TL;DR:
- Say yes to students by providing them opportunities to explore their interests outside of the classroom.
- When you say yes to students exploring their interests, you are providing them time to practice and utilize real-world skills.
If you came to me with an idea about something you really want to try or do, learn about, or create, the answer I will give you is “yes.” I had a student named Chloe who said the thing all the students know about me is that I will agree to sponsor their club or support their initiative.
Why is the answer always yes? Because what I have found out is that the best part of the school day starts when the bell rings to end classes at 2:45pm. When the school day ends, the projects begin. I’ll have to explain how I do that, because there are all sorts of reasons why this could present problems. There are markings to get done, planning for tomorrow, family commitments, and the like. But when there are obstacles in life, I can only see the reasons why things will work. Others will point out the reasons why it won’t work. I may be optimistic to a fault, but hey, we all have our faults, right?
Say Yes: Let’s Do It!
The one thing that I hold dearest and care about the most is that student who says “I have an idea.” I can respond by saying “LET’S DO IT!” The key there is “LET’S.” Let US do this together. I am not going to send you on your way with my blessing and maybe an idea or two to help. No, I am going to open the doors to my classroom, and we are going to figure this out together.
So yes, taking on special projects fills up your day. I accept that. Not everyone does and that’s too bad. I am now going to tell you why you will have one of the most blessed careers if you take these things on, more so than if you don’t.
I was in my room one afternoon after classes were done. Two boys walked in and said they wanted to start an engineering club. Of course, what was my response? “Ya, ok.”
But I followed that up by asking, “what do you want to engineer?” I told them that I was no engineer, and they knew I didn’t teach physics and wasn’t an expert. They didn’t mind as what they really wanted was a mentor to help with managing their project. That club started 4 years ago and it’s still going today, accomplishing great things!
So, what is it that gets YOU rushing to school in the morning? What keeps you later after the bell?
Let me give you another example. It was Meet the Teacher night and in walks a parent of one of my grade 9 students. The dad, Peter, sees the aquaponics system I have set up in my classroom and we get to talking about it. He asks if I would be interested in a bigger apparatus because he is an engineer and works with aquaponics in his business. Once again, I am not going to turn this sort of opportunity down and the answer, of course, was yes!
It wasn’t long before a grade 12 girl took a special interest in it asked me about what it was all about. The connection was that she had recently got involved with a student lead organization called the Garden Bank. This was a group of students who would grow produce in a sustainable way and donate it to the food bank. Grace wanted to start a school club and do just that using our aquaponics system. Again, I said yes, of course.
I have to tell you about another one. They called themselves Team STOP. This stood for Stop the Ocean Plastic. They wanted to educate younger students to make them more aware of the insidious nature of single-use plastic.
So, they developed a curriculum that elementary teachers could use, along with some activities their students could do to raise this awareness.
I think the greatest part of their work was actually going to the elementary schools and delivering a fantastic presentation on ocean plastic pollution.
The four members of Team STOP presented at every school in our area. They also presented to the City Council. And then, in the end, they presented at an innovation conference. They stood before judges who ultimately awarded them 2nd place and $10,000! Wouldn’t you love to work with students like these? Let me answer that question for you: Yes, you absolutely do!
Say Yes to Sponsoring Clubs and Activities
As a teacher, there is no better way to spend your time than to take the 2 or 3 hours after the bell and sponsor clubs. Work with these dedicated and motivated students and help them achieve their dreams. You’ll still go home by 5 or 5:30, just like every other profession does.
But can I just make a suggestion to you? Start saying yes to the students you work with. Start tossing out ideas and present them with opportunities. Teach them concepts from the point of view of relevance and meaning, with an emotion and a passion that ignites their minds and give them a venue to express their ideas. Show them that really it is a mission in life, not a major at university, that will lead them to opportunity. Be the teacher that will listen and brainstorm with them and then say “yes, let’s do it.”
About Tim Stephenson
Tim has been teaching in Langley British Columbia for over 25 years. He is a science teacher, particularly astronomy, which is a course he has developed into a full credit senior science course. In his school, he is known as AstroStephenson. Way back at the beginning of his teaching career, he wrote a book, really to himself, that contained his teaching philosophy. It was a project that would define his career. He is a possibility thinker, a dreamer and a doer, an innovator. From the very beginning, he knew that he wanted to teach by putting students and relationships ahead of content, and putting experiences and emotions ahead of curriculum. The result has been a long career of rich and rewarding experiences for both himself and his students, the pinnacle being in 2018 when he was the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Now Tim would like to share with you his thoughts and experiences on teaching with the hope that by reflecting better, you will feel empowered to try new things, teach in new ways and see the possibilities that are there for all of us in the teaching profession. 
