Teaching That Matters: D. Paul Miller on Prioritizing Impact Over Effort

In this episode of the Lead Serve Teach podcast, host D. Paul Miller dives into teaching that matters and discusses the essence of value in education, encouraging educators to differentiate between tasks that are truly impactful and those merely difficult to achieve. As he shares his journey from a first-year teacher to a seasoned principal, Paul touches on the importance of redirecting effort towards activities that foster intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth among students. 

Listeners are encouraged to assess their teaching methods and daily tasks through the lens of true value, focusing on tasks that yield significant student growth. Paul recalls the pressures of his early teaching days, specifically the challenges of adhering to non-impactful standards like the common board configuration. He advises educators to adopt a reflective approach, asking themselves if their efforts are more exhausting than energizing. 

Tips from this episode:

• Distinguish between tasks that truly add value and those that are merely difficult, understanding that not all hard tasks are worthwhile.

• Focus on tasks that energize rather than exhaust, ensuring they directly contribute to student growth.

• Regularly ask, "Does this task energize me or does it exhaust me?" to align daily activities with valuable outcomes.

• Be proactive in finding quicker methods to handle necessary but non-impactful tasks to free time for more meaningful work.

 

 

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This Podcast Is Produced, Engineered & Edited By: Simplified Impact