Tetragrammaton
If I could switch places with any person on earth, I would switch with Rick Rubin. Rick is a music producer who has worked with the likes of the Beastie Boys, The Cult, Run-DMC, Johnny Cash, and so many more. Without knowing it, Rick had as much influence on me growing up as anyone else because of the music he was involved in.
Now later in life, Rick started a podcast (Tetragrammaton) where he talks with celebrities. In a conversation with Tom Hanks, he dug into the career and experiences of one of this generation’s most prolific actors. Rick asked Tom for the most important behaviors for actors to bring to the set when they are filming.
Tom’s response:
Show Up on Time – Time is money and it’s expensive for people to be waiting for you.
Know Your Lines – Do the work ahead of time to know what you need to do.
Have an Idea in Your Head – Consider how your work will impact others and how you can get the best out of them.
Now, I’m sure there is so much more to what makes Tom Hanks a great actor, but these three things each have a great role in the success of educators, too.
Show Up on Time – Your students and colleagues deserve your best for the full day. Time is money here too.
Know Your Lines – Know the work you need to do and be prepared for your students and colleagues. Learning intentions, quality lessons, and meaningful meetings do not happen on accident. They happen on purpose.
Have an Idea in Your Head – Being mindful of the options in front of you and being prepared to select any one of them is developed over time, but only if you are practicing it every chance you get. Every person in our schools has an idea worth sharing.
Rick Rubin and Tom Hanks may have had a huge impact on popular culture, but if you bring your best every day you will have a huge impact on the future of our community.