Think
about teachers, coaches, mentors, bosses, or parents who were in your life as a
child or young adult. Think about how you would categorize these people:
Of
the three categories of personas you thought about, which one influenced you
the most to stay regulated, focused, and motivated? Are you more naturally a
"Mister Rogers" or a "General Patton?" Think of ways that
you can balance yourself as a teacher to include both personas.
Growing up I had both types to influence me. My coach was General Patton. He held us to high expectations so we knew we had to be on point at all times. He taught us how to fear someone in a positive way. I remember when I woud see him in the hallway I would turn and go the other way because he was so hard on us. Not that I was scared of him, I just didn't want to do anything to disappoint him.
ReplyDeleteThen I had Mister Rogers as a teacher. I felt like she was my 2nd mom. She was so loving and caring. It helped that she was my neighbor so when something was wrong at my house I would go over to her house and she would comfort me. I still talk to both and respect them till this day!
Growing up, my mom was Mister Rogers and my father was General Patton. When they divorced and my mom lost the General Patton figure in the home, I feel like my brother and I took advantage of her. While she was and is a wonderful, loving, selfless mother, we abused her softness and compassion. Eventhough, she would say she was going to punish us, we didn't believe her. Fortunately, in big situations, my father still stepped in and they worked as team. From this experience, I feel like a hybrid of the two types of people work best in the classroom. When I think of this hybrid teacher, Mrs. Sally Shymkiw comes to mind. In a General Patton stand point, we knew she had rules and their were consequences for breaking those rules. On the other hand, she is was kind and compassionate. I don't remember a lot about middle school, but I remember her and her classroom like it was yesterday. Knowing she had rules kept students from testing her, but knowing she loved us made us work hard to achieve her high expectations.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Mrs. Shymkiw. She was definitely a hybrid of both! She managed her classroom with an iron fist, but she was the first one you wanted to run to with a problem or if you did something good you wanted her to know! I had her two years in middle school and she was the most influential teacher that I had! She loved and respected you and you WANTED to please her and make her proud!
DeleteI agree, I had the please of working with Mrs. Shymkiw and she was a wonder to behold. Her demeanor with the students was one of respect and care. She students seemed to want to do their best for her and she certainly expected it from them.
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DeleteYes! I don't ever really remember her punishing or even raising her voice, but we also knew to behave and do the right thing. We didn't want to disappoint her. I'll never forget at the beginning of the year she gave us a printed paper that said in big letters, "Mrs. Chadwick loves you." I actually have it still in a scrapbook. Something so simple that I thought was so important.
DeleteYes, I agree that Mrs. Shymkiw is both. I never had Mrs. Shymkiw as a teacher, but I was able to work with her several years. She was always a great mentor. She always gave me great advice and helped me both in the classroom and personally.
DeleteI really think a combination of the three helped define me as the person I am today. I had coaches that generally took the General Patton route, some of my teachers took the the Mister Rogers route and some were the Hybrid type. I would say that the Hybrid route was the most effective for me as a child and young man. Growing up there were times when I needed a good ol fashion tail chewing(General Patton), other times I just needed some attention(Mr. Rogers), and other times I needed a combination of both(Hybrid). From my experience over the years I personally think I have become that Hybrid type of educator. I do not mind giving a tail chewing when it is needed but when that happens I still try to begin with something positive and end with something positive. Other times a tail chewing is not needed therefore I use a different approach. As I have said in previous posts each student is different and I try to determine what is needed at that particular time.
ReplyDeleteI agree Coach George you do a great job at being a “hybrid” educator. I have had to use you as my calming person a few times and you do so good at coming into the situation calmly and getting to the base of the problem. I also believe being the hybrid teacher will be most beneficial and effective for our students.
