Last October, I attended a teacher conference and the keynote speaker gave us each a copy of his book:
His advice was to savor the book and read it over the course of a full school year (or season as he calls it). Baffled, I resisted my binge reading impulse and have been slowly reading a chapter or two per week. There are lots of thought-provoking questions and reflection space,which does hinder the speed reading.
I'm glad I've taken my time. I've had quite the range of emotions this school year, ranging from excitement to disappointment to exhaustion. I've been able to pinpoint why I'm experiencing those emotions and examine my teaching practices through a critical and empathetic lens.
Today's chapter focused on time. The one thing we never seem to have enough of as educators (and well, people in general). It focused on getting rid of the glorification of busy and talked about the negative impacts of multi-tasking.
I pride myself on my ability to multi-task, but maybe that's not such a good thing.
The chapter's call to action was to truly examine how time is being spent. By constantly toggling between various tasks (and social media), we (teachers) spend day in and day out feeling distracted, disappointed, overwhelmed, and juggling a lot of tasks, yet never really completing them.
I found myself agreeing with the author's description of the because I can syndrome.
"Loehr refers to this multitasking tendency as the "because I can" syndrome. Why do I check emails while on vacation? Why do I text during family dinner? Why do I interrupt a conversation to take another call or return a text message? Why do I work every night until after midnight? Why do I answer my cell phone during my daughter's concert? Why do I skip my work out? Why do I miss breakfast?
Because I can." (HEART, p. 72)
The author goes on to state "everyone I know has this issue I suspect that, at one time or another, you have taken on too many tasks and become overwhelmed. The demands of managing work, family, and your personal health (and energy) make it impossible not to skirt the edges of faulty assumptions. Eventually, one of these areas, if not all three, begins to suffer." (72)
As a teacher, there's always more work that can be done. Being aware of this is the first step. However, life can't be all work. Instead, I should focus and fully commit to three goals per day instead of attempting everything with varying levels of focus.
Even as I write this post, I had to make a conscious effort not to have Netflix on in the background, not to be checking my phone, not to be texting, or not to be on social media.
Newsflash: It was difficult. I was uploading some pictures to dropbox, so I checked the status of that. My phone went off a few times, so I checked the social media updates. It was nothing crucial or important. I also listened to music. B's at a softball tournament, so it means I can listen to the Wicked Soundtrack without his sassy comments. My mind started to stray about the laundry I could start, or the errands I could do, or the chores that could be started, and as a result, this post took a while to write.
This is exactly what the author is talking about: the superficial tasks and the "simpler, better, faster" mantra.
The blunt truth of this chapter really resonated with me:
Except in rare circumstances...you will never be as good as if you focused on one thing at a time. Period. That's the bottom line. " (71)
He goes on to quote The Way We're Working Isn't Working with "We create plenty of distractions for ourselves by juggling tasks, making ourselves perpetually available to others, opening several windows on our computers, and focusing on whatever feels most urgent at the moment without regard to whether what we are doing is really important." (71)
The book suggests thinking about 3 goals per day. So, that's what I'm going to try.
I found this while cleaning:
And it seems perfect for this new strategy.
My goals for Monday (the first day back) are:
1) Plan my smart notebook for the day and gather necessary materials
2) Plan for Tuesday (lay out copies, etc) right after school
3) Plan with Ms. H (we were supposed to plan over break, but family time was more important)
My going into Monday with my goals in mind makes it easy to grasp. My day is planned. My 3 goals for the day are laid out (and written down in my goal setting planner).
However, I don't want to wait until Monday to try this new strategy. I've started today's list of my top 3 goals:
1) Go to Target for a few items
2) Spend 45 minutes in the garage organizing and going through teacher boxes
3) Nail appointment with two coworkers (It's been a month)
What are your top three goals for today?
Thankful November Three: Professional Development
Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to attend some amazing professional development courses.
In late October, I signed up for an all-day Saturday conference. To be honest, my primary motivators were:
1) It was close. It's hard to say no to something that is literally five minutes from your doorstep.
2) My husband was out golfing anyway.
