What it’s like learning outside of your discipline

I was a teacher, specifically an agriculture teacher for a decade. One thing that we pride ourselves on was being a “jack of all trades, master of none.” Over my career I taught close to twenty different classes, most years teaching upwards of 6 different subjects. That kind of daily mind gymnastics bounding from one topic to another makes your brain expand in many different ways. 

Truly, I was gifted with the opportunity to be flexible and work outside of my zone of genius daily. 

Many industries don’t allow for this. You typically “stay in your lane” and do the work that you’ve been asked to do. So let me ask you… when was the last time you decided to step outside of your zone of genius?

While it might seem like staying in your one lane is the best thing to do, overspecialising can actually be detrimental to your career and business.

Being able to learn in a broad spectrum can help you achieve more in your current career and even move up. There are three values of learning outside of your discipline. Let’s take a look. 

Three Values of Learning Outside Your Discipline

Learn new skills

Think about all the skills you need to do your job well. It’s a long list right? I can almost bet that some of those skills on your list are beneficial in other careers.

Like time management, hello! What about collaboration with team members or conversations with a client? You can decide to take some time to learn about more broad skills needed for your career.

For example, you might be a course creator for health/wellness but stepping outside of your niche and learning about email marketing might benefit you greatly.

What about if you are a teacher? Could taking a project management course help you gain skills in “getting it all done”?

Your new skills will help you elevate where you are in your career and allow you to enhance the skills you already have.

Alternate Thinking

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and they simply say something that just blows your mind? It’s because you have never even ventured to think the way they think – how amazing right?!

When you look at a problem or situation from a different vantage point you are able to get your brain to work in new and different ways.

I distinctly remember going to a conference session on history, not my favorite subject. What I walked away with was a new learning strategy I had never thought of to use in my classes about timelines. Who knew? Certainly not me. I had to immerse myself into something new to be able to gain that new knowledge. 

Improve your work 

You’ve heard how the saying goes… “An old dog can’t learn new tricks.” Well, I call bull! 

Humans are habitual, it’s in our nature. What you do in your job daily starts to become habitual.

When you take a step back and implement some new skills or techniques from outside of your discipline you may be able to improve your work. You get to avoid the “same old, same old” practices of old. You get to improve yourself and your work all at once.

And bonus? I bet your boss will be happy to see the new coming from you!

I recently wrote about this on LinkedIn and my friend Shelley mentioned she recently took up learning about pastries and it has been blowing her mind. She is an entrepreneur, communications director, coach and professional pianist.

Could you easily say this drive to learn about pastries isn’t beneficial to her? You could… but I would push you and ask why you think that.

Because the truth is that she is creating new neural pathways in her brain.

She is learning about processes. She is learning about directions. She is learning about patience. She is learning about trial and error. She is learning about quality control. She is learning about trying new things. She is learning from experimenting. 

All of those things can help her in truly any career. 

And the same can be true for you too. 

There is no need to pigeon hole yourself into one area of growth.

You can build a library of skills and knowledge that will benefit you as a whole person. If you want to learn it, go for it. It is still beneficial to your brain and your whole self even if it isn't career driven. 

Because at the end of the day learning doesn’t have to be results driven. 

And if you want to dive into learning in 2024, join educators from across the country at Germinate Empowered. Registration closes on Saturday January 6, 2024. 

If you read this after the registration deadline, stay connected with G&G through the podcast, blog, and Instagram

Saving Your Teacher Sanity with Exit Directions

Have you ever given your students directions and released them to work, only to have multiple kids ask you what they’re supposed to be doing? 😅

I think it’s probably happened to all of us and it can be a real frustration in the classroom as a teacher. To prevent this from happening on an ongoing basis, you can implement exit directions. 

Exit directions bring true purpose and clarity in the classroom and quite honestly give you your sanity back!

Picture this: you’ve just delivered directions for what your students should work on next and you’re ready to exit the teaching stage. You project a slide on your board that everyone can clearly see and read.

Your students have little to no questions and are ready to get to work. The rest of class time is filled with students doing exactly what was expected of them and you end class feeling confident in yourself as a teacher!

