Four ways my dog reminds me of teaching

Ok this is mostly an excuse to brag about my dog but...last year in October I spontaneously decided that I was in a position to finally adopt a fur child. I got the idea on a Sunday, met the dog on a Monday, and took him home that same Wednesday. 

While he's my fur baby, Sam is definitely a dog. He loves chasing squirrels, eating dirt off the floor, scavenging for scraps on the sidewalk, tipping over the trash, and drinking out of the toilet. After adopting Sam, my daily routines totally changed. Suddenly I needed to schedule life around walking the dog (or else fork over $$$ to pay a dog walker). The weird thing is....I'm learning a lot about teaching through Sam. He's the best professional development investment I've made so far.

Here are some random thoughts on that comparison....

1) Consistency is Key

• Sam thrives on a routine. In the mornings, we walk the same direction around the block, and he sniffs the same bushes/trees/pieces of trash each time. Sam also learns quickly when I'm consistent. Tipping over the trash and drinking out the toilet are sure ways of getting in trouble each and every time. 
• My students also thrive on a routine. Every day, students help to distribute and put away supplies, throw away trash, and submit their work to the correct location. No longer are the days of me running around trying to help everybody at once, the students know they can help themselves, whether it's getting a marker or helping each other out on the problem set. 

2) We're allowed to have bad days

• Some days I love Sam to death. Other days all I want to do is get some work done without him throwing a tennis ball at my face. Some days Sam loves me to death. Other days he refuses to listen to me. All of those days are OK, and bad days don't signal failure when they're tackled with mutual respect, which leads to a strengthened relationship. 
• Students are going to have bad days- I broke up with my boyfriend, I'm in class with my ex, I hate school, SEPTA was running late this morning, I want to punch something/somebody- They're going to act on those bad days in ways that are out of their normal character. Let the students react, and help them address the underlying emotions. And take those outbursts (yes, that kid who threw a marker across the room) as a signal for help, not an indication of my inadequacy as a teacher. More than likely, with a respectful conversation, that marker-throwing-kid will come back the next day with an even greater respect for our relationship

3) ​ Sometimes Sam does things I can't understand

• And so will my students. While my dog loves barking at skateboards and eating plastic for whatever reason, my students are also equally odd. Whether it's making cat noises, getting in stupid fights, jumping out of trees, or flicking paper at each other (yes I've seen them do all of this)....approaching those moments with humor and curiosity keeps the job interesting

 
4) Sam learns fast because he values our relationship 

• Okay, maybe Sam is more incentivized by food than an urge to please me. To be fair, food is a great motivator for students too (and even adults). Praise Sam for listening and not tipping over the trash. Praise the students for listening and taking charge of their learning (...maybe one is better than the other at listening....). Either way, it's amazing what happened when I started to operate from a mindset of "My students want to please me and their peers" rather than a mindset of "My students want to cut corners and push boundaries". The former creates a positive vibe in the classroom and the foundation for mutual respect and trust. The latter creates stress and anxiety for everybody involved. 

In the end....it boils down to mutual respect and trust, which even animals can feel. Without those two things to hold up a relationship, the relationship can't nurture risk taking and growth for the people involved.