What would you do if you were Marty Mcfly?

This weeks reading on the fantasy analogy method in my Rank I course, had my creative wheels turning when identifying "big picture problems" within a school community and dreaming of creative solutions. The fantasy analogy method includes looking for ideal solutions, such as having the problem solve itself. This has been going on for years, so why not utilize this in the platform of education? Years ago, some creative people asked: How can I get an oven to clean itself? How can I get an iron to turn off when I forgot to unplug it? How can my refrigerator create its own ice?

Teaching middle school for nearly 15 years, I will make the claim that what can be considered "poor" adolescent behaviors is without a doubt some of our "big picture problems". Speaking to 15 years experience, I also have some clarity on why this is a common issue. Science shows, the brain development during these years of middle school, has a prefrontal cortex which is not fully developed. This is the part of the brain which is to regulate cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and social behavior. This might explain why middle school students are extremely awkward at times and truly do not know why they do what they do periodically. Couple their underdeveloped prefrontal cortex with raging hormones and their pursuit for belonging/identity... this might explain why middle school life is difficult and takes a special someone to teach them each and every day.

Before I share more about some suggested methods, I want to be clear that I am a firm believer in consequences. Life is not fair and, yes, we must insert appropriate consequences to the underdeveloped prefrontal cortex populations of our world. I also believe, however, that a creative approach to relationship building while asserting authoritative consequences (when needed) is what changes the game. Without the relationship, I believe a consequence merits only a fraction of its worth in the life of a student today. With a strong relationship, however, I believe an appropriate consequence can be one of the most powerful tools we have to help the trajectory of a struggling student. So what does this look like?

"I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it" --Marty Mcfly after performing "Johnnie B Goode" on electric guitar for a 1955 audience (well before Rock 'N' Roll)

One of my favorite sci-fi movie series of all time is Back to the Future. It is fascinating to watch these films now and see the futuristic lens of 1985 Hollywood writers; having fantasy-like vision for the future. In fact, they nailed it with several technological advancements that came to fruition, including: hoverboards, drones, mobile payment options, hands-free gaming, biometric devices, and more. This movie embodies what the fantasy analogy method can be when approaching "big picture problems". "Marty needs to quickly get around and run from Biff" thinks a writer... "lets give him a hoverboard" thinks a writer.

One of my guiding questions while writing this blog was, "what would I do if I were Marty McFly and could teach all-over again"? Whereas we cannot travel back in time to change scenarios for the better, we can both look at our past and look to the future while making changes to our present. This is, in fact, our only option. Some visionary thoughts I have when considering the challenging middle school student are not so revolutionary, rather, they speak to what I have seen and what I hope to see built upon in the future. To keep this short and sweet, I have bulleted some thoughts below. Much of this, like all of history, is borrowed from others. I do not claim any of these as my own but did place my own personal touches on them.

• Home visits without motives

I have personally done these before to get insight into the mind of my most struggling students. It can be humbling to know what a students' scenario is like outside the walls of our school. I still remember doing this my first year of teaching. I pulled up to a home with beer cans and cigaret butts scattered in the lawn, vines growing in the gutters, and broken windows. I walked into a living room with a bed in the very middle of the room (which was where my student slept). The grandma, who was the guardian, was clearly drunk and it was 3pm. This changed the entire course of my teaching career for the better and I highly recommend any educator to do this periodically if possible. There have been times I learned that I do indeed have the support from home if needed and other times that I was going to have to be the "tough love" parent in the life of a student. This also proves the point to the student that you are willing to do anything if it means they succeed.

• Consequences while building a relationship

This takes some creativity on the teachers end of things but can be worth it. I still remember my second year of teaching and I needed to warrant a consequence to a student. His mom was supportive of him staying after for detention and was to take away his phone for the week. Of course the young man was upset with me as he thought I "got him in trouble" for no reason. Instead of having him sit in silence to do homework on my watch... I looked at the lengthy list of things I needed to do around my classroom, and invited him to work with me on tasks. We spent the next hour cleaning drum heads and tightening them while we both learned. I even learned about some hip-hop artists that he found influential in his life. Think of the things you can have your students help you with and learn from. Learn to be their Mr. Miyagi for the time being.