That’s a picture you want to see, right?!

You can achieve that ⤴️ when you implement exit directions, friend!

What they are not: step-by-step written directions for the assignment - that’s what you give during your teaching time.

What they are: what they should be doing during and after they complete the assignment

For example, exit directions could be something like:

• Get into groups of 4

• Complete notebook assignment 

• When completed, get stamp 

• When done, [insert options they can do]

In order to do this well, we encourage you to couple your exit directions with images or emojis so that it captures your students' attention in a new way and so that it trains them that when they see the image, it sparks something in their brain and they know exactly what to do.

Implementing exit directions allows students to really lead themselves with a little guidance from you so that you aren’t the one having to do all of the heavy lifting throughout the entire day.

Try out Exit Directions in your classroom today to provide clarity, direction and purpose to your students while saving your sanity!

If you are hoping to hear more about Exit Directions, head over to the Green & Growing Education Podcast Episode 128 for our Educational Director to give you more tips and tricks.

Time to tweak your fundraising messaging

Fundraising gets a bad rap for being pushy and surface level.

We tend to associate fundraising in the AgEd world as meat sticks, wreaths and cookie dough.

In reality, it is so much more.

It’s about opportunity, it’s about impact, it’s about legacy!

The funds you raise give students an opportunity which impacts their lives and can eventually lead to a legacy they build for their families, friends and careers.

And that is the VERY reason we should put more intention and care into our fundraisers!

If you are looking for that intention and care. Here are three quick tips for you to tweak your fundraising messaging.

Be a storyteller

You know what sells? Things that people can buy EMOTIONALLY. How much more likely are you to buy the wreath from the kid who told the story about how the wreath is helping their chapter sponsor a local animal shelter versus the kid who just asks for the sale? Teach the students to tell the story of the fund. Remember you aren’t raising money, you are raising opportunities!

Be specific

Confused people don’t buy! When you are SPECIFIC about your fundraiser, it is easier for people to buy. Be specific about WHAT you are selling, WHERE you are selling it, WHEN they can pick up, and WHY you are selling it (remember to be a story teller). Make sure your students know the answers to all of these questions before selling!

Find your people

Not everyone wants a wreath, not everyone wants a geranium, not everyone wants a meat stick, not everyone wants a donut. AND THAT IS OK. Your job is to FIND the people who DO want it and SHOW UP where they are! Selling meat sticks with a newspaper article might not hit the right audience. Selling the plant sale with posters around the school might not hit the right audience. Dive deep into WHO the RIGHT buyer is, and find out where they show up, and sell there!

Set aside some time before you announce your next fundraiser to think through how you can be a storyteller, be specific and find your people.

Get your students to listen, no matter what.

You are sitting in your classroom, the kids have a group work task to do and you hear the most beautiful sound in a teachers world…collaborative collaboration. You look up and see that each and every student is on task and making progress with their team.

That sounds like what you are looking for right?

But, if we are being honest with ourselves…it might sound too much like a dream.

What if I told you there is a way to get your students to listen, no matter what.

And our creative director Laura Crosby has the answer.

Check out this video to find out how you can live the dream.

Mastering the First Day of School

Investigate the teacher

IMG_4380

Inquiry Activities

16 personalities

Career Research Interviews & Presentations

Minute to Win it Games

Minute to Win It Games

Minute to Win it Games

It's that time of year again!

Here are some free & paid resources you can use on the first day/couple days back to EASE back into the school year with NEW students.

#1 Investigate the Teacher via @writeonwithmissg I used this the first day with my students last semester and LOVED IT! It is an easy way for the students to get to know you WITHOUT just going through a Powerpoint because they go around the room and gather inferences about you based on your classroom. Students get to MOVE on the first day & practice research skills! Find it here!

#2 Back to School Escape Room @nouvelle_ela Two years ago I used this to introduce my classroom rules and syllabus. You can purchase the product and it is 100% editable to fit your classroom. Another awesome way to get the kids up and moving and learning things you HAVE TO teach ANYWAY...but making it more engaging (and less hands on for you, after you get it set up!)

