Teach Different

Do you have to have critics to succeed?

Taking constructive criticism can be difficult. It requires a person to resist the emotional need to lash back against people who point out flaws. Many people would rather hear words of encouragement because they carry with them the feeling of unconditional love and acceptance. Yet, being able to listen to suggestions for improvement is a really important life skill. Students must decide for themselves the unique role encouragement and criticism will play in their self-development.

Join us for a conversation about a provocative quote from Malcolm X with educators from around the world. We will break down the claim, counterclaim, and essential question for the quote using Teach Different's 3-Step Method to provide a model for having this conversation with your students.

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image source: Picryl | Ed Ford | Creative Commons

Can people learn no matter how old they are?

While it is true that education is valuable to all of us at any age, it is also true that our energies and resources are limited and must be used wisely if we want to change the world into something better. Some say that children should be the focus because their minds are more easily shaped and influenced; others suggest that adults, who are actually in positions of power and influence, should take a front-and-center importance in our efforts to change minds and improve the world.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about education that you can recreate in your classroom using the Teach Different 3-Step Method.

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image source: Wikimedia | Matthew Brady

Do we control our own actions?

Life throws unexpected events at us which take us by surprise. When crisis happens, we feel out of control. We are left to react in the best ways we can to protect ourselves and improve our situations, but we often feel like our actions don’t matter in the face of an indifferent world.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for a conversation about stress management using the Teach Different 3-Step conversation method. 

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image source: Flickr

Do you control your future?

If there is one message we send consistently to our kids, it's this: your choices matter. We want them to see the world as a place where they are in control of what happens. If they make the right choices, happiness awaits them. If they choose the wrong path, life is unforgiving. What this simple admonition misses, though, is that sometimes life makes decisions for us, and we must spend our time reacting to it, rather than trying to control it. The challenge becomes how to develop a healthy and realistic sense of self-efficacy and to do the best we can.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for a conversation about self-efficacy using the Teach Different 3-Step conversation method. 

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image source: Library of Congress | NYWT&S staff photo by Al Ravenna

Do you need loyalty to fight injustice?

Sometimes doing the right thing means that you will face scorn and ridicule from other people. This opposition may take the form of angry words thrown against us. As much as these words hurt us, there is a different kind of pain we feel when those in whom we place our trust end up letting us down. Friends and enemies have the power to injure us and so we must find strategies for coping with both situations.

Join Dan and Steve Fouts for a conversation about loyalty using the Teach Different 3-Step Conversation Method.

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image Source: Library of Congress | Dick DeMarsico, World Telegram staff photographer

Do we have control over our own success?

Setting aside the 19th century gender-biased language and applying the wisdom to all students, Thoreau is saying something important about success and positive thinking. If students believe they can succeed, then they are halfway home. The power of positive thinking is undeniable.  But, failure is also crucial for human development. Students must find a balance here between positive thinking and acceptance of their imperfections. Only then will they learn how to persevere.

Join Dan and Steve Fouts for a conversation about perseverance using the Teach Different 3-Step Method.

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image source: Wikipedia | Benjamin D. Maxham

Do we have the power to make ourselves happy?

Students think and talk about happiness all of the time. Some believe happiness is something we control and that if we just do the right things we will become happy. There are others who think of happiness as a byproduct of a good environment and not something we can control. The issue of whether we control our happiness is an important one because it determines whether or not a student develops a healthy capacity for self-motivation and goal-setting.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for a conversation on happiness using the Teach Different 3-Step Method.

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons | Tilemahos Efthimiadis | Creative Commons

How do you know when to put other people's needs above your own?

Students of every age struggle with moral decisions about how to balance their own individual needs with the needs of others. Either way they decide, there is sacrifice. Focus on the individual and they must sacrifice others. Focus on others and they must sacrifice the individual. What's important is that students make a commitment to reflect deeply on ethical decisions before they make them and take responsibility for their choices.

Join Dan and Steve Fouts for a conversation about responsibility using the Teach Different 3-Step Method.

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image source: Wikimedia Commmons |  Angela Radulescu

Does diversity makes us stronger?

Diversity is something many students confront for the first time in school. They are required to learn with students of different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, not to mention those who embrace different traditions, learning styles and ways of seeing the world. When students confront diversity, they confront moral choices on how to react to people who are different from them.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for a conversation about diversity using the Teach Different 3-Step Method.

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image Source: Flickr | Portal Abras

Should we question what we are sure of?

All students have run across "know-it-alls," people who walk into a room and express supreme confidence with their knowledge. Being humble is seen as a sign of weakness. Humble students wait patiently, ask questions, and only speak when they are certain of something. Confidence and humility are equally noble traits. The life-long challenge is striking the right balance between the two and knowing when to express each.

Join Dan and Steve Fouts for a conversation using the Teach Different 3-Step Method and discover how you too can have great conversations with your students.

Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.

Image source: Wikimedia | Norto Mendez