It's All Positive Here...

When I see so much negativity about teaching and the profession on social media, it makes me so sad. Especially since my experience this year has been so positive. Of course, I say that after moving out of the classroom and into the Media Center.

So what’s different?

I’m fully immersed with kids from the second I step into the building. 100%. Even when I have work to do and I attempt to hide in my office, they know my policy and will be standing at my desk with something to say at multiple random moments.

I have an office. And a bathroom.

I get to be creative and do what’s right for the moment. Whenever I want.

I have a budget. 

I’m able to have the students create and work the plan. There’s no competition for attention. There’s no set format.

Other teachers love that the kids are involved, that I’m doing my thing, that I’m trying new things, and that it’s working.

There is no resentment about success, only encouragement when things get tricky.

I have 100% administrative support. The entire team is wonderful, and I can’t stress that enough.

I work harder than I’ve ever worked during the day, and try as I can … I can’t plan or organize my time because there is no rhythm to the day. But when I come home …

When I come home, I can work if I choose to. I learn from others, reflect, play with my Blog/website (I just revamped and started again), get creative, and brainstorm … if I choose to. But I no longer have essays to pour over, parent emails/conversations, or student messages to answer.

OK. I have student messages, but that’s because they are excited and have come to me with great ideas or questions, or thoughts about our programs or events. And who wouldn’t love that?

I no longer give up a minimum of a day each weekend. I can hike. I can garden. I can read. And boy! Am I reading?! Book after book as I create a new book list and now move into reading the books we have so that I can help our kids with choices.

Also, I can watch The World Cup. So there’s that! I can watch the World Cup, connecting with kids who rarely brighten our doors - books scare them - but now we’re chatting, laughing, bantering, and even sharing soccer books and playing The World Game.

So, I’m not sure what the lesson is, but I will tell you, I’m happier than I’ve ever been - I’ve gone from loving my job, but being exhausted and stressed, to simply loving my job without the baggage. Just being where I’m supposed to be - and I think that I’m where the school needs me to be.

I feel guilty at times that while others struggle, I’ve found this perfect role. But on the other hand, that also makes me strive harder to find ways to support our teachers and find ways to truly make their lives easier. Because I can. The Media Center should be the hub of the school for all. Not just books. Not just kids. Teachers should get the benefits too. The vision is endless. There is so much exciting stuff to be done.

💙📚💙📚💙

This Week's Takeaway...

Want to be a hero? Let kids know that the 2-book limit is a thing of a pass.  Now they can borrow 5. 

No gatekeepers here!

A Very Different Spring - FMLA time!

Well, here I am, leading a very different life than usual. No teaching, minimal thinking about work (I mean, it never quite goes away, does it?), and dealing with a very different type of stress.

It’s FMLA time.

Family and Medical Leave Act. One of the better laws that the government has passed as far as I am concerned.  Up to 12 weeks away from work to take care of family needs.  And boy!  I certainly have a family need.

Originally the goal was to save my weeks for when immigration finally came through and we moved Mum over.  The trouble with making plans that concern an official entity like immigration, is that they don’t march to the beat of anyone else’s drum - much less mine.  We really thought that Mum’s case would be expedited - Alzheimer’s, 90 years old, self-funding…why hold things up? But despite support from Senator Grassley and Senator Ossoff (talk about a disparity of views there!), we are still waiting.

Still.

It’s almost a year.

So, we are now thinking perhaps September.  Maybe October.  And Mum could not wait.  Bless her, she’s been doing so well thanks to carers and tremendous neighbor support - my goodness, I could do an entire blog about neighbor Ruth and how she stepped in and took care of…well, everything that I should have been doing, really.  But when things were learning up to the 90th birthday and phone calls were showing more and more gaps…then at the birthday itself, seeing the confusion and occasional fits of anxiety…it was clear that waiting wasn’t an option anymore.  Mum couldn’t be alone any longer. We needed either full-time care or she needed to move to a care home.  The family stepped up and plans were made.  We would move Mum to a care home near my aunt, I would empty the house and get it put on the market, and then when immigration finally come through, we almost literally just have to pack a suitcase.  Or, if it is too late, then Mum will be safe and in a good place. 

So then the weeks of waiting began. Dealing with the very different ‘professional’ culture of the UK (email is NOT a priority) and all the frustrations that come with long-distance planning. But so many positives. The new principal at the school could not have been more supportive. HR at the district level was beyond amazing. So plans were made. I focused on preparing lessons and getting my kids ready. There were bittersweet moments like the surprise farewell party and amazing gifs from my students. There were some tough travails trying to stay focused and on task as the end date came closer.  My long-term sub prepared and got familiar.  My team was there to support me. Paul, my husband, was fully on board. And every time I hugged my dog I was emotional. 3 months away. That’s a long, long time. 
But now I’m here. Mum’s moved into her new home. I’m on track with shipments and charity collections. The real estate agent selection will be made soon, and life keeps moving forward.
It’s amazing how I switched off and into this new life so quickly. It’s had some joyous parts with lovely country walks always available - and the time to do them. There have been some very difficult times with a lost and confused mother facing the reality of losing her independence. There have been difficult moments trying to make things happen at my speed and some frustrations dealing with things out of my control. There have been unexpected struggles such as my mother-in-law passing away 3 days after I got here - and I can’t be there to help and/or look after my husband. Poor Paul.  
Teaching and my media center plans are there. There’s a little part of my brain that keeps me picking up my notebook and jotting down ideas. I am not quite finished with my Gifted Endorsement, so work is being done and projects completed.

