Title: ‘Real Talk’ on Teaching With Rafe Esquith Date & Time: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, 4 to 5 p.m. ET Long Description There's no use sugar-coating it: Whether you are a novice or seasoned veteran, teaching can be both demanding and discouraging. Disruptive students, stubborn parents, unsupportive administrators, seemingly senseless instructional mandates, demoralizing media coverage—all are part of the job. Even so, world-renowned educator and author Rafe Esquith believes that teachers can thrive in their classrooms and in their lives. In this webinar, Esquith—author of Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire and the new book Real Talk for Real Teachers—will discuss how you can create an atmosphere of consistency and energetic purpose in your classrooms that generates excitement about learning and encourages student independence. Drawing on his own experiences, he’ll also offer advice on how teachers at any career stage can remain emotionally strong in the face of discouragement and frustration and continue to build relationships with students—which he says constitute “the most important data of all.”

2. Anthony Rebora
Managing editor, Education Week Teacher
www.edweek.org/tm www.teachersourcebook.org

3. Featured Guests
Rafe Esquith has been teaching at Hobart Elementary School in
Los Angeles for 28 years and is the author of the new book Real
Talk for Real Teachers: Advice for Teachers From Rookies to
Veterans: ‘No Retreat, No Surrender!’ Esquith is the only teacher
to have been awarded the president’s National Medal of Arts.
His other honors and awards include the Compassion in Action
Award from the Dalai Lama, the American Teacher Award, Oprah
Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, the Kennedy Center’s Sondheim
Inspirational Teacher Award, and People magazine’s Heroes
Among Us Award. A widely known speaker, Esquith presented at
the prestigious TED conference in 2012. His previous books
include Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire and Lighting Their Fires.

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6. ‘Real Talk’ on Teaching with
Rafe Esquith

7. I. We are the role model

8.  Teachers must be the people we want kids to be
 Your class will follow your example – slowly, but
surely
 Do not let disappointments or discouragement
affect your attitude with your class
IN RAFE’S CLASSROOM:
I want kids to be nice and work hard, so I must be the nicest and
hardest working person they know

9. II. Help students internalize
good behavior

10.  Give students opportunities to take charge of
their own behavior
 Avoid bullying language: Be firm, but fair and
logical
 Help students learn from mistakes
 Try not to talk too much

11. III. This is a long journey

12.  Teachers: Slow down! (In spite of our fast-food
society)
 A district-assigned curriculum? Usually
impossible
 Be alert for flashing yellow lights: Pace yourself
Laugh with your
students and laugh
with yourself.
This job should be fun.

13. IV. Practice tough love

14.  Students should know the consequences of
unacceptable behavior
 Don’t be afraid to leave some children behind
on occasion
 Ensure disciplined students know there’s a
way out
 Avoid showing emotion when disciplining
 No student should believe he has power over your
emotions – or your class

15. V. Keeping It Real

16.  Most kids misbehave
because they are
bored or feel
disconnected
 Making connections:
A great way to manage
a classroom
IN RAFE’S CLASSROOM:
Students know WHY they are doing something, instead of just WHAT
they are doing
All activities in Room 56 are relevant and directly connected to the
children’s lives

17. Huck Finn
http://youtu.be/weIVetXxIss

18. VI. Go After the Middle

19.  Teachers spend too much time with brilliant or
incorrigible students
 The Middle: The incredible kids who no one
notices
 Their development can be the tipping point in a
successful classroom
Never underestimate the power of
simply paying attention and offering
honest praise.

20. Caliban clip
http://youtu.be/nsiu2hW29yk

21. VII. Music, Music, Music

22. In a world where kids cannot seem to focus
anymore, music is the great focuser.

23. VIII. Trying New Things and
Taking Chances

24.  Add one thing to your instructional program
every year
 To freshen your practice, watch as many great
teachers as you can

25. IX. Collaborate with Other Great
Role Models

26.  As you grow as a teacher, ask for help.
 Slowly, but surely, you will find people who can
help your class in ways you cannot.
IN RAFE’S CLASSROOM:
The kids see me go to wonderful experts for help.
In asking for help and respecting experts, I model for them the exact
behavior I hope they will internalize as students.

27. X. Bring Yourself to the Classroom

28.  Be yourself!
 Too many teachers are so crushed by the System,
they forget to be themselves
 Pick something you love to do and incorporate
it into your classroom
IN RAFE’S CLASSROOM:
Baseball, rock ‘n’ roll, and
Shakespeare help me maintain my
stamina and joy for teaching