Hacking Modern Teaching

By Mike Roberts

It's time to modernize our teaching methods for student success

  

Modern teaching is not about your ability to deploy a flashy education app or attract TikTok followers. Instead, it's a mindset where you keep student success at the forefront of your instruction. Today's teachers have a uni

• Language: English
• Publisher: Times 10 Publications
• Release date: Nov 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781948212762

Mike Roberts

Mike Roberts is a social worker by training but has had a long-standing interest in the military history of the Classical world. He is the co-author (with his good friend Bob Bennett) of several well-received books: The Wars of Alexander’s Successors (volumes I and II); The Twilight of the Hellenistic World and The Spartan Supremacy. He lives in Dudley.

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Praise for

Hacking Modern Teaching

As teachers reflect on one of the most challenging years of their careers, there will undoubtedly be a sense of relief as we look forward to a ‘return to normal,’ a return to pre-pandemic pedagogy. However, Mike Roberts asks that you pause and reflect on some of the lessons learned and the changes made to your teaching style during the last eighteen months or so as you adapted to the needs of your schedule, your students, and the constraints placed upon you. As you prepare for the next school year, Mike suggests Hacks and easy-to-implement ideas that teachers can weave into their planning. By embracing these ideas, students and teachers alike can have a more effective, more manageable, and ultimately, more successful year in the classroom. If you’ve thought about making a change, if you’ve questioned the ways of the past, or if you are simply relishing the idea of trying something new with your students, there is something for you in this book.

— Andrew Milne, National Health Teacher of the Year

Mike’s honest and vulnerable reflections are what make this book one that teachers will connect with immediately. Teachers will not only walk away with strategies that will help them improve their practice, but they will also leave feeling as if they have been heard.

— Jon Harper, Educator and Podcaster

"‘Never let a crisis go to waste’ was something I discussed with school leaders I coached during the pandemic. Now as we are coming out the other side of this challenge, it’s also important to ask, ‘What did we learn?’ and ‘What do we want to keep and let go of in education?’ In Hacking Modern Teaching, Mike Roberts answers these questions and provides helpful Hacks of how education can continue to improve in a post-pandemic reality."

— Daniel Bauer, Host of the Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast and Author of Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader

"COVID-19 has thrown all of us into uncharted territory. Mike Roberts’ book Hacking Modern Teaching gives us the compass, map, and tools every educator needs to succeed in this new, post-pandemic world. Clear, easy to understand, powerful, and practical, this book will help any teacher have a bigger impact on the lives of students."

— Jim Knight, Instructional Coach and Author

"As a current teacher and one of Mike Roberts’ former students, I’ve found the ideas and strategies shared within Hacking Modern Teaching to be applicable and beneficial to my

classroom. Pedagogical instruction can often rely too much on theory while offering too little practical advice. I love the way Mike shares his ideas and then follows them up by explaining the steps needed to implement each strategy. Additionally, the videos at the end of each chapter help to solidify the key elements shared within each Hack. As a new teacher navigating both the normal rigors of the profession as well as the uncertainties brought on by the pandemic, I feel grateful to have such clearly articulated philosophies and explicit instruction. I will continue to refer to Hacking Modern Teaching as I establish myself as a teacher and look forward to seeing my students benefit from Mike’s ideas!"

— Peter Shipman, Middle School English Teacher

"Being a teacher requires you to constantly reflect on what you do and why you do it. Hacking Modern Teaching offers up a variety of ideas to help teachers adapt to the needs of today’s students. Regardless of whether you are a first-year teacher or a veteran, the strategies shared within Hacking Modern Teaching will improve your teaching."

— Bill Tatomer, Middle School Teacher

"Mike Roberts is the kind of teacher who is always looking for ways to improve his craft, and he shares his latest insights about effective teaching within the pages of Hacking Modern Teaching. Filled with simple strategies that will fit within any classroom, Hacking Modern Teaching is sure to improve the learning experiences of your students."

— Zack Alvidrez, High School Teacher and Coach

Hacking Modern Teaching

© 2021 by Times 10 Publications

All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing by the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. For information regarding permission, contact the publisher at [e-mail].

These books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums, promotions, fundraising, and educational use. For inquiries and details, contact us at 10publications.com.

Published by Times 10

Highland Heights, OH

10Publications.com

Cover and Interior Design by Steven Plummer

Editing by Jennifer Zelinger Marshall

Copyediting by Jennifer Jas

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-948212-74-8

eBook ISBN: 978-1-948212-76-2

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-948212-75-5

First Printing: October 2021

To all the teachers out there who, despite all the recent

challenges, still give their best each and every day.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Where We Were, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going

Hack 1: Revamp the Meaning of Normal

Reimagine Education

Hack 2: Understand Where Students Are Socially and Emotionally

Get to the Heart of the Matter

Hack 3: Increase the Use of Formative Assessments

Don’t Let Last Year’s Students Guide This Year’s Learning

Hack 4: Realize That the Little Things Are the Big Things

Rethink Daily Routines

Hack 5: Establish a Quality-Over-Quantity Mindset

Implement a Less-Is-More Mentality

Hack 6: Make the Learning Bite-Sized

Deliver Learning in Small Doses to Increase Engagement

Hack 7: Keep It Real

Develop Authentic Engagement Opportunities

Hack 8: Take One Step Back to Take Two Steps Forward

Teach Like Everything Old Is New Again

Hack 9: Become a Silly Putty Teacher

Build Flexible Supports to Maximize Student Learning

Hack 10: Touch Base to Save Face

Broaden the Communication Cycle

Conclusion

From Struggle Comes Growth

Five Bonus Mini-Hacks

Self-Assessment, In-Class Grading, Healthy Routines, Celebrating Victories, and Accepting Helping Hands

About the Author

Acknowledgments

More from Times 10

Resources from Times 10

Introduction

Where We Were, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going

Think back to fall 2019 and the beginning of that school year. It likely began in a similar way to the preceding school years. Teachers were seen smiling at students as they entered class, the hallways between classes were as packed as a New York City subway during rush hour, and field trips added an exciting element. Regardless of what school you walked into, there was a wave of energy that seemed to permeate from within the building.

