What Teachers can learn from ted lasso
My partner Stu and I have coached our daughters’ soccer teams for the past 6 years. Coaching was simpler when the girls were younger and the objective was to keep players from chasing the ball like little bees. However, as they advanced to the U10 and 12 levels, my own inexperience as a player caught up to me. I spent my youth dancing so I sometimes struggle to keep up with the intricacies of the game. Stu, on the other hand, has played soccer his entire life. He loves the sport and can masterfully lead our players through drills and plays. When I express my insecurities about coaching, he sweetly reminds me:
“You manage the bench,” and
“You remember all the players' names” and finally,
“You remind me to give the kids water breaks!”
“That is all really important.”
Stu and I loved the show Ted Lasso and like so many others, we are completely taken with Ted’s optimism and heart. If you are not familiar with the show, Ted, played by Jason Sudeikis, is an American football coach who finds himself coaching soccer (or football) in London. He is charged with bringing victory to the floundering Richmond Football Team. It is obvious early on that while Ted is an excellent coach, he knows little about the game. Enter Beard, Ted’s steady and knowledgeable partner played by Brendan Hunt. In episode after episode both men bring their strengths to coaching the team together.
While driving home from our last game, Stu turned to me and said, “You are like Ted Lasso! You coach with heart, you build morale, and you get to know the players.” I smiled and responded: “Yes, and you are Beard.”
How Ted Lasso informs my teaching life.
So this conversation got me thinking about what teachers can learn from Ted Lasso. Clearly this guy gets right to the heart of what matters most: relationships, community and morale building. He reminds me to worry less about the intricacies of the content I am teaching and focus more on my individual students. Below are a few lessons I have learned from Ted.
Know your students
As teachers we know that even when our teaching assignments and curriculum stay the same, no two years are alike. That is because of our individual students’ identities; each bringing different strengths and needs to our classrooms. Early on in my career, I learned that what engages one group of students may not excite another. How do I figure out what will excite them? I use my most powerful teaching tool: my EYES! Yes, kidwatching. I watch students and notice what brings a smile to their faces and what frustrates them. I also notice how they carry themselves when they are alone and when they are with others.
I use my other superpowers: my ears and voice. I listen to what they say and consider what their words reveal. I capitalize on those less structured times of the day to chat with them. Moments such as first walking into the classroom each morning, lining up for lunch, waiting for their buses to be called provide so much space for connection.
Build community
One of my favorite episodes is when Ted leads the team in a cleansing ritual in an effort to rid the medical room of a rumored curse. Each player gathers around a bonfire and offers an object that symbolizes something they want/ need to let go of in their lives. This experience invites players to be vulnerable with one another and set long standing feuds aside. There is a fun twist at the end but this act illustrates the power of gathering.
While we certainly won’t start a bonfire, I do create opportunities for students to gather and connect. Our first writing project of the year is our “identity project.” We devote the first few weeks to creating Google Slides that represent who we are and what matters to us. Stay tuned for more on this project.!
Engage in play!
During the show’s pilot, the screen repeatedly flashes to Ted dancing in the locker room surrounded by cheering athletes following his football team’s victory back in Kansas. He kicks the ball around with locals in his neighborhood and periodically, runs with his team. It would be so easy to remain at his station on the sidelines yet Ted demonstrates again and again that he is a member of the team.
During dismissal, my desk reminds me of the soccer/ football sideline. Those 20 unstructured minutes while buses are being called are prime for checking off items on my “to do” lists yet, day after day, I opt to play. Somedays I plop on a pillow on the floor and play mum-ball with my students, others it’s a game of kickball during recess. These interactions with my students build trust because they see that I am willing to make time for them; time that is not academic.
Rely on those around you for support
One of the reasons Ted can focus so much on the wellness of his team is because, as I mentioned earlier, he has his fellow coach and confidant, Beard to support him. As the seasons progress, Ted’s inner circle grows to include Nate, Higgins and eventfully Roy. They call themselves “The Diamond Dogs”.
When it comes to coaching soccer, and most things in my personal life, I have Stu. But when it comes to teaching, I have my amazing partner teacher, Stacy, my fifth grade team, the counseling staff, my administrators and my students’ families. I rely on each and every one of them to support my students’ wellbeing and bring the best out of each one of them just as Ted strives to do with his team.
So, teachers, may we always remember that the content we teach matters less than the actions that show that we care. Above all else, may we all lead our teams with heart.
