Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Follow to get new release updates and improved recommendations
About David Geurin
Customers Also Bought Items By
Are you an author?
Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography.
Author Updates
-
-
Blog postShare this article
The most effective and the least effective people in any profession have many of the same intentions. Most everyone has good intentions. They want to be successful in their work. They want to make contributions. They want to perform to the best of their ability.
And the same is true for educators as well. Educators want to make a difference for kids. Most every educator wants to make a greater impact, unless they've lost their way somehow.
-
Blog postShare this article
All behavior is communication. It can provide us important clues about a child and let us know that something is wrong or that something is missing.
Most behavior is driven by legitimate needs. It's just that kids (and many of us adults too) don't always have the skills and maturity to meet our legitimate needs in legitimate ways. But everyone wants to have their needs met.
A compassionate and caring educator looks beyond the behavior to see the ne -
Blog postShare this article
Curious leaders listen and make you feel supported, valued, and appreciated.
One of the best leaders I've known was also one of the most curious leaders I've known. He peppered me with questions from the first day I met him. He wanted to know my background, my story, my ideas on different topics.
He was quick to ask, "What do you think?" about whatever we were discussing, and he was genuinely interested.
I always felt like I -
Blog postShare this article
The fear of failure keeps many of us on the sidelines. Instead of pushing our limits and trying something new, we continue with the same habits and practices as they are.
We tell ourselves our current ways are working. Our methods are time tested and proven because they get us consistent results. We try to get just a little better at the same things we've always done.
But just because the results are consistent doesn't mean they're the best r -
Blog postShare this article
Recently I had the privilege of taking a few of our students to a career event at Bass Pro/Wonders of Wildlife in nearby Springfield, MO, one of the largest employers in our area. We got a behind the scenes tour of the incredible facilities and heard about many of the career opportunities available in the company.
As we listened for a couple of hours to the presentations from various department leaders, one thing stood out to me. Only one of the presenter -
Blog postShare this article
A significant problem in education was amplified during the recent school closures across the country. As teachers scrambled to reach students with remote learning, successfully engaging students became an even bigger challenge than it normally was in the physical classroom.
And struggles with engagement were a huge problem already. Far too many students are not engaged in the learning process on a good day. But with distance separating us from ou -
Blog postShare this article
Like many of you, I've had so much on my mind lately. I have several blog posts upcoming that will express more of what I'm feeling. But I wanted to share this quick bit with you.
If we only read and share things that confirm our current thoughts, feelings, and beliefs...
If we only pursue our own certainty and confirmation of our current way...
If we only listen to the stories of people who are like us...
-
Blog postShare this article
The best advantage is the ability to combine your human abilities with the best tools available.
In the world of chess, the best players in the world can no longer beat the best machines in the world.
However, a combination of top players with machines can nearly always defeat a machine-only opponent.
Even more impressive, a slightly above average chess player teamed with a machine can defeat the top computer chess al -
Blog postShare this article
No one does their best work out of compliance or out of obligation.
No one does their best work expecting a reward.
We do our best work when we see it as a privilege, a contribution, and an enjoyable experience. We do our best work because we want to, not because we have to.
Can you do quality work out of obligation or compliance? Probably so. But you won't do your best work.
Can you do qua -
Blog postShare this article
Once I was working with an entire class of freshmen at the beginning of a school year, and one of the kids made some kind of wise-guy comment in front of the whole group. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I do remember that I felt a little disrespected.
Another time, I remember a large majority of students were talking and being disruptive and generally not paying attention. Again, I felt like the students weren't showing their fu -
Blog postShare this article
We recently had a full PD Day for teachers in our building and wanted to do something special to start off the day. I'd heard of book tastings from my Twitter PLN and wanted to give it a try.
A book tasting is an event where people sample different books in a relatively short period of time. I was lucky to have some fantastic help with decorations, planning for food, and setting up our "book store" area.
At ou -
Blog postShare this article
I'm not sure exactly how it got started, but for the past few years I've shared a joke every morning with our entire building to start the school day.
It's important to me to help get each day off to a good start and part of that is my daily attempt to inject some humor. Let me tell you, though, it can be a lot of pressure to have a new joke every day. I am constantly searching for new material.
And I have to admit, my jokes -
Blog postI recently finished reading Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool.
