Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is importantfor you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
Teamwork and Camaraderi is a big lesson. This is important, because with out teamwork, it feels like everyone is doing their own thing. I was at a school where a teacher and principal did not get along, or seldom tried to talk with each other when problems arose. I could feel the tension in the room. When the teacher left the climate changed for the good. If you have team work you will succeed and have fun. I have been at school where half the staff is new. I have to tell you those years where awesome. I don't know if it was because many were new, but everyone seemed to work together and helped each other out. Not only the staff, but the teamwork rubbed off on the kids. I think it is important to have staff get-togethers outside of school, so teachers and spouse can build a comaraderie with others. the school I am at and the last one this was a struggle due to schedules and also others not seeing the importance. Get-togethers help strengthen the teamwork. Finally, teamwork will help with the other lessons from the fire truck.
I am all for teamwork and camaraderie! As a former athlete, I think my mindset has always been about working together as a team to reach that ultimate goal. We all know when working as a team your final product reflects on the weakest link. It’s so important to support and empower each other to bring the very best. Your students can see and hear their teachers interactions with other teachers. I think it’s our responsibility to show them what teamwork looks and sounds like. Working together and listening to each other is only going to make your team stronger for yourselves and for the kids.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
The lesson of preparation sticks out the most to me. In all things, it always comes back to the simple things and the fundamentals. Being prepared in your curriculum, building strong relationships with students, families and colleagues as well as having a vision and plan for teaching allows us to feel the most prepared as teachers. These principles also keep us prepared for any "fire" we may face in education. I always love seeing the quote "You don't rise to the occasion you fall to your level of training." Prepare and train all things necessary!
The Fire Truck lesson I feel is so important is Pride. If a lesson or presentation is not something that you are proud of as a teacher, I believe that impacts how you teach or present that lesson. Pride and confidence in yourself is necessary to be an effective teacher. If a lesson is something that is thrown together at the last minute, something that hasn't been properly prepared and thought through it will not be presented with confidence. The students will definitely feel the lack of preparedness and uncertainty. Pride in what you give your students every day should be a top priority for every teacher.
I like the idea of taking pride in our school and in our own accomplishments. I constantly tell my students to take pride in their work--to do the best work they can and show what they are capable of doing. This also instills a sense of pride in the parents when they see good things from their children. I try to get them to buy into taking pride in their school as well--keeping things neat and clean, picking up after themselves, etc. It's a matter of belonging to each other and to the school we come from.
One of the lessons from the firehouse that resonates with my current job situation is Pride. I am an Early Interventionist and conduct home visits for children ages birth to three. I coach parents with any situations and concerns they feel are a priority. I help them learn to be a strong advocate for their child. In doing so we all work together to take great pride in each and every home visit. We develop strong relationships in which we problem-solve, cry, and celebrate together.
The one lesson that I can relate to would be accountability and attention to detail. In our school I see and hear a lot of blaming and finding fault in what others are doing. This is not only students but staff. In life we will all have to be responsible for our decisions and the consequences. This goes right along with the lesson on decision making.
The first thing that comes to mind is teamwork! Teamwork is a big part of education. Collaborating with colleagues on a daily is important. Being part of something that is bigger than myself alone is an amazing feeling. Knowing that we as a team in a school district that at times can be so divided, we are making a difference!
The lesson that resonated with me the most was decision making. Decisions are made by the second, especially when teaching special education and specifically behavior. Now, I'm not speaking about decisions regarding disciplinary action or situations that are obviously an admin decision. However, there are decisions like curriculum and instruction, de-escalation decisions, and several other decisions that need to be made in the second. I've had admin where none of those decisions could be made, and I would have to wait. I have had admin, and currently had admin, that allow me to make those decisions in the moment. Not only is it important for me to do my job, but it is beneficial to the students. Students in a behavioral crisis do not have time to "wait." Finally, it is important for my colleagues that we can work as a team and for our students.
The lesson that really impacted me was the teamwork and camaraderie. We team teach at STARBASE so it is essential that we work as a team. Every morning, my teaching partner will look over the lessons and see how we want to divide them up. I love this option, since we teach the same curriculum 31 times every year, this is a way to keep it fresh and exciting. Being a 6 person team means there are others to bounce ideas off, or help come up with solutions when there are problems. It's also nice, that if there's a student who is really pushing your buttons, you can ask your team mate to lend a hand or maybe intercede because they haven't dealt with the student. Because there are only 9 of us total in our whole program, we are extremely close to each other and really are a family.
Teamwork and camaraderie is the lesson that really resonated with me. I have gone through so many teaching partners due to retirements, budget cuts, and grade level changes. I've never felt like I had a 2nd grade team. I felt isolated. Two years ago I got another new teaching partner. Her and I clicked right away. Our teaching styles, personality, even our personal lives were very similar. We lesson plan together, we bounce ideas off each other, and we convince each other to try new things. It is wonderful to have not only a teaching partner next door, but a friend as well. As a building we have always been a team. My co-workers and I go out of our way to do special things. We make quarterly lunches, we have get togethers, and we go above and beyond to help each other out in times of need. Hamish is right. "We are in this together".
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
Teamwork and camaraderie is an important lesson from the fire truck in education. As a middle school teacher, I believe teaming is the foundation of my job. The work we do to educate a team of students within our team of teachers is incredible. It's so interesting to see the personality of the math, English, social studies, science, PE, and encore teachers come to a common solution about what to do with a situation. We really develop a trust of one another's strengths and fill in the gaps for each other's weaknesses. It's been a gift to spend my career in middle level teaming.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues. As a special education teacher I need to be prepared during the day. I truly don't ever know how my day will go-all I know is that I need to expect the unexpected. With that in mind it is very important that I am prepared. I need to have everything ready to go so that if a "fire" comes up I can go with it and not be negatively impacted by it. I need to be on the ready so I can swerve as I need to depending on the day, the situation, and the situation that arises. It is beneficial so that I can use these situations as life lessons for my students and how it may apply to them. I also work on quite a bit of basics and routines, alot of repetition in order to avoid regression. It is this little things that will help the students I work with and help them go the distance.
The lesson from the fire service of "Teamwork and Camaraderie" is important for me, my students, and my colleagues, because we are all a part of the same team working for the same common goal. I like how Hamish stated it, "No one person should cast a shadow over the team; no one person is more important than another." This has to be the belief and attitude for the team to be successful. No one is meant to be an island. We accomplish so much more when we work together. Our students and staff need to feel valued and a part of something and see how they contribute to the the success of their school as a whole.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
Leadership: "Any leader worth following is a leader who leads by example and is willing to do the work." I really relate to this statement as I firmly believe it. I supervised and lead a group of athletic trainers for 20 years and feel I lived by this motto. My philosophy was such that I was never going to ask one of my staff athletic trainers to do something that I wouldn't do. I feel this is also applicable to teaching as well. Administrators should never ask teachers to do things they haven't or won't do. Everyone's input is valued. Everyone's experiences should be considered not just the top dog. (administrator, teacher and etc.)
My favorite one would be teamwork and Camaraderie. When I was teaching, I loved having projects in my room and others that involved other teachers/classes so we could work together and make bigger projects for the students. One example would be in my horticulture class were grew basil, sage, oregano, and other herbs in our green house. The culinary class would then order what they needed for fresh spices and the horticulture kids would process the spices and bring them to the culinary class where the kids would then use them to cook. As a reward for that the culinary class would bring some of the meals over and the horticulture kids would get to eat some and give feedback on the meal. It worked out great for both classes and made it way more fun for the students as well as saving money for the culinary class and developing projects/real life skills for my class.
The lesson that means a lot ti me is in decision making. Lesson plans don’t always go as planned. Students don’t always behave ideally! We have to be prepared to make quick and MEANINGFUL decisions that potentially affect the entire class. I feel like I’ve always worked with leadership that supports my decisions in the classroom. I remember being a new teacher and worrying if the leadership would approve of my ideas. It is because of good leaders that I could make those decisions confidently and I think that also earned respect from my students as a very young teacher. Students see a confident decision maker as one they can trust and is not easily manipulated by their “creative” ways.
Teamwork and camaraderie are really important in education, benefiting both teachers and students. This idea is important to me, my students, and my colleagues because we are all part of the same team, working toward the same goal. As Hamish put it, “No one person should cast a shadow over the team; no one person is more important than another.” This reminds us that it’s hard to work well together if some people think they are more important than others. When that happens, it can hurt the success of the entire team.
For a team to be successful, everyone needs to work together to achieve the same goal. The strength of a team comes from everyone doing their part and supporting each other. When the staff works well together, it creates a better environment for the students to learn. A united team helps make the school a positive place and sets a good example for students about the importance of teamwork and respect.
I really like the lesson about teamwork and camaraderie. As a band instructor I talk to my students a lot about being a team. We all need to know our parts in order to make the music work as a whole; we need everyone to be on board. We need to be encouraging to everyone so everyone know's how important they are. I love the idea of empowering each other within our team.
The Firetruck lesson I relate to in education is teamwork. We work together as a team. We are all role models for students. We lift each other up, support each other. When we collaborate we make lessons real for students and make connections across the curriculum. When we work as a team we are stronger together, we listen to each other, help each other, back each other up. Everyone benefits from teamwork.
The part that resonated with me the most was the last line under the subheading 'Lessons from the Fire Service that Apply to Education.' He says winning is not about one big play; it's about doing the little things well, consistently, and effectively. The small pieces of being a teacher, when done well, are what makes a good teacher. Routinely making connections with kids; Planning ahead; Making adjustments; Preparing materials; Having a contingency plan; Smiling; All of those things when done "consistently and effectively" make for a positive educational experience for the students.
Others first-always! I enjoyed reading about his fire station experiences. I have 2 sons that are firemen and they are so willing to help others in awful conditions. They have encountered many fatal accidents since joining the department. It is not a job for the weak but I’m so proud that they volunteer which results in long hours away from their own families & evenings. They work tirelessly to help others. What an important characteristic for our students to use in school especially. When others need help, they step in quickly. When someone needs a friend, they are there. When someone is having a bad day, they cheer them up. And the best part of this lesson is that when you help someone else, you feel pretty darn good inside at the end of the day! Helping others is so rewarding in many ways!!