But that all came to a screeching halt in mid-March 2020 as COVID-19 began to spread throughout the world. Within days, school buildings were shut down, classes were temporarily halted, and teachers scrambled to find ways to connect with their students via online platforms. In the blink of an eye, the world was shut down, and a sense of uncertainty settled in—not only about school but about life as we knew it.

Today, as strange as it sounds, our recollection of the start of the 2019 school year seems like it was a long-forgotten past. In terms of actual years, however, it was not that long ago. I mean, if you’re driving a 2019 car, it’s a safe bet to say it’s newer than most others in the faculty parking lot. Or if you bought a house in 2019, I’m guessing you’re not counting down the days until the mortgage is paid off. And if you were lucky enough to have a child born in 2019, I’m fairly sure that kid is still in diapers as of the publishing of this book. See, in terms of years, it hasn’t been that long.

But for teachers and students, 2019 seems like a lifetime ago.

As educators began teaching in the 2021–2022 school year and beyond, schools had either transitioned to full-time, in-person teaching, a remote schedule, or a hybrid version of learning. Because of the new health and safety aspects of school, including mask-wearing, social distancing, and online teaching, teachers struggled to maintain the same level of engagement and connection with their students that they had enjoyed in the past. Whether it was the online challenge of expecting a student to connect with a teacher they had never met or the in-person struggle of a teacher trying to read a student’s facial expression from beneath a mask, the difficulties left both students and teachers feeling exhausted and frustrated.

This is why I believe educators have a unique opportunity right in front of them. Moments to reflect on the past, and use those insights to shape the future, rarely happen unless a disruption occurs. Needless to say, the pandemic disrupted the education status quo!

So rather than going back to the good ol’ days of teaching, we can choose instead to evaluate where things currently stand and focus on modern teaching strategies to inspire learning and help students maximize success socially, behaviorally, and academically. Hacking Modern Teaching is part of the Hack Learning Series, which offers practical solutions that busy educators can read today and use tomorrow. Each chapter begins with a stated Problem followed by a Hack. The What You Can Do Tomorrow section helps you get started right away with bite-sized ideas, and the A Blueprint for Full Implementation section gives you the full steps to implement each Hack. The Overcoming Pushback section helps you combat naysayers, and the Hack in Action offers a real-life example of each Hack in the classroom.

At the end of each chapter, you’ll see a QR code to scan with your phone camera. Open the link to watch a short video of author Mike Roberts explaining additional insights about how to successfully implement each Hack.

It’s presumptuous to think that schools and students will slide back to where they were in 2019. Rather than falling back on the past, schools and teachers can focus on bravely moving forward—to modern teaching. We have learned a great deal about what does and, perhaps more importantly, doesn’t work in terms of student engagement and maximizing success. As we look toward the future, it would be a missed opportunity if we didn’t take this moment to redefine our educational priorities. While we can’t change the fact of the pandemic, we can learn from it and improve the learning experiences of our students as we move forward. It’s my hope that this book will help you and your school to move forward, modernize teaching, and give your students the future they deserve.

https://qr1.be/V4Z1

Hack 1

Revamp the Meaning of Normal

Reimagine Education

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.

— Maya Angelou, Poet

THE PROBLEM: Teachers want school to go back to normal

Look, I’m not going to lie. As much as some of us want it to, teaching is never going back to the pre-pandemic normal again.

While I understand many of us liked our routines a few years ago, it’s important to realize that teaching has been drastically altered over a short time span. This isn’t to say that we must discard everything about how we taught in the past because certain parts can and should continue (we will discuss this in Hack 7), but it’s possible things weren’t as great as we originally thought.

Here’s a fun example. For the most part, I enjoyed my junior high years. Those three years taught me many valuable skills I still use today, including how to stand up for myself, how to be an effective listener, and how to be a good friend. Those traits were, and continue to be, viewed as normal parts of growing up. I’m sure most of us agree that those concepts should continue as primary ingredients in the maturation process. But those years had their share of normal not-so-great moments as well. Personally, I thought my mullet, acid-washed jacket, and Super Mario Bros. addiction were all pretty sweet, but now I know, with the perspective of time, that maybe those interests weren’t as awesome as I originally thought.

So, before we start lamenting about how great things were in the past and how we need to find a way to get back there, let’s take a deep dive into what schools and classrooms really looked like during that time. Because while positive learning activities were definitely taking place, it would be somewhat naive to say everything was perfect. Take reading proficiency as an example. According to a recent report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP):

Only 34 percent of fourth grade students performed at or above proficient levels in reading.

This number drops to 32 percent when looking at proficient reading levels in eighth-graders.

It slips to 31 percent when looking at twelfth grade students.

Similar statistics can also be found in math and science.

In terms of physical and emotional safety, a study by the National Center for Educational Statistics identified that in 2017, one in five students (20.2 percent) ages 12–18 reported being bullied within