3)
It was paid. I have very few opportunities within the school district
to make extra money. With the holidays coming and a growing desire to
redo our master bathroom floors, I'll take almost any opportunity I can
get.
4) It was on a topic I found appealing: bringing joy and the arts into the classroom.
5) Several of my colleagues were going, so I knew other people. (Yes, not being in a room with strangers is a concern.)
The
timing wasn't the best because the night before was my school's
carnival and haunted house. I was definitely tired, but caffeine helps
(as does the five minute drive).
Our keynote speaker was engaging and we got a copy of his book:
I'm
super appreciative of free things. I also am really enjoying reading
it (which isn't always the case with some teacher books). It has a lot
of space to reflect upon my own teaching and is meant to be read at a
slow pace (1-2 chapters per week) over the course of a school year (or
season as the author calls them). The focus is on finding joys and
empowering others to do the same (or at least that's the focus of the
first few chapters).
After
the keynote, we had 4 sessions and a wide range of topics to pick
from. I enjoy PD sessions that offer this choice and freedom.
The
first session I went to focused on math fact fluency and how to take
the pressure of off kids when working on the memorization of math
facts. I was also super excited to see a former colleague and friend as
one of the instructors.
We snagged this freebie:
Which
is full of all sorts of math games. I haven't started using it yet but
will! (I just haven't found the time to start making the card stock
copies or gathering the supplies.)
I
was fortunate enough to get into the highly coveted reading one before
lunch, but it was a bit of a let down only because there was no new
information. All of the strategies that were discussed I'd previously
learned in other professional development courses and was already using
in my classroom. I did snag a free book out of the training.
After
a lunch break, I joined some fellow teachers from my school to attend a
counseling-based session that focused on helping kids cope with
anxiety. The instructor modeled some interesting lessons and we walked
away with another freebie.
The fourth session was by far my least favorite.
Overall,
it was a successful day, I was home by 4 pm, learned some new
strategies, received several new books, and was paid for attending.
These are the types of professional developments that I appreciate.
Last week I had a lovely lunch date with a friend from work. She taught second grade last year (long term sub) and will hopefully fill our third grade vacancy this year. She's going to be finishing up her degree and student teaching and be fully licensed for next school year. If the stars all align, I'll be her supervising teacher and she'll be two classrooms away. She's quite the lovely person, open to learning, and actively seeks out ways to improve. She's also fully aware of this blog post.
She said something that rubbed me the wrong way (and has been rattling around in my head for a few days). She was hesitant to talk about things she wanted to work on for next year, as if it was a weakness to want to improve. As her potential supervising teacher (for student teaching), we've got to have honest conversations about growth.
I quickly jumped in and told her that it's awesome to have a list of things she wanted to improve on. I shared the gist of my {goals} for next year. Once I shared that I've got plenty I want to improve upon, she seemed much calmer and more open about her perceived weaknesses.
First off, they aren't weaknesses. They are targeted areas of growth. Self awareness is the first crucial step. There's nothing wrong with saying you want to improve as a teacher. We applaud when athletes improve their records from previous years, so why is teaching different?
Granted, sometimes the professional developments (PD) we receive aren't the greatest, especially when they are mandated and generic. But that's not the only option for PD. Creating a PLN (professional learning network) and sharing ideas (virtually or in person) is a great way to continue to grow as an educator. Reading books, watching webinars, and talking with others are all stellar options.
Second, one of the greatest (and worst) things about teaching is that there is always something new to learn. There are always new strategies to try and ways to improve. It's wonderful that she's open to this. Everyone should be.
Third, there's only one true weakness in teaching: arrogance. To assume that one's teaching is perfect in every aspect is the height of hubris. Classroom management, behavioral conflicts, these can all be fixed with mentoring and ongoing conversations. But the arrogant mindset and refusal to be open to others? There's no outside forces that are capable of fixing that mindset.
I've been there and it's not pretty. It was my third and fourth years teaching. I'd finished my Master's degree. I worked with some veteran teachers who were on their way out to retirement, so their work ethic and quality of teaching wasn't quite where it needed to be. I was still very much in the Teach for America mindset where if a teacher isn't devoting every waking hour to the kids, they must not care. This relentless, work-a-holic mindset isn't sustainable, isn't healthy, and isn't good for kids (or the teachers).
