"Is this for a grade?"
The teacher had left only vague lesson plans for them to review the unit. I knew they were studying electronegativity, and if I didn't take charge of this situation, I would be stuck babysitting a bunch of kids on their phones. Teach-backs! A teach-back is a facilitation technique where students present what they learned so the teacher can check their understanding. I needed to convince the twenty-eight high school students in each class to get in front of the room, give a thirty-second presentation on electronegativity, and provide their classmates with feedback on their talk.
I got all the excuses: I'm shy, I wasn't here, I don't know it that well. I countered that they could use their notes, and I reinforced that if they wanted to work a corporate job, be an entrepreneur, or become an influencer, they would need to know how to talk to people and convince them to give money. That seemed to work, and each class presented and gave feedback. By the end of the teach-backs, I taught back to the class myself, using Pokémon to describe covalent bonds and dipoles. I felt like the merchant in the Three of Wands, watching the ships he had launched head out to sea.
By Thursday, I had convinced an even tougher crowd: middle schoolers. Granted, there were Takis on the line. (They love the blue Takis.)
Every week, we explore a Tarot card because Tarot is rich in symbolism and helps us pause, notice the patterns, and tap into our intuition. This allows us to shift our mindset and move from overwhelm to action.
Card of the Week: Three of Wands
A merchant in a red cloak stands on a cliff with his back to us. Two flowering staves stand behind him, and he holds a third staff for support. He overlooks his ships sailing out to sea, with mountains in the distance. The weather is perfect, and the ships sail without incident.
The Pattern It Reveals
The Three of Wands is about growth and expansion. The merchant has prepared the ships and launches them on the perfect day. The seas are calm, and he enjoys an expansive view from the clifftop. The mountains in the distance hint at challenges ahead, yet our merchant appears confident that he will get a return on his investment. As parents, we prepare our children for their voyage into the world at large. We aim for the best sailing conditions by providing food, shelter, love, and an education. Meanwhile, we endure their skepticism and their questions about our leadership. My son once told me the middle schoolers would eat me alive, but I went in with the confidence of someone in a lab coat, holding a clipboard, who believed in herself. 😊
The Question Worth Asking
"What's in it for them?"
Whenever we facilitated training at work, we began with WIIFMs: "What's In It For Me?" Who wanted to take time away from their daily tasks and return to a backlog? We had to convince them that what we taught would help them get their work done faster and more efficiently. The same principle works with getting kids to do chores or helping high schoolers overcome their fear of public speaking. You never want to get a call from your kid, miles away at college, saying they're struggling because no one prepared them. Our job is to show kids who think they know it all that we have something to teach them. We want to be as confident as the merchant that when they begin their voyage, they will have a successful journey.
One Small Experiment to Try This Week
Ask your kid, "What did you hear me say?" When you ask them to do something, have them repeat back what they understood. This helps bridge the gap in understanding and closes the loopholes that children find and exploit. "Yeah, I heard you say take out the trash. I'll do it after I finish my homework." Loophole! You forgot to give them a time frame. Communication becomes even more important during the holiday season. Winter break has a lot of moving parts as you juggle work, vacation, family, and your traditions. Making sure your kids clearly understand your expectations and what's in it for them leads to smooth sailing.
But what happens when it’s the adults causing the rough seas? We learned in Tarot that the ships from the Three of Wands leave in calm weather, but there are mountains in the distance representing unknown challenges. You have those choppy sea moments, like when your stove breaks, your family is coming over, and everyone’s nerves are on edge. My friend Mama Mindy Green had that happen to her during the holidays and she shared how she navigated that uncharted territory. During our live event, the chat blew up when Mindy shared simple sentences about how to identify the four personality types: “Let’s get it done. Let’s make it fun! I just want everyone to be happy. Let’s make sure it’s done right.” Tell me in the comments. Which one are you? And which one drives you crazy? When a make-it-fun person has to plan with a do-it-right person, the sparks fly. You can fast-forward to minute 8:35 of the replay to learn more. Even if you don’t celebrate, we discussed how to navigate the holiday madness and have intentional conversations. If you would like to watch the recording, we do ask that you complete this simple form to instantly get the link.
About the Author
Hi, friends 👋🏽. I'm Stacy Casson, a Lean Six Sigma certified mom of five. I used to hold a PhD in creating chaos. Now, I help busy, overwhelmed parents move from Chief Doing Officer to Trusted Advisor and reclaim their peace.
