I'm the Teacher...I've Got This Blog #1: Passion for Positive Teaching by Danny Hauger

Inspiring Teachers Blog #1: Passion for Positive Teaching

By Danny Hauger

Host of Inspiring Teachers Podcast

The springtime brings sunlight, allergies, and antsy students. Everyone can feel the warm sun and thinks about the upcoming summer. As a high school teacher, my Senior students are eagerly anticipating adulthood and freedom. Everyone could be forgiven for having a wandering mind for at least a few moments each day in the classroom.

Staying positive is the key to a successful fourth quarter of the school year. It’s not all about optimism, but also joy. Instead of speaking to the classroom fearfully about distractions, being off-task, or having extra energy in the classroom, try to harness the teachable moments in leading by example.

For me, this means sharing some personal stories. I think about ways I could have been more focused, driven, or dedicated towards completing my work in a professional manner, and how that may have launched a more advantageous trajectory in career advancement in my broadcasting career prior to teaching. Maybe I would have stayed better connected to classmates, networks, and opportunities during that 2007 housing recession that hit my colleagues hard as we explored the new world after college.

Real-life glimpses into your experiences cut through the distractions and restlessness of springtime in the classroom. In an elementary setting, maybe this means a chance to stretch, practice mindfulness, or start new community circles or group practices. We can harness our enthusiasm into shaping a more positive cycle of classroom interaction.

Need more advice on focusing your springtime energy? Watch an interview I did with Dr. Lorri Ague. Dr. Lorri Ague is the Dean of the Non Traditional and Graduate Studies Department, and Acting Chair of the Education Department at San Diego Christian College. Dr. Lorri has been a welcoming and warm instructor through the first two weeks of the program that we have now completed. I talked with Dr. Ague about how I can already feel our online Master’s class coming together and getting to know each other, which is a challenge for busy adults who teach full-time and attend online classes. Dr. Lorri reviews how closely bonded her classes often become after responding and discussing their research week after week.

One of the ways I have incorporated my learning so far is by starting each of my high school classes with a piece of positive news, before diving into the current events, news of the day, and our historical standards. This helps create a positive, motivating, and uplifting class, and bonds us closer together. I think it helps us see the good in the world, and set some sort of appreciation for humanity before we dive into the challenging issues of history class.

Feel even more inspired this spring by an interview with celebrated author of A Passion for Kindness, Tamara Letter. She completed random acts of kindness and wrote a book about it. We discuss how being kind and positive in our lives enhances the lives and happiness of those around us.

Happy Springtime everyone!

Danny Hauger

Twitter - @DannyHauger and @ShowTeachers

Links and Sources:

1)Danny Hauger’s Interview with Dr. Lorri Ague - https://youtu.be/yO48Ntxh3qU

2)Danny Hauger’s Interview with Tamara Letter - https://youtu.be/OYTJIqp6z04