I started attending professional development outside of my school and district and was quickly knocked off my high horse. For this, I am eternally appreciative because my stay in arrogant teacher land was a short staycation, not a long term residency.
While I may have been the best in my grade level, there was plenty more to learn. Quickly humbled, I made it a point to seek out opportunities for improvement...and I haven't stopped.
I've attended some awesome professional developments. I've led some sessions at school and district levels. I've read some great books and am fortunate enough to be at a school that encourages professional growth. But I'm no where near being done learning.
I have teacher friends at my school, within my district, and outside of CCSD that I can turn to for advice and lesson ideas. I have a close knit group where I can openly admit when a lesson fails and complain about all the ways it didn't live up to my expectations. After my allotted venting time is over, we turn to problem solving and how to improve it for next time. It's all part of the learning process. My students experience it often and as a teacher, I'm also a life long learner.
I'm (hopefully) out of the elitist mindset. I am fully aware that as a teacher, I have areas of improvement. So, I do something about it.
I schedule observations and actively seek out feedback. I look for opportunities to expand my learning (and bonus if it's paid!). As a mentor, I have an open door policy. If a mentee or peer is willing to have me observe in his/her classroom, I should be willing to reciprocate. As a mentor, I am peer mentored. I talk about my lesson ideas, lesson successes/failures, and ways to improve with other teachers, our strategist, and my administration. It's sometimes a scary and honest conversation about what's not going well. There needs to be a great deal of trust between all involved parties.
Through trial and error, I've found a few peers who I could have honest conversations with about classroom instruction. The point was not to gossip or belittle my instruction, but rather to find solutions to the problems I was facing.
Sometimes, this honesty has failed miserably. I've been blindly assigned to watch other colleagues and had them tell me "I hear you really stink at ____, __(name of previous administrator)__ told me so. I'm happy to have you watch me so you can fix __(my perceived area of weakness)__."
That colleague was not in my trusted circle and presented herself as the savior to all my problems. I have trouble respecting this person's work ethic as it is. I was hurt by the betrayal of confidentiality from my supervisor. Had it been presented as a choice of teachers for me to observe, it would have been another story. But the administrator took our private conversation where I was seeking out feedback (from the administrator) and essentially outsourced feedback without my consent. The other colleague took joy at knowing my weakness and chose to exploit it by sharing my situation, loudly, in the teachers' lounge.
That's not how we help each other out. That's not teamwork. That's not appropriate.
It took a while for me to be open to feedback from others after that incident.
One of the hardest part about working with other teachers is running into arrogant, inflexible teachers, like the one mentioned above. They've been teaching for X many years and know everything. They don't want to work with others, they don't want to be observed, and don't welcome constructive conversations. There are a lot of reasons behind this mindset, but the biggest is fear. Fear of being wrong. Fear of trying new things. Fear of failure.
Instead of being frustrated with these teachers, taking their comments personally, or worse, continually butting heads with them, I do my very best to keep my professional distance.
I am not a perfect teacher. I have things I want to work on. I have skills I want to improve. I've had lessons fail miserably...and that's okay. Because these things are not my weakness. They are areas of growth.
Being resistant to change, having an arrogant mindset, and refusing to receive feedback are weaknesses.
Next year, our school district will be undergoing some major calendar changes. Overall, I think it makes sense, which is a rare move on CCSD's behalf.
The Pros
1. We will be done before Memorial Day. In recent years, we've had a three day weekend for the holiday (obviously), then had the students return for a day and a half. While we made it work, it's a tad silly. Everything will be finalized, stamped, and sealed before the holiday weekend.
2. The first semester will actually end at Winter Break. Again, a wise choice. In the past, the first semester went in through January, with the idea that students could study over the holiday break (or make up missing work). In elementary school, this isn't really a big deal. However, it was quite frustrating for middle and high school teachers (and students). First semester trickling over into January wasn't the best idea. It also meant teachers got the joys of feeling pressure to grade make up work, essays, etc. With everything wrapped up nicely before the two weeks off, it makes all involved players just a tad happier. Plus, it's a fresh start (with fresh courses for some) in the new year.
