Summer Edition #2: Best & Worst of '22-23 (Plus Hilarious Teacher Vids survey results)
Hello friends!
I hope you are in July-bliss mode. Less work, more fun. Tons of sleep. You deserve it.
I wanted to send out some of last year’s fav vids (and some duds), but first …
Check out the results from the Hilarious Teacher Vids survey (check out all the videos here). Fairly evenly matched with 23 votes, though the winner was our new video, “When Your Kid’s a Teacher.”
Thanks to everyone who voted. You’ll see in just a moment while voting is so critical.
Quick note: The top two videos of the year were sent to me by readers. I always check them out and I always give credit. Have a great vid? Reply to this email and send it my way.
And check out our archive here.
Need some teacher-led, differentiated PD for inservice breakout sessions? Yes!
The Best & Worst Inspo Vids of ‘22-23
It’s not the Oscars, but it’s not far off. I thought it would be fun to lay out the top five picks in each category for ‘22-23 voted on by you, the fine readers of HMA.
A few things to note:
I didn’t start soliciting reader votes until week four, so the first three videos of the year aren’t eligible.
I’ve included the voting graphs for each video because there’s an issue that I’ve uncovered with our voting system. Videos with fewer votes can rank higher because they get a higher percentage of 5-star votes. (This probably gets into nerdier detail than most of you care to venture into, but I’m going to indulge myself a bit) Next year, I’ll weight the rating system to factor in the number of voters. More voters should mean more reliable ratings.
I included my own star rating (on a five-star scale) so you can see how my opinion lined up with the votes. I always develop my opinion before viewing your survey results to avoid bias.
Without further adieu, let’s get to it …
The Five (Actually Six) Best Vids of ‘22-23
#5: The Simple Secret of Happiness
Original Email: Week Seven
Possible Caption: This job is hard, but when we show up as our best selves, we can truly change lives.
Mike’s Notes: Great video with a compelling hook: “I will never forget that cup of coffee.” You all thought quite highly of this video, and rightly so. It’s a perspective shift for anyone, especially for folks in the people business, like educators.
Subscriber Rating: 96.8%
Mike gave it: 5 stars
#4: Inspirational Teacher Blindsided by Big Surprise
Original Email: Week Twenty-Eight
Possible Caption: Teaching is one of the few professions that allows for incredible impact in a short period. Whether a newbie or a veteran, never stop caring for your students.
Mike’s Notes: Very touching. You clearly agreed. It’s always fun to see great teachers sincerely recognized. At over six minutes, I really thought this would be a touch too long for most of you. Clearly longer videos are acceptable if the content is solid enough.
Subscriber Rating: 97.6%
Mike gave it: 5 stars
#3 (TIE): Kindness Begets Kindness
Original Email: Week Twenty-Nine
Possible Caption: Start a revolution of kindness and watch what happens.
Mike’s Notes: You know I love me some Simon. And I love when he delves into human psychology. Such a great video.
Subscriber Rating: 98.4%
Mike gave it: 4.5 stars
#3 (TIE): Hope After the Fire
Original Email: Week Thirteen
Possible Caption: Start looking for the little areas of growth. They’re happening all around you.
Mike’s Notes: This was a video that I shared from my family’s property after it was decimated by a forest fire. I don’t often share personal details, but this felt like a good metaphor for education in the last few years. Glad you all liked it.
Subscriber Rating: 98.4%
Mike gave it: I’m biased, so …
#2: The Calling
Original Email: Week Thirty-Two
Possible Caption: One teacher can turn things around.
Mike’s Notes: What a powerful video. A true testament to the power of a teacher in the lives of kids. And at 30 votes, this would’ve been the clear winner for best video of the year if that one person hadn’t given it three stars. (But, hey, this is a democracy. That’s cool. This is also the reason the voting system needs to be weighted going forward).
Subscriber Rating: 98.8%
Mike gave it: 5
#1: Teaching is Tiring (and Worth It)
Original Email: Week Thirty-Eight
Possible Caption: There’s a lot that’s tough, but it doesn’t change our impact.
Mike’s Notes: This is a good video. It explicitly calls out the things about teaching that cause exhaustion, and how it’s still a net-positive profession. Still, I’ll be honest, I thought our #2 video was better. But this is still great!
Subscriber Rating: 100.0%
Mike gave it: 4
Let’s take a quick moment to practice voting. It’s important!
The Five Worst Vids of ‘22-23
Note: A more accurate title would be “The Five Lowest Rated Vids of ‘22-23,” but that’s too long and clunky. In actuality, the lowest-ranked video in history still earned a 58.8% subscriber rating. Granted, that’s an F, but it’s far from zero.
Okay, enough of that, on with the show …
#5: The 40% Rule to Overcoming Mental Barriers
Original Email: Week Twenty
Possible Caption: Sometimes, that voice in your head is selling you short.
Mike’s Notes: Admittedly, this might have been too much of scratching my own itch. As a distance runner, I really get into the mental barriers thing, but I realize it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Look at those even ratings, though!
Subscriber Rating: 70.2%
Mike gave it: 4
#4: Dads Celebrate the End of School
Original Email: Week Forty-Two
Possible Caption: School’s out for summer!!!
Mike’s Notes: This was sort of a “love it or hate it” scenario, which is always going to average out to be … pretty average. Although, I love that the graph looks like 🤘. Appropriate.
Subscriber Rating: 66.0%
Mike gave it: 4
#3: Curiosity - Featuring Richard Feynman
Original Email: Week Twenty-Two
Possible Caption: Chasing your thoughts can be exhilarating. And remember, when working with students, enthusiasm is contagious.
Mike’s Notes: This was by far the video that diverged between what I loved and what everyone else loved. Although, with an astounding 52 votes, that means that over 20 people gave it four or five stars. But 30 of you gave it three stars or less. Needless to say, I think this video is awesome. But I’ll happily agree to disagree.
Subscriber Rating: 64.4%
Mike gave it: 5
#2: A Worthy Goal | Keeping Kids Engaged with Hope
Original Email: Week Thirty
Possible Caption: Even though things may feel overwhelming, positive change is always possible.
Mike’s Notes: I’ll admit it. This one stung a little bit. Mainly because it’s a video of me interviewing a really good teacher. I’m still at a bit of a loss as to why this didn’t resonate with more folks. Feel free to enlighten me by replying. Seriously, I’d love to know.
Subscriber Rating: 63.6%
Mike gave it: 4.5
#1: Motivational and Inspirational Short Film
Original Email: Week Eighteen
Possible Caption: Everything you want is on the other side of your fears.
Mike’s Notes: Okay. Let me set the scene. It’s mid-December. I’m buried in work and trying to finish up the email at the last minute. Sometimes, it's crazy hard to find a decent video. In my exhaustion, this seemed passable. I’ll admit it, though. Not very good, though some of the little animals are adorable.
Subscriber Rating: 58.8%
Mike gave it: 3.5
Keep your eyes peeled for more Summer Editions coming soon!
Mike