The lesson from the fire truck that sticks to me is pride. I believe I take great pride in being a teacher, and I'm proud of the district and school I represent. I'm proud of my students and the community we've built through the year, and I try to instill in my students the importance of pride in their work. They can pass 5th grade by not having any, but can they learn? Can they succeed? Can they apply skills? When you have pride in yourself and your abilities, you can!
The lesson that resonates with me the most is Accountability and Attention to Detail. I think this is important because there is definitely a difference between teachers who "wing," versus teachers who are well- prepared and have made an "intentional effort" to connect the skills/standards to students to make the lesson meaningful. There is nothing better when students have that "aha" moment during a lesson. These moments wouldn't be possible without intentional planning, knowing our students, and what approach to teaching that works best for them.
The lesson that resonates with me is the teamwork and camaraderie. For me I played a lot of sports growing up and was always on a team of sorts and its another family that you have when you are working with others to accomplish the goal wether is to win the game or put out the fire. With teaching I put a lot of kids on teams for the game play of our lessons, focusing on students building each other up positively. With my colleagues I try my best to help them with anything they might need me to do. We as colleagues are all on the same team as we are trying to teach theses students the best we can.
The lesson I'd like to highlight is teamwork and camaraderie. I am the leader of a small, but strong, department of teachers. We have lunch together almost every day and I feel like they aren't just my colleagues, they're my friends. They come to me for help and advice, just like I go to them. Many departments are structured this way at my school. It's so important to feel connected and supported. Not only is collaborating helpful for instructional purposes, but also to model to our students what a positive and healthy professional relationship can be. They see us laughing and chatting in the hallways between classes. They see us coming out of our classrooms from lunch. They hear us discussing lesson plan ideas. It really helps model the impact of working better and growing better together.
One of the lessons from the fire service that I feel is important in education is “Teamwork and Camaraderie”. I believe that a school should feel like a community, and the staff should be like family. We need to all work together to succeed. Our school is a combination of all staff, this includes their efforts, responsibilities, successes, and failures. We need to work together to make the best environment possible for our students.
As an art teacher I like my students to take pride in their work when they have given their best effort. I have emphasized the learning process and using creativity, attention to detail and working carefully. May students are worried about mistakes but this book also goes hand in hand with my teaching philosophy of you learn from your mistakes. You have to have perseverance and practice and go another round sometimes to get to where you want to be. Often times people who look at your art don't even see what you think is a mistake and if you do make a mistake, challenge yourself into making it a part of your final design element. Take pride in what you create!
Accountability and attention to detail in my preschool classroom are important because they set the foundation for a safe, nurturing, and effective learning environment. When I model accountability, I follow through on my promises, try my best to be prepared, and maintain our classroom routine. My classroom routine is very important to me. I believe having my routine helps students understand what to expect and what’s expected of them. I hope by modeling accountability, my students are learning the value of responsibility and trust. Attention to detail ensures that materials are developmentally appropriate, safe, and that every child’s needs are met. This lesson is important not only for me, but also for my preschool aid. It encourages collaboration and develops a team culture where we both can thrive.
The lesson that struck me the most from "Lessons from the Fire Truck" was teamwork and camaraderie. This is because I focus a relationship based teaching and I have always believed that it should feel the same way as a teacher. We are better people and educators when we feel the strength of a team behind us. It is life giving when you work with a group of other like minded people who bring the spark and inspiration of teaching to the table. It is also the best way to learn and grow. Leaning in and learning from the strengths of other colleagues pushes everyone to be a better version of themselves.
Lessons from the Fire Truck really hit home for me because I was a member of the New Ulm Volunteer Fire Department for 11 years. Before I joined, I never would have guessed that a community the size of New Ulm, population 13,925, would have so many calls in a year. We averaged about 135 calls annually, which was very surprising. My time as a firefighter really shaped how I approach education today. It reminds me that life throws way bigger challenges at people than any students ever could.
The lesson that stuck with me the most was preparation. No matter what is happening, it always circles back to being prepared. When your lessons are solid, your relationships with students, families, and coworkers are strong, and your classroom is ready to go, it just makes everything feel more manageable. You are better equipped to handle whatever fires pop up during the day.
That mindset is even more important now with how much we rely on technology. We all know computers and the internet don’t always cooperate, so being prepared with a backup plan is key. It is a solid reminder that putting in the work ahead of time can make all the difference when the unexpected happens.
All of the lessons from the fire truck are great and I can related to the all, but accountability and attention to details is a lesson from the fire truck that I can relate to a lot lately. It is on us as teacher to be prepared in the classroom in order to be able to give our students what they deserve, which is our best. Holding ourselves accountable is the best way to accomplish this. I know some days it can be tough, but those are the days where we all need to be intentional with what we do. Doing this also prepares us so we have something to fall back on when things don't go how we hope or expect!
Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
The lesson about accountability and attention to details is one that resonated with me. In order to make our educational system really great and to really impact the students, people have to be willing to work together, they have to believe in the mission, and they need to follow-through to get the job done and do it well. Sometimes, when teachers stick to themselves, they get by with the bare minimum. Likewise, some teachers are uncomfortable fully participating in a true PLC where they have to be vulnerable about how their students are performing, as they feel it reflects poorly on their teaching. Teachers need to get past that and be willing to go the extra mile, get uncomfortable, and do the thing we ask our students to do: grow.
I think teamwork and camaraderie is most important to me. Not only is it important as a team to be on the same page and support each other, but the students need to be also. In 5th grade students start to form opinions on who their friends are and if they are better than others, or petty things like this. When students realize they are on the same team they can work together and be kind to one another which makes the students and staff have a better school experience. When all are working toward a common goal spirits are lifted and breather things can be accomplished.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues. The lesson teamwork and camaraderie is an essential element in any classroom, school or community. It is vital that the school as a whole is on the same page across the board from instilling expectations to supporting one another. It is important within the classroom to also create a sense of community and camaraderie among their peers.
The lesson from the fire service that resonated with me is that our teaching should be on fire. We need to create engaging opportunities that allow children to be actively involved in their learning. This means that lessons need to be relevant and meaningful. The more that we teach like we are on fire the more likely we are to inspire staff and students around us to love learning. People can’t help but get engaged when we show our enthusiasm, creativity, and unconditional love. The school environment will change positively because everyone will be willing to take a risk.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
These are all great lessons for educators, but the one I chose was pride. Just as firemen take pride in their firehouses, trucks, gear, etc. - we should take that same amount of pride with our own classrooms and students. We should be striving to make ourselves, students, schools, and communities proud of what is happening in our classrooms and with our students. I often tell my students that if you aren't trying to makes someone proud - then what are you doing? I find that pride in work and effort is going down so this section really stood out to me on the importance of this lesson. I find this lesson so important because if an educator isn't giving their all and producing something they are proud of - then how can we teach our students to be proud of their own effort and work. Also, as a math department, we all have our hands in each students success at some point in their high school career. If we all aren't proud of our own work and classrooms, how can we be proud of each others? We have to make sure we are holding ourselves and each other accountable (another great lesson from the chapter) in order to teach to a level that our community and students are proud in what we are doing - then they will naturally rub off on students to take pride in what they are doing.
I am choosing to write about leadership, Hamish talks about how in the firehouse, you lead by example and you can’t let your ego get in the way. Our school resembles a firehouse in that we are a small school and everyone may have to wear different hats at one time or another. Certain things need done and if the custodian is gone that day, things still need cleaned and if you have extra time you will need to do it. This also has a positive effect on the students in that they see adults put aside their egos and work hard to do something that is not usually their job but needs to be done. Nothing like seeing the principal mopping up a bathroom because a small child got sick, it brings out the humility that they may not see if everyone just stays in their own room. It does show students how the adults will team up to help each other to accomplish what needs to be done, if you’re not a team player then a small school is not for you. I have always had the rule never to ask someone to do something that I was not willing to do.
I think the biggest lesson is teamwork and camaraderie. I think this is a lesson that teacher and students needs to work on. It is very important to remember that you are not alone when teaching. There are other teachers who are there to help you bounce ideas off of each other or just to lend an ear to listen. It also important for students to see teachers working together to teach them that working as a team is better then struggling on your own.
I would say Teamwork and Camaraderie would be the biggest lesson that stuck out with me. I have been teaching the same grade for 8 years and I have gone through quite a few team members. For the past three years, we have had the same 3 members on our team and I can tell that each year gets a little easier. We do most of our planning together, and we all have the same work ethic. We are all early birds so we get most of our work done before school or sometimes we just sit and have coffee in the morning and chat about our life or sometimes about school also. I know that my teammates will always have my back in any situation which makes it easier to try new things!
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
Teamwork and Camaraderie - I have often heard it said that the smartest person in the room is the room. I learn new things from my colleagues all the time. While my new job has me as my own little island, I know quite a few teachers in the building. They have already welcomed me to the building and offering advice. Whether you have a built-in team or you create your own, the support and encouragement is invaluable.
Lessons from the Fire Truck: One of the lessons that really stands out to me is pride. It's easy to fall into looking at the negatives or things that aren't going well within the district or within the classroom. We should live in such a way that we have pride in our students and our school. If we don't like the culture, then we should do everything in our power to help make the culture better - a place to be proud of. We want our students to take pride in their school as well as in their accomplishments. We should make sure that the school is a place that fosters this.
The lesson that stood out to me was Teamwork and Camaraderie due to, "your team is the product of the weakest link." This is so true. If everyone on the team is not being their best and empowering others to do the same, then the team will be divided. When a grade level team or building team is divided, focus on what is most important is lost. It will not benefit students and students will feel and see the differences across the teachers and/or grade level.
The lesson from the fire truck that stood out was teamwork and camaraderie. Without teamwork and camaraderie in education, there wouldn't be any type of relationship whatsoever! In class, teamwork helps build relationships whether its teacher to student or student to student. I'd like to say that most students PREFER to work as a group or as a team because they get to be with their peers.
