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? 🤔

Leaving the Kids - Teaching is a Strange Job!

Teaching is such a strange job. As a second career teacher, I’ve been in several environments. There isn’t one other job that I would have felt teary at leaving.  In fact, there is normally massive excitement at a break ahead. But teaching is weird.

Here we are. The day I leave for the UK. The day FMLA starts & I wing myself over to the UK to look after Mum. She’s excited & desperate for her daughter to be there. She doesn’t always remember that I’m coming, but the reaction is the same every time I remind her. Happy tears. Being 90, living alone, facing Alzheimer's, and knowing that you need help - it must be scary. There are times she's cognizant of the facts but forgets that I am coming to take care of her future.  There are times that she pleads for help and is delighted when I let her know that I will be there.  Hearing your own mother - a strong, independent woman - scared and alone is heartbreaking.

But I'm on my way.

Yesterday was my last day. A day filled with surprises and emotions. One class threw a ‘British tea party’ for me - adorable - with a list of who was bringing what - highly organized. The other seemed to be completely unaware but then stunned me with a surprise party - designer cake and all. Both groups showered me with gifts and made me feel incredibly special and loved.

I've never quite felt that way as a teacher, and now I’m a mix of emotions. I’ve taught most of these kids for two years. I have become a huge proponent of looping after this experience - I've been a better teacher, and my students have been better learners. We became a team as we grew together. We accomplished things we might never have done without that trust and those relationships in place. But that makes leaving them even harder. So hard.

These kids have truly embraced my investment and 'crazy' ideas. They have reflected, learned, and (I like to think) grown as people. If nothing else, they love ELA - and that's a WIN in my book.

The kids will be just fine without me. I haven’t done my job if they aren’t independent, reflective learners by now. I’ll see them as I start my new role in August and they begin 8th grade.  The bottom line is that Mum needs me. As a single Mum, she gave up so much to care for me…now it’s my turn to be there for her.  

She deserves it.

Cheers!

When Things Didn't Quite Work - Opportunity Came Knocking

A New Opportunity!

A New Challenge!

Last year, I had the opportunity to be a 'part-time coach.' I learned a lot - both positive and negative - but one thing I learned was that part-time doesn't work without constant communication from and between administrators. I'm not blaming them, there were other priorities and a different idea of my role between them.  I found that when doors were opened, success followed.  I discovered that my love of talking pedagogy was embraced by many.  I found that my willingness to graft and create for amazing teachers was a gift that I could give. I also learned things about myself.  I saw that I find it very hard to live without recognition. I discovered that doing the 'secret' work was not for me.  I found it very difficult to not know my place, to not have a definite role.

I also discovered that 2 classes of ELA were a fabulous amount. It allowed me to pour heart and soul into my planning as I always do, focusing on strategic ways to use the time in as engaging fashion as always, but with only 60 students to give feedback too, not only could I increase the depth of feedback, but it opened up the time for me to create and do for other teachers.  

It was my best teaching year ever.

The hours I spent researching for others, taking classes, listening to podcasts, all gave me opportunities to play and experiment in my classroom - then share with teachers with first-hand experience.  

And those teachers who shared their gratitude with me, and those kids and parents who have reached out to me to share their appreciation, kept me pushing myself to truly deserve that praise.

But, I knew that it wouldn't last - allotments would come in, and without a place that I clearly fitted into the jigsaw of the school, it was only a matter of time before I knew that the opportunity would be gone.  I knew that I could never truly share my ability to coach without it being a full-time opportunity, and even though I strongly believe that any good school should have a coach, it's something our county is no longer fully supporting with special allotments. The opportunities are hard to come by.  For a while there I was strongly thinking of looking at other options. Our school schedule is changing to lose block days, and we are moving away from a lunchtime enrichment class that the majority of teachers hate, but I found fed my creativity and desire to experiment. The thought of 5 sections of ELA - much as I love ELA - was not enticing.  Should I go the private school route?  Should I find something else entirely?  I could do virtual teaching. I could...

For a while there, I even considered being an activity director at an assisted living facility. Maybe I'd get a discount for my Mum, you never know.

But then the opportunity came calling. The job I wanted at a different school over a year ago was offered to me on a plate - but this time at my own school. With the community I love, and the kids I know.

The chance to take our somewhat silent, often empty media center and turn it into the heart of our school.  A space that is vibrant, fun, and sought out.  Working with all the kids, a resource for all the teachers, ideas about!

Step 1 has been taken - a workshop with students to see what THEY want in their space. Step 2 is sharing the ideas with teachers and getting their feedback.  Step 3 will be a second workshop with kids.  My Vision Book is flowing. My working document is filled with an abundance of brainstorms.  My book order is massive and my podcast list has shifted.