3. Thanksgiving Break. To be fair, we enjoyed a week off at Thanksgiving last year too and I'm glad they kept this in our new calendar schedule.
For 28 weeks of the year, teachers report 64 minutes early on a chosen day. We voted to keep our Wednesday morning start time at 7:22 (instead of 8:26). Other schools have this contract time after school, or split it into two periods, but each school got the flexibility to decide when this SBCT (site based collaboration time) would occur.
We used our time for professional development with Close Reads, Read by 3 materials, behavior interventions, training on students in trauma, planning for APTT (Academic Parent Teacher Team meetings), and professional book studies. (Most of these PD opportunities I assisted in planning and executing, so I was rather pleased to find that a vast majority of the time was spent in a useful manner and well received by most of the staff.)
These extra 64 minutes, 28 times a year, add up to four contracted days for teachers. Three of them are used to extend Thanksgiving Break to a full week (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are now off). The fourth day is either used for Election Day (let's not mess up the next election everyone) or for Easter Monday. This upcoming year we will be having Easter Monday, which means Spring Break gets an extra day off.
4. President's Day Weekend.
I don't know what scheduling gurus snuck this gem into the calendar, but I'll take it! We have school through Valentine's Day (which is a Wednesday this upcoming year), but have off Thursday and Friday. That's in addition to Monday being off for President's Day.
So basically we'll provide copious amounts of sugar in the form of red and pink frosting, then send the kiddos to their families for a five day weekend. Sounds good to me!
The Cons
1. School starts earlier. Students start Monday, August 14th. Teachers have a mandatory reporting date of the 9th, but schools open on the 1st. I plan to go back in the 3rd because with a new curriculum to learn and a room to set up, I'll need extra time. The decision to go back early is more fully explained {here}.
Temperatures are still uncomfortably warm and some schools may not have adequate air conditioning. Or the AC won't make it through the day. Or we'll have heat advisories on the black top and host indoor recess. None of these situations are exceptionally fun for students or teachers.
2. We have off Friday, October 27th for Nevada Day. But Halloween falling on a Tuesday practically guarantees a partial week of the following scenarios:
a) Students who have consumed way too much candy and are experiencing sugar crashes.
b) Students who are extremely tired from staying out too late on a school night and try to fall asleep in class.
c) Students who sneak candy into class. While this is a tad irritating, it's also potentially dangerous for students with peanut allergies.
3. We've got a short summer. Last year, we started August 29th and enjoyed a 12 week summer. School ended June 8th. We go back in the middle of August this upcoming year, leaving a 9 week summer. That's a little rough.
Additional Changes
I don't know if it's for all of CCSD or just my school site, but we've moved parent-teacher conferences from December to October. The rationale behind this move is that in October, there's still time for students to catch up during the first semester. Interventions can occur. There is some teacher squawking about this being "too early", but honestly, it's seven weeks into the school year. By seven weeks in, all initial benchmarks should be completed (for students who start on the first day) and teachers should have a pretty good grasp of what students are struggling with.
December conferences were a little trickier. By four months in, the honeymoon period is over and teachers are blessed with seeing the full range of these lively personalities. We know our students pretty well.
Parents and families struggled to get time off, meaning I was super flexible with time and stayed long past my contract time. My rationale was that if parents had the opportunity to take time off from work, they should spend it with their families during the holidays...not sitting in my classroom for a thirty minute meeting. I am also fully aware this cut into my own family time, but I have an incredibly supportive husband who made dinner each night I worked late. Granted, smaller class sizes in third grade will mean I'll have a dozen less conferences to hold. Plus, by December, for the most part, first semester grades are set. There's not a lot of magical work that can be done in two weeks to make up for the first four months of the school year.
While I'm not thrilled I have about a month of summer break left, I am excited about the upcoming school year.
One of my on-going goals is always to read more and one of my specific summer goals is to read Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess.
