Dress for Success

Back to school time is here, which means families are filling department stores to find the best bargains. But it’s not just students. Teachers are also looking to stock up on supplies and spruce up their wardrobes.

Take a look at a typical “Back To School” advertisement or website and you’ll see gobs of superhero clothing and accessories. Superheroes are famous for how they look just as much as they are for what they do.

The good folks at Newsarama recently listed their “10 Best Live-Acton Superhero Costumes” and “10 Worst Live-Action Superhero Costumes.”

Here are some helpful lessons teachers can learn from these lists:

#1 – Maintain Functionality

Many of the “Best” costumes work because they look like something you could actually see in real life. Rather than adhering too closely to garish comic book colors or styles, the designers keep things grounded and user-friendly.

Teachers should consider their daily tasks and possible actions, then dress appropriately. Fabric that breathes, stretches, and covers is a must, along with some comfortable footwear.

Comfortable shoes, yes, but NO SNEAKERS (unless you teach gym). Strapping on a pair of Asics Gel Virage 4 shoes is the quickest way to ruin an otherwise perfect teacher outfit.

Asics-Gel-Virage-4-Green-orange-White-Grey-Black-Silver-Red-Blue-Fluorescent-JYLRM

(It’s called “business casual,” NOT “business triathlon.”)

If you need super-supportive shoes that are also subtle, take a look at this list provided by We Are Teachers (although I squirm at the sight of #10). This focus on footwear leads us to another lesson from live-action superheroes.

#2 – Focus on Simplicity

A quick comparison of the “Best” and “Worst” film costumes reveals a glaring difference in details. In many cases, the outfits in the “Worst” category are just TOO MUCH.

Resisting the impulse to add another buckle here or kneepad there, the “best” outfits keep it simple. By doing so, these film versions highlight key elements that evoke iconic imagery. In some cases, this means ditching the costume and favoring functional garb (see #1 above) with hints of style and symbolism.

Teachers are iconic, and their choice of clothing should reflect their critical role in society. Instead of chasing the latest fashion (floral vs. geometric print, fat tie vs. skinny tie, boot-cut vs. skinny jeans), focus on conveying an image that is classy and timeless–just like good teaching.

In case you think it’s passé to stick with the basics, take a look at two USA Today articles about teacher attire. One is from 2003, the other from 2012.

Despite being nearly a decade apart, both articles list some of the same “Should’s” and “Should Not’s” for teacher apparel and appearance. Neat and clean are always “in.” Spaghetti straps, tight tops, short bottoms, excessive piercings and tattoos should stay out of the classroom.

#3 – Lean toward Conservative

We’re talking clothing here, not politics. (Vote your conscience.) In discussing attire, teachers should consider how to keep the focus on learning as opposed to fashion.

Whenever you struggle with what to wear, here are several mottos you can remember: “Dress older.” “Dress like your boss.” “Dress for the job you want.”

“Teacher” is not the first profession that comes to mind.

These sayings will help with decisions as you stand in front of your closet. Skewing conservative also works as you stand in front of the bathroom mirror. Just like excessive makeup on movie superheroes, teachers with too much mascara will likely turn off their students.

#4 – Tone down the CGI

‘Nuff said.

Hopefully these Hollywood examples will help teachers consider their choice of classroom attire. For anyone wanting more ideas, check out this Education World article discussing jeans and flip-flops, or this About Education blog with useful guidelines, especially for younger teachers.

And remember: Save the cosplay for your pets.

Weird Superpowers

As first reported by USA Today, Superman is getting a new superpower in the DC Comics universe.

Clark Kent’s alter-ego gets a costume update, too, complete with fingerless gloves. This makes me wonder if his new power includes playing clarinet for marching band.

Take a look at comic book panels revealing this new ability in action. (No woodwind in sight . . . yet.)

Art by John Romita, Jr.

DC is touting this new talent–the Super Flare–as Superman’s “first new power in decades.” They’ve even provided a handy-dandy timeline:

Superman must be short for “Superfluous-man,” given Kal-El’s multiple Kryptonian skills. He’s a ~~walking~~ flying Swiss Army Knife compared to most heroes’ singular power sets (e.g. Flash = fast; Green Lantern = ring; Batman = ruined childhood).

Both Newsarama and IGN recently came up with lists of Superman’s Weirdest Powers to celebrate the inaugural Super Flare. There are 15 listed by IGN, and Newsarama includes 10 in their countdown. You’ll notice some overlap as well as some rather obscure abilities in Superman’s 75-year multi-media history.

My personal favorite is “Super-Dancing,” which Clark Kent can employ without even changing outfits.

Many teachers possess this power, too.

Weird Teacher Powers

This examination of weird superpowers got me thinking about teachers’ own unique abilities. As mentioned in a previous post, one joy of teaching is bringing personal skills and strengths to the classroom, building off of sound research and practice.

Bringing in your unique personality can also lead to sharing some special talents and abilities. Instead of settling for America’s Got Talent or David Letterman’s Stupid Human Tricks, teachers can put these gifts to good use in schools. So . . .