One thing has become clear.  The ‘rest-of-the-world’ attitude about not working when it’s not a workday is so much healthier. It took me about a month to get over the frustration of answers not being given, slow email responses, and the inordinate amount of national holidays there appear to be, but eventually, I have been able to slow my mind down, match the pace, and enjoy my long walks in the countryside.

The question is, how will I resolve the disparity when I get ‘home’?  How will I find ways to keep what I am loving - and what is clearly so good for me - while keeping up with my own expectations and needs of the world I am going back to.

Teacher Succession Planning - Would it Work?

The journey to the airport last week passed with my husband l explaining succession planning in his business to me. I wonder how much this happens in education. I know I’ve never been involved in anything like that - but it sounds like powerful stuff. Imagine teacher leaders sharing talent they recognize with each other and focusing on how to grow success. 

The way he put it was that all the staff collectively talked about strengths and who they saw as a leader. I imagined small groups discussing and thinking about great furniture for their peers.  Collaborating collectively to recognize success. 

Perhaps with possibilities in front of them, career paths, job descriptions. 

Then the lowest level of staff was dismissed and then the next group would look at who was discussed and talk about potential and prospects and start the planning process for individual futures. 

Then the next level dropped off … and so on until only the two or three at the top were left. The leadership team as it were. 

This struck me as eminently sensible. Do our administrators really know who the leaders are?  Do they honestly know what happens in the classroom or hallways when they aren’t there?  I think that they have a pretty good idea, to be fair - they are smart people who know the job - but they can’t always be there & their focus isn’t always on the nuances that make a leader - even less the type of leader for different situations.  The teacher who is a pedagogical leader is different from the teacher who is an organizational leader and so forth. 

But we know.  

We know the teacher who admin think is dependable because that’s the pictures he/she paints…but we see a different picture. 

We know the teacher who leads the way through courageous teaching, always trying what’s new and sharing their findings and resources with anyone who asks.

We know the teacher we respect enough to listen to - even if we don’t particularly ‘like’ them, we know who does the job and does it well.  Envy is one thing, respecting prowess is another.

We know. 

And then the teacher leaders know who is a friend or is going to say great things about that teacher. They can consider what’s been shared and discuss the potential of individuals from their perspective. And on. All the way up.

It feels right. It feels as if it would help all concerned. It would increase leadership opportunities for all, rather than just relying on popularity contests or the assumption of value.  I can see more community support as teachers are involved.  I can see more thought going into each other’s strengths and more interest in each other’s needs and futures.  

Teacher succession plans. Why not? 🤔

Joyful Anticipation

My mind is whirling with goals, plans, intentions, and all the things that happened at the beginning of a new school year.  There are so many ideals and ideas, there are so many things I would like to achieve.  

Just an average August in a teacher’s life!  

I do always say that one of the joys about teaching is that you get to reinvent yourself every year, you get to have new goals and thoughts, you are able to create the very best you can be and make it better every single year.

This year is different for me, I have a new role. One I’ve been striving for a couple of years, one that while I know I can do - one I also worry that I’m not ready for.  There is a complete mix of emotions rummaging around inside me right now. 

One, I’m still a teacher, and I need (as always) to strive to be the best I can be to support my kids. My first goal of doing everything I can to make learning joyful for both students and teachers, holds true for whichever role I am focusing on. 

Joy. There needs to be more joy.

Two, I’m there to support our newer teachers.  Lead, guide, coach. I’ve trained for this, I’ve practiced, I’ve read the books. Now it’s real. I’m excited to share my passion and ideas. I’m ready to research and do the work.  I’m also nervous because this could be a massive first step towards my future - but a lack of perceived success will mean that the opportunity will no longer be there next year.  Reality is though, I can’t think that way. If things don’t work out, it’s because it’s not meant to be. If positive results don’t abound then our collective thoughts about what role is best for Bridget, and how I can best help the team, are not correct. I know that I’m a good teacher - now I need to work on being a good teacher of teachers…

I must believe

I must focus on what they need and remember that I can only change myself

I must remember to be joyful 

Let the journey - and joy - begin

#joyful #teachersupport #leadingandlearning

Chasing Dreams!

 We can always be better. It doesn’t matter how good you are at teaching, how good your classroom management style is, how well you engage your students, there’s always more to discover and achieve. There are always better goals, there are always loftier heights to reach. And there are always dreams.