I first heard of this book several years ago, but didn't snag a copy until I was at ASCD and actually visited the TLAP booth in the convention. I'd attended a rather awesome session by the author of Play Like a Pirate and won a free shirt, so I went down to claim it. Low and behold, there was Dave in full pirate attire. So I snagged both books...and had them autographed.
It's taking me longer than I anticipated to read Teach Like a Pirate, but not for the reasons you might think.
The first reason is my furry helpers. I love them, but they do get in the way of my work time.
Sometimes we need to stop for snuggle and scratching breaks.
The second is because the book's content. There are parts that seem to sucker punch my heart. I have to stop, reflect, analyze, and realize that this author is highlighting a point that I didn't even know bothered me.
Part One:
Creativity
For years, I've been described as a creative person. I enjoy craft projects, scrap booking, and generally making things (except if it's in the kitchen, sorry mom!). However, this also means that sometimes I'm assigned extra work because "I'm creative" and it "shouldn't take me much time at all". (Spoiler: Whatever the project, it usually far surpasses the estimate of a time commitment because I'm a perfectionist.)
Deep down, this assumption that creativity just flows through me and is easy for me has always bothered me but I couldn't quite pinpoint why. Being creative isn't an insult by any means. But the assumption that it's natural and easy is.
But then I read a few pages from Teach Like a Pirate where the author was so clearly able to articulate all of my feelings with the concise verbiage I hope to one day master.
The author goes on to state:
"Creativity is rarely about natural brilliance or innate genius. Much more often creativity results from properly directed attention, laser-like focus, relentless effort, and hard work. Outsiders see the glorious results but know very little about the sweat and blood that happens behind closed doors. Creative genius is something people tend to romanticise, but the reality is not very romantic at all. Like any skill it takes practice and effort. No one assumes that an accomplished doctor, rocket scientist, or engineer "lucked" their way into greatness. We have a certain understanding and appreciation for the years of study, sacrifice, and hard work it takes for these experts to reach the highest levels of their profession...Most people would be surprised to pull back the curtain and see the years of excruciating labor, relentless pursuit of excellence, and monstrous obstacles those "naturals" have overcome." (Burgess, p. 38)
Being "creative" isn't something I can turn on and off like a light switch. Being "creative" isn't something I was born with and it's not something that just happens. Creativity has been fostered since childhood with lots of painting projects, spilled glitter (sorry mom), and failed attempts at crafting. Creativity was encouraged in student council and being an RA with finding alternative ways to problem solve and plan events with a limited budget. Creativity was encouraged in the aisles of Joanns, in the pages of craft magazines, in conversations with others, and through countless pins on Pinterest (it's true!). There have been hundreds of failed attempts at craft projects in the name of "being creative". The first burlap wreath I made took almost six hours because I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't like how it was turning out. (On a side note, burlap with a wired edge works way better for crafting wreaths.) Being creative, like any skill, takes time, patience, and a lot of trial and error situations. (Ya know, like teaching...)
The author goes on to describe an interaction with another teacher. The other teacher used the crushing "six words": "It's easy for you. You're creative." This was in response to a conversation about classroom management and culture.
The author, understandable irritated, goes on to articulate:
"It's easy for me. Really? So with our words she dismissed sixteen years of hard work...It wasn't easy when I started, it wasn't easy last week, and it won't be easy next week either." (Burgess, 40).
I've been there, several times.
The author then comments on the other teacher seeming to make excuses for the lack of management in the classroom. These excuses deprive her students of their full potential. Burgess goes on to state "It's not OK to throw up your hands in defeat because you're not naturally creative. Few, if any, teachers are innately creative." (Burgess, 41). He goes on to talk of creativity as something that is meant to be "nurtured and developed in all of us".
Creativity, like all things worth having, takes time, questioning, persistence, and a degree of failure.
I can't wait to see what the other 150 pages hold!
I was introduced to Play Like a Pirate by the author at ASCD in March, bought the book on site, finished it within a week, loaned it out to friends, implemented new ideas, and promptly forgot about actually finishing/publishing this blog post. Oops!
We'll blame it on teacher brain...
At ASCD, the title of the presentation immediately caught my eye:
And by far, it was one of the best sessions I attended. Immediately my wish list for graphic novels grew and I started a donors choose project shortly after.
