Teach Different

Should you always follow the rules?

Everywhere a student goes there are rules, at home, in the classroom, and in society. The effectiveness of these rules depends on people's willingness to obey them. Students like to question the rules, especially when they feel the rules are unjust or intrude on their happiness in some way. Students must engage in hard intellectual work in deciding when to follow rules and what criteria to use to determine fairness.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about responsibility 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

Do you have to go through suffering to be a good person?  

Suffering is a fact of life. Sometimes the suffering occurs on an individual level; others times it is shared with others. People react to suffering in very different ways. Some become bitter while others use the suffering as a motivating force to help other people. Suffering causes reflection and sets the framework for our ethical choices around what type of person we want to become.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about suffering 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: Wikipedia | Étienne Carjat 

"With self-discipline, anything is possible."   Teddy Roosevelt

How do we know when self discipline is in our best interest?  Here's a conversation by Teddy Roosevelt that argues anything is possible with self-discipline.  Let's just hope we know what we want and all the hard work is worth it.

Is dreaming good for us?

Ask the students what they dream about and you are sure to get a wild variety of interesting answers. Students dream all of the time and some use them to set lofty goals for their life pursuits. Others see dreams as fake pictures of reality. However they are viewed, thinking about dreams is a chance for students to become more self-aware about what they value and what they really want out of life.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about dreams 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 | Horatio Seymour Squyer

How do we know when we should be afraid?

Fear is an emotion we can all identify with. Fear causes stress and discomfort, and makes us do things we would not otherwise do. People react to fear in different ways, some remain calm, others lose control of their mind which causes even more distress. Dealing with fear in productive ways is an important life skill that helps us manage stress.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about fear 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: Bill of Rights Institute

Is social distancing healthy for us?

The Coronavirus outbreak of 2020 drove society into isolation. Schools closed, and businesses shut down. Our social lives stopped functioning, and we were at home with much more alone time. Isolation can breed some sadness and despair, but also offers a chance for us to reflect and evaluate our lives in a positive and meaningful way.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about isolation 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: Flickr | Christiaan Tonnis

Do all people deserve kindness?

When students interact with others, they have a lot of moral decisions to make. It’s hard for them to decide exactly how to treat other people, especially strangers. They often don’t have much information to go on and must rely on their intuitive judgements and best guesses. How they decide to act reflects deeply upon their characters.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about kindness 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 | Calidius

What's the best way to convert an enemy to a friend?

Every student knows a little something about enemies and conflict. They don’t get along with everybody and these inevitable conflicts force them to make choices about how to treat other people. These choices have real consequences as they impact their capacities to build and sustain friendships.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about conflict 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: Library of Congress | Dick DeMarsico, World Telegram staff photographer

Can you be successful in life without doing what you love?

Success, students are told, comes from doing well in school, building friendships, and finding the right career. The only problem is they aren’t told exactly how to find this success and whether actually loving what they do should even be a consideration. As a result, it’s important for students to develop a self-awareness around what success means to them and how they plan to get it.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about success 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: Flickr | ©York College ISLGP

Do you need knowledge or imagination to have influence in the world?

Some students are dreamers who live comfortably thinking about a world not yet created. Then, there are the ‘down to earth’ students who find comfort in facts. These two groups often clash during group projects when there’s a need for a clear vision of an end goal and a clear, step-by-step plan to get it done.

Join Steve and Dan Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about responsibility 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: Pixabay