By Derrick Brown (follow on Twitter @dbrowndbrown)
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Dear Hannah,
My name is Derrick.
My name means "leader of my people".
I am the brother from another planet.
"My people" do not always know that they are "my people".
I teach *students*, not *subjects*.
This is my mission statement.
I have realized that this is a "loaded" statement.
See - I have a lot of students who do not know that they are "my students".
I have a lot of students who live in what I call "Lie-Lie Land".
They are not honest with themselves.
Their "lie" is their "truth" ...
My name means "leader of my people".
I am the brother from another planet.
"My people" do not always know that they are "my people".
I teach *students*, not *subjects*.
This is my mission statement.
I have realized that this is a "loaded" statement.
See - I have a lot of students who do not know that they are "my students".
I have a lot of students who live in what I call "Lie-Lie Land".
They are not honest with themselves.
Their "lie" is their "truth" ...
Love,
Daddy
Daddy
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"Mission Statement (Part 3 - Outliars (Outliers))"
By Derrick Brown
4-4-2023
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[0] [Display Keep Going 2023-03-02 07.31.06.jpg]
My name is Derrick.
My name means "leader of my people".
I am the brother from another planet.
"My people" do not always know that they are "my people".
I teach *students*, not *subjects*.
This is my mission statement.
I have realized that this is a "loaded" statement.
See - I have a lot of students who do not know that they are "my students".
I have a lot of students who live in what I call "Lie-Lie Land".
They are not honest with themselves.
Their "lie" is their "truth".
[1] [Display #Outliars (#Outliers) (or a Desmos-powered histogram with outliers)]
I call them "outliars" (outliers) - pun intended.
I have to remember that there aren't that many of them ... though it can feel that way.
They are that way because they live by "lies".
These folks make my present classroom situation "strange" at times.
I have some thoughts about why I have so many "outliars" ... that I will keep to myself.
But - for the record - this situation is "strange", y'all.
And I have to manage it until my assignment is completed.
So how do you manage this?
Well, my management strategy is a combination of self-control, behavior documentation, parental contact, and #StandupStorytelling.
Each of these approaches might be self-explanatory, but let me "go there" anyway.
[2] Display self-control
Look - these children will "take you there" sometimes.
I have "taken the bait" more than twice ... and let a few of them know some things about some things (if you know what I mean).
This is also not a sustainable strategy, because students can be "brutal" and "brittle".
They can become "brittle" as soon as you address their "brutal".
This is not what I want to do - for a couple of reasons.
First - my ministry to this world is one of hope, healing, and change.
I cannot create this environment while contributing (and suffering) more pain and trauma.
[3] Display behavior documentation & parental contact 1
I have learned to announce expectations ("put away cell phones") at the beginning of every class (like every day is the first day of school) ... then document infractions as minor ones with short, simple narratives.
Minor infractions are not brought to the direct attention of a school administrator.
[3.1] Display behavior documentation & parental contact 2 (example)
What makes this technique effective, though, is being able to notify parents in writing (via the power of Microsoft Word's "Mail Merge") once students commit multiple minor infractions.
The message to parents is simple ... the "next one" may be the "last one".
Parents who "get that" ... deal with their child.
Parents who do not "get that" ... have children that you probably cannot teach well ... but at least now you know.
Knowing is half the battle.
[4] Display #StandupStorytelling
My most effect, sustainable strategy is what I call #StandupStorytelling.
#StandupStorytelling creates small-group fellowship opportunities that allow me to deliver brief messages of hope, healing, and change to students.
#StandupStorytelling in a high school classroom rarely looks like "story time, boys and girls".
Sometimes it is quick, well-timed wit and humor delivered during my classroom "monologue" ...
[4.1] Display Do Not Mistake Activity For Achievement
I acknowledge that one person's wit is another person's sarcasm.
Young people often conflate the two.
Here's one of my all-time favorite stories, though, that always delivers a "biting" message (pun intended) with good humor.
That dog looks busy ... and swears he is getting it done ... but once he attains his goal ... he will see that he has accomplished little ... and it will hurt him.