A couple of years ago, my principal shared an idea with me – what she thought would be the perfect job for me. A mix of literacy coach and media specialist, allowing me to extend my love of learning to many more students, to help coach teachers to bring literacy into different content areas, and to give me more freedom that the ELA curriculum does not allow.  I loved the idea, and it seems that many other people agreed that this would be the perfect fit. The problem was finding the principal who would be willing to create the position. Someone who would give up that allotment, to allow a vision to occur.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

We almost thought it was going to happen. It was so close. But then, it ended up that the job didn’t happen. And the little fledging dream was crushed, as they so often are.

But the beautiful thing about dreams is that you are never stuck with just one. Dreams are yours, no one can stop you from having them, and they can be as elaborate — and detailed — as you would like them to be.

I like making up dreams. I like to think of possibilities. I like to imagine just what could be achieved in the right climate💡 

Of course, this is one reason sleep is often overtaken by ideas 🛌 

The old cliché is always true when one door closes, another one opens. But I also think you have to look for that door. Maybe you have to push that door a little, give it an extra nudge, make things happen.

So right now, I’m at that stage where I’m creating dreams again. Thinking of how I could find a way to move out of the strictures of the fixed curriculum and into a world of digital citizenship, real-life research, and authentic project-based learning. How can I bring that to students?     There’s limited scope as the traditional ELA teacher, but maybe there are ways. Would I be able to find that job in a not-so-traditional environment 🤔 Can I integrate more into ELA without competing with common assessments🤨

It’s ‘crazy season’ in our world right now

🤪 🤪 🤪 🤪 

COVID or not, we are hiring and planning for next year.  Teachers are shifting roles and competing for positions. There’s a fine line between 'speaking up’ and ‘being pushy.’ But then there’s that feeling of, “I was professional before and that got me nowhere...”

So I’ve had a suggestion made to me, one that I really like. I countered with one that I like even better, and that’s as far as it can go right now.

I really want to believe that my dream was taken away because there’s a better one around the corner. And maybe the corner isn’t going to be this summer, maybe it’s going to be next year, but at least I have begun to sow some seeds, and people who have the power are listening.

In the meantime, I have a simple job, to be the best teacher I can possibly be to the students that I am lucky enough to have🤷🏼‍♀️

But no one can stop me from dreaming 💭💭💭

Good Teaching Things from 2020

As I looked at all the comments, memes, and hashtags on New Year's Eve, I saw the worldwide desire for 2020 to end. 

I get it. Man, do I get it.  I could blog about having to cancel the longed-for trip to Perth to see my daughter, or about the constant concern about my 88-year-old mum in England, 2020. 

I could write about the woes of virtual teaching and hybrid schedules. How exhausted I've been, how scary teaching in a pandemic is...

But I’m not going to.

No, I’m going to celebrate the good stuff.  Because through the lows came highs, and when I look back in the future, I’ll find plenty of commentary on the negatives, but I don’t want to forget the gifts that 2020 unexpectedly handed me.

Hey!  I like my own company!  

You ask anyone who thinks they know me, and they will say that I am very social, always want to be in the midst of things, love to talk.....and sometimes that it is true.  What isn't always understood is that is my defensive go to. If I'm uncomfortable, I will talk.  If there is silence, I will make noise.  One thing that was accentuated with the initial lockdown, lack of social endeavors, and then having more virtual classes than face-to-face, is that I like being alone. I actually enjoy my own company.  At first that surprised me, then I thought it out. As a kid, I played for hours on my own, that was when my imagination would blossom and ideas would come. Kind of like when you think of things in the shower - noting interrupts the mind and the creativity are allowed through.  The pressure to accomplish was gone. The stress of feeling the need to prove myself was taken away.  No one was watching. I could be the best I could be for ME and my students - and no one else.  No criticisms to hear or tensions to feel. 

I guess that I'm more sensitive than I knew.  

Virtual teaching is cool 😎

When we went 'online' towards the end of the 19-20 school year, I discovered a new form of pedagogy that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I could find needs and support individuals - personalization was so much easier. I wondered how it would be with students I hadn't met though.  After all, how do you forge relationships online?  I wanted to find out though - I was excited about the possibilities.  When given my 20-21 schedule, I was delighted to have 4 online sections as well as my one face-to-face class...but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous.

Fears were increased when I saw the number of students I was to have, and the first two months were quite honestly horrific. Far worse than being a new teacher, the load was immense.  Sleep was an optional extra and online devices were my constant partner. The first month of school is always tough - I describe it as our tax season - but this was ridiculous.  But then I began to find a rhythm - learned some 'tricks' - found ways to better balance my time.  I was still working most weekends and some Varying amounts of time every night, but it wasn't as all-encompassing.  All of a sudden I wasn't racing through dinner to get back to work.  I knew that I was enjoying elements of teaching virtually, but I begin to really feel that I had found my element.  I saw my kids take ownership in the same way I encourage them to do in the classroom. They took roles, shared the load, made choices.  It enriched the experience for all of us.