After this magical 1 hour session ended (and my frantic tweeting paid off because I won a free Teach Like a Pirate shirt), I wandered down to meet Quinn and Dave (Burgess, author of Teach Like a Pirate).
We chatted, I followed them on twitter, and I won't lie, I had some fan-girl moments when they retweeted or replied to me.
Since then, I've shared lots of ideas with fellow teachers. I wasn't necessarily asked, I just couldn't contain my excitement about the ideas and how I wanted to implement them in my classroom. I was really eager to share my plans to make teaching fun again (what a novel concept!).
I'm not really sorry about my over-zealous attitude toward the awesomeness that happened in my classroom (or that's going to happen next year). In all honesty, I'd rather be surrounded by equally passionate weirdos who are innovative, creative, and honest. Those are my people. That is my tribe.
As {previously mentioned}, I've got some professional reading to tackle this summer.
This afternoon, I sat down with Your School Rocks...So Tell People! with the intention of tackling a few chapters.
Two hours later, in one sitting, I was done.
It was a good, quick read that reaffirmed a lot of what I am already trying in the classroom.
My take-aways?
1) Continue to use class dojo to communicate with families about all the awesomeness that's happening in the classroom.
2) They aren't reading the paper newsletter. Find a different (digital) way to communicate. I like the idea of weekly podcasts. I like the idea of them being limited to 2-3 minutes even more. I'm hoping to figure out how to link them to Instagram instead of posting to Youtube.
3) Respect FERPA. Get permission before posting face pictures and don't use last names. When in doubt, take artsy, behind the head shots. It's hard to identify backs of heads & hands.
4) Create a classroom/teacher Instagram account. I've got a personal one that I use and I'm already snapping pictures of class events for dojo, so why not? In addition to this book being in favor of using social media, dozens of other respected educational articles back up this idea.
I didn't check with administration first, but created one that's totally separate from my personal account. I shared a message on class dojo with last year's class and explained that families are welcome to follow me, but I won't follow back (thus ensuring their privacy).
One of the big "a ha" moments while reading was how often teens are on social media, so why not use that as a positive force. One chapter focused on teachers/schools that were sending daily positive affirmations to help students start their days off right. I have a teacher friend in Texas who has been doing this for years within the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) with massive success. Why couldn't the same ideas be applied to the classroom?
I'm eager to see how this evolves, but I've got my branding hashtags ready (classroom specific, school specific, and the 50s pod specific).
I stumbled upon this:
Which I plan to use. I want the account to feel like a classroom account, so I will be sending students out with the iPads to take pictures. I'll have them send to me and then I'll post from there. I also like the idea of them writing the captions and mini-blog posts. Students tend to put forth a lot more effort when they have an authentic audience (meaning not just me the teacher).
I've got two followers so far, one parent from last year and one teacher friend's professional account. She used twitter last year and was my inspiration for the project (and who recommended the book to me), so it's nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of in the realm of technology. Thanks Mrs. K!
As I previously shared, I am attending the Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) conference here in Las Vegas this week.
Today was day one and unfortunately, I left supremely disappointed.
First, I don't disagree in any way with the ideas behind WBT. Activating different aspects of the brain to create long term recall is splendid.
Incorporating movement? Fantastic, especially for my wiggly ones.
A high energy classroom with a sense of urgency for learning? Absolutely. Embedding lessons on character that go beyond "be kind"? Yes, a thousand times yes. My job is to help mold little humans to make the world a better place.
An emphasis on these simple rules? Sounds good!
(Especially number 5!)
However, I unfortunately left with several major issues.
1) Time management. The presenter spent hours going through the different variations of teacher/student points. I zoned out on level six. He went through at least level 16.
It's not that complicated. Go over the ideas, give us a list of variations, and move on. Again, hours.
2) The idea of unknown rewards within WBT doesn't mesh well with me. The uncertainty of unpredictable outcomes is quite enticing to the human brain (hence, gambling) but kids who have suffered traumatic events react quite differently to the unpredictable outcomes, often shutting down. This isn't an environment I want to create in my classroom.
