Building Better Teachers

Building Better Teachers:  The Case of the Student Athlete

"We don't need students who are better student-athletes.  What we need is better teachers of student athletes."

To begin with, I'm a father of 2, a freshmen son and a 6th grade daughter.  Both are involved with sports, academic and extracurricular clubs and each has a full load of classes (8 to be exact).  To understand my perspective you should know that I have taught in private schools at the lower, middle and currently the high school level teaching AP, Honors and College Prep courses.  In addition to this I have coached competitive sports in both middle and high school for 20 years.  Having said that, I've come to a few conclusions that you might find interesting...we do not teach athletes well.  Let's limit the conversation to high school for a moment.  If we look at the problem from a simple math perspective, we can start to see the problem...time.  

24 hour breakdown:

1 hour in the morning to eat and get ready for school - 

30 minutes for travel time to school - 

8 hours of in school time (8am-4pm) - 

3 hours of practice  - 

30 minutes for travel time home - 

1 hour to eat and shower - 

3 hours of homework - 

1 hour for personal time -

6 hours of sleep -

Of course, the times above can be different depending on factors like distance from school, level of sports (Varsity versus JV), large test preps, game days, club events, etc.  The end result is still the same, a lack of time.  The argument is not about lowering standards for athletes or less accountability.  In fact, the onus should fall on student athletes to be more prepared and organized.  But even when that happens, time still is in short supply. In fact, their isn't enough of it!

"The argument is not about lowering standards for athletes or less accountability."

It has been recommended that high school students get at least 10 hours of sleep.  But that is not the reality we live in.  Notice the omission of clubs, academic teams or other activities high school students participate in.  Not to mention weekend activities and the general lack of much "personal" time.  In fact the weekends become so overloaded with activities that often students are over scheduled and exhausted by Monday when the school schedule begins again!  All of which plays a key role in the development of young students.  So how do we change this paradigm?  

Steps for Building Better Teachers:

1.  Understanding Student Athletes Schedules

Teachers need to recognize that their class is not the only one students take.  Although their passion for their subject is commendable, it needs to be tempered with the reality that there are 6 or 7 more that are just as important.  Understanding the student athletes schedule is key to gaining a better understanding of what students can realistically accomplish.

2.  Creativity

A colleague of mine recently walked one of his students schedules and sat in on all their classes.  For almost a full six hours of school it was mostly lecture in the classroom.  It was exhausting, for the teachers and the students.  Lecture is not dead, but it should be limited in its role in the classroom.  Be creative!  Differentiated instruction and the use of various tech tools can make a classroom more dynamic and foster more student engagement...and fun!  This translates into learning that students look forward to.  On a much larger perspective, this develops students with a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset towards learning.  The difference; you are creating critical thinkers and problem solvers, not note and test takers!

3.  Flexibility

Homework and assessments needs to be more focused on quality and critical thinking than quantity.  Every teacher has grades and deadlines.  But being flexible between marking periods is key to helping student athletes succeed.  Make homework choices and due dates more fluid and more efficiently so students are not bogged down in work that can be accomplished, at least in part, in class.

 "It is NOT about making the test easier, but rather making the learning process more memorable."

4.  Assessments

Make them meaningful and to the point.  I've taught at the AP level.  There are a lot of facts and terms to learn.  But how you teach and assess them is an important part of the process.  Paper and pencil tests have their place.  But they are certainly NOT the only way to assess student understanding.  Project based learning and design thinking are but a few trends that are taking hold in the classroom.  It is NOT about making the test easier, but rather making the learning process more memorable.

Parent Corner:

Parents, get involved.  By high school most of the work they do we have long forgotten.  But what you can do is be involved in their schedule.  Hold schools accountable for the work they are asking for.  In private schools, your voice carries more weight than you know, and although there are many in the school who care and look out for your child, YOU are their best advocate.  If the work load is becoming overwhelming for your student athlete, make the call to the school/teacher.  Often they are so busy they might be unaware and almost certainly willing to be more flexible in due dates and the amount of work that is required.  Most teachers are parents just like you after all!  

Coaches:

You are involved on the field/court and many watch grades carefully.  But make sure you are communicating with teachers about stressful and time consuming events that are on the horizon.  Got a big 3-day tournament planned?  Don’t just let the administration know, talk with their teachers and see what assignments are essential during the trip.  Most teachers will reduce the amount of busy work or consolidate homework assignments, not to mention be more flexible on test dates.  The key is to be involved as much on the playing field AND in the classroom.  Start the discussion early with your players, parents and teachers and make sure all stakeholder are aware of the stress and pressure these young athletes are under.  This will go a long way in helping your team perform better.

In the end it comes down to teachers.  Do they have the ability to change, to shift pedagogy to create a classroom that works for all students.  Student accountability is still very much important. But there are only so many hours in the day and they are all filled for the student athlete.  Teachers are amazing practitioners of their craft and bring a passion for their subject and for learning.  Moving away from the 19th century model of education will take time.  Scan-tron will live on, lectures will happen...but hopefully less often!