• Shadow a student

We (teachers) all have "planning" periods. It might not always be what we expect... but... we can be guaranteed at least some portion of time that is ours each week. In my first three years of teaching, I was lucky to get planning once a week. I was exhausted. Yet, I had the idea to shadow one of my most struggling students while he was in another class. I truly was doing this to just be a fly on the wall and learn. What I witnessed in that brief 45 minutes was humbling. I learned that he didn't have friends. I learned that he operates out of "fight or flight" a lot of the time when being asked questions in front of his peers. He sought attention in the wrong ways but deep down wanted to please and have that right answer. He didn't have all of his class supplies to be successful. Learning all of this... I decided to make changes to my classroom setting to benefit his needs. I moved his seat right next to me and my teaching zone. I would never call on him, but during independent practice, whisper and ask if he needed anything. I created a secrete space for his class supplies in my room that would be in the same spot each and every day so there were no more excuses. I also made it a point to sit at his lunch table each week and help him build friendships. Think of all the things we don't know about our struggling students; and if we don't know what they are, go find them; walk in their shoes.

• Give your students an experience

One of the best memories I have of my own middle school experience was taking a field trip to Atlanta. It was fun with friends but also educational. This trip was also shortly after the 96' Olympic Games so we got to witness all the venues which meant something to me and it made the experience so real. What were your great memories as a student? Knowing this to be true, I remember taking my students on a field trip to Morehead State University to participate in an Honor Band Clinic. For many of them, they needed financial assistance. I taught them how to write a letter of support so they could go. For many of them, this was their first trip outside of Louisville. When we arrived to MSU, I took them on a quick tour of the campus and view some of the beautiful rolling hills in Eastern Kentucky. These students became so appreciative through this opportunity and it made our relationship stronger. When they returned to school, they worked harder in the classroom more than they ever have. Some of these students (see below) I still keep in touch with. One of them had that detention with me to clean drum heads. Another called me last year to let me know he got a brand new saxophone for Christmas. Another asked if I could officiate his upcoming wedding this spring of 2022. Field trips and other experiences might take a lot of our time and energy, but never underestimate their worth when thinking about student growth and connections.

• Be their Champion

As any teacher works towards building that relationship which can make the difference, don't forget to be their champion in and out of the classroom. Attend their games. Show up to their place of worship. Get them connected to opportunities to serve or apply for scholarships/jobs or try out for the team because you believe in them. I can still remember my band director, Mr. Gambrell, having me sign-up for a music festival when I was only in 6th grade. I was terrified and didn't know what to expect. Nonetheless, I signed-up, eventually performed, and it made me more confident than I ever felt as a middle school student. I had something to be proud of. Teachers can be coaches too even if we don't have the title.

• Give each student a role

It is interesting to note how these bullets have shifted from discussing consequences to now offering student roles. One size does not fit all, but again, I do believe in the power of relationships and never giving up. Some of our most challenging students can eventually be our leaders if we find their potential and guide them to see what we see. One approach to this is to have students take personality tests. We do this as adults and learn from it... why not offer this for students so they can begin to find their footing in our complex world? I did this with my students in my early years of education because I wanted to know the variety of learning styles and personalities in my class. I created a four corners game to make it interactive and asked the personality questions one at a time. By the end of the game, I was able to see which personalities I am working with. I created monthly leadership roles including: door greeter, attendance taker, one who straightens chairs, one to sharpen the extra pencils, one to clean up when students left, one in charge of lost and found, one to be sure all the percussion equipment was covered and secure. I also made a spreadsheet of these personalities and would reflect on those introverts vs extroverts or sensing vs intuition. If you can't think of jobs/roles, let the students think with you. We all crave purpose so let's help our students find one for each and every day. Here is a great website for resources.

These are just some of creative solutions to addressing our "big picture problems" in middle school. What methods might you have? We might not be able to be a Marty Mcfly in our endeavors but we can look at our past to impact our present and better our future. What are your "big picture problems" and how can you creatively think of solutions that solve themselves?