As a new teacher who is still constantly learning, I ask for help all the time. I always like to ask my coworkers what they did in their classroom for a specific lesson or assessment. I encourage teamwork because it so beneficial and will make you a better teacher and individual.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
Teamwork and camaraderie stood out the most to me. As educators, we are there for a common goal; to help students succeed. We are not their for our own benefit, we want to be able to help students be successful and see those light bulb moments happen. We are not able to do things by ourselves, we ask for help all of the time. If it was just one person trying to help, it would be a job that would be nearly impossible. If we are divided in our school or district, it is going to be hard to find those successes for our students as well as our staff/friends.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
Two important lessons from the firetruck that I feel in my own practice are decision making, and pride. In my role as the school nurse I am working somewhat independently, where in the past I was working with a team of nurses. I have learned to trust myself, and because of my preparation, I feel more confident in making decisions for or about students on a day to to day basis. This was something I was most nervous about entering the school world, but one of the greatest skills I have gained. I also feel so much pride in my work. Honestly, that is not a feeling I have had in past jobs. I think pride is a huge piece of my job satisfaction, and I think it is so important for everyone working in the education field. My students and my school community are so important to me, I want to do my part to make my school a better place. I work hard, I am careful and thoughtful, because of what I do I feel good at the end of the day and take pride in my work and reputation.
I believe that leadership is one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education. Not only do us teachers need to show leadership, it is important for our students to be leaders as well. "Everyone's efforts and actions determine the outcome." When teaching, your efforts and actions determine how students learn and desire to learn. If you can lead in a way that relates to the students, they will want to learn from you. All teachers need to work together in one way or another to reach the desired outcome. Students in the classroom can lead by example and hope others will want to lead with them. If students are disruptive, their actions will determine the outcome for other students. You can show leadership and praise others who are showing leadership to help build that community in you room.
I believe pride is one of the great lessons. Taking pride in your work and accomplishments shows that you care and are willing to help students learn and also show others you dedication. Pride shows that are invested in yourself, your students and your coworkers.
I like the teamwork idea. We work as a core in the 6th grade. We decide what the students need to learn and focus on. The ELA core decides the standards and learning targets for the moment and when they need to change to something else. My core teachers decide on the activities and help each other with students. We look at the test scores and decide on changes we need to make in order to help students. We do all of these things and more to help the students as a core of educators.
Teamwork and camaraderie is the lesson I feel is most important. I think this is a lesson that is imperative for both my students and colleagues to learn. However, I will focus on why it has been especially important for my colleagues.
When I first started at my school (13 years ago, holy moly), I was only the 2nd school counselor they had ever had. My predecessor had been there for 30 years. To add the cherry on top, I also returned to work at the elementary school that I had also gone to as a child. Several of my own elementary teacher were still working at the school. I was definitely the odd person out. I am not sure if it was the fact that now they had to deal with a different counselor (different way of doing things), their former student, or the fact that I was just young (27, at the time), but it was a rough go....and there definitely was no teamwork going on. In fact, I had to deal with quite a lot of "you should do this, because this is the way it's always been done."
Since this is already a long story, I will wrap it up. :) I needed to change my frame of mind to be able to work with these new colleagues of mine. I had to cultivate a culture of teamwork and camaraderie, within myself. I started to ask questions, and ask what the teachers needed. I wanted to show them, that I want to work with them, and not just give "advice." I valued their opinion, and wanted to work with them as a team to figure out best practices for their students.
Fast forward, our school has worked hard to cultivate teamwork and camaraderie. We are a team. We meet to discuss ways to best serve ALL students, we have each other's backs, and we have even started to like hanging out with each other outside of school hours. It's definitely a work in progress, and ebbs and flows, but we are getting there. :)
Teamwork and camaraderie are crucial for teachers. It promotes success. Camaraderie and teamwork allow teachers to work toward a common goal. The common goal should be student-focused. I serve as the team lead for five teachers. When there is teamwork and camaraderie there is a sense of belonging. Without teamwork, the group fails. Teachers are expected to build relationships with students. Teachers also need to build relationships with their team members. Colleagues become an essential support system in education. Without a support system, teachers become lost. In addition to a support system teamwork establishes trust. Teachers cannot be relentless without trust and a sense of community. In order to do what is best for kids it is necessary to have detailed conversations. Detailed conversations can be difficult at times. Trust allows for those types of discussions to be had. Teachers need to be heard. Honesty is non-negotiable. Open discussion allows for new and vetted ideas. It allows for stakeholder buy-in. Trust and community do not put team members above other members of the team. As Brewer said no one should cast a shadow over the team.
I choose teamwork and camaraderie. This is important for me and my colleagues in the department so that students see that we respect one another and that it is a seamless transition from my class to the next level. We have each other's backs. We share fun lesson ideas with one another. If one of us needs a prop to make a lesson more real, we know that we can ask each other and brainstorm ideas together. We have each other's backs! I value her professional opinion and vice versa. For me it also means that I value community. In the best of times and the worst of times, people bounce back faster when they are loved and belong in a group. In order to have those people to help you through, you need to authentically and genuinely show up for them in the little and the big ways. It doesn't matter on which side of the desk you are seated. Remember, we are all just walking each other home, as stated by the authors of "Teachers these Days."
“Teamwork and Camaraderie” stand out to me. Where would I be without my 8th grade (teacher) team?? Lost, looking for support you name it. I depend on my 8th grade team for answers when I am having a tough time with a student. They are there to support me and offer new ways to deal with the situation. I also depend on my team to bounce ideas off, for any situation. My 8th grade team is there for anything whether it is in school or out of school. I spend more time with them during the school year than anybody else. As for the students, they can see that the entire team is on the same page with expectations in the classroom, hallways, and assemblies. But the biggest benefit is the camaraderie I have with my team, we help each other out when needed and have some good laughs along the way.
I work in a large district where there are multiple teachers teaching the same class. We meet weekly for collaboration where we talk about data and the resources/activities we are doing in class. We share with one another because we are all in this together. We want to work together to figure out how to best teach our students and help them be the best individuals that they can be. We support each other as colleagues and help each other out when we are stuck and don't know what to do. We have each others back because we are in this for the students.
Pride is the lesson from the fire truck that speaks to me. I say this because it is something I think I need to work on in my building specifically. I am an alumni of the school district where I teach. I attended K-12 and even did my student teaching in this district. I have been teaching in this district for 22 years and have currently in the oldest building in one of the most impoverished areas in our district for the past 15 years. We have many obstacles that are not within our control. However, I believe that if we have pride in what we have and teach kids to have pride in themselves and their school that some of those obstacles are easier to overcome. I feel like I need to be a part of leading us to take pride in what we are doing, how we see ourselves and our students. I have always been a Cardinal and I want to show that pride to others and have our students feel it too.
The lesson that is most important to me is accountability and attention to details. This is important to me because I am a special education teacher, and it is important that I have strong attention to detail skills because my IEP paperwork needs to be accurate. I also must pay attention to dates and always plan far enough ahead for scheduling meetings and evaluations. My co-workers also look to me to have knowledge of the paperwork and student needs, so it is important that I am accountable to them and can provide them with the information they need. I also need to be accountable to the families of my students by collecting data on their student’s skills and providing them with updates on their student’s progress on their goals.
The first lesson from The Fire Service that sticks out to me as applying to education is "little things done well add up to great accomplishments". "Winning is not about one big play, it's about doing the little things well, consistently and effectively. In education we have to expect the students to do the little things (follow directions, attend to tasks, be kind, follow routines) consistently and effectively in order them to be successful. I teach early childhood special education and the little things adding up to big accomplishments is what I think about daily for my students. In my classroom we say it might appear that a student is not making progress but we have to look at the little things they are able to do that they weren't able to do before (beginning of the year, last week, last quarter). In his list of lessons #2 accountability and attention to detail sticks out to me as a team we all have to be willing to go the extra mile for each student. When we work together to go the extra mile for each student in an intentional effort we are ensuring that each child experiences success. On my educational team this includes conversations with parents, visuals for students, devices for students, communicating about our students weekly, helping each other out with something that is difficult for a particular student, trying new things suggested by others.
The lesson that sticks out the most to me is Pride. When people ask me what I do, I light up when I tell them I'm a teacher. People that don't even know me can instantly tell that I love being a teacher. To me, pride is the building block for being successful. If you don't take pride in what you do, how you do it, and why you do it...you are holding back yourself and your students. Pride should be shown in all aspects of teaching. You should show pride in your school, classroom, teaching, students and your colleagues. If you walk into a classroom you will know if that teacher takes pride in their profession. They will be upbeat, positive and the kids will be having fun learning. When teachers are proud of what they do, the kids will follow suit. The best teachers are the teachers that absolutely love what they do and are PROUD to be teachers. If I ever lose that sense of pride, that's the day I walk away.
I chose number two: Accountability and Attention to Detail. Your dynamics in the classroom and the strength of your lessons are the direct result of all the hard work you put in by preparing all the little things. The early mornings of reading new content and preparing for student reactions from boredom to total engagement. How can I differentiate this lesson for students who didn't get enough sleep last night? How can I make this lesson engaging for students who haven't been in class for a few weeks for various reasons. Colleges don't teach you about the "outside of the classroom" essentials enough to prepare you to be a good teacher inside of the classroom. I think like with any good professional, you only improve through direct experience and practice. A teacher's practice involves attention to detail. This is important to the students as they become interested in you and engaged in the lessons when you've put in the work. Also, it's helpful to have backup plans for the many moods you'll encounter in class on any given day. This is important to your colleagues as it sets an example for them to emulate but also by practicing accountability, you hopefully open doors for them to be their authentic selves by sharing and asking for help when needed.
Without teamwork and camaraderie how does anyone feel safe to the point they can take risks? My students make a lot of projects during the course of the school year in social studies. If I don't provide a safe place with some advance training and clear expectations, how do they experiment with different mediums, be creative, research wisely, and present confidently to their peers and even to some elementary classes (many content standards checked off).
