The Wild Card: 7 Steps to an Educator's Creative Breakthrough

by Wade King, Hope King

Overview

Experience a Creative Breakthrough in Your Classroom

Have you ever wished you were more creative... or that your students were more engaged in your lessons? The Wild Card is your step-by-step guide to experiencing a creative breakthrough in your classroom with your students. Even if you've never painted a portrait or written a poem, you can create unforgettable lessons that help your learners retain content.

In this book, Wade and Hope King show you how to draw on your authentic self--your past experiences, personality quirks, interests, hobbies, and strengths--to deliver your content creatively. The seven steps in The Wild Card will give you the knowledge and the confidence to bring creative teaching strategies into your classroom. You'll learn...

• Why the deck is not stacked against you, no matter what kind of hand you've been dealt

• Why you should never listen to the Joker

• How to identify the "Ace up your sleeve" and use it to create classroom magic

• How to apply the "Rules of Rigor" in order to fuse creativity with learning

• How to become the Wild Card that changes the game for your students

"This book is a teacher wonderland of ideas, inspiration, and mind-blowing magic." --Ron Clark, New York Times bestselling author and cofounder, Ron Clark Academy

"Hope and Wade provide powerful, proven, practical steps to discovering the creativity inside of us all." --Kim Bearden, cofounder and executive director, Ron Clark Academy, author of LA Times bestselling Crash Course

"Wade and Hope King challenge, equip, and emPOWER you to create lessons that bring light (not dread) to your students' eyes." --Jason David Frank, actor, Power Ranger, and eighth-degree black belt martial artist

"These pages are full of real-life stories that will pull you in and challenge you to your core." --Amy Lemons, educator and blogger

SetTheStageToEngage.com

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781946444523
Publisher:	Dave Burgess Consulting
Publication date:	01/08/2018
Pages:	262
Sales rank:	246,716
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Our Own Path xii

Flexing the Creative Muscle xv

Part I Wild Card 1

Chapter 1 The Game of Life 5

Creativity is a Personal Brand 11

Creativity Is a Mindset 13

Creativity Drives Engagement 15

Chapter 2 The Deck is Not Stacked Against You 17

Chapter 3 Don't Listen to the Joker 21

Change the Dialogue 23

Shrug Off Setbacks 24

Part II Creative Breakthrough 29

Chapter 4 Awareness 37

Evaluate where you are today and accept it so you can move forward 37

Assess, Accept, Act 40

What's Your WHY? 42

Why You Need to Know Your Why 48

Chapter 5 Desire 53

Let desire drive your commitment to challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone 53

Don't Live in the Comfort Zone 56

First Step: A Smile 61

Rediscover Your Passion and Enthusiasm 64

Fake It till You Make It 68

Chapter 6 Reflection 73

Reflect on your own creative path. What will it look like? 73

Consider New Definitions of Creativity 75

Reflect on Your Vision for Change 77

Reflect on Your Goals 81

Chapter 7 Engagement 85

Develop a new understanding of engagement 85

The Rules of Rigor 88

Set Your Expectations High and Don't Accept Less 91

Create an Environment that Furthers Your Goals 95

Maintain a High Level of Energy 107

Build a Culture of Empowerment 111

Wrapping It All Together 120

Chapter 8 Authenticity 123

Identify your go-to thing and start there 123

Getting Started 133

Leveling Up 139

Avoid the Comparison Trap 140

Ideas Everywhere! 143

Chapter 9 Grit 153

Push through barriers and overcome obstacles 153

Crush Your Curriculum Challenges 156

Trounce Those Testing Troubles 160

Bust Through Budget Boundaries 164

Work Through Personal Struggles with Self-Awareness 168

Chapter 10 Persistence 173

Persist with and build on your creative efforts 173

Try Something Beyond Your Go-To Thing 175

Start a Club 176

Lift Up Your Colleagues 181

Chapter 11 Snappy Wrap-Up 185

Part III Toolbox 189

Cheers and Chants / Call and Response 191

Relationships and Culture 192

Soft Skills 194

Movement 195

Music 196

Games / Competition 198

Current Events 199

Debate 201

Effective Questioning 203

STEM / STEAM 205

Socratic Seminar 206

Spoken Word 207

Drama / Role Play 208

Public Speaking 210

Room Transformation 211

Works Cited 225

Acknowledgements 227

More from Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. 231

About the Authors 242