You wouldn’t think parenting toddlers could help me teach. Especially not in prison, middle school, and college classrooms. But in all these settings, a skill I learned during those melting-down, picking-eating, potty-training years helped. And that is, to stay a step ahead.
When my toddlers were hungry, I learned to have dinner already cooking; when they were tired, to be near a bed for a nap; when they were thirsty, a drink already in hand.
If I could bestow one gift to each young teacher, I know exactly what I’d give—foresight, the ability to see what will be needed. But unfortunately, foresight can’t be given. You get it by using the double lenses of the past and the present to imagine what the future could hold.
So how to develop foresight?
Pay attention to the present—Hmm . . . this looks familiar, you might think when a student hides behind a hoodie in stony silence with clenched fists.
Remember the past—The last time this happened, class ended with a fight.
Think proactively about the future—How can I influence what happens next? What is needed to help this student move in a good direction? How can I prevent a spark from turning into the fire it could eventually become? How can I manage misbehavior before it begins?
It’s the nature of the classroom, that someone is a step ahead, making things happen. And if the teacher is only reactive, taking things as they come, students will be glad to step to the front.
Teaching with foresight prevents problems, increases learning, and helps people like each other and themselves.
In some ways, students (and teachers, too) are just toddlers grown taller. We might have learned to whisper instead of yell, to hide feelings behind veils of varying thicknesses, and to get what we want in quieter ways. But like toddlers, we do better when we’re fed and well-rested, and when someone appreciates who we are and has the foresight to help us be good.
Apple to Apple 