Tips for New Teachers

 

After spending a week at my alma mater at Penn State Altoona, my heart is full after getting to spend an entire week sharing my story as a teacher turned entrepreneur with student teachers looking for new teacher tips as well as with aspiring entrepreneurs looking for a tip or two to help them to continue following their passion and their dream of being an entrepreneur.   I am humbled, refreshed, and rather proud to have taken the risk that I have by presenting to these Penn State students all week long, and I wanted to highlight and recap the week for you all.

Whether you’re a new teacher, a student teacher, an entrepreneur, a teacherpreneur or even if you are considering stepping outside of your comfort zone in what EVER field is yours, stick around.  I’ll share with you why I’m SO glad I stepped into some NEW territory this week, presenting in front of hundreds!

Why me?

Penn State Altoona reached out to me months ago to hear my story about how, as a 10th year teacher, I have also truly become an entrepreneur.  I had NO idea that Penn State Altoona – my alma mater – had an entire PROGRAM dedicated to students who had a dream of starting a business of their own some day.  Professor Donna Bon told me all about the Sheetz Fellows Program for Entrepreneurial Excellence at Penn State Altoona, and I was honored that she wanted me to come and share my story with these Sheetz Fellows, these entrepreneurs, these pioneers, to inspire them and to help fuel their passion for being an entrepreneur.  As my story is a bit unique – teacher turned entrepreneur – Professor Bon believed that when the Sheetz Fellows heard my story of how you don’t just have to be a BUSINESS or MARKETING major to pursue the dream of being an entrepreneur, they would be inspired and would be given a fresh angle to consider as they built their businesses.

It would work out perfectly for me to visit Penn State and share my message with the entrepreneur students during the week of my spring break as I would be traveling 4 hours to spend the week with the students and faculty of my alma mater.  As I knew I would be there for several days, plans were also made for me to speak to student teachers during my visit to share with them what I wish I knew before I stepped foot in my first classroom as the now 10th year teacher that I am.

 

Preparations

It was time to get to work.

 

I wanted my time spent at Penn State to be worth the students’ while.  I spent weeks planning my presentations – figuring out the best way to deliver my message of why I LOVE what I do as a teacherpreneur and to deliver and share new teacher tips as well as new entrepreneur tips that I’ve had success with throughout my journey.

 

As I planned, I realized that I wasn’t nervous.  At all.  Why? Because I planned my presentations and my message around what I LOVE AND BELIEVE.  I knew that it wasn’t going to be difficult for me to share that passion with the students.  I actually couldn’t wait.  I was excited.  I was SURE that they would walk away with a pep in their step – ready to tackle the next thing on their list, ready to connect with other teachers and entrepreneurs who LOVE what they  do the same way as they already did.  When you LOVE what you do, it’s easy to share your passion with ANYONE that you come in contact with  – so I knew it would be exponentially easier to share that passion with STUDENTS aspiring to be in my shoes.

 

Show time!

Driving to campus on my very first day of presentations – it felt like coming HOME! I absolutely LOVE Penn State. I’ve ALWAYS bled blue and white, but this was a different feeling! I was coming BACK home.  I was returning to the place, the school, the BUILDING, in which I first found my love for teaching.  Being able to return to that same place TEN YEARS LATER to share my passion for teaching and getting to share new teacher tips with these energetic and aspiring student teachers just felt RIGHT.  Even minutes before I started -I wasn’t nervous in the least.  It was as though I was supposed to be there with those new teachers.  They were supposed to hear my message.  I was supposed to deliver it to them.

 

My message to the student teachers was this: Be Creative.  Be Collected.  Be Calm.  Be connected.

***{stay tuned for a 4 part Periscope series on what all I shared with the students in detail!}**

In being creative I talked to them all about …

bringing their classroom and lessons to LIFE!

finding the love for TARGET…

Ron.  Clark.

mastering ONE part of their creativity at a time – NOT trying to do it all at once!

including positivity in classroom management! {magic of brag tags commenced here!}

being YOU – NOT trying to be anyone else

using chants and cheers…

… and SO much more.  {stay tuned for a 4 part Periscope on what all I shared with them in detail!}

 

In being collected I talked to them all about …

being ORGANIZED!

checklists, planners, and to do list routines!

having routines for EVERYTHING

my planning routine

how EVERYTHING has a place {my favorite Periscope: ORGANIZE IT ALL to keep your DESK CLEAN!}

writing sub plans – – Yep, I went there.

and using your WEEKENDS to rejuvenate!

 

In being calm I talked to them all about …

asking for help

parent communication and conferences

avoiding negative nancy and the teachers’ lounge

the roller coaster of CHANGE that is education

SINGLE TASKING – doing ONE thing at a time!