What’s your weird teacher power?

I’m not talking about the Superman-like ability to eat a complete lunch in under five minutes. That goes with the profession.

Fifth period starts in two minutes!

What we want to examine is using uncommon strengths for the common good: learning.

How can you use “weird teacher powers” to inspire and educate students?

If it helps, here is how I’ve applied a few of my own particular capabilities in educational settings.

1. Left-footed. To be honest, this one hasn’t been that useful in the classroom, except to show students that everyone is different in different ways. Accept that fact and get along. (I’m still waiting on Bill Belichick’s offer to punt for the New England Patriots.)

2. Music. Not a strange talent in most cases. It’s all how you use it, though. I sing and play trumpet, and have done one or the other in various settings to get students’ attention, share a mnemonic memory trick, or illustrate the physics of sound.

Plenty of weird potential, too. When I student taught, one of my mentors taped a trumpet mouthpiece into one end of a garden hose, with a funnel sticking out the other end. He would play his “hose-a-phone” on occasion, most frequently for students’ birthdays. Not very educational, but certainly eye- and ear-catching among the students, something all teachers need.

Archival footage of hose-a-phone. Not actual mentor.

3. Goof. Like my mentor’s example, often a teacher’s weird power lies in his or her ability to lower inhibitions and go for the gusto. We don’t have to bounce off walls, but we can exhibit enthusiasm for school and learning in captivating and contagious ways.

I know an educator with a lively method of ending the class period on a day of doldrums. When class limps into the last minute, this man pretends to get a call from the president via wristwatch, puts on a cape and cowboy hat, then runs out of the room yelling, “Super-Cowboy . . . AWAY!!!”

I’ve never tried that myself, but I have celebrated a unit assessment by theatrically revealing the test while blaring Strauss’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (a.k.a. the opening to 2001: A Space Odyssey). Following a few confused faces, the triumphant entrance gets more laughs and eases anyone’s test anxiety.

During my chemistry classes’ Gas Laws unit, I make a point to wear the following t-shirt under my ordinary teacher outfit (shirt and tie, slacks).

A gift from my brother (also a teacher).

The instant someone mentions the word “suck” to describe pressure differentials, I rip open my outer shirt to give the class a vivid reminder that “Science Never Sucks.” To enhance the effect, I play Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” as accompaniment.

Silly? Of course. Memorable? That’s the point.

Years later, all of my former students know there’s no such thing as a “suck force.”

And as an added bonus, for one fleeting minute I get to feel like a costumed superhero.

So maybe you can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound or outrace a speeding bullet. But every teacher has special skills and quirks, able to spark meaningful and memorable learning in our students’ lives.

That makes us the most powerful superheroes ever.

It’s SHOWTIME!

The fall television season is upon us, and it’s full of several shows (some old, some new) featuring superheroes.

In fact, there are so many comic book-based shows on TV that you could make the argument it’s the “Golden Age of Television Superheroes.”

I’m waiting to see how these shows turn out and how the Netflix/Marvel deal transpires. On the surface, though, things look promising. Here’s a useful list summarizing all of the current, new, and future superhero and/or comic book-themed shows, courtesy of the fine folks at Newsarama.

Also from Newsarama, here are their 10 BEST and 10 WORST Comic Book Live-Action TV Series of All Time. (Animated series is a whole different category, but it’s safe to bet on anything related to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.)

For now, I’d say the Golden Age of TV Superheroes was the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, which gave us gems like The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, The Greatest American Hero, and Spider-Man on The Electric Company (with narration by Mr. March of the Penguins himself, Morgan Freeman).

As a bonus, this era also included The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, and preceded the wave of cool-vehicle-based shows like Knight Rider, Airwolf, Street Hawk, and Magnum, P.I., which featured the one-two combo of a Ferrari 308GTS and Tom Selleck’s mustache!

‘Stache trumps the car every time . . .

Getting off topic here, so let’s talk about television and teaching.

How do you use TV and videos in the classroom?

Shameless plug: I’ve done a little writing in the past about using movies and video clips to enhance science lessons. You can read a little bit about that here and here.

No matter what you teach, below are a few tips about sharing video clips with your students:

1. Decide WHY you need the video.

What does the video do that you can’t do in another way, including hands-on experiences, interactive presentations, collaborative discussions, outdoor investigations, role-play scenarios, and more? Sure, using a video clip is easy because you can pop in the disc or click on the computer. But what materials and activities will create the most meaningful and memorable learning? If it’s a video, then go for it!

2. Make it an active, not passive process.

Related to #1 above, students should not just act as passive audience members during the viewing. Give them something to do while they watch. Observe and categorize specific attributes, list examples and/or questions, answer questions or prompts on a handout.

With the handout approach, be careful that you don’t make it a scavenger hunt for trivia. If you do, students will pay attention to those tidbits only and not benefit from the overall experience. If you want them to complete a handout, be sure you emphasize just a few key concepts so students don’t get bogged down looking to fill in a mundane list of blanks.

