What's Your Porch Pitch? Do Your Students Know it?

What's Your Porch Pitch? Do Your Students Know it?: "

During last night's Future of Education discussion, Steve Hargadon asked me about the "porch pitch" for each of the Classroom Habitudes. 

While this post offers an answer to the Habitudes porch pitch quiz, I spent the night reflecting on the term "porch pitch" and what it has meant to me the past few years. In short, a porch pitch is the description that comes right between a "thin-slice" and an "elevator speech"

My mantra and my mission both came together a couple of years ago with the help of some friends and advisors. Bringing these important voices together was not only an important step, but also helped us put together both mantra and mission.

Together We're Smarter  (3 Word Mantra)
This is my mantra:  Together We're Smarter. Not only do we see this on every page on my web site, I say it aloud multiple times each day. Together We're Smarter. I say it to my students, my family, my peers ... everyone I meet. In some ways, it's the spirit and habitude of Teamwork and of Collaboration.

 Put Learners First (3 Step Mission)
This is my mission:

1. Put Learners First


2. Transform Teaching


3. Change Conditions of Catatonic Classrooms

These three steps are like a compass to me. They help me define and decide what comes first in my work. They also help my students know what to expect -- and to remind me of them when I get off task.

The first step gives me direction and courage. I believe in my work and also that everyone I meet (including the person in my mirror) is a learner first. So, in my work, I put learners and learning above everything.

The second is very important to me. Every teacher I meet has a thirst for time, a hunger of knowledge, a desire to improve. If any or all of these things can assist to transform their practice, I consider it my responsibility -- my obligation -- to work with each and all of them to assist in their transformation. Someone did so for me once.

The third has such a sense of urgency for me (and maybe for you!) We should no longer be training and educating assembly line, robotic, non-thinking workers ready for the industrial age (though we're better at it now that ever before). Bringing passion into the classroom -- and keeping it, growing it, spreading it like a virus -- is such big part of learning!  Which brings me right back to the first step...

What's your Mantra? Your Mission?  Your Porch Pitch?

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