JARROD DUMAS is an assistant principal at Oak Hill Middle School in Sabattus, Maine. He recently published Unlocking Excellence: A Guide to Becoming an Extraordinary Educator.
In our conversation, Jarrod recalls a great story about how his own sarcasm once cost him in the classroom. He shares about the heart and message of his book, and discusses the sources of his excitement in education today. We also get into Carl Jung’s archetypes, fitness, educators to follow on Twitter, Sherlock Holmes, and more! See below for more details and timestamps from our conversation.
Follow Jarrod online here:
Find the highlights from our conversation at the timestamps below:
- 0:55 – Jarrod describes his current position and responsibilities as Assistant Principal at Oak Hill Middle School in Sabattus, ME.
- 2:26 – “Well, if you would get off your ass and teach us something … I wouldn’t be playing these games now, would I?” Jarrod recalls a time that sarcasm cost him in the classroom and explains how being authentic with students can build relationships and buy credibility.
- 8:13 – We talk about the heart and message for educators in Unlocking Excellence: A Guide to Becoming an Extraordinary Educator. In the book, Jarrod shares practical advice and relevant examples that help educators improve their mindset and become the best that they can be.
- 12:01 – There’s a lot that excites Jarrod about education today: the opportunity to shift the paradigm in education, the promise of technology and the ability to bring the outside world into the classroom, and more. There’s nothing we can’t sort out if every part of the learning community contributes and pulls together, he says.
- 13:39 – An area of personal learning that has been fascinating Jarrod outside of education lately is Carl Jung’s work on archetypes, which can give us a fresh lens through which to view and understand ourselves and our potential.
- 17:07 – A personal habit that contributes to his success is fitness: exercising regularly, eating right, walking, and practicing self-care. As educators, we need to remember to put on the oxygen mask first.
- 19:37 – On Twitter, Jarrod points us toward @TeacherofSci1, who offers great content on Instagram and has a large following on other platforms but is relatively new to Twitter.
- 20:43 – Looking to classroom practice, Jarrod recommends any edtech tools that increase student engagement. In particular, he mentions Socrative and Kahoot. Get to know those two platforms on Twitter @Socrative and @GetKahoot.
- 20:43 – Jarrod gives us two great book recommendations. The first is King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette. The second is Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Vol. 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
- 23:26 – If you’re looking for some hard-hitting motivation for your creative and entrepreneurial dreams, look no further than The Gary Vee Audio Experience by @GaryVee.
- 24:36 – A YouTube channel that never fails to deliver motivation in the mornings for Jarrod is Motivation Guru. He recommends subscribing!
- 25:30 – When he’s got no energy for anything productive, Jarrod is watching Peaky Blinders on Netflix.
- 26:23 – We sign off on the conversation and Jarrod shares the best ways and places to follow him online! See above for details and links.
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Song Track Credits
- Intro: Relax (by Simon More)
- Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)
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