I can’t stop thinking about ‘Millenials’

Hey friends!  This post is a bit different.  It is short and it includes more questions than my thoughts or answers.  The video below, from Simon Sinek, was posted & reposted on Facebook & other social media platforms throughout December & January.  After watching it on a whim, I can not shake thinking about it.  (I also am having this feeling after viewing ‘Hidden Figures’ for other reasons.).  In the last year I’ve been loving learning best practices from business leaders.  If you are so moved, I would love for you to watch it (15 minutes), read the questions below & (if you have the time) let me know your thoughts via the comments below, twitter or facebook.  Here is the video.

Here are some questions I have after watching this…

• Is there truth in what Simon is saying?  My gut is there is.  My sister works as a Dean of Students at a college.  We often find ourselves talking about the changes we’ve seen in students over the last 25 years of our careers.
• If there is truth, what is my responsibility as a math teacher?
• I know my job as a math teacher is not just about teaching math.  I am called to make sure my students are prepared for the world they will enter after HS.  How does what is in this video change what I focus on in my classroom?
• What is the role of technology, social media and phones in my classroom?
• What can I do to build my student’s self esteem?
• Should we be talking to students about what Simon talks about in this video?
• How do I help my students build deep and meaningful relationships and practice this skill set?  Should I invest more time in my math classroom on this?
• What is the role of impatience and instant gratification in my math classroom?
• Honestly, after watching this I am personally committed to using my cell phone less around the adults in my life.

I’d love to talk to you about your thoughts.  Let me know what you think after watching this.  Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Note:  Simon followed up the video above with this video response on New Years Day 2017.