5 lessons Robert Griffin III can learn from a rookie teacher

Robert Griffin III

In the Washington D.C. area the excitement is in the air for the Redskins. Every April teams vie for the top prize in the NFL draft. This year is more exciting because two of the top picks are Quarterbacks.

All indications are point toward to Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from Baylor will become the new franchise Quarterback.  If you know anything about football, you will know the Redskins have not had good fortune with quarterbacks.

As a rookie teacher I wanted to share some insight of what I have learned and even though I stand to make a lot less money, but some key principles still apply of being a rookie at any profession.

Always ask for advice from your colleagues (teammates)

It’s imperative to build relationships with your colleagues from the first day.  I remember starting at my school and asking a second year teacher about the culture of the school and steps I could take to become successful.  RG III must build the trust of his teammates immediately, and look for sincere ways to engage them. The microscope will be on him and from my initial impression, he seems to handle it well.

It’s a marathon and not a sprint

A school year, like an NFL season is a long.   I made the mistake of trying to do too much too soon.  I wanted the students to learn a of of information quickly, but realized I had to pace myself.  We have seen many NFL quarterbacks try to do so much because of great expectations.

Get a mentor

I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have a good mentor in my school and fellow friends who are teachers who give me valuable advice.  RG III can’t surround himself with “yes men” he needs people who will tell him the truth even if it is hard to hear.

Always be a student

Even though I teach,  I feel that I am always a student. I’m always reading, learning and enhancing my career. In our school we have mandatory bi-weekly professional development  and sometimes it’s good and sometimes is quite boring. I treat every learning opportunity like a supermarket-take what you need, leave other stuff on the shelf.  RGIII has a great opportunity to learn and better yet, learn by becoming a starter in the NFL.

Manage Expectations

This is probably one of the most difficult things to do.  In my subject area, media production, everything students produce is public. Even though we have data, it’s not measured closely like core subjects.  I have to manage administrators, external stakeholders and other outside forces who want my students to work on a specific project or to be able to utilize certain equipment.

Robert Griffin III will have the weight of the entire Redskins organization on his shoulders.  I am sure he will make many mistakes, but he will have to manage them early and often.  In any job interview I always ask the hiring manager one key question: “What will success in my position look like?”  That’s a question I am sure Robert Griffin, III and all of us who are watching his first year will hope to be answered.

How do you manage expectations in an increasingly impatient society?

Image courtesy of RG3 Tumblr.