Teacher in Development

Interesting thought: In sales and business and in family life, there are questions we always ask, or get asked, that derail conversation…instantly. It’s totally not your intention…in fact you’re seeking engagement…but the opposite happens.

"If you want to end a conversation with a teenager, just ask, "How was school today?"

If you want to end a conversation with a customer, just ask if you can help." (Godin, May I help you?")

 So if it happens in business, happens in family relationships, I gotta wonder if this happens in  teacher/student/client interactions too.

Engagement busters?? 

"Make sense?"

"Do you understand?"

"Need any help? — I’m guilty there. 

"If you need help, raise your hand."

Replacements?

"What do you hate the most about learning grammar? Vocabulary? Algebra? The war of 1812?" ( you fill in the blank with what you teach.)

"What do you think you’re kicking ass at in this unit? Class? Theme?"

"What’s fascinating you in this class, and would you like to dwell anywhere a bit longer?" 

And you? Are there more questions out there that we could ask our students or clients that would invite engagement?  

 Photo Credit:

 Talk talk by PinkMoose

 

Seth’s Blog: "May I help you?"

Will the Real Juan Valdez Please Stand Up? - Branding - Authenticity

"Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Tactic: Create sumptuous cafés that sell a "coffee experience" along with $4 lattes.

Truth: Stores now use automatic espresso machines–something you’re not likely to find in Milan.

Risk: Starbucks is so mainstream, even its chairman worries it isn’t special anymore."

 What does this have to do with the classroom? Lots actually. Like what happens to your teaching as more clients/students come on board? What happens to quality as your group numbers go up? What happens to quality as you get more busy?

Perhaps we pull a Starbucks: We go for automatic machine style teaching vs. personalized brews in our classes. We get so caught up in our own momentum that we fail to continue to do the things that created the momentum in the first place: provide personal, passionate service.

Getting bigger is great. But to paraphrase Seth Godin: no matter how big we get, we have to think and act like we’re small.  

 What do you do to keep it real in your classroom? Clients?

Photo Credit:

 latta mosquito    miss pupik