Teach Like Yourself

Gravity Goldberg is an international educational consultant and author of eight books on teaching. Mindsets & Moves (Corwin Literacy, 2015) put her on the world stage with its practical ways to cultivate student agency, leading to speaking engagements and foreign translations of her work. She has almost 20 years of teaching experience, including positions as a science teacher, reading specialist, third grade teacher, special educator, literacy coach, staff developer, assistant professor, educational consultant, and yoga teacher. Gravity holds a B.A. and M.Ed. from Boston College and a doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the founding director of Gravity Goldberg, LLC, a team that provides side-by-side coaching for teachers.

Preface Why I Wrote This Book Organization of the Book Three Recurring Features Personal Stories Research-Based Practices Invitations to Reflect Use the Book to Coach Yourself Chapter 1: Authentic Teaching What Helps Us Be Authentic Teachers? Shifts That Help Us Teach More Like Ourselves Five Practices for Teaching Like Yourself Chapter 2: Naming Core Beliefs Start With Why Creating Student Movement 3 Ways to Know and Name Your Core Beliefs Uncovering Your Students' Beliefs Coming Back to Why Chapter 3: Viewing Teaching as a Practice Four Types of Practice Your Personal Power View Student Learning as a Practice Teaching Practice Chapter 4: Building Balanced Relationships Connection is a Basic Human Need The Whole Picture of Professional Relationships Relationship-Building Practices Finding Balance Chapter 5: Driving Professional Growth Leaning Into Areas for Growth How to Discover Your Own Areas for Growth How to Design Your Own Professional Learning Plans Learning With Insiders Learning With Outsiders Connecting Professional Learning to Beliefs and Goals Chapter 6: Taking Care of Yourself Create Space for Yourself Focus on Happiness Help Your Students Take Care of Themselves Chapter 7: Teach Bravely What Do We Lose If We Don't Teach Like Ourselves Be Courageous Teach Like Yourself Manifesto Thank You Appendix A: Book Study Guide Appendix B: Teach Like Yourself Manifesto Appendix C: Join the Teach Like Yourself Movement References Index

