🎓Stop making Excuses

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Reasons vs Excuses

I was working with some teachers this week on the difference between reasons & excuses. Here’s what Google says the difference is…

REASON: a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event.

EXCUSE: attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense).

Once upon a time (when I was a principal), I was holding a staff meeting

STAFF MEETING: One of those things you LOVEEEE and NEVERRRR make side-eyes or text your teacher BFF during like you’re contestants on the Bachelor and the frontrunner just stormed off the show.

During the meeting, I asked the teachers to present something to their students that week about a new procedure we were implementing:

TEACHER: Uhhhh…I can’t do that.

ME: Oh no, why not?

TEACHER: Because no one will fix my Smartboard.

ME: I had no idea it was messed up.

TEACHER (w/a bit more attitude): Yeah, been broken for a month. I can’t do any of that.

ME: Did you tell anyone?

TEACHER FROM THE CLASSROOM NEXT TO THEM: Yeah, she’s been complaining to me about it every day.

The reason this lovely teacher (that was legitimately a good teacher) couldn’t present on her board was that it was broken. This is a completely valid reason for not presenting. However, since she didn’t take steps to correct it, it’s now become her excuse.

Our job isn’t easy.

There are enough reasons why teaching is hard.

Let’s be careful not to leave those reasons out in the sun too long, cause they may spoil and turn into excuses.

And that never smells good.

Never stop learning.

Tyler

RESOURCE: Parent Contact Form

Documentation is not very important.

Until it is.

It can save you in a sticky situation.

Here are the issues with actually documenting it:

1. Organization: It’s hard to find/share later.

2. Time: It takes up time you don’t have.

The Fix:

• Parent Contact Form - Make a copy of this (just click it) and record when you call parents while you are on the phone with them!

TIP: You can do video announcements superrrrr easy for students and parents! I used to do this when I was a principal (and parents seemed to like it)!

TRAINING OF THE DAY: Google Forms

Wanna be a Google Level 1 Certified Educator? 

DOPEEEEEE! 

You should. 

Here’s this week’s bite-sized training to consume on your lunch break that can save you around an hour of work a week for…ev..er! <—name that movie

Here’s what you do:

1. Watch this video

2. Take this 5 question quiz

3. Go watch your favorite TV show (I love the same one as you!)

NEED MORE? I’ve got 6 hours of Google Forms Trainings + dozens of Forms templates on the Honor Roll!

Rapid 🔥

• Podcast Ep of the Week: Explaining Shang Chi // Don’t know what this means? Click it to fix it! :)

• What should my email address NOT look like?

• How can students set academic goals?

• Resource: Washington DC Fun Facts // Join me and learn about different DC landmarks!

• Just Finished Reading: Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Eric Dyson

• Extra Credit: The Golden Circle (by Simon Sinek)

What you just read (touche, btw) is one of the weekly Tarver Academy Honor Roll emails.

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Every month or two I send this premium email to everyone on my main email list.

No matter what, I hope these resources helped you in some way.

I also hope you let me help you every week!

:)

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