It has been so gratifying to feed their thirst for attention and fun. I can be whoever I want to be online, taking on whichever persona each child needs at that moment - and I have time to plan and think in ways a classroom teacher never can.

• Personalizing is simplified
• Helping students to 'learn how to learn' is actually realized!
• Watching students find independence and not relying on everything being done for them is powerful
• I can focus my time on when I am at my best, organizing accordingly
• It became a simple task to meet with parents and students, and so much less formal than when they make appointments to come to school
• I can give students special attention (positive or not) - without anyone knowing
• Experimentation and having fun with trying new things is a daily adventure

Discovering strengths ✊

I would say that my greatest strengths as a teacher are communication and giving students ownership. Both play right into the hands of virtual teaching. I found that my love of sharing the space with students in the classroom translates into the virtual space too. I quickly developed a help committee, a joke committee - these kids love to be involved with making things better. I enjoy experimenting and trying new things - every day my playground can be more fun!  I listen to others, learn, hear new ideas, learn...and try everything I can! 

And as for taking the focus away from grades and right onto learning - this is the place for that!  "Oh, they won't work without grades and deadlines!"  My kids have truly appreciated the opportunity to try, to experiment, to be bold - without fear.  It was harder at first because I had to compete with other teachers reporting more grades and with firmer deadlines, but I stayed true to my beliefs and the kids came through. They always do.

A vision of student tech reality - and taking responsibility 🖥

We are always told our students are digital natives. Then we went virtual. I had NO idea how much I had done for my students.  I was shocked at their inability to find solutions, stunned at the lack of initiative.  Were these REALLY the same kids I had had in my classroom?  I made video after video showing them how to share files, how to create hyperlinks, how to make copies, how to copy and paste - things that I always helped with unthinkingly. All of a sudden, missing knowledge was glaring.  I realized that I hadn't been helping my students to grow, I had just been helping them to 'get the assignment done.' What an eye-opener. 2020 has helped me to understand how I need to focus more on teaching students how to find answers - that's going to create much better learners, after all.  As we finished up the 19-20 school year, my focus was on developing ways to help students START the year learning how to find solutions and how to use basic skills.

Being able to have appointments, eat healthily, and even use the bathroom 😂

As a teacher, it's always hard to live a healthy life.  It just is.  Classes are back-to-back with no break in between.  You can't eat and teach (well, you can, but not if you are truly hands-on).  Being able to schedule breaks, make appointments - wow! What a gift. I can have a live meeting with my kids from 6-7pm on a Thursday night and enjoy a fun, relaxed teaching environment.  I can make choices that work for me - giving my kids the best of me.  There is no doubt that I became healthier - I even lost weight (a lockdown weight loss? Apparently a rare thing!).

The biggest 'aha' of them all was visiting my doctor, who asked me to learn from this and consider options to reduce stress in my life moving forward. I listened. I made changes. I learned.

Taking my puppy to a wedding 🐶

Virtual weddings, family Zoom meetings, watching soccer with friends in England.  Opportunities have been created that were never there before  - and I hope to goodness they stay. I would assume that wedding photographers have already got price lists out there for virtual options - and you would guess that they will keep them. Brides no longer have to have sleepless nights over those peripheral friends - everyone can share in the special day. With family in far-flung places, I have enjoyed more contact and conversation thanks to renewed effort and options. 

And then there are all the curb-side options. Pick up instead of delivery.  Drive-up options. This is good stuff!  The best drive-through of all though? That was our friends' wedding. We watched it virtually, then popped into the car with our new puppy, drove a few miles, and then got to congratulate them in person, with Toffee-Girl briefly becoming the star of the show (although she did not, of course, eclipse the bride!).

😊Final Thoughts😊

Yes, there have been glitches and headaches. Of course, there have been students who have struggled or refuse to respond to communication.  Technology has not always been my friend.  Some things are amplified where others are muted.  It's been a different teaching world for sure...

I hope to find ways to continue to teach online.  Who knows what's out there for me in the future?  I have goals and ideas and am ready for new challenges...but I am so grateful to have discovered this new way to share learning with students.  Despite the horrors of the year and the terrible reality of the pandemic, I am grateful for having been handed this unexpected opportunity.  Now it's up to me to keep learning and continue to make this the best experience I can for my kids - and me!

Teaching is Everywhere

I’m not the only one who sees teaching connections wherever they go am I? 

Some of them are obvious. Like when we are at puppy training, and there’s a comment about a puppy having learned to refuse to do something, because it just wasn’t fun. Ha, sound familiar? We have to learn to do things that aren’t fun, but perhaps we can find fun ways to learn how to do them! 