"Gravity Goldberg is shining a light on the truth of what it means to be a teacher that makes a difference. Every child deserves one, and every teacher is capable of becoming one." -- Seth Godin, Author of Linchpin "Gravity Goldberg reminds us all that successful teachers are driven less by curriculum guides and more by the relationships they take the time to build with colleagues, students, and families. Goldberg's personal stories give us more than a glimpse into her own continuous-improvement journey; in this way she builds an effective and instructive relationship with readers at any grade level. I highly recommend this book for teachers and administrators." -- Ron Nash, Education Consultant, Author From Seatwork to Feetwork and The Active Classroom "We often forget that to give our students the best, we need to be at our best. Gravity provides avenues within our practices and outside the classroom to rejuvenate our passion to teach authentically." -- Justin Stygles, 5th Grade Teacher * Wiscasset, ME * "What I most love about Teach Like Yourself is Goldberg's ability to focus on what really matters. A must read for both experienced and novice teachers who are looking for a practical resource that gets to the heart of why we teach." -- Carol Pelletier Radford, Author, Mentoring in Action * Falmouth, MA * "Gravity Goldberg's book provides an essential teacher guide to self-reflection. It offers challenging questions we must consider in order to be effective and fulfilled teachers over the long-term." -- Larry Ferlazzo, High School Teacher, Ed Week Columnist and Author "I love this book! Gravity Goldberg addresses many important issues of our profession during this digital age. Too often what we see on social media creates an insecurity in ourselves, when those images do not tell the whole story. She believes this obsession with the next bandwagon gets us away from our why. Instead of getting caught up in teaching like someone else, Goldberg shows us the importance of teaching like ourselves." -- Peter DeWitt, Author/Consultant "How I wish this book was out when I started teaching! The principles and strategies here will make me a better teacher even as a veteran. It is a gift to the field." -- Julie Stern, Author and Trainer "Like a spa day, reading Teach Like Yourself affirms and pampers teacher soul. Goldberg vividly pulls together personal stories, research-based practices, and reflection invitations into a gorgeous bouquet of support for teachers." -- Kimberly Mitchell, Education Consultant at Inquiry Partners "Gravity Goldberg understands the power of story! In Teach Like Yourself, she urges us to find and use our core stories about teaching and learning to become more than a person who delivers a program or teaching script. She shares her personal accounts of when she practiced in ways that weren't true to herself, when she was, and how she has learned to be more deeply attuned to her own authenticity, more often. She poses questions to help us explore how reflection, creativity, and imagination lead to responsive teaching and trusting relationships with students, colleagues, and ourselves. Each chapter moves us deeper into a process that puts us in touch with our core beliefs about teaching and learning and how to nurture and broaden those beliefs. Gravity shows us how to learn from students and other educators and take ownership of our teaching lives. Finally, her call to action-join the movement of #teachlikeyourself-invites us to transform the culture of accountability, teaching to tests, and blame into a culture that helps us find our teaching greatness." -- Laura Robb, Education Consultant "Gravity Goldberg's Teach Like Yourself offers a masterful instructional lens through which we get to view-and take on- a transformative process leading to professional ownership. Gravity dedicates her book to 'brave' teachers everywhere and then shows us how to nurture our inner brave. Through her wisdom, we learn how to turn teaching inward, to our strengths and to discovering and nurturing our innermost beliefs about learning. Through this reflection rises new knowledge and renewed courage. Owning this book is like having Gravity Goldberg as our personal professional life coach, for she gently nudges us to authenticity while ever reminding us to keep self-care in our sights. Three simple but powerful words suddenly loom large throughout this book, and will inspire us all to bring her words to life - 'You are enough.'" -- Mary Howard, Education Consultant at Reading Partners "Gravity Goldberg uses the term 'authentic teachers' to drive her mission of helping educators teach like themselves. With thoughtful reflection questions and powerful classroom examples, Goldberg places emphasis on students through the lens of authentic teaching and being true to oneself. This is a great choice for teachers, coaches, and school leaders at any stage of their career." -- Monica Burns, Education Consultant "Considering the current trend in teacher burnout, Teach Like Yourself is a much need book that addresses 'the whole teacher,' and it does so by seamlessly intertwining stories, self-help strategies, research, and practical tips for the classroom. This book will serve as a much needed shot in the arm for teachers who have lost their way, while helping all educators to enhance their work by encouraging them to be confident and stay true to who they are." -- Ross Cooper, Principal, Author, Hacking Project Based Learning * Old Tappan, NJ * "Teach Like Yourself is a priceless guide to help teachers to show up in the classroom everyday as the most authentic version of themselves. This book guides teachers how to find their power within, rather than copying others in the classroom, leading to the all too common 'imposter syndrome.' Teaching like yourself and unlike anybody else is the most powerful way to present yourself in the classroom and for your students. This book is a perfect platform to build well-rounded, balanced, and happy teachers that can connect with the curriculum, students, other teachers, as well as families." -- Serena Pariser, Assistant Director of Field Experience, Author of Real Talk about Classroom Management "Finally, a personal transformation guide for teachers! This crystal-clear, joyful antidote to scripted lessons and obsession with test scores will energize and inspire you to face your classroom tomorrow with a brave new heart. Gravity's honest, practical, research-based, and meaning-rich advice will help you be not only an authentic, happy teacher, but also an authentic, happy person." -- Katherine Bomer, Author of Hidden Gems: Naming and Teaching from the Brilliance in Every Student's Writing "Gravity Goldberg has written an inspirational book that will touch the heart and challenge the mind of educators who are looking for ways to meet the needs of their students. Not only does Gravity's work honor teachers' voice and agency, it instills a sense of hope and confidence in transforming learning and teaching in schools so that collective efficacy is realized." -- Jenni Donohoo, Consultant "Teachers will find something precious in this deeply validating book from Gravity Goldberg: trust in themselves. Goldberg, using a mix of personal story and research, has given a gift to teachers, calling us to resist external pressures to compare and compete with each other and to listen to our own inner wisdom." -- Shanna Peeples, 2015 National Teacher of the Year "Teachers don't need to be fixed; they need to be set free. Teach Like Yourself gives practical insight to educators from all areas and grade levels. Gravity shares shifts that helped her teach like herself that everyone can relate to. Reading about her successes as well as her failures helps provide teachers with humble confidence and eliminate comparison teaching and self-doubt. Reading Teach Like Yourself will help you appreciate your strengths and create a highlight reel you'll want to replay over and over again. Teaching isn't easy, and Gravity shares just how to make the journey more smooth while enjoying it each step of the way. If you are still seeking to realize your "why" as an educator, Teach Like Yourself is for you." -- Kelsey Gavulic, Student Teacher "As a first-year teacher, I've experienced so many of the feelings described in this book. Goldberg provides honest and real advice about how to work through the difficult times." -- Meghan Schofield, Third-Grade Teacher "So much of the time my students sometimes are trying to figure out how to teach like me or a theorist that they read about or a cooperating teacher they would like to emulate. Like this book mentions it is important for teachers to find themselves, and use their particular strengths and gifts. I think this book will give my students the opportunity to be okay with being themselves. This book helps them to understand we are all works in progress and to understand both our strengths and areas of improvement. This book will help me to facilitate my students personal teaching reflections." -- Natalie Young, Ed. D.