"Audiences...of more than 1"
“His teammates haven’t spoken well of him through the draft process." This is what was said by one specific NFL scout about Michigan State Quarterback Connor Cook. This past weekend, Professional Football teams drafted players from the collegiate ranks. When selecting their new players, they scan, review, and screen every possible corner of the players' lives. No matter the reason, teammates or classmates will speak about one another and within that dialogue lies character evaluations. Now, I'm not suggesting Mr. Cook is an awful teammate, I've never met him and nor do I have much time to investigate the matter, but somewhere along the line Mr. Cook didn't leave that great of an impression off the field.
Although the football field, especially the NFL, doesn't accurately portray a public school classroom, the concept of teammates and audiences evaluating one another is reality in all settings. In the selfie era, students need to adapt to various audiences and realize their qualities can be measured in so many ways, not just by touchdown passes and completion rates, but by reliability, communication, and overall character.
Last week, students in the World History class practiced their persuasive writing. They then composed an email that was sent out to the Onsted Community Schools administration team. With this in mind, I observed students attempting to monitor their poor writing habits and students editing their work. This level of effort was brought on by an Authentic Audience (Administration Team).
In their day-to-day routines, students should be rehearsing the idea of authentic audiences. Each class, each day, and each assignment is an opportunity to make an impression. Granted we cannot be perfect each day or great at each academic discipline, but leaving behind a positive impression with the individuals will never be out of style - just ask Connor Cook.
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