I would choose the first one, Teamwork and Camaraderie. Just like the first sentence, there is nothing more important than a team. You can be a team with your spouse, your coworkers, your friends, and one that sticks out to me in my personal life is a team of doctors. Doing anything by yourself can be tough and miserable. I love the thought of when you turn around, who will be standing there with you having your back. I think it's important for teachers to have each others backs because we all know what it's like to be a teacher and how difficult things can be in this profession. We also need to be on an even closer team when we're in the same school because we go through the same people or tasks. You need your team in whatever aspect of your life to get through the tough times.
One lesson from the Firetruck is Teamwork and Camaraderie. Teamwork and Camaraderie is very important in building relationships. I feel that we are given less and less time to plan and build relationships. Our plates are very full, and more and more keeps getting piled on them. It is important for staff to have each others back and to grow together to help our students. If teaching is about relationships with students, shouldn't staff also be focused on relationships with each other and growing together? Nothing irritates me more, than if I hear about another educator who runs to the principal because they do not like how another teacher is doing something. They are like a student trying to tattle or get them in trouble. Why can't communication, kindness, bonding and camaraderie be something that is brought into our profession so we can help each other when when someone is down. Help other teachers to learn and grow in the profession. Not stomp someone into the dirt.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
The lesson that sticks out to me is PRIDE. If we have pride in our school, students, staff and ourselves, the rest will take care of itself. We should strive to be at our best at all times. Pride in our school can look different to each and every staff member and community member. What pride should be though is easily identified whether we are taking pride in how presentable are campus and classrooms are to how we talk about our school community (campus, other staff, support staff) to our colleagues and other community members. Pride should be identifiable in how we prepare to teach our students, interact with our students in terms of individual people who have their own unique stories and circumstances, the way we speak of our students to other colleagues, community members and to people out of our campus. Most importantly, our students should should feel a sense of pride that we have instilled in them in terms of being an individual in a collective students body, pride in being a student with in the classroom, pride in being a member of our student body and pride in the overall school community. Ultimately we will not know the level of pride in our students until they have graduated and speak of their experiences in school.
Teamwork and camaraderie are important to me. I teach high school art. That might sound very individualized but I treat my classes and art students like a team or small community. I want my kids to take pride in their classroom, supplies, and equipment. Everyone cleans up regardless of who made the mess. It’s important to keep the classroom functional from day to day for everyone’s sake including our custodians. I love to point out a student's success to the whole class. I want my kids to feel pride in their work and recognize other’s achievements. I try to celebrate of other’s accomplishments as much as I can. When a student is unsure of their work whether it’s the shading or a certain color choice. We talk about options. Instead of me just barking answers/orders, we ask the other students around them for their input. We try to engage the community/team. One of my biggest priorities is that everyone feels they belong in the art room. Everyone adds value whether it’s through their skill set, their ideas, their opinions, their effort. The art room has a space for everyone. One of my students that graduated left me a thank you note. She wrote, “We are all different humans with different ideas and passions, but in the art room we are all simply humans with the same goal– to create.” I share that every year. We are all different. We enter this room with a skill set, a knowledge bank, expectations, anxieties, uncertainties, but we’ll all improve, learn, and grow together.
I love my colleagues! We’re a small school and we know a lot about each other. When I was new here there was one teacher that really took me under their wing and made sure I would be successful here. I refer to him as my work dad. He went out of his way to be welcoming. Made sure I knew what was expected, what our principle looked for. Why it was important for kids. He cared about my success because he cared about our school and most importantly our students. When he retired and moved away he asked that I do the same. That I check up on new staff and help them succeed. So I do! It’s important that we all gel and help each other out. If we want the best for our kids we need to help the next generation of educators as well.
One of the biggest lessons that stuck with me is the importance of teamwork and camaraderie. In the firehouse, you don’t succeed alone, and it’s the same in education. As a teacher and coach, I’ve learned that the strength of your team makes all the difference. We’ve got to have each other’s backs, show up for one another, and trust that everyone is pulling in the same direction. That kind of unity creates a culture where people feel safe, supported, and willing to go the extra mile. For students, it means knowing they’re not in it alone. For staff, it reminds us that we’re stronger together than we ever are apart. That mindset is what keeps us pushing forward, especially when things get hard.
One lesson from the fire service that really stands out to me is teamwork and camaraderie. As a middle school ELL teacher, I know I can’t do this work alone. Supporting multilingual learners takes collaboration with other teachers, support staff, administrators, and families. When we work as a team, sharing ideas and building each other up, our students benefit the most.
This lesson reminds me how important it is to check in on my colleagues, offer help when I can, and be open to learning from others. A strong sense of teamwork not only improves the learning environment for students, but also helps create a school culture where everyone feels supported and motivated.
The lesson that stands out to me, is PRIDE. When the goal is to take a school from worse to best, there needs to be a change in mindset from failure to pride. This is true for all of the stakeholders in a district, from the students to the school board. Everyone on the journey needs to believe that they are teaching on fire, that they are doing what is good for kids, and that they are making an impact. They need to be proud of that! Encouraging students, especially at the middle school level, to be proud of their growth and progress, is key for continued success. Pride in students and teachers leads to pride in the school, which leads to pride in the community, which creates a cyclical pattern of life changing growth and change.
The lesson that most applies to my education was teamwork and cameraderie. First of all, I believe teachers must be able to work together as a team. We need to all be on the same page, which is to do our best to help children reach and exceed their full potential. If all teachers are not part of the team, the whole school is at a disadvantage and students are hindered. In addition, there needs to be teamwork in the classroom. Students and teachers need to realize that we are a team and a team is only as good as its weakest member. Therefore, everyone has to be on board with being responsible for not only themselves, but for everyone on the team. Cameraderie is also important. I had a principal who once said, "The faculty that plays together, stays together." In my 42 years of teaching, I have found that saying to be true. Having fun with other members of the team is an integral part of being a team for the school's welfare. Students also need to have cameraderie. This in turn will help keep the team in synch and engaged in learning.
The lesson of teamwork and camaraderie is important to me because without a team, I would not be successful. Everyone in the school is equally important. My principal, other teachers, paras, and janitors all work with one goal in mind. - the STUDENTS! The students see us all as equals and all of us working together to make them successful academically, socially, emotionally, etc.
When working at an educational cooperative we worked as a team. We had success with students, parents and school districts. We were able to agree and disagree to determine what was best for the students. We respected each other's talent and built off of it creating an outstanding work environment.
The lesson of pride applies most to my education. I really take the time to make my units/lessons in health captivating and interesting. I also make my work organized and creative so that it really gets the students attention. It is the small little details that matter - like adding pictures or gifs to PowerPoints. Visuals like these mean a lot to me, and usually draw the attention of my students. I also take pride in the assessments I have created- for example our “suicide prevention posters”. The students love this project and it is something I made up on my own. Every year they come out more and more beautiful, and I’m so proud of them that I hang them around the school. I also take pride in keeping my classroom clean and organized. This helps students mimic being clean and organized as well.
I think this hits all 3 marks, myself, students, staff. Like any other profession/business, If a person walks into a shop and sees that the place is clean the employees have a great attitude and the customers are treated well, people are bound to return. When working in a school, if each teacher inspires one-another to take pride in the building, the motto/creed, and execute the teachings, the students/parents will take notice and realize that everyone in that school building really cherishes the place. Even if a person works in an old building that has no luster, money or whatever, if people can take pride in what they have, better things can happen.
I also think teamwork and camaraderie is so important in education. Yes, the students in my room are MY students, but there are so many educators in our building that play a huge role in their success. From administration to encores to special services, the students will succeed best if we all work together. Every job is easier when more than one person helps, this is no different. I think about the amount of times I have brainstormed with other teachers, learning from them often. Another example that just happened this week- the teacher of the class I had last year just came to me to discuss a specific student. Why should she reinvent the wheel, but she can know what has worked in the past for that student and start there. No child will succeed with just one teacher. Everyone plays a role. It truly takes a village.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
Teamwork and Camaraderie to me are the most important of the lessons form the firetruck. To work at an effective school, everyone has to pull in the same direction. We are always only as strong as the weakest link. My colleagues and I have to know that when we look over our shoulders, all of us are standing there. We fight for each other and we have each other's backs. Our students have to know that they belong to a great community. This takes a team. This is more than one person in one classroom. For me, I have found energy in working with teachers that are like minded and want what is best for everyone. It is no fun and not rewarding to work at a school as a lone wolf who wants the best for kids. The team that believes in this is powerful.
The first thing that stood out to me was the Leadership- if I want students to show positive qualities, I need to show them too- leading by example. I try and come to work every day and leave my personal life at the door and give everything I've got to the class period/day. If I'm projecting negativity or anxiety, that's what I'm going to get in return.
The other thing that stood out to me was the Pride. I think it goes hand in hand with what I was saying before- we have to project what we want to get back. I want to take pride about things on the professional side- how I dress, how my classroom looks, how prepared my lessons are, etc. But I also want to take pride in how I form relationships with students and other teachers/staff in the building. I want my space to be known as a safe and welcoming space for all. I'm really proud of that.
Teamwork and Camaraderie would be the lesson that applies to education. In our building we are constantly working together in our PLC groups. If you do not have a group that works well together and gets along, in general, then our students will ultimately suffer because the curriculum and learning opportunities might be different and not as beneficial. We do see some students that want a specific teacher because they are "easier". We are working on fixing the gap in hopes that future students will not care who they have. It is hard to stay consistent within a subject when teachers can't work together to best serve the students.
Teamwork and Camaraderi is a big lesson. This is important, because with out teamwork, it feels like everyone is doing their own thing. I was at a school where a teacher and principal did not get along, or seldom tried to talk with each other when problems arose. I could feel the tension in the room. When the teacher left the climate changed for the good. If you have team work you will succeed and have fun. I have been at school where half the staff is new. I have to tell you those years where awesome. I don't know if it was because many were new, but everyone seemed to work together and helped each other out. Not only the staff, but the teamwork rubbed off on the kids. I think it is important to have staff get-togethers outside of school, so teachers and spouse can build a comaraderie with others. the school I am at and the last one this was a struggle due to schedules and also others not seeing the importance. Get-togethers help strengthen the teamwork. Finally, teamwork will help with the other lessons from the fire truck.