But then there are less obvious times, like when the vet tech comes outside to pick up the puppy – in these COVID times things are aa little different – and I find myself telling her glowingly about my puppy, about how she knows how to sit, how she’ll behave better if she’s bribed with a treat, how she does have ‘down’, but she won’t stay there very long… I’m pretty sure that the vet tech knows all these things. I’m also fairly certain that every puppy owner believes his or her puppy is the cutest and best puppy in the world. Yes. There’s a definite connection.. I felt a little bit like multiple parents at open house 🤦‍♀️

Then there’s those things that you see, that you’re experiencing, and you think… Oh my goodness, how can I integrate this into my teaching? Like lines at Disney. Instead of being bored waiting, we are engaged and interested by the by-play, the characters, the little signs… We know exactly how long we’re probably going to wait, and there’s something in between this sign and the next sign, and we’re ready for it. The ride is such a small part of the whole experience. Well, how can I replicate that in my teaching? How can I make the boring slow learning the engaging part, so the ride is the cherry-on-the-top. I might add, that my husband was not amused by all these musings while at Disney.

Then there are dining experiences, obvious things like creating a playlist that’s like a menu, but then more importantly, how to entice… How to tempt the customer to try something new? How to use images and word play to make something sound more interesting?. Taste tests, samples ... so much that can be brought into our teaching.

What about arguments, threads on social media? How do our interests and passions direct our thinking? Can social media commentary be used as a tool?  I saw the quiet kids participate when behind a screen (during distance learning), so there’s an important connection there too.

Everywhere I look, I see something that ties to my teaching.

Everywhere.

Ideas to grab interest. Real world connections. Valuable to me. Connecting with my interests. 

My husband calls it an obsession. I call it good practice. If it isn’t interesting or relevant, if there is no purpose ... then how do I compete with everything else out there? If students are enticed into the learning, if they see a point in the content, if they are shown how this is replace them to their lives - if all those factors are in play, then I’ll have success.

Less Support? Working at Need Level? Thinking About Next Year

So I read this article. As somebody who used to ride her bike a lot, and whose husband still rides, the analog really held true. In fact, I really didn’t need to read the article – the title says it all.  The Training Wheel Fallacy for Teaching Writing

The article grows the analogy and made me think about a variety of experiences on my road bike. From that time I couldn’t unclip to save myself (in front of a filled restaurant beer garden), to the time some friendly redneck through a full cup of water at me - I guess he didn’t approve of cyclists! It made me compare those memories to my students’ experiences, just as this writer wanted me to do.  

What was particularly great about this article was the timing.. It came at the very moment that I had been thinking about just how to really use what I have learned this spring, during distance learning, in my teaching next year. The thinking continued.

Not long after reading this article, I had a student submit some work. The task was the final project of the year, quite simple – and very much reduced from expectations had we been at school. They had to take a god who was Greek as well as Roman and create a small presentation, including some specific criteria. They then had to create a virtual presentation of the findings. Most students created a slideshow, and then made a Screencastify. One student made a beautiful poster and videoed her presentation. A couple of students made videos of themselves presenting the slideshow using a cell phone and laptop. Two students made really good PowToons, and a couple of students used applications that I’ve never seen before. One student, had a Greek god talking to the Roman god, comparing each other. That was pretty creative. 

But then there was this one student, who has been a frustration all year. A nice boy, respectful, always does his work, but you always got the feeling that he did ‘just’ enough. You knew that there was more in there, but it just wasn’t coming out. I would conference with him, and my frustration always came out despite myself. He would always smile politely at me, and say that he was happy with his grade. Since I rarely talk about grades, that added to my frustration! I would say to him, “Yes, your grade is fine, but what about the learning – what about the creativity – don’t you want to do a little bit more?” He would smile politely and said he was quite happy. During our virtual learning, nothing has really changed there, he’s done most of the assignments, he’s done enough to fulfill a rubric or the criteria, and he’s just steadily gone along. But then we came to this final project. 

He blew me away. 

Now cynics in the room might say his parents probably did it for him. But I know the student’s situation, they did not. Was it as well 'finished' as some of the other work? No! He doesn’t have that habit of editing and polishing. But it was creative. It was unexpected.

He made Flipgrid do things I didn’t know Flipgrid was capable of doing! He had slides popping up in his presentation and transitions. He obviously spent some time creating this video. It was amazing! I told him so too. I even asked him if he can create a Screencastify showing us how to do that. He sort of mumbled at me on Google Meet, and I don’t think the task made the top of his to-do list.  But I do believe that he was delighted to be asked.

So what does this all boil down to? 

I think that although we know there are students who lost support that they needed or students who just never came and asked for help. Some didn’t know how to struggle and gave up immediately.  Next year, we will talk about struggle.

We know that there were students lost because of equity issues, lots of young children in the house, children left alone without supervision, and not ideal work situations – where schoolwork was the least important thing on the table. We know that. And if we have to continue virtual learning in any shape or form, we need to work through concerns and issues. 

I also know that there were teachers who did not offer learning opportunities on a consistent basis.  My kids thanked me profusely for offering the same class twice a day, they said it made a huge difference to have that option that could change with their schedule. They loved the fact that I kept going with the read alouds. 