Very rarely will a video by itself teach the students anything worthwhile. As a teacher, you need to be there to guide students’ thinking and foster discussion. This includes before and after the video, as well as during. (You’ve got that pause button for a reason!) Remember the ideal rating of “TG: Teacher Guidance Suggested.”

3. Decide WHEN you should show the video.

Videos are more than “rewards” students can enjoy at the end of a unit or after a test. What’s the value if you wait until then to show it? Instead, reflect on your unit sequence and consider when a particular video best serves the students’ learning. You could use it as an eye-catching opening, part of an introductory pretest or puzzler, a formative review or extension, a prompt for homework or application, or even part of a summative assessment.

4. Keep it short and sweet.

Very rarely should something as dull as a “movie day” occur in your classroom. A common rule of thumb in education is no activity or task should last longer than 20 minutes during class. By breaking things up, teachers can help students stay focused and motivated to learn. The same goes for video clips. Stick to showing the key scene or segment that matters, which may only be a couple of minutes at a time.

Furthermore, when using a clip from a popular movie or television show, I never show the ending. Sometimes I don’t even show the end of the scene, leaving the students with a cliffhanger and spawning a chorus of disappointed groans from the class. But consider how much this motivates them to think further after class is finished. What parent wouldn’t be thrilled if their son or daughter asked them to check Netflix or take a trip to Family Video so they can finish a movie they first saw in school?

Bus jump from “Speed.” Will Keanu and Sandra make it? Let’s do PHYSICS!

Another reason for using a specific clip is to edit out any superfluous or inappropriate content. Speaking of which . . .

5. Get parental and principal approval.

When using any entertainment-based media, or even educational materials that may be controversial, plan ahead and check with your supervisors (principal, department chair, etc.) to see if they have any concerns or advice. At times, they may recommend sending a note or email to students’ parents/guardians so everyone is clear on the content and purpose of the media. And for any sensitive topics, it provides the opportunity to opt out if anyone objects. It also is helpful to have a back-up activity or alternative task for those who may not watch the video, whether by choice or by circumstance.

6. Keep it legal.

All kinds of stories exist about the proper use of media by teachers and threatening lawsuits from corporations. If you’re not sure what is okay or not okay about using media, check with your school’s media specialist (a.k.a. librarian), who usually knows the latest.

Also, here is a terrific resource for teachers regarding copyright and “fair use” guidelines, provided by TechLearning. I’ve saved this PDF onto my computer and printed copies to keep in my teaching binders as a quick reference.

For me, the most important guideline is found in the “Fine Print” about videos: “use should be instructional, not for entertainment or reward.”

So will anything from the current crop of Superhero TV shows be worthy of classroom use? Tune in to find out!

Extreme Makeovers

Marvel Comics is redesigning Ghost Rider for an upcoming series, which you can read about here (courtesy of http://www.newsarama.com).

Personally, I think the new digs look like the Japanese manga/anime series Bleach more than any American comic book hero/anti-hero. See the resemblance?

I see that both Bleach’s “Soul Reaper” and the Ghost Rider’s “Spirit of Vengeance” may need some ointment. Or maybe some Maybelline.

This latest superhero redesign has inspired Newsarama writers to revisit their list of Top 10 Superhero Extreme Makeovers–The Good, the Bad, and the Super Ugly.

Superhero makeovers typically last less than a year before the hero/heroine returns to his/her iconic design. Usually, the change coincides with a slight bump in sales and fan interest (or outrage) before things return to normal (i.e. Electro-Superman, Beard-n-Hook-Aquaman).

Have you noticed any parallel with teaching yet?

Fads come and go, but quality teachers base their decisions on well-founded research and well-grounded application.

For those superheroes whose costume changes DO last for decades (and beyond), it’s typically because the original design was somehow incomplete or inconsistent with the true nature of the character (see Green Arrow, Daredevil). Or maybe something didn’t click with the readers. (When I see the original yellow/red DD, I don’t think hero. I think hot dog.)

Unfortunately, some teachers are in dire need of an extreme makeover. Perhaps they were insufficiently prepared, or they’ve developed some bad habits as the years go by. Or maybe they just lost their passion.

How about you?

Do you need an extreme makeover? (Move that bus! Move that BUS!)

Not just change for change’s sake. Don’t settle for a surface-level image update that will last only a season. Instead, challenge yourself to seriously reflect on your practice and its impact on students. Search for any rough spots needing a revision.

The best teachers always GET BETTER.

And the best “change for the better” is the kind that remains for the years–and students–to come.

	Views on Reviews… on Trailer Time!
	Views on Reviews… on Iconic Images
	Views on Reviews… on Marvelous Outcomes
	Views on Reviews… on What is Success?
	Marvelous Outcomes… on Fantastic Teaching

Teach Like a Superhero!

(tights and cape optional)

Newsarama

Dress for Success

#1 – Maintain Functionality

#2 – Focus on Simplicity

#3 – Lean toward Conservative

#4 – Tone down the CGI