ReplyDeleteI am all for teamwork and camaraderie! As a former athlete, I think my mindset has always been about working together as a team to reach that ultimate goal. We all know when working as a team your final product reflects on the weakest link. It’s so important to support and empower each other to bring the very best. Your students can see and hear their teachers interactions with other teachers. I think it’s our responsibility to show them what teamwork looks and sounds like. Working together and listening to each other is only going to make your team stronger for yourselves and for the kids.
ReplyDeleteLesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson of preparation sticks out the most to me. In all things, it always comes back to the simple things and the fundamentals. Being prepared in your curriculum, building strong relationships with students, families and colleagues as well as having a vision and plan for teaching allows us to feel the most prepared as teachers. These principles also keep us prepared for any "fire" we may face in education. I always love seeing the quote "You don't rise to the occasion you fall to your level of training." Prepare and train all things necessary!
The Fire Truck lesson I feel is so important is Pride. If a lesson or presentation is not something that you are proud of as a teacher, I believe that impacts how you teach or present that lesson. Pride and confidence in yourself is necessary to be an effective teacher. If a lesson is something that is thrown together at the last minute, something that hasn't been properly prepared and thought through it will not be presented with confidence. The students will definitely feel the lack of preparedness and uncertainty. Pride in what you give your students every day should be a top priority for every teacher.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of taking pride in our school and in our own accomplishments. I constantly tell my students to take pride in their work--to do the best work they can and show what they are capable of doing. This also instills a sense of pride in the parents when they see good things from their children. I try to get them to buy into taking pride in their school as well--keeping things neat and clean, picking up after themselves, etc. It's a matter of belonging to each other and to the school we come from.
ReplyDeleteOne of the lessons from the firehouse that resonates with my current job situation is Pride. I am an Early Interventionist and conduct home visits for children ages birth to three. I coach parents with any situations and concerns they feel are a priority. I help them learn to be a strong advocate for their child. In doing so we all work together to take great pride in each and every home visit. We develop strong relationships in which we problem-solve, cry, and celebrate together.
ReplyDeleteThe one lesson that I can relate to would be accountability and attention to detail. In our school I see and hear a lot of blaming and finding fault in what others are doing. This is not only students but staff. In life we will all have to be responsible for our decisions and the consequences. This goes right along with the lesson on decision making.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to mind is teamwork! Teamwork is a big part of education. Collaborating with colleagues on a daily is important. Being part of something that is bigger than myself alone is an amazing feeling. Knowing that we as a team in a school district that at times can be so divided, we are making a difference!
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that resonated with me the most was decision making. Decisions are made by the second, especially when teaching special education and specifically behavior. Now, I'm not speaking about decisions regarding disciplinary action or situations that are obviously an admin decision. However, there are decisions like curriculum and instruction, de-escalation decisions, and several other decisions that need to be made in the second. I've had admin where none of those decisions could be made, and I would have to wait. I have had admin, and currently had admin, that allow me to make those decisions in the moment. Not only is it important for me to do my job, but it is beneficial to the students. Students in a behavioral crisis do not have time to "wait." Finally, it is important for my colleagues that we can work as a team and for our students.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that really impacted me was the teamwork and camaraderie. We team teach at STARBASE so it is essential that we work as a team. Every morning, my teaching partner will look over the lessons and see how we want to divide them up. I love this option, since we teach the same curriculum 31 times every year, this is a way to keep it fresh and exciting. Being a 6 person team means there are others to bounce ideas off, or help come up with solutions when there are problems. It's also nice, that if there's a student who is really pushing your buttons, you can ask your team mate to lend a hand or maybe intercede because they haven't dealt with the student. Because there are only 9 of us total in our whole program, we are extremely close to each other and really are a family.
ReplyDeleteTeamwork and camaraderie is the lesson that really resonated with me. I have gone through so many teaching partners due to retirements, budget cuts, and grade level changes. I've never felt like I had a 2nd grade team. I felt isolated. Two years ago I got another new teaching partner. Her and I clicked right away. Our teaching styles, personality, even our personal lives were very similar. We lesson plan together, we bounce ideas off each other, and we convince each other to try new things. It is wonderful to have not only a teaching partner next door, but a friend as well. As a building we have always been a team. My co-workers and I go out of our way to do special things. We make quarterly lunches, we have get togethers, and we go above and beyond to help each other out in times of need. Hamish is right. "We are in this together".
ReplyDeleteLesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteTeamwork and camaraderie is an important lesson from the fire truck in education. As a middle school teacher, I believe teaming is the foundation of my job. The work we do to educate a team of students within our team of teachers is incredible. It's so interesting to see the personality of the math, English, social studies, science, PE, and encore teachers come to a common solution about what to do with a situation. We really develop a trust of one another's strengths and fill in the gaps for each other's weaknesses. It's been a gift to spend my career in middle level teaming.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues. As a special education teacher I need to be prepared during the day. I truly don't ever know how my day will go-all I know is that I need to expect the unexpected. With that in mind it is very important that I am prepared. I need to have everything ready to go so that if a "fire" comes up I can go with it and not be negatively impacted by it. I need to be on the ready so I can swerve as I need to depending on the day, the situation, and the situation that arises. It is beneficial so that I can use these situations as life lessons for my students and how it may apply to them. I also work on quite a bit of basics and routines, alot of repetition in order to avoid regression. It is this little things that will help the students I work with and help them go the distance.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson from the fire service of "Teamwork and Camaraderie" is important for me, my students, and my colleagues, because we are all a part of the same team working for the same common goal. I like how Hamish stated it, "No one person should cast a shadow over the team; no one person is more important than another." This has to be the belief and attitude for the team to be successful. No one is meant to be an island. We accomplish so much more when we work together. Our students and staff need to feel valued and a part of something and see how they contribute to the the success of their school as a whole.
ReplyDeleteLesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteLeadership: "Any leader worth following is a leader who leads by example and is willing to do the work." I really relate to this statement as I firmly believe it. I supervised and lead a group of athletic trainers for 20 years and feel I lived by this motto. My philosophy was such that I was never going to ask one of my staff athletic trainers to do something that I wouldn't do. I feel this is also applicable to teaching as well. Administrators should never ask teachers to do things they haven't or won't do. Everyone's input is valued. Everyone's experiences should be considered not just the top dog. (administrator, teacher and etc.)
My favorite one would be teamwork and Camaraderie. When I was teaching, I loved having projects in my room and others that involved other teachers/classes so we could work together and make bigger projects for the students. One example would be in my horticulture class were grew basil, sage, oregano, and other herbs in our green house. The culinary class would then order what they needed for fresh spices and the horticulture kids would process the spices and bring them to the culinary class where the kids would then use them to cook. As a reward for that the culinary class would bring some of the meals over and the horticulture kids would get to eat some and give feedback on the meal. It worked out great for both classes and made it way more fun for the students as well as saving money for the culinary class and developing projects/real life skills for my class.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that means a lot ti me is in decision making. Lesson plans don’t always go as planned. Students don’t always behave ideally! We have to be prepared to make quick and MEANINGFUL decisions that potentially affect the entire class. I feel like I’ve always worked with leadership that supports my decisions in the classroom. I remember being a new teacher and worrying if the leadership would approve of my ideas. It is because of good leaders that I could make those decisions confidently and I think that also earned respect from my students as a very young teacher. Students see a confident decision maker as one they can trust and is not easily manipulated by their “creative” ways.
ReplyDeleteThis was Jerica Sieperda’s comment.
DeleteTeamwork and camaraderie are really important in education, benefiting both teachers and students. This idea is important to me, my students, and my colleagues because we are all part of the same team, working toward the same goal. As Hamish put it, “No one person should cast a shadow over the team; no one person is more important than another.” This reminds us that it’s hard to work well together if some people think they are more important than others. When that happens, it can hurt the success of the entire team.
ReplyDeleteFor a team to be successful, everyone needs to work together to achieve the same goal. The strength of a team comes from everyone doing their part and supporting each other. When the staff works well together, it creates a better environment for the students to learn. A united team helps make the school a positive place and sets a good example for students about the importance of teamwork and respect.
I really like the lesson about teamwork and camaraderie. As a band instructor I talk to my students a lot about being a team. We all need to know our parts in order to make the music work as a whole; we need everyone to be on board. We need to be encouraging to everyone so everyone know's how important they are. I love the idea of empowering each other within our team.
ReplyDeleteThe Firetruck lesson I relate to in education is teamwork. We work together as a team. We are all role models for students. We lift each other up, support each other. When we collaborate we make lessons real for students and make connections across the curriculum. When we work as a team we are stronger together, we listen to each other, help each other, back each other up. Everyone benefits from teamwork.
ReplyDeleteThe part that resonated with me the most was the last line under the subheading 'Lessons from the Fire Service that Apply to Education.' He says winning is not about one big play; it's about doing the little things well, consistently, and effectively. The small pieces of being a teacher, when done well, are what makes a good teacher. Routinely making connections with kids; Planning ahead; Making adjustments; Preparing materials; Having a contingency plan; Smiling; All of those things when done "consistently and effectively" make for a positive educational experience for the students.
ReplyDeleteOthers first-always! I enjoyed reading about his fire station experiences. I have 2 sons that are firemen and they are so willing to help others in awful conditions. They have encountered many fatal accidents since joining the department. It is not a job for the weak but I’m so proud that they volunteer which results in long hours away from their own families & evenings. They work tirelessly to help others. What an important characteristic for our students to use in school especially. When others need help, they step in quickly. When someone needs a friend, they are there. When someone is having a bad day, they cheer them up. And the best part of this lesson is that when you help someone else, you feel pretty darn good inside at the end of the day! Helping others is so rewarding in many ways!!
