Recently I found myself glued to the television late into the wee hours of the night. I couldn't help myself because the show that all teachers love, Super Nanny, was on. The thing is, I didn't even know that I loved that show until I attended a professional development last month on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). As we were wrapping up our training, we discussed the role of expectations and consistency in the classroom and a wonderful teacher friend of mine pointed out how much she loved watching Super Nanny. That's the exact moment that it hit me: I. Too. Am. Obsessed. Jo is a hero and a saint. She teaches parents and viewers alike how to parent consistently, have clear expectations, and discipline with the perfect mixture of grace and strength. Plus, she says mummy instead of mother which of course reminds me of Harry Potter.
If you read the "About Me" section, you know that I love lists, so I decided to compose a list of why teachers love Super Nanny:
1. Jo insists on clear rules. Teachers love this (duh!). We spend an extraordinary amount of time referencing the rules... Dress code, tardy policy, how to properly head your paper, restroom procedure, citizenship rules, etc. Rules rule!
2. She insists on driving in that special English taxi with her moniker "SPRNANY" on the license plate. Teachers, of course, love this because we all dream of the day that a special car would drive us to work and drop us off right smack-dab in front of the school (bonus points if a bumper sticker that says "SPRTCHR" is affixed to the car).
3. Jo understands how to use the gradual-release model. What I mean is, she is very hands on at the beginning while teaching the parents, then she releases control as time goes on. She even gives a summative assessment at the end with an opportunity to reteach. I mean, c'mon?! She would definitely get "highly effective" on her evaluation.
4. Most importantly, Jo says what she means and means what she says (Dr. Seuss allusion, anyone?). Her examples always apply to what she is teaching and she is selectively tough. She chooses her battles wisely and ALWAYS looks out for the kids first.
It is safe to say that Jo deserves her title of SUPER NANNY. She is the superist of super nannies in the whole entire world.
Thank you Jo for all you do,
Abby and teachers everywhere
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