Chasing Greatness: 26.2 Ways Teaching is Like Running a Marathon (Mike Roberts)

Chapter 1

   First, I wondered if anyone else was reading this book from the PD day before school began. If so, this could transform into a virtual book club where someone else could take a different chapter to write about, and we could rotate. If not, I will just share my thoughts on the book as I read it ☺

  My initial thoughts on picking this book up were that it sounded a bit gimmicky. However, the more I thought about it, I realized that I don’t spend very much time listening to other teachers’ experiences as teachers. My understanding of others’ experiences is limited to my department members, colleagues, and social media posts. So I’ve decided to give it a fair go and see what comes up for me reading it. 

  Reading the story of Mike on his first run was great because I could hear him explaining it in his voice the way he did during his PD. He tells the story and then pauses to ask, “How do challenging workouts help make you a stronger runner? How does this apply to teaching challenges that make you grow and stretch as an educator?” (p. 15). This gave me a lot to reflect on, and I would love to hear others’ answers to this as well. For me, I’ve learned the most from the challenging moments. Pivoting during COVID to distance learning pushed my own knowledge to gain technology skills that I am not sure that I ever would have gained. It also made me realize that I could continually learn new technologies indefinitely and will likely need to! 

     When I started teaching, I was convinced I had so many “better” answers on how to do things. My first year was an actual dumpster fire for me! I was clueless about classroom management strategies and got a real wake-up call. I had the most challenging year, but I learned so much. I realized that I needed to ask for help from other teachers, find strategies that worked for me, and that at the heart of classroom management is fostering strong relationships with students. I am much more confident in my abilities in the classroom now. Still, I have expanded upon the realization of necessary continual growth in my practice. 

  Perhaps one of the most critical questions for the teaching climate today; Mike asked,  “Why do so few people run marathons? Does this same logic relate to the teaching shortage?” (p.15). Honestly, I have no idea. I think there are significant differences in teaching at a public school versus a private school. Still, I sympathize with many of the issues in conversations about education. It is a challenging, often under-appreciated profession. I am curious to see what happens to teach over the next few years. Still, I wish more people could see the good parts of teaching (maybe similarly, there are also great parts of running a marathon… I wouldn’t know!). 

  Tomorrow’s Training Plan: A checklist of things to work on

1.) What can I do tomorrow to improve my class by 1%?

I like the idea of getting 1% better at teaching each day, and I will work to do this in my own practice. There are so many areas that I would like to work on, but 1% seems manageable! Mike mentioned that even working to remember students’ names faster was part of the 1%, which is where I am starting. I really struggle with names! 

2.) Make a list of PD opportunities (books, conferences, etc.) that would enhance my teaching and pursue one per month/.

This book and the book club for classroom management will start next week!

3.) Identify 3 small goals for this school year, explain why I want to accomplish them, and the steps needed.

My main goal this year is to acclimate to Carondelet as a first-year teacher. So I will pick three ways to do that: 1. Increase my involvement (chaperone a dance, go on a retreat, be involved with a club, attend sporting events/theater/etc.). This is important to me for building relationships with my students outside my classroom and getting to know the community better. 2. Create meaningful relationships with colleagues. This is important because the community is how I feel connected and engaged in a work environment. It also energizes me to socialize. 3. Listen more. This is important to me because I am a fixer and often jump to action before taking the time to understand the complete picture. In a new environment, there is a lot I will not understand, and listening will significantly aid my understanding. 

It could be fun if anyone would like to continue and do Chapter 2 in this book!