Gratitude for People You Work With

"I live by two words: tenancity and gratitude." —Henry Winkler

From time to time, I reflect on my law and teaching career, looking to capture my sentiment in the moment in one word. Recently, I watched an interview with Henry Winkler as he discussed the ups and many downs of his acting career after the hit television show, Happy Days, ended in 1984. The word that stuck with me was that he was grateful for everything. Grateful. Work hard and be grateful. During the ups and the downs. Appreciate current and former colleagues, mentors and mentees, and all of the people you’ve met along the way.

I am grateful to the professors interviewed for my recent book. Unknown to them, they elevated my game as I edited their chapters. When students ask me about time management techniques, I tell them to be strategic and efficient with their time. To learn how and when to say no. But if I listened to my own advice, I likely would’ve passed on a great opportunity. As I was re-reading about the amazing work these Master Teachers are doing with their students, I was inspired to say yes.

This led me to take on the task of recruiting and coaching a team of three students to compete in a three-day international mediation competition hosted by a neighboring university. These students weren’t in my Consumer Law class, had zero exposure to mediation training, and went up against many students who were Conflict Resolution majors. They had five weeks to learn how to mediate a dispute and switch roles from mediator to advocate to client in mock mediation sessions. The same amount of training time that Rocky had to fight world champion, Apollo Creed. The students worked hard and performed admirably. They demonstrated skill, patience, empathy, and poise under pressure, and articulated reflective insights. (And if I’m permitted to beam proudly here, they reached the semi-finals with a collective mediator score ranking 5^th in a 22-team field.)

Author Dan Millman wrote: “The journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination.” I am grateful to the students who sacrificed their time during this adventure to learn and experience something new. In turn, these types of interactions facilitate my personal growth. All of which motivates me to seek out my next quest.

Please take a moment in your busy lives to express gratitude to the people you work with. Continuously. Even if (Especially if?) your workday sometimes feels like the movie, Groundhog Day.

Excerpt, Innovative College Teaching (2024)

#1 Amazon BEST SELLER and #1 NEW RELEASE in Teacher & Student Mentoring (Jan./Feb. 2024)

c 2024 Perry Binder

Who is Reading Innovative College Teaching?

 

Dave is!

Innovative College Teaching Key Takeaway from Perry Binder

Me: Make your classes interactive with activities solving real world problems. Encourage students to be confident in their fact-based opinions and continually challenge or “teach the teacher.” For example, in my Internet Law class, students know more than me about emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, crypto, and NFTs. While I can teach the legal limits of technology, it is the energy of students which carries this class, as they educate me. This shift in roles grew my skills as a college professor. Ultimately, I want my classes to not only be student-centered but life-centered as well.

Innovative College Teaching Key Takeaway from Master Teacher Laura Meyers

Laura E. Meyers: “Unlearn. We need to deconstruct what we know and consider how we learned this and who it favors. Unlearning is one way to reduce bias and, in turn, harm. Unlearning can lead to allyship (and more) which is beneficial to our students (and us) in ‘becoming’ educators. Aren’t we always growing and becoming?”

Innovative College Teaching Key Takeaway from Master Teacher Leila Lawlor

Leila Lawlor: “If you have chosen to teach, you have chosen to place students at the center of your professional universe. Tell them. They will appreciate knowing how much you want them to thrive, to enjoy your teaching, and to meet their academic and professional goals. As you get to know your students, they will surely appreciate your interest in their lives and goals.”

Innovative College Teaching Key Takeaway from Master Teacher Jody Blanke (Mercer University)

Jody Blanke: “I like to teach by example. I think it is much easier to understand an idea if you can see it in action, rather than merely in the abstract. Quite often you can discuss the nuances of the topic by simply varying the facts of the example.”

 

Amazon #1 Best Seller in Teacher & Student Mentoring: Innovative College Teaching

Some of my favorite books are in this category, including Tuesdays with Morrie and The Happy Teacher Habits.

Innovative College Teaching Key Takeaway from Master Teacher Evaristo Fernando Doria

Evaristo Fernando Doria:“I am enthusiastic about expanding my efforts to create more cross-border interdisciplinary learning experiences. Such experiences not only prompt participants to critically analyze novel ideas and challenges but also encourage them to delve into the intricate intersections of various fields of study while developing their global mindset.”

Speaking on Novel Teaching Techniques @ Transforming the Teaching & Learning Environment conference

I'll be presenting takeaways from the Classroom LIGHTBULBS book as well as "How to Teach with AI" from Innovative College Teaching.  

Innovative College Teaching Key Takeaway from Yelena Abalmazova Chan, Esq.

Yelena Abalmazova Chan: “Encourage students to explore all careers, classes, and topics that interest them. I really believe it’s a duty we have as instructors. I see some students tied to a major just because that’s what they chose based on pretty much no research or experience, and they clearly have no passion for it. There is nothing wrong with majoring in accounting but consider interning at a bakery if that’s something that piques their interest. Sometimes hearing that from an authority figure like a college professor is encouraging and gives students the permission to explore outside the box.”