Let's move on ...
Sometimes it is a written statement on my traditional whiteboard ...
[5] Display Keep Going 2023-03-02 07.31.06.jpg
This message has stayed on my whiteboard for most of the school year.
My daughter offered the rainbow and encouraging words.
I added the arrow, and the "student success factors" to affirm the disciplined traits students struggle to display consistently.
[5.1] Student Success Factors (Check Yourself)
Sometimes these affirmations are better delivered through my interactive whiteboard ...
[6] Display Student Success Factors 2 (Carry Yourself) & 3 (What Side Is Missing) (together on one image)
This one also helps us remember a poignant conversation we had about the perils of letting another person tell you what you are thinking ... instead of simply asking.
Sometimes the story is told as a lesson that looks a lot like life ...
[8] Display #GitIt (A. Ellis)
#GitIt (Financial Matters) is an alternative assignment that I provide for students whose geometry struggle is real and pervasive.
These questions help me build a patient, sincere relationship that proceeds at the pace of their work ethic and self-honesty.
Results thus far have not been perfect, but have been progressive.
Any responses can and will be used to engage students in a conversation that produces LEarning.
Allow me to transition now from #StandupStoryteller to #StandupDJ.
Sometimes the story is told by allowing a student to watch me (literally) ...
Here's me watching a student watch a video about a song called "Watch Me".
The phrase "Watch Me" means all of the following in this song ...
Surveillance / Suppression ("who's that peekin' through my window")
Determination ("I *will* make it")
Discipleship ("may I show you me transparently")
Accountability ("please don't let me fall")
The student watching the video is an aspiring musician ... so I figured that the song would strike the right chord with him.
Selah.
Grace and peace - and I hope that you enjoy the song.
[8] Display Watch Me (J. Welch)
About Derrick Brown (Standup Storyteller)
I am Keisha's husband, and Hannah's father.
I am a “standup storyteller.”
I fuse rap, spoken word (poetry), oration (traditional public speaking), singing, and teaching into messages of hope, healing, and change that I write, direct, and produce to help people who help people.
Everything must change - and stay changED.
Tradition begins and ends with change.
Change begins with me and the renewing of my mind ... then continues through efforts to effect small-group discipleship (equipping others to equip others) with audiences that respect and embrace mentoring, mediation, and problem solving as tools of change.
I am the product of my mentoring relationships, peacemaking (and peacekeeping), and problem-solving ability.
My education began when I finished school.
After school, I enrolled in a lifelong curriculum that includes classes in ministry, entrepreneurship, stewardship, literacy, numeracy, language, self-identity, self-expression, and analysis / synthesis.
My projects execute a ministry that has evolved from wisdom earned through lessons learned.
I want to share this wisdom to build teams of "triple threat" fellows - mentors, mediators, and problem solvers.
We will collaborate in simple, powerful ways that allow us to help people who help people.
I now know that power is work done efficiently (with wise and skillful use of resources, interests, communication, and expertise).
I am a “standup storyteller.”
I fuse rap, spoken word (poetry), oration (traditional public speaking), singing, and teaching into messages of hope, healing, and change that I write, direct, and produce to help people who help people.
Everything must change - and stay changED.
Tradition begins and ends with change.
Change begins with me and the renewing of my mind ... then continues through efforts to effect small-group discipleship (equipping others to equip others) with audiences that respect and embrace mentoring, mediation, and problem solving as tools of change.
I am the product of my mentoring relationships, peacemaking (and peacekeeping), and problem-solving ability.
My education began when I finished school.
After school, I enrolled in a lifelong curriculum that includes classes in ministry, entrepreneurship, stewardship, literacy, numeracy, language, self-identity, self-expression, and analysis / synthesis.
My projects execute a ministry that has evolved from wisdom earned through lessons learned.
I want to share this wisdom to build teams of "triple threat" fellows - mentors, mediators, and problem solvers.
We will collaborate in simple, powerful ways that allow us to help people who help people.
I now know that power is work done efficiently (with wise and skillful use of resources, interests, communication, and expertise).
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