This is not a pat on the back for Bridget, because I actually feel guilty for not having done more. I look around the country, or I participate in my club RCA webinars, and I realize there is so much more I could’ve done. And that in a future situation, I will be doing. It’s more of a statement that this has not been perfect.

But for some kids, this has been eye-opening. I have had students produce some of the best work that I’ve ever seen from sixth graders. And I know it’s because they’ve had the time to do it. There hasn’t been the pressure of ‘grades matter’ and there hasn’t been a state test out there, lurking in the future. It’s just been about being creative and producing the best work you can possibly do. 

Did some have help from the parents? Well sure! But they could’ve had that help in past years too, it’s rare that I’ve had anything that has not been allowed to be worked on at home! Typically I don’t assign much homework, but they would’ve had the choice to ask for help on on-going projects.  In some ways, it has been great to see non-involved parents stop in and take time to help their students. I’ve done these wonderful one-on-one sessions with students who have been struggling, and have seen them sore to heights that are not achieved at school. Because at school, I can’t give them more than two or three minutes in the class. At school others need attention. At school there are multiple distractions for both teacher and student.  

So what will change?

1. I am going to look at each unit of study, and really think about what the end goal is – I mean I already did that to an extent, but I want to think about doing this in a different way. What is it that we want them to be able to do, and create? What is it we want them to be able to explain? What is it they just need to understand? Last year, I would have said that we did this - and we did. But having gone to ‘bare bones’ with virtual learning, it has shown me how important it is to REALLY did down and say, “What matters. What is ESSENTIAL?”
2. As I look at what matters, how am I going to have them show me their knowledge? How can I find ways for the students to choose how to show me what they know?
3. Now that I consider number one and two, I want to see how I can create that in a self-paced fashion. How can we make the learning possible for those independent learners, while still making sure that each goal has been achieved, and that every student has the support they need. Another thing I have learned from distance learning is how many students just rush through to get the job done, without paying attention to what COULD be done. I mean, that’s nothing new right? However, there are kids that have slipped by me in the past because the support was too great. I need to be able to let them fail a little more, and determine what needs fixing themselves. To me, this means more reflection during the learning and more self-checks, and perhaps peer checks.
4. Conferring. Conferring. Conferring.
5. Talk about struggle. How that's where the learning happens.
6. Online conversations, evening help sessions, one-on-one support could be virtual to give me more time. Why not have a once a month conference? I don’t really give homework, so why not create a conference homework time? Depending on the number of kids and need, conferences could be more or less frequent. Personal. Individual.
7. I definitely need to extend the belief and creativity through more open-ended concepts, with students having the opportunity to determine how they show their learning. I discovered that by being more experimental, we achieved more. So although we have to determine mastery of certain elements, why not allow the students to find ways to prove their mastery to me.  Choice is fun.  Choice is interesting.
8. This year, I went to feedback instead of grades for formatives. My kids have been very very supportive of this. Interestingly, it is the highest achievers who have enjoyed the most. Taking away the fear of getting poor grades gave them the freedom to perform.  Now I’m looking at how to create that feeling in the summative aspect of things. I know that I will not be able to go gradeless for summatives, although there might be some potential there for conferring to adjust grades. However, I am thinking of working with my team to have more frequent and focused summatives. Enough of these awful, long tests. To me, they create a lot of failures and not a lot of success. It’s been something I’ve been playing with for a while, and have had some success, but I think this year will be the year to get serious.

There’s always so much to do and so much to think about as summer approaches. I always feel like it’s important not to just say, “We’re done”, and then revisit at the beginning of the year - because of the beginning of the year, it’s honestly too late. Now is when you reflect. Now is when you make decisions.

We don’t know what next year will look like, but we do know is, this will be our go-to in similar situations. We need to be able to manage our online learning, we need to manage to coach, engage, and support in a virtual capacity. I feel like I’ve made some great strides, and I have a vision for what could be achieved. I believe that in future situations, we will go into this with a little bit more structure and that will help immensely. Parents frequently told me how grateful they were – actually the students more than the parents – for teachers with set class times. They wanted to know, on a consistent basis, exactly what was going to be taught when, rather than the occasional ‘hit and miss’ of some offerings.

We all need a little bit of structure, and we all need a little bit of freedom. We all need support, but we all need to be allowed to fly. Some students need more help than others, others need more options. The bottom line is, I can do this, I just need to plan and think about it.

Teacher Appreciation Thought Starter

So I got this email from a parent - it was was really nice email that was thanking me for all that I've done, telling me that she and her daughter would like to send me an appreciation little something, and how would they do this during our quarantimes. It was a nice email.

It was very kind
It was very thoughtful, and it made me feel good.

So, I thanked her nicely, and I let her know that I have to go in twice this week to go clean out and move my room, and that she could leave a little something there, and thank you very much, and how much I appreciated it.