DeleteI had a teacher in high school that was definitely a hybrid of both in my opinion. Mrs. Zia McKennie had very high expectations in her classroom. She taught you her rules the first week and you were expected to follow them. She taught me English but also life lessons. Had you asked me back then if she was anything like Mr. Rogers, I would have said no, but now looking back on how she carried herself in the classroom and the way she treated us she definitely had a caring side. I also had a college professor who was a hybrid. I had her my freshman & sophomore year which were the years that I lost my mother, got married and sent him off for a 10 month deployment. So to say that I had a lot going on outside of class was a understatement, she made sure that I knew she still expected nothing less than 100% from me. She also was there to support me, would pull me aside after class and pray for me, and she would text me Bible verses when she felt I needed them. She had very strict rules in class, we could not answer yeah and naw as that was not professional, we could not wear sweat pants or pjs to class, and no hats allowed. She expected us to carry ourselves as the teachers that we were preparing to be. To this day we still will share random texts or emails and I always want to make her proud. I know as a middle school teacher in class I am more of a General Patton than a Mister Rogers, but I do pull my students aside one on one, catch them in the hallways, or give them notes of encouragement when I can so that they know I do truly care for them. I love seeing former students and for them to tell me they still have their 8th grade letter from me and how they have kept it all the way through high school. Its definitely about finding balance daily in and out of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteMy own children would say that I'm a General Patton while Marty is a Mister Rogers but I try my hardest to be a hybrid in the classroom. I believe rules should be consistent and enforced but I know how much my students need a listening ear or bear hug. I had one student tell Madelyn this year that she was so lucky because she got hugs and smiles from her mama. I made it my goal to hug that student every chance I got. She needed the reassurance of love and comfort and it's my prayer that through that relationship, together we were changing her internal belief system to a positive one.
ReplyDeleteI have learned to be more of the Mr. Rogers because of today's students. When I began teaching, I was definitely General Patton. Not only was a young and new, this is how we earned respect. Today responce is the opposite of what I was taught is school. Still I think you must be somewhere in the middle. In early teaching everyone got the same punishment and or consequences. Now this is so far from the truth. Some students with these special problems will need to be coddled.
ReplyDeleteI agree Ms. Roxie. We need to be somewhere in the middle, but for some students we may need to lean a little more to Mr. Rogers - especially if they don't receive this at home. Some students truly need some special treatment, but at the same time we have to find a balance in teaching them new ways to deal with their stress and their reactions, so they can better function in society. This book is certainly giving me lots of things to think about and new ways I can maybe help my students.
DeleteWe may not be able to give the same consequences to every student for the same infraction, but students cannot go through life with no consequences, or they will continue to have problems throughout their lives. Our ultimate goal is to help them be productive adults.
I believe students learn best from a hybrid of Patton and Rogers. I know I for sure do/did. Both my parents were hybrids--strong hand but yet very loving. As I reflect on my former teachers; I had a few Patton's and a few Roger's and several hybrids. I think it is very important for students to know and respect your expectations-honestly students like some structure, if it is made clear what a teacher expects-students will normally abide by these expectations. But it is also very important for each child to feel loved and cared for in the classroom. I would like to think I am a hybrid in the classroom or I sure want to be.
ReplyDeleteMistee I hear 6th graders all the time talk about how much they love you. Just from what they say (unfortunately I haven't been in your class to observe) I would concur that you are in fact an excellent example of a hybrid. They respect you and don't want to disappoint you and always try to take a detour by your room to get a hug or to share something that is going in their life.
DeleteI have taught with Mistee for many years and she has always had a huge fan club. She loves the students, listens to them and takes the time they ask for. She is strict but they know she cares about them.
DeleteMistee, I think your whole 5th grade team has done a fine job of achieving “hybrid-status”. Ya’ll can silence a whole hallway (expectations) and have some on the most “notorious” students in your and higher grades run to you all for hugs (love).
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Mrs. Haney they do an amazing job of achieving that hybrid status. I enjoy watching the techniques they use when silencing an entire hallway and cafeteria without even having to raise their voice.
