Greg Lyndaker, Virginia’s Region 1 Teacher of the Year, works with 11th grade International Baccalaureate student Martina Younan at Henrico High School. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Family, teaching and movies are what give me the most enjoyment in life. I love a good movie, no matter if it’s sci-fi, action or a romantic comedy. The best films take me on a roller coaster of emotion as I find myself connecting with the characters and the story. These are the movies that keep me thinking, asking questions and wanting more when I leave the theater.
I’ve seen enough pictures to know that excitement and anticipation do not always equal a good film, so I always find myself asking, “Will the movie meet my expectations? Will it be worth the money, or will I wish I had tried something different?” The same kinds of questions run through my mind before the start of every school year: Will my class meet not only my expectations, but my students’ expectations? Can I make it unique and valuable to my students so that when they leave my room each day, they think about tomorrow, waiting in anticipation? These thoughts motivate me to innovate my teaching practices so that I can make my class the blockbuster hit of the year.
As with movies, classes seem to go one of two ways: Either the 90-minute periods fly by, moving so fast that you can’t seem to catch your breath, or every moment crawls slowly into the next, with everyone in the room just waiting for it to be over. I’m in my 12th year of teaching, and I never know before the year starts how my new ideas and activities will go. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through my career is that it shouldn’t be how fast or slow the 90 minutes seem to go for me; it’s all about how the time passes for my audience.
I remember the moment that pushed me to change my approach. I was teaching a new lesson on criminal behavior, a topic in which the students had shown an interest. I was extremely excited about discussing biological reasons for the behavior of criminals. I planned my speaking points, rehearsed a few jokes to lighten the serious topic and found examples that would relate to the students’ lives. As I began lecturing, the time was flying by for me, but as the 90 minutes ticked away, I started to notice glazed looks and an increase in cell phone checks and bathroom breaks. This is when I realized that no matter how interesting the topic, no matter how funny or entertaining I was, it didn’t matter because I had put the focus of the lesson on me. I had become just another teacher with a PowerPoint presentation, walking around the room preaching to them about why my content was important.
That night, I went home and decided to rethink the entire lesson, shifting the focus from me to my audience. I decided to let the students teach each other. I took the same presentation we had gone over that day and printed out each slide. The next day, as the students entered the class, I handed each of them one of the printed slides and told them that today was their day to teach. After my instructions, they wouldn’t have to listen to me talk about psychology for the rest of the period. I saw some panicked and shocked looks, but there was also a hint of curiosity. I asked the students to read the information on their slides and learn it well enough that they could teach that information to every other student. I then paired up the students and told them they had three minutes to teach each other whatever was on their slides. After three minutes, one partner would move a seat over and repeat the process. A colleague had used this system and called it “speed dating.” The class flew by. Every three minutes, each student got to be the star with a new partner. I watched them communicate and collaborate with each other, not checking their social media, not asking to go to the bathroom, just focused on the task at hand. It was amazing.
Ever since then, I’ve limited my time as the lead actor, lecturing and talking no more than 30 minutes per period, while devoting the other hour to interactive activities that are student-driven and focused on life skills.
I had learned an invaluable lesson. To draw my audience in, I have to bring them into the story and make both myself and the content relatable. It’s important for the students to see me as a person who experiences and faces challenges and setbacks. Like all great movie protagonists, I must always be looking to improve myself and to be passionate in everything I do.
I also believe that the very best movies teach us something about life. I know that not every student will continue in the history or psychology field. Therefore, although content is extremely important, it is not the only focus in my class. My goal is to prepare my students for life outside of my classroom.
To accomplish this, I work with them on developing creative thinking skills that will help them be successful in any career they pursue. I have partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University professors to come in and answer students’ questions to foster a sense of connection with our community. Instead of reading and taking notes to answer test questions, students complete projects with real world applications, such as writing a letter to an ethics board or creating a three-dimensional model of the human brain using smartphone apps.
My hope is that by the end of every year, I can step aside and become a supporting actor in a movie that is led and owned by my students. I want them to take control and feel pride in what they are learning and producing. I want them to become enthusiastic about not only what they are doing, but also who they are and what they can become. If my role is a success, they will develop into the next generation of lead actors in whatever field they choose, bringing joy, love and passion to all they do and to all they meet.
A native of Watertown, New York, Gregory Lyndaker was named Teacher of the Year for 2020 in Region 1, comprising 15 localities around Richmond. He teaches Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate psychology at Henrico High School, where he joined the faculty in 2013.