ReplyDeleteThe lesson from the fire truck that sticks to me is pride. I believe I take great pride in being a teacher, and I'm proud of the district and school I represent. I'm proud of my students and the community we've built through the year, and I try to instill in my students the importance of pride in their work. They can pass 5th grade by not having any, but can they learn? Can they succeed? Can they apply skills? When you have pride in yourself and your abilities, you can!
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that resonates with me the most is Accountability and Attention to Detail. I think this is important because there is definitely a difference between teachers who "wing," versus teachers who are well- prepared and have made an "intentional effort" to connect the skills/standards to students to make the lesson meaningful. There is nothing better when students have that "aha" moment during a lesson. These moments wouldn't be possible without intentional planning, knowing our students, and what approach to teaching that works best for them.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that resonates with me is the teamwork and camaraderie. For me I played a lot of sports growing up and was always on a team of sorts and its another family that you have when you are working with others to accomplish the goal wether is to win the game or put out the fire. With teaching I put a lot of kids on teams for the game play of our lessons, focusing on students building each other up positively. With my colleagues I try my best to help them with anything they might need me to do. We as colleagues are all on the same team as we are trying to teach theses students the best we can.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson I'd like to highlight is teamwork and camaraderie. I am the leader of a small, but strong, department of teachers. We have lunch together almost every day and I feel like they aren't just my colleagues, they're my friends. They come to me for help and advice, just like I go to them. Many departments are structured this way at my school. It's so important to feel connected and supported.
ReplyDeleteNot only is collaborating helpful for instructional purposes, but also to model to our students what a positive and healthy professional relationship can be. They see us laughing and chatting in the hallways between classes. They see us coming out of our classrooms from lunch. They hear us discussing lesson plan ideas. It really helps model the impact of working better and growing better together.
One of the lessons from the fire service that I feel is important in education is “Teamwork and Camaraderie”. I believe that a school should feel like a community, and the staff should be like family. We need to all work together to succeed. Our school is a combination of all staff, this includes their efforts, responsibilities, successes, and failures. We need to work together to make the best environment possible for our students.
ReplyDeleteAs an art teacher I like my students to take pride in their work when they have given their best effort. I have emphasized the learning process and using creativity, attention to detail and working carefully. May students are worried about mistakes but this book also goes hand in hand with my teaching philosophy of you learn from your mistakes. You have to have perseverance and practice and go another round sometimes to get to where you want to be. Often times people who look at your art don't even see what you think is a mistake and if you do make a mistake, challenge yourself into making it a part of your final design element. Take pride in what you create!
ReplyDeleteAccountability and attention to detail in my preschool classroom are important because they set the foundation for a safe, nurturing, and effective learning environment. When I model accountability, I follow through on my promises, try my best to be prepared, and maintain our classroom routine. My classroom routine is very important to me. I believe having my routine helps students understand what to expect and what’s expected of them. I hope by modeling accountability, my students are learning the value of responsibility and trust. Attention to detail ensures that materials are developmentally appropriate, safe, and that every child’s needs are met. This lesson is important not only for me, but also for my preschool aid. It encourages collaboration and develops a team culture where we both can thrive.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that struck me the most from "Lessons from the Fire Truck" was teamwork and camaraderie. This is because I focus a relationship based teaching and I have always believed that it should feel the same way as a teacher. We are better people and educators when we feel the strength of a team behind us. It is life giving when you work with a group of other like minded people who bring the spark and inspiration of teaching to the table. It is also the best way to learn and grow. Leaning in and learning from the strengths of other colleagues pushes everyone to be a better version of themselves.
ReplyDeleteLessons from the Fire Truck really hit home for me because I was a member of the New Ulm Volunteer Fire Department for 11 years. Before I joined, I never would have guessed that a community the size of New Ulm, population 13,925, would have so many calls in a year. We averaged about 135 calls annually, which was very surprising. My time as a firefighter really shaped how I approach education today. It reminds me that life throws way bigger challenges at people than any students ever could.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that stuck with me the most was preparation. No matter what is happening, it always circles back to being prepared. When your lessons are solid, your relationships with students, families, and coworkers are strong, and your classroom is ready to go, it just makes everything feel more manageable. You are better equipped to handle whatever fires pop up during the day.
That mindset is even more important now with how much we rely on technology. We all know computers and the internet don’t always cooperate, so being prepared with a backup plan is key. It is a solid reminder that putting in the work ahead of time can make all the difference when the unexpected happens.
All of the lessons from the fire truck are great and I can related to the all, but accountability and attention to details is a lesson from the fire truck that I can relate to a lot lately. It is on us as teacher to be prepared in the classroom in order to be able to give our students what they deserve, which is our best. Holding ourselves accountable is the best way to accomplish this. I know some days it can be tough, but those are the days where we all need to be intentional with what we do. Doing this also prepares us so we have something to fall back on when things don't go how we hope or expect!
ReplyDeleteChoose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson about accountability and attention to details is one that resonated with me. In order to make our educational system really great and to really impact the students, people have to be willing to work together, they have to believe in the mission, and they need to follow-through to get the job done and do it well. Sometimes, when teachers stick to themselves, they get by with the bare minimum. Likewise, some teachers are uncomfortable fully participating in a true PLC where they have to be vulnerable about how their students are performing, as they feel it reflects poorly on their teaching. Teachers need to get past that and be willing to go the extra mile, get uncomfortable, and do the thing we ask our students to do: grow.
I think teamwork and camaraderie is most important to me. Not only is it important as a team to be on the same page and support each other, but the students need to be also. In 5th grade students start to form opinions on who their friends are and if they are better than others, or petty things like this. When students realize they are on the same team they can work together and be kind to one another which makes the students and staff have a better school experience. When all are working toward a common goal spirits are lifted and breather things can be accomplished.
ReplyDeleteLesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson teamwork and camaraderie is an essential element in any classroom, school or community. It is vital that the school as a whole is on the same page across the board from instilling expectations to supporting one another. It is important within the classroom to also create a sense of community and camaraderie among their peers.
The lesson from the fire service that resonated with me is that our teaching should be on fire. We need to create engaging opportunities that allow children to be actively involved in their learning. This means that lessons need to be relevant and meaningful. The more that we teach like we are on fire the more likely we are to inspire staff and students around us to love learning. People can’t help but get engaged when we show our enthusiasm, creativity, and unconditional love. The school environment will change positively because everyone will be willing to take a risk.
ReplyDeleteLesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteThese are all great lessons for educators, but the one I chose was pride. Just as firemen take pride in their firehouses, trucks, gear, etc. - we should take that same amount of pride with our own classrooms and students. We should be striving to make ourselves, students, schools, and communities proud of what is happening in our classrooms and with our students. I often tell my students that if you aren't trying to makes someone proud - then what are you doing? I find that pride in work and effort is going down so this section really stood out to me on the importance of this lesson. I find this lesson so important because if an educator isn't giving their all and producing something they are proud of - then how can we teach our students to be proud of their own effort and work. Also, as a math department, we all have our hands in each students success at some point in their high school career. If we all aren't proud of our own work and classrooms, how can we be proud of each others? We have to make sure we are holding ourselves and each other accountable (another great lesson from the chapter) in order to teach to a level that our community and students are proud in what we are doing - then they will naturally rub off on students to take pride in what they are doing.
I am choosing to write about leadership, Hamish talks about how in the firehouse, you lead by example and you can’t let your ego get in the way. Our school resembles a firehouse in that we are a small school and everyone may have to wear different hats at one time or another. Certain things need done and if the custodian is gone that day, things still need cleaned and if you have extra time you will need to do it. This also has a positive effect on the students in that they see adults put aside their egos and work hard to do something that is not usually their job but needs to be done. Nothing like seeing the principal mopping up a bathroom because a small child got sick, it brings out the humility that they may not see if everyone just stays in their own room. It does show students how the adults will team up to help each other to accomplish what needs to be done, if you’re not a team player then a small school is not for you. I have always had the rule never to ask someone to do something that I was not willing to do.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest lesson is teamwork and camaraderie. I think this is a lesson that teacher and students needs to work on. It is very important to remember that you are not alone when teaching. There are other teachers who are there to help you bounce ideas off of each other or just to lend an ear to listen. It also important for students to see teachers working together to teach them that working as a team is better then struggling on your own.
ReplyDeleteI would say Teamwork and Camaraderie would be the biggest lesson that stuck out with me. I have been teaching the same grade for 8 years and I have gone through quite a few team members. For the past three years, we have had the same 3 members on our team and I can tell that each year gets a little easier. We do most of our planning together, and we all have the same work ethic. We are all early birds so we get most of our work done before school or sometimes we just sit and have coffee in the morning and chat about our life or sometimes about school also. I know that my teammates will always have my back in any situation which makes it easier to try new things!
ReplyDeleteLesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteTeamwork and Camaraderie - I have often heard it said that the smartest person in the room is the room. I learn new things from my colleagues all the time. While my new job has me as my own little island, I know quite a few teachers in the building. They have already welcomed me to the building and offering advice. Whether you have a built-in team or you create your own, the support and encouragement is invaluable.
Lessons from the Fire Truck: One of the lessons that really stands out to me is pride. It's easy to fall into looking at the negatives or things that aren't going well within the district or within the classroom. We should live in such a way that we have pride in our students and our school. If we don't like the culture, then we should do everything in our power to help make the culture better - a place to be proud of. We want our students to take pride in their school as well as in their accomplishments. We should make sure that the school is a place that fosters this.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that stood out to me was Teamwork and Camaraderie due to, "your team is the product of the weakest link."
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. If everyone on the team is not being their best and empowering others to do the same, then the team will be divided. When a grade level team or building team is divided, focus on what is most important is lost. It will not benefit students and students will feel and see the differences across the teachers and/or grade level.
The lesson from the fire truck that stood out was teamwork and camaraderie. Without teamwork and camaraderie in education, there wouldn't be any type of relationship whatsoever! In class, teamwork helps build relationships whether its teacher to student or student to student. I'd like to say that most students PREFER to work as a group or as a team because they get to be with their peers.