DeleteWhen I think back no teacher comes to mind as a General Patton or really as a complete Mr. Rogers either. I guess those who influenced me were more of a hybrid of the two of them. I appreciated a classroom with structure so that I always knew what was expected, but at the same time my most memorable teachers were approachable if I needed to speak with them about school or another type of issue. They weren't your "friend," but if you needed them they would be there for you. I remember having Ms. Adkins for physical science, chemistry, and physics. In addition to this she was also my homeroom teacher. She was very easy to talk to, and in homeroom our whole class would often just talk about random things, and she participated in this with us. For her to just talk to us was a great feeling and I remember thinking that it was unusual to get to know a teacher in that way. It made her more "real" to me. She was definitely someone I didn't want to disappoint.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up I had my dad that was Mister Rogers and my mom who was General Patton. As an adult I now know my poor momma hated being General Patton but my daddy was such a softy she had to take up the discipline slack. I think their combined efforts worked great for my sister and I. We knew my momma meant business. She always said I am not here to be your friend, my job is to make you into responsible citizens. My dad.... wanted to be our friend. Now I am Mister Rogers for sure!! More so I feel like in the classroom than at home for some reason. I have had a few "Billys" tell me I was too nice. Every year it is my goal to increase the firmness side of my classroom. It has always been my struggle. But, at home I have been required to be more hybrid because I couldn't push that off on Trey. Him being a police officer that works 12 hour night shifts he honestly isn't around a ton. So as the girls became teenagers I couldn't remain just Mister Rogers. I had to become General Patton also (especially with one of my kiddos). But, I am so glad I took on both roles because now my girls are practically grown and I can say they are good girls and I think it's because I figured out how to be a hybrid.
ReplyDeleteI like to think I try to be a hybrid, but I am not always successful. I remember one year at the end of the year I had the students write something about each of the 5th grade teachers. One student wrote on mine, Just don't make her mad. It really made me think back to what I had apparently said in anger. I don't really remember, but I have to be more aware of myself. Once I am frustrated, my mouth gets me in trouble, and it can become a power struggle quickly. Becoming a parent this past year has made this even more apparent. Somehow I, a strong willed person, am raising a strong willed daughter haha! The times that I have kept my cool in the midst of tears, rebellion, or screaming have resolved themselves so much quicker than the times I have not. The same is true in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteCoach McCord was my mentor, teacher, and coach growing up. I admired him so much because of his approach to all of his students, players, etc. at all times. He knew when to be the calm Mr. Rogers type of persona and when General Patton was needed as well. I believe a more rounded approach is crucial as an educator or coach. Students/players need to know that you can be caring at times but authoritative as well so they know who is in charge of the setting. Understanding your students better will hint to which type is needed or allowed.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with a General Patton as a father. I never responded the best to his tactics. I didn't do certain things, not because I didn't want to disappoint him, but because I feared him. I know I have made mistakes at school and at home because I have responded to incidents with a General Patton demeanor. I have to make a very conscious effort to be more of a hybrid in most cases though I do know that some need me to be full on Mr. Rogers.
ReplyDeleteThe teachers that influenced me most were a mixture of both personas. I think for my personality, I needed a bit more General Patton to keep my attitude in check. As a teacher, I try to be a mixture of both but find myself leaning a bit more toward the Mister Rogers side. I think this stemmed from seeing students that were so broken my first year. I gave them structure, but they really needed emotional support. That experience allowed me to get comfortable being the teacher who says cheesy things to be encouraging!
ReplyDeleteMany of my teachers were a mixture of Mister Rogers and General Patton. All my teachers were very supportive and helped me achieve what I need to achieve.
ReplyDeleteI see myself more as a Mister Rogers. I feel that I am very supportive to students, and I try help them achieve their classwork/homework, find that perfect book, or I will listen if they need someone to talk to.
A General Patton type kept me more motivated as they were tough and stern in their discipline and pushed you to give maximum effort. I do believe that much of the tough love approach that many of us endured is not effective on the kids of today. I think we have to learn the students as well, I have found over the years there are certain kids, especially in athletics, that prefer the Mr. Rogers approach and there are students that need a General Patton type. We must learn to balance ourselves as teachers so that we can get the maximum potential out of all of our students.
ReplyDeleteLooking back over my school teachers I think I had more in the hybrid category. It is very hard for me to choose one or two teachers because i had a lot of great teachers. Coach Richard Chappell had so many words of wisdom, Mrs. Karen Camp...so fun but strict...she paddled her son at school! Mrs. Anderson..so much energy and a great teacher, Mrs. Woodard so strict but so sweet, Mrs. Tuva Stephens..now she changed from one to the other daily..loved her anyways. There were just so many who had a lot of influence on my life but they really all seemed to have both Mr. Rogers and General Patton at some point. I was taught you start out as General Patton and change into Mr. Rogers. I never really had classroom management problems.
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