Then I started thinking. First of all, I don't ever remember - maybe once - receiving anything for teacher appreciation week from a parent. I think perhaps there was one time. Now the PTO always does a fantastic job, as do admin.  But parents - it's not something that crosses their mind, and why should it? Just in a couple of weeks we will be finishing up school, and then those parents who feel so inclined, occasionally give us a nice little gift or a card, and sometimes it’s something really special. I will never forget the gorgeous handmade saddle pad one parent gave me in school colors. Or the amazing Dr. Who pillow a student made for me.  Special indeed. 

But those are end of year. Not for Teacher Appreciation Week. Don't get me wrong, It’s not something I’ve complained about or something that bothers me, it just struck me as, “Huh, interesting.”  

Could it be because it's on the news everywhere? Could it be because you're seeing it on Facebook everywhere? We’re being really ‘appreciated’ right now during COVID. I wonder if we will see that next year, or whenever what we do becomes 'expected and normal' again? 

But then I thought about a little line, a throwaway comment she had in her email. Something to the effect of. “I really want you to know how much I appreciate you and all you do especially during this time.”

Especially during this time.  

Yeah, that makes me feel guilty.  

Am I working hard? Sure! Am I doing everything I can to connect with these kids? Absolutely!

Am I doing lots of one-on-ones and personal coaching - stuff that I've never been able to do before? Sure and I'm loving every minute of it!

I got a puppy.
I get to go for walks twice a day.
My husband is no longer going to Miami every week; I'm not living on my own four days out of each week.
My son is home from college. He's doing online classes; he's here at home after being away in the Navy for 7 years.
Oh, and did I mention I got a puppy?!
I’ve been gardening.
I get to ride my horse three or four times a week instead of once or twice.

Also, I get to meet with students one-on-one.  Yeah, it’s virtually, but the work we're doing is fantastic. I've tried so hard to have consistent conferring in the classroom, but there is never enough time.

My high flyers are flying really high with this independent learning.

I have kids who really didn't do much in the classroom who are now functioning.  They have time to think.  They have more support from me, and they can work when it's the right time for them. 

Sure, there are frustrations. There are some kids that, “Where are you kiddo? Just ‘cos spring break happened, it doesn't mean it's all over!” Just because there's no Milestones and no test, doesn't mean it's all done. Just because they announce that your third quarter grade cannot - has to be your grade - you can't go lower, doesn't mean that it's not worth it. I've never really given grades anyway, only for summatives. That's frustrating. I try to reach, out I try to text parents, I try to call parents, I try to text kids, I try to message kids, I try to do everything I can — and that's hard.

But there's so much joy, and there’s so much learning. I've learned so much. I can't wait for next year. I don't know what kind of teaching will see. I don't know what it's going to be like. Is it going be back to normal?

I hope not.

I hope that we will learn from this. I hope that we're going to add self-paced learning to all of our courses. I hope that we're going to help students to be independent. And even - dare I say it? - I hope for some virtual teaching. I also hope we address the equity. I hope that every kid will have a Chromebook in their hands. I hope that we can help with access to Wi-Fi. I hope that the students who need the support will get the support. But what I really hope for, is that we will stop teaching kids to get the work done, and will start teaching kids to be inspired by learning. That's what I hope.

So it’s great to feel appreciated, but let’s all be excited about what’s to come, because I think that there are great things that are going to happen in education thanks to the quarantimes.

What Happened?

It's been a strange year.  I mean, REALLY strange.

You think that I'm referring to the extended online learning, COVID 19 and all of that?

Nope.  It was weird long before that!

• I found it much harder to build the kinds of relationships with kids that I am used to - parents too. 
• I felt much more of an island in my teaching, but at the same time more accepted by our faculty (she's weird, but she's one of our own?!).
• Our administrative team remains awesome, but I haven't had that person to sit and share with the same way that I had in past iterations of a leadership team. Is that a criticism?  Not at all, more to do with personalities.

You can tell it was different. I haven't blogged. I haven't found the same sort of excitement in sharing my learning. 

So, that's the negative (heck of a way to lead off, huh?).

Now to the positives!

I adapted my schedule, my hours, my intensity to allow myself more me-time.  I focused on being with Paul and my football (soccer) family.  I decided to ride my horse for the joy of it, rather than continually setting goals that were beyond us both (as a relatively aged pair!). We created a date night that both of us adhered to until the restaurants closed...but have ordered in food ever since. I've allowed myself to create and enjoy, but have focused on finding ways to think about which feedback matters the most, ways to give feedback in class, creating student reflections to allow THEM to make comparisons between exemplars and their own work.

Honestly, its been kind of awesome.

So, as I said - a weird year!

And now we are teaching from home, and a new challenge arises.  And you know what, guilt fills me as I type this, but I am enjoying it. A lot.