ReplyDeleteAs a new teacher who is still constantly learning, I ask for help all the time. I always like to ask my coworkers what they did in their classroom for a specific lesson or assessment. I encourage teamwork because it so beneficial and will make you a better teacher and individual.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteTeamwork and camaraderie stood out the most to me. As educators, we are there for a common goal; to help students succeed. We are not their for our own benefit, we want to be able to help students be successful and see those light bulb moments happen. We are not able to do things by ourselves, we ask for help all of the time. If it was just one person trying to help, it would be a job that would be nearly impossible. If we are divided in our school or district, it is going to be hard to find those successes for our students as well as our staff/friends.
Lesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteTwo important lessons from the firetruck that I feel in my own practice are decision making, and pride. In my role as the school nurse I am working somewhat independently, where in the past I was working with a team of nurses. I have learned to trust myself, and because of my preparation, I feel more confident in making decisions for or about students on a day to to day basis. This was something I was most nervous about entering the school world, but one of the greatest skills I have gained. I also feel so much pride in my work. Honestly, that is not a feeling I have had in past jobs. I think pride is a huge piece of my job satisfaction, and I think it is so important for everyone working in the education field. My students and my school community are so important to me, I want to do my part to make my school a better place. I work hard, I am careful and thoughtful, because of what I do I feel good at the end of the day and take pride in my work and reputation.
I believe that leadership is one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education. Not only do us teachers need to show leadership, it is important for our students to be leaders as well. "Everyone's efforts and actions determine the outcome." When teaching, your efforts and actions determine how students learn and desire to learn. If you can lead in a way that relates to the students, they will want to learn from you. All teachers need to work together in one way or another to reach the desired outcome. Students in the classroom can lead by example and hope others will want to lead with them. If students are disruptive, their actions will determine the outcome for other students. You can show leadership and praise others who are showing leadership to help build that community in you room.
ReplyDeleteI believe pride is one of the great lessons. Taking pride in your work and accomplishments shows that you care and are willing to help students learn and also show others you dedication. Pride shows that are invested in yourself, your students and your coworkers.
ReplyDeleteI like the teamwork idea. We work as a core in the 6th grade. We decide what the students need to learn and focus on. The ELA core decides the standards and learning targets for the moment and when they need to change to something else.
ReplyDeleteMy core teachers decide on the activities and help each other with students. We look at the test scores and decide on changes we need to make in order to help students.
We do all of these things and more to help the students as a core of educators.
Teamwork and camaraderie is the lesson I feel is most important. I think this is a lesson that is imperative for both my students and colleagues to learn. However, I will focus on why it has been especially important for my colleagues.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started at my school (13 years ago, holy moly), I was only the 2nd school counselor they had ever had. My predecessor had been there for 30 years. To add the cherry on top, I also returned to work at the elementary school that I had also gone to as a child. Several of my own elementary teacher were still working at the school. I was definitely the odd person out. I am not sure if it was the fact that now they had to deal with a different counselor (different way of doing things), their former student, or the fact that I was just young (27, at the time), but it was a rough go....and there definitely was no teamwork going on. In fact, I had to deal with quite a lot of "you should do this, because this is the way it's always been done."
Since this is already a long story, I will wrap it up. :) I needed to change my frame of mind to be able to work with these new colleagues of mine. I had to cultivate a culture of teamwork and camaraderie, within myself. I started to ask questions, and ask what the teachers needed. I wanted to show them, that I want to work with them, and not just give "advice." I valued their opinion, and wanted to work with them as a team to figure out best practices for their students.
Fast forward, our school has worked hard to cultivate teamwork and camaraderie. We are a team. We meet to discuss ways to best serve ALL students, we have each other's backs, and we have even started to like hanging out with each other outside of school hours. It's definitely a work in progress, and ebbs and flows, but we are getting there. :)
Teamwork and camaraderie are crucial for teachers. It promotes success. Camaraderie and teamwork allow teachers to work toward a common goal. The common goal should be student-focused. I serve as the team lead for five teachers. When there is teamwork and camaraderie there is a sense of belonging. Without teamwork, the group fails. Teachers are expected to build relationships with students. Teachers also need to build relationships with their team members. Colleagues become an essential support system in education. Without a support system, teachers become lost. In addition to a support system teamwork establishes trust. Teachers cannot be relentless without trust and a sense of community. In order to do what is best for kids it is necessary to have detailed conversations. Detailed conversations can be difficult at times. Trust allows for those types of discussions to be had. Teachers need to be heard. Honesty is non-negotiable. Open discussion allows for new and vetted ideas. It allows for stakeholder buy-in. Trust and community do not put team members above other members of the team. As Brewer said no one should cast a shadow over the team.
ReplyDeleteI choose teamwork and camaraderie. This is important for me and my colleagues in the department so that students see that we respect one another and that it is a seamless transition from my class to the next level. We have each other's backs. We share fun lesson ideas with one another. If one of us needs a prop to make a lesson more real, we know that we can ask each other and brainstorm ideas together. We have each other's backs! I value her professional opinion and vice versa. For me it also means that I value community. In the best of times and the worst of times, people bounce back faster when they are loved and belong in a group. In order to have those people to help you through, you need to authentically and genuinely show up for them in the little and the big ways. It doesn't matter on which side of the desk you are seated. Remember, we are all just walking each other home, as stated by the authors of "Teachers these Days."
ReplyDelete“Teamwork and Camaraderie” stand out to me. Where would I be without my 8th grade (teacher) team?? Lost, looking for support you name it. I depend on my 8th grade team for answers when I am having a tough time with a student. They are there to support me and offer new ways to deal with the situation. I also depend on my team to bounce ideas off, for any situation. My 8th grade team is there for anything whether it is in school or out of school. I spend more time with them during the school year than anybody else. As for the students, they can see that the entire team is on the same page with expectations in the classroom, hallways, and assemblies. But the biggest benefit is the camaraderie I have with my team, we help each other out when needed and have some good laughs along the way.
ReplyDeleteTeamwork and Camaraderie:
ReplyDeleteI work in a large district where there are multiple teachers teaching the same class. We meet weekly for collaboration where we talk about data and the resources/activities we are doing in class. We share with one another because we are all in this together. We want to work together to figure out how to best teach our students and help them be the best individuals that they can be. We support each other as colleagues and help each other out when we are stuck and don't know what to do. We have each others back because we are in this for the students.
Pride is the lesson from the fire truck that speaks to me. I say this because it is something I think I need to work on in my building specifically. I am an alumni of the school district where I teach. I attended K-12 and even did my student teaching in this district. I have been teaching in this district for 22 years and have currently in the oldest building in one of the most impoverished areas in our district for the past 15 years. We have many obstacles that are not within our control. However, I believe that if we have pride in what we have and teach kids to have pride in themselves and their school that some of those obstacles are easier to overcome. I feel like I need to be a part of leading us to take pride in what we are doing, how we see ourselves and our students. I have always been a Cardinal and I want to show that pride to others and have our students feel it too.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that is most important to me is accountability and attention to details. This is important to me because I am a special education teacher, and it is important that I have strong attention to detail skills because my IEP paperwork needs to be accurate. I also must pay attention to dates and always plan far enough ahead for scheduling meetings and evaluations. My co-workers also look to me to have knowledge of the paperwork and student needs, so it is important that I am accountable to them and can provide them with the information they need. I also need to be accountable to the families of my students by collecting data on their student’s skills and providing them with updates on their student’s progress on their goals.
ReplyDeleteThe first lesson from The Fire Service that sticks out to me as applying to education is "little things done well add up to great accomplishments". "Winning is not about one big play, it's about doing the little things well, consistently and effectively. In education we have to expect the students to do the little things (follow directions, attend to tasks, be kind, follow routines) consistently and effectively in order them to be successful. I teach early childhood special education and the little things adding up to big accomplishments is what I think about daily for my students. In my classroom we say it might appear that a student is not making progress but we have to look at the little things they are able to do that they weren't able to do before (beginning of the year, last week, last quarter).
ReplyDeleteIn his list of lessons #2 accountability and attention to detail sticks out to me as a team we all have to be willing to go the extra mile for each student. When we work together to go the extra mile for each student in an intentional effort we are ensuring that each child experiences success. On my educational team this includes conversations with parents, visuals for students, devices for students, communicating about our students weekly, helping each other out with something that is difficult for a particular student, trying new things suggested by others.
The lesson that sticks out the most to me is Pride. When people ask me what I do, I light up when I tell them I'm a teacher. People that don't even know me can instantly tell that I love being a teacher. To me, pride is the building block for being successful. If you don't take pride in what you do, how you do it, and why you do it...you are holding back yourself and your students. Pride should be shown in all aspects of teaching. You should show pride in your school, classroom, teaching, students and your colleagues. If you walk into a classroom you will know if that teacher takes pride in their profession. They will be upbeat, positive and the kids will be having fun learning. When teachers are proud of what they do, the kids will follow suit. The best teachers are the teachers that absolutely love what they do and are PROUD to be teachers. If I ever lose that sense of pride, that's the day I walk away.
ReplyDeleteI chose number two: Accountability and Attention to Detail. Your dynamics in the classroom and the strength of your lessons are the direct result of all the hard work you put in by preparing all the little things. The early mornings of reading new content and preparing for student reactions from boredom to total engagement. How can I differentiate this lesson for students who didn't get enough sleep last night? How can I make this lesson engaging for students who haven't been in class for a few weeks for various reasons. Colleges don't teach you about the "outside of the classroom" essentials enough to prepare you to be a good teacher inside of the classroom. I think like with any good professional, you only improve through direct experience and practice. A teacher's practice involves attention to detail.
ReplyDeleteThis is important to the students as they become interested in you and engaged in the lessons when you've put in the work. Also, it's helpful to have backup plans for the many moods you'll encounter in class on any given day.
This is important to your colleagues as it sets an example for them to emulate but also by practicing accountability, you hopefully open doors for them to be their authentic selves by sharing and asking for help when needed.