One of the things in the book that was interesting to me was related to the impact of experience on performance. In 2005, Harvard Medical School published a review of existing studies on how years of practice in the field influences the care of doctors. "If years of practice make physicians better, then the quality of care they give should increase as they amass mor -
Blog postThis past weekend I watched the movie It's a Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood for the second time. Like many educators, I'm a big fan of Fred Rogers. I grew up watching Mr. Rogers. I'm grateful for the impact he had on so many during his lifetime.
While there are countless lessons from his life and from the movie, I wanted to share three things that really stood out to me.
1. "I don't think anybody can grow unless he really is accepted exactly how h -
Blog postShare this article
Creating stronger connections with your students doesn't require grand gestures. But it does require some intentional behaviors on the part of the teacher. It requires taking action.
But these actions can be simple in the sense that they don't require any extra time. But that doesn't mean it's easy. They do require showing up with a certain emotional readiness, and they require making the effort to work at the interactions you're having ea -
Blog postCountless books have been written on the topic of leadership. There are styles, and theories, and frameworks.
But at it's essence, leadership is about energy.
What kind of energy do you bring each day? Are you showing up with enthusiasm and excitement? Are you bringing your best? Are you building stronger relationships? Does your energy inspire others to do more and be more?
Everyone has leadership, because everyone has influence. What you -
Blog postGrowth requires change. And it also requires doing some things that aren't comfortable. We all have thought-patterns and beliefs that contribute to our progress or lack of progress. That's why it's so important to challenge any beliefs that might be standing in your way. Get uncomfortable by choosing some new habits of mind!
Here are 3 Ideas You Must Reject If You Want To Grow
1. Reject Your Self-Limiting Beliefs
Be careful of deciding that you' -
Blog postThe focus of traditional education has mostly been on knowledge. The focus has been on learning more information. But now we have more information available to us than ever before. And the amount of information out there is growing exponentially.
And this rapidly growing body of information is readily available. We can access it at any time in any place at the tip of our fingers with a connected device. Our tools have transformed our experience. So while learning -
Blog postNo one is perfect. Not one of us. But if we're not careful, we can fall into the trap of thinking we have to act perfect.
I find it puzzling how students sometimes have the idea that teachers/principals/educators are somehow above making mistake or should be above making mistakes.
I remember when I was teaching 9th grade English how students would jump at the chance to point it out if I misspelled a word on the white board, as if I was suddenly an -
Blog postWe all see things differently. That's something I continue to learn as an educator and in every other area of life too. I used to get upset if someone expressed an idea I didn't agree with. It would frustrate me to no end if they took a position that seemed unreasonable to me.
But I've learned that another person's perspective is something they have ownership over, not me. And my job is to listen and try to understand where they're coming from.
And maybe -
Blog postWhether you're a teacher or a principal, or have another role as an educator, you probably have interactions on a daily basis that involve complaints coming your way. The complaints might come from students, parents, or colleagues. These interactions can be difficult to handle and can really be a drain on energy and progress.
Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting every time someone brings up a problem, that it's unhelpful complaining. There are definitely complaints, or conce -
Blog postI recently finished reading A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by by Edwin Friedman. The author shared a number of leadership insights that were helpful to me or at least pushed my thinking.
But one of his positions knocked me back just a little. He builds a case that supports personal responsibility and rails against empathy. I was nodding my head on the personal responsibility ideas but was somewhat puzzled by the anti-empathy ideas. -
Blog postI love the energy and intention of the word relentless. There is power in that word. It indicates persistence, perseverance, commitment, and fortitude. The word is strong and mighty.
When we talk about educators being relentless, that's often a great compliment. What parent wouldn't want a teacher or principal for his or her own child who is relentless, who exhibits the qualities of being determined, dedicated, and diligent?
But, one word of caution. Rel -
Blog postWhich students are doing the creative work in your school? Who has the most opportunities to work on projects, solve problems, collaborate with classmates, develop ideas, design products, and publish for authentic audiences? If your school is like most schools, I'm guessing your strongest learners have the most opportunities.
And I'm guessing the students who struggle the most are doing the most repetitive work, the routine work, and the isolated work. They are spending more -
Blog post
It's been said the only certainties in life are death and taxes.
Let's add one to the list. We can be certain there will be problems. As long as we are in this life, there is a 100% guarantee there will be problems.
We all face challenges every day. And sometimes the problems seem much bigger than they are. In fact, I would say they usually seem much bigger than they are.
I know this is true because some of the things that were huge, gigantic problems f
Titles By David Geurin