 

In being CONNECTED I talked to them all about …

how I found my tribe of teachers who GET IT on social media

using social media as PD

the iteachtvnetwork

how to watch, listen, and GROW as a teacher

collaboration over competition

and SO much more!

 

It was SO well received, too!  They were engaged, they asked questions, they stayed after to chat and pick my brain, and they were smiling – even after a long day of student teaching!  I was SO pleased with how my first day at Penn State went, and sharing my passion for TEACHING with the student teachers was the perfect warm up to the rest of my week with the Sheetz Fellows {entrepreneur students}.

 

Entrepreneurial Success 101

As I mentioned before that I wasn’t nervous, I really wasn’t.  Though prior to presenting to my first class of entrepreneur students, I in NO way had any idea what to anticipate.  I wasn’t sure whether my story would connect with them.    I didn’t know if sharing my passion for being a teacherpreneur would be heard.

 

However, in my heart, I also knew this:

 

I wanted to deliver a similar PASSIONATE message from my heart to the entrepreneur students just as I had to the student teachers!  So that passion is exactly what surrounded the remainder of my presentations.  I wanted to deliver a message of passion, to share what worked, to share what hasn’t worked, and to share the message of “keep going” with all of these Sheetz Fellows at Penn State Altoona.  And it was only minutes into the first presentation that I knew my message was being heard.

 

 

My message to the entrepreneur students was this: Be passionate.  Be practical.  Be productive.  Be present.

***{be sure to follow me on snapchat {schroedershenan} AND are signed up for my Shenanigans TPT newsletter for an IN DETAIL look at all of the tips that I shared with these entrepreneur students!}**

In being PASSIONATE I talked to them all about …

doing what you LOVE

what problem you can solve for others

finding your NICHE and playing/working to your strengths

considering how your NICHE and your PASSIONS can lead to products and services!

In being PRACTICAL I talked to them all about …

sticking with your niche and staying FOCUSED on that

staying inside of your zone of genuis

delegating/outsourcing when you’re outside of that zone of genius

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF {eating right and exercising!}

In being PRODUCTIVE I talked to them all about …

characteristics and habits of the most successful entrepreneurs

setting a schedule – and sticking to it!

practice activities to build/break habits

SINGLE TASKING

finding a mentor

and SO much more!

In being PRESENT I talked to them all about …

social media

where they belong, where their ideal customers hang out, and where they should be PRESENT on social media

email lists

growing a following

building relationships

using hashtags to find your customers

my favorite entrepreneurs to follow!

I really could not have been more happy about how well everything went.  The fellows were EXCITED.  They were EAGER to share their stories/ideas with ME!  They connected with me.  They WANTED to hear more.   And they were so easy to talk to because we spoke the same entrepreneurial language!

 

 

 

In addition to speaking in front of the Sheet Fellows classes, I also got to spend time one on one with these mentoring students as well in the Entrepreneur in Residence program.

Spending a week back home at Penn State Altoona was SO rewarding for me.  I loved being able to come back, 10 years later, and share my “where I’ve been” and “how I got here” story with not just the students – but with the students who get it.  With the students who LOVE what they do and are PASSIONATE about what they do in the same ways that I am.  This was my very first time presenting and I am already looking forward to my next presentations as well as working with Penn State Altoona again in the {near!} future!

And.  That’s not even all.

I am THRILLED to be announcing  as well as teaming up with Penn State {as I was able to sit down to hash out some details this week} this summer to be bringing you all an Education Conference on August 5th {jury is still out on the name, but we’re leaning toward EduState Altoona} . . . .featuring RON CLARK!! 

 

There is an AMAZING task force of professionals put together at Penn State planning an ALL DAY event coming up on AUGUST 5th for which we will have MANY many more details available SO soon!  My principal, Craig Caroff, as well two of my INCREDIBLY passionate and talented friends Jess {The Whimsical Teacher} and Chris {Famous in First} are a part of the breakout sessions of the day – alongside the one and only Mr. Ron Clark.  To say we are excited is an UNDERSTATEMENT!

 

This week was FULL of exciting opportunity for me.  Getting to connect with so many students from my alma mater – students who LOVE what they do in some of the same ways that I do – was incredibly inspiring.  When opportunity knocks, y’all.  You have to answer!  I am so thankful to the Penn State staff and students for welcoming me back to campus this week and for sharing their passion with me.  Every conversation had and every message delivered with/to these students has made me an even better teacherpreneur, and the lessons I learned and moments I shared with staff and students this week I will remember forever.

In whatEVER you do…

Do the work – answer the door of opportunity – BE YOU – and share your passion.  The rest is easy.

 

**also, if you’re a teacher looking for more details from my student teacher presentation, pin this image below! I will be adding the links to the 4 part Periscope series on this post!