Without teamwork and camaraderie how does anyone feel safe to the point they can take risks? My students make a lot of projects during the course of the school year in social studies. If I don't provide a safe place with some advance training and clear expectations, how do they experiment with different mediums, be creative, research wisely, and present confidently to their peers and even to some elementary classes (many content standards checked off).
ReplyDeleteI would choose the first one, Teamwork and Camaraderie. Just like the first sentence, there is nothing more important than a team. You can be a team with your spouse, your coworkers, your friends, and one that sticks out to me in my personal life is a team of doctors. Doing anything by yourself can be tough and miserable.
ReplyDeleteI love the thought of when you turn around, who will be standing there with you having your back. I think it's important for teachers to have each others backs because we all know what it's like to be a teacher and how difficult things can be in this profession. We also need to be on an even closer team when we're in the same school because we go through the same people or tasks. You need your team in whatever aspect of your life to get through the tough times.
One lesson from the Firetruck is Teamwork and Camaraderie. Teamwork and Camaraderie is very important in building relationships. I feel that we are given less and less time to plan and build relationships. Our plates are very full, and more and more keeps getting piled on them. It is important for staff to have each others back and to grow together to help our students. If teaching is about relationships with students, shouldn't staff also be focused on relationships with each other and growing together? Nothing irritates me more, than if I hear about another educator who runs to the principal because they do not like how another teacher is doing something. They are like a student trying to tattle or get them in trouble. Why can't communication, kindness, bonding and camaraderie be something that is brought into our profession so we can help each other when when someone is down. Help other teachers to learn and grow in the profession. Not stomp someone into the dirt.
ReplyDeleteLesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that sticks out to me is PRIDE. If we have pride in our school, students, staff and ourselves, the rest will take care of itself. We should strive to be at our best at all times. Pride in our school can look different to each and every staff member and community member. What pride should be though is easily identified whether we are taking pride in how presentable are campus and classrooms are to how we talk about our school community (campus, other staff, support staff) to our colleagues and other community members. Pride should be identifiable in how we prepare to teach our students, interact with our students in terms of individual people who have their own unique stories and circumstances, the way we speak of our students to other colleagues, community members and to people out of our campus. Most importantly, our students should should feel a sense of pride that we have instilled in them in terms of being an individual in a collective students body, pride in being a student with in the classroom, pride in being a member of our student body and pride in the overall school community. Ultimately we will not know the level of pride in our students until they have graduated and speak of their experiences in school.
Teamwork and camaraderie are important to me. I teach high school art. That might sound very individualized but I treat my classes and art students like a team or small community. I want my kids to take pride in their classroom, supplies, and equipment. Everyone cleans up regardless of who made the mess. It’s important to keep the classroom functional from day to day for everyone’s sake including our custodians. I love to point out a student's success to the whole class. I want my kids to feel pride in their work and recognize other’s achievements. I try to celebrate of other’s accomplishments as much as I can. When a student is unsure of their work whether it’s the shading or a certain color choice. We talk about options. Instead of me just barking answers/orders, we ask the other students around them for their input. We try to engage the community/team. One of my biggest priorities is that everyone feels they belong in the art room. Everyone adds value whether it’s through their skill set, their ideas, their opinions, their effort. The art room has a space for everyone. One of my students that graduated left me a thank you note. She wrote, “We are all different humans with different ideas and passions, but in the art room we are all simply humans with the same goal– to create.” I share that every year. We are all different. We enter this room with a skill set, a knowledge bank, expectations, anxieties, uncertainties, but we’ll all improve, learn, and grow together.
ReplyDeleteI love my colleagues! We’re a small school and we know a lot about each other. When I was new here there was one teacher that really took me under their wing and made sure I would be successful here. I refer to him as my work dad. He went out of his way to be welcoming. Made sure I knew what was expected, what our principle looked for. Why it was important for kids. He cared about my success because he cared about our school and most importantly our students. When he retired and moved away he asked that I do the same. That I check up on new staff and help them succeed. So I do! It’s important that we all gel and help each other out. If we want the best for our kids we need to help the next generation of educators as well.
One of the biggest lessons that stuck with me is the importance of teamwork and camaraderie. In the firehouse, you don’t succeed alone, and it’s the same in education. As a teacher and coach, I’ve learned that the strength of your team makes all the difference. We’ve got to have each other’s backs, show up for one another, and trust that everyone is pulling in the same direction. That kind of unity creates a culture where people feel safe, supported, and willing to go the extra mile. For students, it means knowing they’re not in it alone. For staff, it reminds us that we’re stronger together than we ever are apart. That mindset is what keeps us pushing forward, especially when things get hard.
ReplyDeleteOne lesson from the fire service that really stands out to me is teamwork and camaraderie. As a middle school ELL teacher, I know I can’t do this work alone. Supporting multilingual learners takes collaboration with other teachers, support staff, administrators, and families. When we work as a team, sharing ideas and building each other up, our students benefit the most.
ReplyDeleteThis lesson reminds me how important it is to check in on my colleagues, offer help when I can, and be open to learning from others. A strong sense of teamwork not only improves the learning environment for students, but also helps create a school culture where everyone feels supported and motivated.
The lesson that stands out to me, is PRIDE. When the goal is to take a school from worse to best, there needs to be a change in mindset from failure to pride. This is true for all of the stakeholders in a district, from the students to the school board. Everyone on the journey needs to believe that they are teaching on fire, that they are doing what is good for kids, and that they are making an impact. They need to be proud of that! Encouraging students, especially at the middle school level, to be proud of their growth and progress, is key for continued success. Pride in students and teachers leads to pride in the school, which leads to pride in the community, which creates a cyclical pattern of life changing growth and change.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that most applies to my education was teamwork and cameraderie. First of all, I believe teachers must be able to work together as a team. We need to all be on the same page, which is to do our best to help children reach and exceed their full potential. If all teachers are not part of the team, the whole school is at a disadvantage and students are hindered. In addition, there needs to be teamwork in the classroom. Students and teachers need to realize that we are a team and a team is only as good as its weakest member. Therefore, everyone has to be on board with being responsible for not only themselves, but for everyone on the team. Cameraderie is also important. I had a principal who once said, "The faculty that plays together, stays together." In my 42 years of teaching, I have found that saying to be true. Having fun with other members of the team is an integral part of being a team for the school's welfare. Students also need to have cameraderie. This in turn will help keep the team in synch and engaged in learning.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson of teamwork and camaraderie is important to me because without a team, I would not be successful. Everyone in the school is equally important. My principal, other teachers, paras, and janitors all work with one goal in mind. - the STUDENTS! The students see us all as equals and all of us working together to make them successful academically, socially, emotionally, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen working at an educational cooperative we worked as a team. We had success with students, parents and school districts. We were able to agree and disagree to determine what was best for the students. We respected each other's talent and built off of it creating an outstanding work environment.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson of pride applies most to my education. I really take the time to make my units/lessons in health captivating and interesting. I also make my work organized and creative so that it really gets the students attention. It is the small little details that matter - like adding pictures or gifs to PowerPoints. Visuals like these mean a lot to me, and usually draw the attention of my students. I also take pride in the assessments I have created- for example our “suicide prevention posters”. The students love this project and it is something I made up on my own. Every year they come out more and more beautiful, and I’m so proud of them that I hang them around the school. I also take pride in keeping my classroom clean and organized. This helps students mimic being clean and organized as well.
ReplyDeleteTaking Pride in the work you do.
ReplyDeleteI think this hits all 3 marks, myself, students, staff. Like any other profession/business, If a person walks into a shop and sees that the place is clean the employees have a great attitude and the customers are treated well, people are bound to return. When working in a school, if each teacher inspires one-another to take pride in the building, the motto/creed, and execute the teachings, the students/parents will take notice and realize that everyone in that school building really cherishes the place. Even if a person works in an old building that has no luster, money or whatever, if people can take pride in what they have, better things can happen.
I also think teamwork and camaraderie is so important in education. Yes, the students in my room are MY students, but there are so many educators in our building that play a huge role in their success. From administration to encores to special services, the students will succeed best if we all work together. Every job is easier when more than one person helps, this is no different. I think about the amount of times I have brainstormed with other teachers, learning from them often. Another example that just happened this week- the teacher of the class I had last year just came to me to discuss a specific student. Why should she reinvent the wheel, but she can know what has worked in the past for that student and start there. No child will succeed with just one teacher. Everyone plays a role. It truly takes a village.
ReplyDeleteLesson from the Fire Truck: Choose one of the lessons from the fire service that apply to education and write about why this lesson is important for you, for you students, and/or for your colleagues.
ReplyDeleteTeamwork and Camaraderie to me are the most important of the lessons form the firetruck. To work at an effective school, everyone has to pull in the same direction. We are always only as strong as the weakest link. My colleagues and I have to know that when we look over our shoulders, all of us are standing there. We fight for each other and we have each other's backs. Our students have to know that they belong to a great community. This takes a team. This is more than one person in one classroom. For me, I have found energy in working with teachers that are like minded and want what is best for everyone. It is no fun and not rewarding to work at a school as a lone wolf who wants the best for kids. The team that believes in this is powerful.
Carrie Wintersteen
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that stood out to me was the Leadership- if I want students to show positive qualities, I need to show them too- leading by example. I try and come to work every day and leave my personal life at the door and give everything I've got to the class period/day. If I'm projecting negativity or anxiety, that's what I'm going to get in return.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing that stood out to me was the Pride. I think it goes hand in hand with what I was saying before- we have to project what we want to get back. I want to take pride about things on the professional side- how I dress, how my classroom looks, how prepared my lessons are, etc. But I also want to take pride in how I form relationships with students and other teachers/staff in the building. I want my space to be known as a safe and welcoming space for all. I'm really proud of that.
Teamwork and Camaraderie would be the lesson that applies to education. In our building we are constantly working together in our PLC groups. If you do not have a group that works well together and gets along, in general, then our students will ultimately suffer because the curriculum and learning opportunities might be different and not as beneficial. We do see some students that want a specific teacher because they are "easier". We are working on fixing the gap in hopes that future students will not care who they have. It is hard to stay consistent within a subject when teachers can't work together to best serve the students.
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