#3 Back to School Stations I did this year and LOVED it, I got the idea from @writeonwithmissg (you can purchase her product, I ended up making my own). I made 8 stations for the students to rotate around the room and complete. Some examples were goal making station, Meet with Mrs. Nerswick station, Student information Google Doc, FFA "post it" question poster, etc. You can make whatever stations fit your needs :)With OLD Students

#4 Inquiry Lab I was part of the National Agriscience Teacher Ambassador Program a few summers ago (if you haven't done it....DO IT). But, one of the things they made us to is IMMEDIATELY get our of our comfort zone into the world of inquiry. If you are teaching a science class that will require students to think like scientists/researchers etc... you might want to start out the class with some uncomfortable growing to get the kids used to what you expect of them! I tend to do the "does bubblegum can/lose weight as you chew?" but there are TONS of other ideas like "are Oreos "really" double stuffed?" You basically give them the question, they DO THE REST! They create the experiment and do it! I give them a ONE SHEET lab report called a VEE Map. This includes ALL the things you need (materials, steps, results, etc) in an easy to follow sheet. I usually do this on the FIRST or SECOND day!

#5 16 Personalities Ever heard of Myers-Briggs testing? I am a leadership NERD (insert hand up emoji here). There is a free test from 16 personalities that I love doing with my students. EVERY TIME students are like "that is TOTALLY me!" the website is very in-depth in many categories like careers, relationships, things that we like, teamwork etc. Students can gain A LOT of insight about themselves. I have given them a quick worksheet to complete and even once had students do a presentation on their findings using this Google Slides prompt. One of the prompts was to find funny pictures/memes that associate with their personality, below is an example.

#6 Career Research/Interviews I LOVE starting the year off with careers. I can hear you sighing and about to skip to the next idea...but stick with me. Instead of taking a test, or a web quest online. I HAVE STUDENT INTERVIEW a REAL PERSON about their ideal career. YES, they have to actually TALK ON A PHONE (or skype/facetime). I basically provide the contacts (you could do this for just one unit, ex. Animal Science-Find a bunch of people you know (via networking, contacts, social media) get their contact information and provide it to a student (or partners/groups). Then the students take the reins, they contact the person (via email) to set up a phone interview. They make the questions, have an interview, ask for follow-up questions/photos for them to make a presentation to class on their findings. This provides students an opportunity to learn about careers BUT also practice professional correspondence.

#7 Resolutions/Goals There are A TON of resources on Teachers Pay Teachers for New Year resolutions and/or goals worksheets/activities.

#8 Letter to Me in 2023 I was thinking I wanted to do something similar to a resolution/goals activity, but wanted to make it a little different. So, I came up with an idea for the students to write a letter to themselves reflecting on the past year. They get a prompt to write three paragraphs, complete the letter, seal it in an envelope and they will get it back at the end of the school year. I will be doing this in some classes next week :) Here it is.

#9 Podcast I LOVE podcasts! Mainly for my own development and inspiration like the School of Sales by GUIDE Culture and Goal Digger by Jenna Kutcher. But, there are SO many good ones out there you can use in your classroom. Maybe the kids ALREADY listen to one. Pick one, or leave it open-ended for the kids to pick their own. Listen to the podcast and provide a reflection component (you could use the worksheet in #10).

#10 Retiring Address/Ted Talk Worksheet I am a sucker for a good retiring address or Ted Talk. I love hearing people's unique perspectives on life. You can get a free Ted Talk worksheet here from Laura Randazzo. I also made a similar one for Retiring Addresses (find it free there) as part of my Emergency Sub Plan documents (6 different ONE PAGE worksheets (printable/electronic) that can be used in ANY UNIT in ANY class)!

#11 BONUS--Leadership Initiatives/Team Building Activities Fun activities are the best activities! I love having some fun activities to get the year or semester started! It's also an EASY way to weave in some teamwork and communication skills! I've done a fair few of these--Here is a quick list of examples...Balloon Tower Building, Spaghetti Tower, Minute to Win it Games, Team marker writing/drawing,team cup stacking, and so many more! Phew, now I just need to choose which one to do on my first day back next week!Hope you find something that give you a day to reset and the kids to get engaged!