3) The nearly constant interruptions. In fifth grade (and I'm assuming third), most of my students have longer than a 60 second attention span. I get the idea of introducing one new idea at a time for younger grades, but I feel like upper elementary can handle two steps at once.
4) The overemphasis on games as a classroom management strategy. I was left wondering when the teaching actually occurs.
5) The location. The long drive didn't help and our seating options (for eight hours) were metal folding chairs or gym bleachers. Neither was particularly desirable.
6) The tone of the presenters. The high energy was overwhelming and I felt bombarded with directions all day. I was told this teaching method takes some getting used to, but I felt like I was being treated as a child (and not a professional). I'm not an auditory learner, so being talked to all day at such a fast pace was overwhelming and I wanted to shut down. There wasn't time to ask questions, which was irksome.
We will be getting a PDF of the material that I will digest in smaller chunks. I'm willing to give parts of it a try, but I won't be returning for the remaining two days of training. I've never really quit a conference before, but my summer time is valuable and I don't want to spend it feeling that frustrated.
However, I did leave with some take-aways.
1) I liked the emphasis on character education as a continuous, embedded aspect of teaching. Those simple things of making eye contact when someone is speaking, saying good morning/afternoon, please, and thank you aren't always taught or expected. I'd like to focus on that next year.
2) Call & Response formats and catchy sayings (high five-switch, mirrors, etc). We are adopting the Ron Clark model for next year and I'd like to continue to look for ways to incorporate joy into the classroom.
3) More continuous review throughout the lesson.
1) Celebrate Ms. S's wedding (tonight!). Not only am I sure to cry a lot (thank you waterproof {Younique} mascara), but take lots of pictures for her. My friend Mrs. K took lots of the venue and decor for me, which helped tide me over until the professional ones came six weeks later.
2) Paint our cabinets. We ripped out our medicine cabinets in our master and had custom shelving built. I'm staining the new cabinets over break to match the other cabinets that I painted {last year}.
We're going to Home Depot tomorrow to get some new paint brushes to complete the project.
3) Paperwork
Between a doctor's appointment, renewing my teaching license, getting finger printed for my license, and updating my passport with my new married name, I've got a lot of paperwork to do.
4) Family time
I'm helping B's aunt plan her mom's 90th birthday party next month. We're having lunch on Monday to talk about decor and some of the details. Plus she won some free leggings at a Lularoe party I hosted, so I've got to give those to her as well.
5) Prep for third grade
I'm redoing my "No Way Jose" game to fit third grade standards. I know I won't need it until August, but I won't have access to a printer over the summer, so I should start this early. I'll need to cut out laminate, but that's easily done during a summer Netflix binge. I've also started mapping out my supply list of what I'll need for third grade.
6) Finish my mom's album
As part of her Christmas gift, I'm making my mom an album of wedding pictures. Shutterfly doesn't work well with our professional pictures (they're too detailed, so it comes out pixalated), so I'm using another site instead. I've got the backbone done, I just want to add in some silly photo booth images as well.
7) Catch up on grading
To be fair, this may or may not happen. I'll probably grade in spurts, meaning three papers and then do something else. It seems less painful this way.
8) Finish Play Like a Pirate
It's one of the books I picked up at ASCD and I'm loving it. As I shared on Twitter, it's like having a super nerdy conversation with an old friend. I'm feeling inspired and making lots of notes in my book.
9) Nap. Every day if possible. (Day 1 complete).
10) Catch up on blogging. Between classroom adventures and ASCD, I've got a lot of half started blog posts I need to finish.
What are your spring break goals?
While it took about two months, I'm happy to report that I've finished Love and Logic. I've {previously shared} that I read the parent edition last summer, but it didn't quite meet my needs as a teacher. This book is often back ordered, but persistence and patience paid off. Amazon delivered the book a few months ago and I've been slowly making my way through the pages.
Most of the book isn't filled with earth shattering revelations, but rather small tweaks to my classroom management and instruction. As a teacher, I've found that one of my biggest challenges is falling into power struggles with students (particularly strong willed, more difficult ones). I'd often find myself frustrated and wanting to have the last word in arguments. This cycle wasn't leaving me very happy as an educator.
