Educational Stunt Men

I watched a video online today about a gentleman that is a stunt man for his chosen profession.

He speaks at length about the rigors of his job such as rappelling down buildings, planning how to explode different types of vehicles and being lit on fire. He also talks about a couple of his risk-taking role models who worked with less safety equipment than a table chef at Gasho's. Eventually he plans on skydiving from the edge of space (after a corporation sponsors him). You can even track his progress visually here if you're interested.

While he was explaining his job and how it has changed/evolved over time, he message intertwined with what I perceive is our shared experience as former teachers at Ames.

I feel like an educational stunt man this year: The best of what I/we have created and experienced so far as a teacher is constantly tested in my new environment. What worked for me in Room 17 and was reliably effective in the intermediate hallway does not always work for me in my new space. An experience (Mr. Sprat) or positive reinforcement ("Gimme five!") that resonated with past classes has been shelved in favor of Mr. Time Efficiency (let's enter through the gym and save ten minutes) and "Pound It!" (when the knuckles of my hand impact another students' knuckles gently). More on the "fist bump" here.

These moments are great and definitely keep my differentiation/adaptability skills sharp, but they also remind me how much I still need to learn in order to provide the best instruction possible for kids.

Thankfully, just like Steve Truglia (the stunt man), I've discovered that I can lean on my new colleagues at my new institution for guidance and support (just like I did at Ames).

(insert virtual fist bump here)

By the way, click here for the stunt man video, then skip to 14:39 and watch to the end. You're the orange one on the left... :)