for 3 years and didn't really get to know any of the other teachers. Whose fault is that? Mine of course. But maybe it's also because I've noticed throughout the years that teachers are getting more and more added to their plates, so they use whatever spare time they have to work. Can you imagine if teachers in America actually used their lunch time for lunch?

Another strategy mentioned was to actually take a break from education during vacation. That's just unheard of if you ask me. How many American teachers are pinning away on Pinterest ideas for their classrooms? How many are updating their lesson blogs (me) and their calendars during the summer? How many teachers go to their classrooms on Saturday and Sunday or work 12-14 hours a day during the week because they've been trained to NEVER take a break? Too many. Nearly every teacher I know. even a short break can make a difference and bring more joy to your classroom again. A refreshed and relaxed teacher is better able to teach students and not stress them out too.

What if educators followed Walker's suggestion for planning WITH the students? Students would then feel like they've participated in the process and will most likely be more excited about learning. Leaving kids out of the planning gives them no reason to care. If they can't find relevance (and they'll discuss it during planning), then they struggle to succeed.

I won't go through every strategy, but I will say that the teachers from my childhood must have been trained in Finland. Every tip, I recalled a former teacher and thought, "Yes, Mrs. Patton used to do that when I was in 2nd grade," or, "Oh, yeah! I remember when Mr. Geghan did that in 6th grade!" I'm going to read the book again in August closer to the school year because I want it to be fresh in my mind when I see my students again. Maybe some of my teacher friends will read it too and help me stay accountable this year.

If you're an educator or an administrator or anyone involved in the field, I highly recommend this title to bring some joy back into your classroom and your life.

Solo by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess 
Coming to stores August 1, 2017
Available for pre-order here

I feel like the luckiest librarian in Texas. A few months ago, I saw a link on Twitter to sign up to be on the Solo book launch team. I applied and was ecstatic when I found out I'd been accepted! I waited ever so impatiently for my ARC to arrive, and one afternoon while I was at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, I saw the email from UPS saying my package had arrived (yes, I was checking practically every 15 minutes). I high-tailed it out of the museum without even visiting the gift shop (that says something!) and rushed home to read Solo.

And what joy I found in Solo! I finished it a few weeks ago, but I've been sitting in my feels for a while. It's not something I could immediately review and write about. There were passages in this beautiful novel in verse that I literally had to read several times. For instance, when Blade (the narrator) describes his guitar as the connection to heaven, I stopped reading, gasped out loud, and then wept for Blade and his family. It was such a subtle passage, but I had to sit for a while and just feel it. I've experienced a recent loss, and the person was a guitarist too. So when I finished Solo that night, I took out his guitar been given and sat with it. I can't play it. I've tried to learn for decades. However, I tuned it, plinked out a few minor chords because they're sad (actually E minor is sadder than D minor, so This Is Spinal Tap had it all wrong), and felt like my soul spoke what it couldn't say for nearly 9 months.

This is what good literature does. This is what letting someone read an exciting book does. It creates a connection. Not just that connection to heaven like Blade's guitar, but a connection between the reader and their own emotions because none of us really know how to say exactly how we feel. But oftentimes, an author has found a way to say it, and we can then run with it.

Solo. What are the basics? It's a novel in verse about a high-school senior, Blade, who is the son of a rockstar. His rockstar father is a mess. A literal mess. Blade just wants to live his life out of his father's shadow, and when he thinks he's finally doing that, well, parents. Right? His journey in the book isn't just a physical journey, but a spiritual one. He finds out what truly matters in life even though it's not what he initially wanted. Blade is a bit flawed like any teenager, but I adore him. And I adore his dad too. I was angry with his dad so many times in the book, but I also knew he was devastated by loss as well. We all handle loss differently, and being a musician and a poet add a whole new ingredient to the personality so that, of course, Blade and Rutherford will have some stormy times. And by stormy, I mean cyclonic.

What sets this book apart even more than the excellent writing is the playlist. Songs from Bob Dylan, Guns N' Roses, and my personal favorite from Fela Kuti all add an extra dimension to the reading. If you're a teacher, PLAY THESE SONGS for your students. You can do them before a group read, or during. But the music is like another character in the book. You can't leave it out, or you won't get the full effect. Also, if you're teaching this book or offering it to your students, have a guitar or two in the classroom. My fingers were itching for the guitar and the piano when I finished reading. I had to make music somehow, and I spent a few hours doing so after the last page. Kids will feel the same way.

I apologize for getting this post out so late, but I really did need to sit with this book. I barely scratched the surface here. There's so much more. Africa, love, loss, music, humiliation, admiration, hardship, entitlement, etc. I might have to come back later and write a "Part 2" for this book because it truly is a gem in the literary world.

Thank you so much, Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess, for giving me the opportunity to support your new book.