So, I sought out solutions. A colleague recommended this book and not wanting to admit defeat with my teaching career, I took her advice, swallowed my pride and read the book (the parent edition) last summer. This year, I've tried some of the strategies (such as choices and consequences with empathy). It's making a difference.
There are still days when I'm frustrated by my students' choices. One of the most difficult things about teaching (that no one tells you) is that I don't get to leave my job at school. Often times, I'll be up tossing and turning, trying to figure out how to deal with a particular student.
One of my students this year has really gotten under my skin. He's not defiant, he's not argumentative, he doesn't shout out. He just simply doesn't do anything. He is not meeting his reading goals, he's not doing his homework, he's not participating in class, he's not doing much of anything. He simply sits all day. Parent contact doesn't help the situation. He's a smart young man and capable of being successful, he's just choosing not to apply himself or try, which is beyond frustrating as a teacher. Writing him up doesn't work. I don't want him to sit out of recess to read, because then he'll associate reading with punishment (which is not what I want). I've tried asking him how he'll solve his problem, but he simply shrugs apathetically. My usual strategies aren't working.
Luckily, Love and Logic had an idea that I'll be trying in the classroom. One of my favorite aspects of this book is the real world scenarios and different suggested lines for discussion. My students have been a little antsy lately (spring fever hit early), so they're going to have a bonus surprise indoor fun break...if they've met their weekly goals and completed all their work.
However, this student (and several others) probably won't be joining. Instead, I'll phrase it that they're fortunate to have some bonus time to catch up on their goals and are welcome to join us once they've met their requirements. It's not recess that's being taken away, but rather a very real consequence to their actions (or rather, inaction). When the complaining starts (as it will), I'll respond with empathy. I'll state that it's a bummer and ask how they intend to solve their situation. I'll state that they're welcome to join us once they've completed the expectations.
Will they be frustrated? Yes. Will they get to uncomfortably experience the natural consequences of their actions? Yes. Will it be a discussion? Nope. I will let them choose to continue to be off task, but also choose the consequence (not participating in our fun activities). I'm okay with them living with their consequences because I'm no longer owning their behavior choices.
Fingers crossed this strategy will be a game changer for my more apathetic students. I don't resort to yelling, consequences (being written up) aren't working, so instead I'll focus on acknowledging the positive choices that others are making.
In a little less than 48 hours, I'll be off to my first conference of the year. I've had the opportunity to attend several summer teacher conferences, but this weekend will be my first during the school year.
I'll be heading to Anaheim, California, with my principal and three fellow teachers for the ASCD Empower 17 Teaching Conference.
We'll be in workshops for the better part of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Luckily I have a pretty awesome sub for Monday, so I'm not worried about my students. She's the PE teacher often, has subbed my class before, is liked by my students, and most importantly, doesn't put up with their shenanigans (which have been escalating at an alarming rate).
My work wife is picking me up on Friday morning and my husband is taking me (and a co-worker) to the airport so we can catch our 6 pm Friday evening flight. He had the option to attend (he'd have to pay his own airfare), but chose to stay home with the pets. Plus our school's first soccer game is this Saturday at four and since he's assistant coach, it's kind of important that he's there.
We'll be back from the conference at some point on Monday (I'm not 100% sure when) and then it's back to work on Tuesday.
Next week we're also taking our first round of SBAC testing (standardized testing), so there will be a lot of walking on Thursday and Friday. I'd better make sure my Fitbit is ready!
I'm excited for my first real conference (during the school year) as a teacher (it only took eight years). I know not to have more than one drink at dinner with my principal and have some comfy flats for the day. I'll make sure to look professional and take lots of notes. Luckily one of my close work friends is also going and has similar interests, so we'll attend some of the sessions together. I've downloaded the conference app, have a reminder set on my phone to check into my flight, and have at least a mental idea about sub plans for Monday. I've started packing (basically all Lularoe Carlys, no shame) and have to stop off at the store tomorrow for a few small items.
(Okay, I have to get snacks and a magazine. These are crucial items!)
Will I be seeing any fellow DEN members there?