Oh yes, it was horrific at first.  All my work time rules went to heck in a hand-basket as kids were reaching out 24-7. Desperate to support them in whatever way I could, I spent hour making videos for kids, videos for parents...anything I could do. It was exhausting.  But then things began to find their rhythm. Then I realized that I was sleeping at night. Next thing that happened was that I could come off my prescription medicine for GI issues.

I discovered just how much stress I layer on myself - What do other people think? How can I fit in? Why do they laugh at my ideas?  All gone. One fell swoop. Just left with me and my (virtual) classroom.

Am I worried about the 2-3 kids who have gone missing? Yes.  Am I frustrated by the kids who have apparently forgotten how to access work and apparently have told parents that we never did it this way? You bet I am!  Do I get bothered by the students who do as little as possible, but then turn in their work to avoid that MISSING notification? Of course I do!  Am I super proud of my kids who are THRIVING with independent learning and far more time for one-on-one supports?  Yes I am.

Every day I am learning about things that will change in either my virtual or real classroom.  That's exciting, invigorating, and just plain good learning.

So, strange year indeed.  I last blogged in the fall, Now it's April and we are teaching from home.

Room 1113 is Ready!

Everything is so clean and fresh. 
Everything is straight on the walls.
Everything is wiped down and dusted.
There is space, the floors are clean. 
The sharp, neat piles of paper and workbooks are crisp and clean to my eyes. 
The books on the bookshelves are arranged, straight and square, each genre sorted, making it easy to find each kind of book you like best. 
The class signs are newly made, freshly laminated, and easy to read. 
It is our little haven. 

Room 1113

In one corner, a collection of Doctor Who items sit on the top of the bookshelf, with a couple of posters and quotes. Some of the kids know who that is, others will have no clue. Some of them will recognize the TARDIS, others will wonder what the big 'blue box' shower curtain hanging on the wall is all about! 
In one corner, there are dragons. Shelves of dragons, black silhouettes of dragons hanging on the wall, even a picture of me sitting on a dragon. The dragon corner. The dragon corner is also the teacher corner. I don’t have a desk, after all, it’s not MY room. But I do have a small standing desk, that’s on wheels, easy to roll out in the hallway, or next to a different child's seat. In the third corner, it’s an ode to football, soccer is they call it here. My signed Almiron jersey carefully placed in a glass case, the Atlanta United flag, Atlanta United pom-pom, and sign. The Everton Football Club crest hangs proudly, as does the pennant. And an England soccerball. It’s all about football. Then finally, the Reading Corner. A corner with one of the two bookshelves, crowded with books. The entire bookshelf filled with fantasy books, carefully chosen and placed to entice. Each side is found cute bookshelves that the kids can sit on. Cushions and comfortable places, and more and more and more books. Everything from 3rd to 4th-grade standard to eighth, and higher.......And beyond. 
And that’s the corners.

In the middle, there’s a mix of seating, an attempt to help each kid to find a comfortable spot to learn in. Not as much flexibility as I’d like, but I do what I can with the finances and space that I have. My husband is patient. And Amazon knows where I live. There’s a futon, covered this year by a really cool piece of material that looks like a Union Jack, but with more muted colors. There are the bookcases that kids can sit on with loose cushions, and my two new additions, small benches, that are now bookcases underneath with a nice cushion on top for additional seating. Great places for the kids to sit.  Then there are the trapezoid desks both low and high, stability balls and chairs and the plastic small Ottomans - an opportunity for kids to sit on something a little different. The round cushions help for comfort. Then there are the two Ottomans, filled with books, always favorite seating spots.  Then the big massive square ottoman that several kids all like to sit on together. There are the floor mats ready for them to pull out, and floor cushions to use in the hallway. Lap desks are crated and on hand to help them have something to write on. 

So. Much. 

But not too much, because I wanted to leave space to roam, to move. 

On Thursday, our first day back, it will be about finding a spot where you like to sit. It’s less about the groupings, more about comfort as we work together to learn. 

And then there’s the wall space. I tried really hard to leave more available space this year. Not something that’s easy for me, as I’m always seeing something that would "look great in the classroom," but I managed to hold off 😆 The corners make the statements, the rest is ready for the students work and ideas.

My goal was to alert the senses, awaken interest, but not to overwhelm. Reduce the busy, while keeping my personality, and the flavor of room 1113 intact. 

On Thursday the first students will enter the classroom. But today, as I sit and enjoy the silence. 

But I can’t wait. I can’t wait for the color, the noise, the commentary, the pushing, the moving, the questions. 

I can’t wait to try out some new things I have thought about, and share s exciting things with my students. 

I can’t wait to see them.

I can’t wait to see kids eyes light up when they see the room. 

I can’t wait to see one or two kids recognize who Dr. is. 

I can’t wait to see the first kid pick up a book and light up with excitement to read what they want. 

I can’t wait for the who kid says he hates reading, to pick a book that they end up loving and enjoying. 

I can’t wait until the first time the idea button is pressed and a great idea is put on the board to make a change in their room. 

I can’t wait.