Let's Go!

Let's Plan!

Let's DO!

Feedback from the Kids

Personal Impacts Professional

 It's been a weird year.

Yes, I know, it's only March, so why make it sound like it's almost over?

Well, it is for me. As of April 2, I will be taking FMLA to go 'home' to the UK to support Mum. 90 years old and suffering from Alzheimer's, she needs the help.  The plan has been for her to come to me. We gathered paperwork, paid a lot of dollars, wrote to state senators - whatever we had to do, I did. Whatever was suggested, I tried.  But she still isn't here.  The green card process for a parent isn't quick, and it isn't easy. 

We were hoping for an expedite, but that got denied.  Twice.

So now we wait for her name to climb the list. We thought August, now perhaps September.  The waiting continues.

In the meantime, she's no longer safe alone.  

This has been the backdrop to my year.  Early morning Zoom calls and back-and-forth emails to the UK. Daily phone calls to Mum. Constant contact with neighbors and carers. It's been stressful. Sleep has not come easy. Emotions have run high.

And yet? Professionally this year has been mostly joyful.  I have taught the best lessons I have ever tried. New strategies focused on my new learning.  Great relationships with the majority of my students having been looped from sixth to seventh with me (side note - looping works. Powerful).  Awesome monthly parent Teams meetings. With only two classes, both advanced, those students got so much more of me. Although the prep took just as long as if I had 5 sections, the feedback did not, and I was able to focus so much more.

Then I had the opportunity to work as a 'half-coach.' That was my focus when not teaching.

Coaching teachers who have pushed me really think about what works and why. I have grown so much!

Negatives? Yes. The new teacher who complained that I was visiting her to observe too much.  The 3rd year teachers who went to the principal about my observing them - not knowing that two other administrators had begged me to step in.  It happens.  I adjusted, I changed, I learned.

By February I found my people. I was creating lessons, co-teaching, and had 4 Impact Cycles ongoing.  

The lessons were simple. 

• You can offer, but not everyone's going to take
• Kids are more excited about learning than adults
• Not everyone sees the need to improve
• Sometimes you don't have the answers - and that's OK
• Your personal life can truly impact your accomplishments

They say you can do less when you are under stressful circumstances - and I found that to be true. But I strived to be the best I can be this year, and I can honestly look back and say that it was a good year.

What Should 'Grace' Really Mean?

I have been doing a lot of mulling over the catch 22 that they call ‘grace'. Allowing teachers room and understanding that the environment is tough is good - but it’s not quite the same as lowering expectations...is it?

Differentiation for ME!

We are all taught that differentiation is key. We teach to the child, correct? With personalized needs and responses, and remember that the playing level isn’t always flat. That’s what we do.

So having said all of that, I should explain ME and my nature. After all, it's my reflection, and I am the one feeling that something is missing.

My thoughts and dilemma are that I am coming from a place where I need goals and expectations. I believe strongly that I am a professional, and should always strive to be better than I am today. Maybe sometimes ‘better than today’ is just a little bit better, because of the time, climate, and situation. Perhaps better is a complete change in my pedagogy. It depends.  Regardless, for me personally, for my nature, I need to know that I am considered as a professional and that it’s understood that I will work best in an environment with a clear mission and strong support along the way.

It’s how I roll.

Last year wasn’t just exhausting because of the sheer workload. It was also tiring because I often felt on my own. Gone were the days of professional learning goals and team-think.  As much as I might’ve moaned at the time, had they been enforced - with 2020 hindsight, I really missed them.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do think that society doesn’t recognize what we do. And I know we are tired.  But I also believe if we want to be perceived as professionals, we need to act as professionals. Almost everyone in the world has been burdened by this Covid thing, and now we’re at a stage where sadly, it really is more of a new normal than a shock response.  We need to take stock, set goals among the new parameters and strive to be better at our craft…even if it’s only a little bit better.

I create the eye roll

I'm THAT teacher. The one who suggests that it would be good to dig deeper into the standards and think about how we can always be better.  I see the eyes rolling at meetings.  But I'm on Twitter, I talk to people, I see the world around me. I know that I am not the only teacher who believes that learning and growth are a part of his/her very being.

So what's the answer?

I make my goals and I try to keep to them. I seek out help and stay deep into the Twittersphere. I search locally for my people and strive to be better.  But I am not giving up on my peers - if there is one person who wants more, I will be there for and with them.  We grow better together.

My word for the school year was Joyful.  Learning and improving makes me joyful - and makes life a lot more joyful for my students too. So, here we go. Supported or not, pushed or self-motivated, it's time to up the ante and aim high.

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