The Alternative Jigsaw Podcast

Welcome To Alternative Jigsaw!

Welcome to Alternative Jigsaw!
 
This is our first episode in a series that will take us through Alternative Educational basics, definitions, pedagogies, strategies, and all that is Alternative Education!  
 
I am hoping we have both students and teachers come on to regale you with experiences, stories, and ideas that would prove of interest and use for all of you.  
 
In this milieu we never know what is coming down the pike - so we keep an open mindset, be honest, and communicate effectively with our students and peers.  
 
Know who you are.  Take notes every day for yourself - mentally or physically.  Learn. 
Learn. Learn.  
 
Welcome.  
For resources, I am working on a webpage for you to access and use.
 
Also, look to the The National Alternative Education Association
 
And, there’s also AERO for other resources.  

Let’s Talk About You!

Let’s Talk About You!  
Who Are You?  Why are you coming into Alternative Education? 
Do you have what it takes?
What are your expectations?
What strengths do you have, already?
What do you need in your toolkit? 
 
This episode asks you questions about your reasons for venturing into this realm of education. 
 
For Your Reading and Education:
 
The Tao of Leadership
 
Midset: The New Psychology of Success

Talking to Yourself

Let’s Talk About You!  
Who Are You?  Why are you coming into Alternative Education? 
Do you have what it takes?
What are your expectations?
What strengths do you have, already?
What do you need in your toolkit? 
 
This episode asks you questions about your reasons for venturing into this realm of education. 
 
For Your Reading and Education:
 
The Tao of Leadership
 
Midset: The New Psychology of Success

Be Self Aware!

What does this mean?  I mean, like wow!  Truthfully, it means acknowledging who you are, what your strengths are, where your weaknesses are, and what are your feelings in the moment.   
 
If you can stand in front of the class and acknowledge you have some anxiety but you’re there to serve them and get them toward if not to the goal of graduation (or whatever is the ultimate goal for that grade level)  as best you are able with their input and help, then you can facilitate opening more doors.  
“Know thyself,” said Socrates.  What did he mean by this?  It doesn’t necessarily mean have a great deal of self-confidence; it does mean you understand and are cognizant of your reactions, your actions, words, and relationships with others as well as things.  
Why haven’t you folded the laundry yet, this week?  What are you avoiding and why?  Understanding the answers to this and confronting those very things you wish to avoid gives greater insight into the person you are.  
IF you were working with clay and trying to mold it, would you do a very good job if you had no light?  Or even if the lighting wasn’t very good?  Some may accomplish this task with some skill, but not all.  Think of yourself as the clay and your task is to help others understand their abilities, their prowess, their strengths - how sufficient a job could you perform?   It’s somewhat of a “Physician, heal thyself!” moment.  
Consider your reasons for teaching in the alternative milieu - or teaching at all.   Can you truthfully answer the question of “Why did you choose teaching?” honestly, and with an understanding of the weight of those words? 

Be Self Aware part 2

What are your intentions of being/becoming a teacher?  
Do you intend to change the world?
Do you have a love of knowledge? 
 
What is your subject are and why did you choose that? 
 
Are you teaching only to become an administrator? 
 
What are your long-term goals?
 
What is your intent of impact on your teaching? 
 
Are you a life-long learner?
 
How do you take in information best?
 
How do you work with students?  Is it the same way that works best for you? Or how have you worked with?  
 
How can you be authentic if you don’t know yourself? 
 
What are your opportunities for growth in your teaching? 
 
What is your impact on the student and the family, community?
 
How do you fail forward and make that failure a success? 

Be Authentic

Be Authentic
 
What does this mean?  
It means to be:
Vulnerable
Honest
Reliable
Helpful
Caring
Yourself. 
Being Authentic means a consistent person the student(s) can rely upon. 
How do you do this?  LIsten in! 

Creating Your Environment

 Creating Your Environment
 
When a student first enters your room, what do they experience?  How do you let them know they are Welcome Wanted Needed and Valued?  Are they expected? 
 
Do you greet every student every day?
Do you have extra supplies handy in case a student is in need? 
Are you creating helpful displays? Or are they busy and distracting? 
 
What you create in the environment should be safe, clean, open, organized, and available to all students.  How do you manage that?  
 
Let’s have a look-see and figure it out together! 

Let’s Talk Curriculum pt 1 - Relevance and Structure

Show Notes - 
 
Let’s Talk Curriculum - part one - Structure and Relevance
 
All right.  You are wondering - What do I do?   Here are some steps and caveats:
 Create Your Overall Goal.  What do you want the students to learn
What do you want the students to understand
What do you want to the students to walk away with
How will the students demonstrate their learning, understanding, and appreciation?
Create a Mind Map (also known as a “web”) with your goal in the center and concepts being the spikes…if there are too many ideas, then choose the most important ones for the next week/month.  Work with that - do NOT overcomplicate this.  
Choose the first concept/ idea that needs to be taught, and figure out at least 3 ways to introduce/review this with the class, so it’s relevant, challenging, engaging, and fun.  If students can work in groups, then allow it.  If you are a desert of ideas, ask others and look online, then create one from what’s there - don’t just copy - that rarely works.  
Work on building the foundations with your class - every class will be different with students coming in holding different skills and talents - figure out what they can do and begin to use that.  
Continue building your own skill sets in this manner - even asking students for input so you can create your own solid foundation that can be molded and melded in the future.  
Look at Kagan’s Cooperative Learning, as well as Universal Design for Learning books (there are so many now!). 
Good Luck! 

Let’s Talk Curriculum part 2 - Communication, Reasoning, and More

What goes into a lesson can be lost if you don't communicate the objectives, purpose, and relevance very well.  
Today we'll take a look on a surface level, as to why these are important, what you can do, and how to make your lessons fun, relevant, and worth putting in a little extra time in order to save time.  You'll get it once you join in! So, stop dilly dallying! 

Lets Talk Curriculum - part 3 - How to Offer a Vibrant Curriculum to Students

How to Offer and Deliver your Vibrant Curriculum to your Students
Today’s topics are making the curriculum vibrant and working to make the curriculum accessible and workable for each and every student.  
 
What are some openers?  What are some strategies to engross them all?  What can you do? 
 
WE are looking at some ideas to help you begin, some formats to encourage learners, some tactics you might pursue.  This is one where some might be overwhelmed, but we will begin to break things down over time - we cannot possibly do this all in one sitting.  So, hang on, put on your thinking caps, and let’s dive in!