It's rare to find a place of employment where you truly enjoy going day after day.
I've found that with my school site and for that, I am abundantly blessed.
Between work friends who understand the power of random surprise gifts of Starbucks (because there is no greater gift than caffeine) and a supportive environment, I couldn't ask for a better job.
Our school fully embraces holiday celebrations, extra recess for when the kids need brain breaks, and educating the whole child. Yes, standards are important, but it's also understood that as teachers, we have an emotional and moral responsibility as well. I care about test scores, but I care more about who my students become.
Between our potlucks, spirit days, and very active Sunshine committee, I feel blessed to be around such awesome teachers.
I'd also like to give a shout out to my friends and students' parents who helped make this possible:
We've got some floor cushions and other wiggle options en route!
Bummed you didn't get to donate to this project? You can always check out my most active projects {here} if you're in the giving mood!
Wednesday marked the official back to school date for CCSD.
It was a rough start:
My key got stuck in the door and no amount of pulling, twisting, or turning could set me free. I texted the custodian. I called the office. I put out a help on Facebook. I texted my admin. 20 minutes later, I got in. I gave up and walked all the way around the building, checking several other doors in the process. Nothing says welcome to work like not being able to get inside.
However, I shook it off. It's going to be a good year.
I'm excited for third grade. I'm excited for a mounted projector, twenty five kids (not forty), new curriculum, a new grade level team, and kiddos that (ideally) still love their teacher.
Almost everyone I talk to is positive about this school year and I hope it stays that way.
I've got a lot on my plate and want this to be a good school year. I don't have time for the grumpy comments from negative people.
For me, last year was a wonderful end to my fifth grade streak. I had three dozen amazing kids and super supportive families. They made a lot of growth and really blossomed into young men and women. I am proud of them, I will miss them, and I really tried to keep my mouth shut about how much I adored them because the rest of my grade level had really, really rough years.
However, some of that frustration from last year's kids trickles into this year. I get it and I've been guilty of it too. However, we've all got to channel our inner T Swift and just
I'm working on my first week lesson plans and already heard grumblings about things kids couldn't do. We haven't met them yet. How do we know they can't do something if we don't give them the chance to try? How can we scaffold our instruction (or directions) to give them the opportunity to be successful?
In my mind, this is me shunning the negativity:
However, I'm at work and need to use my adult coping strategies. So instead, I find my inner Leslie Knope and know that a teacher's attitude makes all the difference.
Let's have a great year everyone!
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.
It's a few days into June and I'm challenging myself to find the little things to be joyous for each day. Since I'm already doing a Gratitude journal, this was an easy challenge to accept.
Tuesday, May 31st:
The fifth grade promotion ceremony was held after a full day of teaching. We cleaned the classroom and desks in the morning, had rehearsal at the middle school in the afternoon, and went to set up after students were dismissed. We made a Google Slides presentation (instead of power point, we're stepping up our game!), had balloons, a guest speaker, programs, and awards for the students. Families were amazingly respectful and I got some pictures with students afterwards. It was a nice closure to the school year.
Wednesday, June 1st:
It's hot in Las Vegas. My school is conveniently within walking distance of a recreation/aquatic center, so that's where we spend the last day of school. The fifth graders who met their goals (and didn't cause any major behavior issues) spent two and a half hours in the water at the pool. There are two water slides, a lazy river, and pool chairs all around.
Really, there are worse places to spend the last day of the school year.
Once we returned, our parent chaperones had set up the grill and were making lunch for students. After students were dismissed, we had a small staff party with a taco truck.
Thursday, June 2nd:
This day was devoted to cleaning out my classroom. My room is being painted, so everything had to come off the walls. My room is also being used for summer school, meaning all my personal items (books) had to come home. Luckily I'd already started a bulk of the work and everything fit into one car load. I was home by 1 pm to start summer break.
Break started with a nap, included Waffles getting a new kiddie pool, and a dinner date with B.
Cheers to summer break! Year seven is in the books!
Friday, June 3rd:
My brain missed the "summer break" memo and I woke up with a ridiculous amount of energy. I decided to channel that into beginning to deep clean the house. I got the front entry way, one hallway, and den completely cleaned. I did several loads of laundry. I'm joyous that I had the time to tackle the project.
I had some of my bridesmaids over Friday night for wine and crafting night. We assembled the bridal shower invites, worked on the wedding favors (there are two), and drank several bottles of wine. Our next round of crafting is in a few weeks and as always, Waffles was an amazing helper.
I removed the invitations first, so no damage was done.
Saturday, June 4th:
I'm joyous that we have a home warranty because our air conditioning compressor went out. I'm joyous that I do NOT have to go to Costco until Monday and get to avoid the weekend craziness. I'm joyous that as soon as this post is done, my plans for the day include a pedicure and starting a new book.
I challenge you, dear readers, to find one thing each day this June to be joyful for. Share if you'd like, but try to focus on the positives in life. See what happens when you magnify joy.
Welcome, 2016.
I have some big goals for you. Twelve in fact, so let's get started on this new year.
1) Make healthier life choices.
I'm competing in my school's "biggest loser" competition, so I'm enjoying my last weekend of glorious, fattening foods. Starting Monday, healthier habits will ensue. I'll be giving up soda. We'll be cooking more at home and eating dinner before six pm. There will be less chips and more veggies and fruits. I'll hit my 10,000 steps a day and Waffles will get more walks. When we're watching television, we'll do stretches and lift on commercials. Smaller, healthier changes are in store for both of us. Both financial gain (biggest loser) and appearance (hello wedding dress in November) are huge motivators.
2) Be more adventurous...in the kitchen.
Anyone who knows me knows I hate cooking. I hate it. I always come up with a variety of excuses (it's hard to cook for one, I hate left overs, it's time consuming, etc). So, we're taking baby steps to counter act this. B and I will be trying one new recipe each week. We're starting with some crock pot meals and branching out from there. We're planning ahead and making grocery lists, together.
3) Be more organized.
I wrote about my first steps towards organization {earlier} and am looking forward to making small, purposeful changes.
4) Work smarter
Just small tweaks at work will make a huge difference. First, I'm going to print out rosters for each subject. Second, I'm stapling answer keys to the back of the rosters. Third, I'm setting a timer. I work best in the morning, so that's when I'll complete my tasks. Instead of grading at night, I'll grade in the morning. I wake up early enough to be able to set aside an hour before work each day (if needed) and still have time to get ready. I need to shut my door and be more focused when I'm at work. I'll never get everything done...and that's okay.
5) Stop Comparing Myself to Others
This one is self explanatory, but crucial. I'm not like my coworkers and I'm only in competition with myself.
6) Read more
I've got five more books for Battle of the Books by April, but I also want to make sure I'm taking time for myself to read each day. I've got a stack of books that I'm dying to dive into!
7) Take more "me" and "we" time...without feeling guilty
There's a running club at school I'd like to visit after school on Wednesdays. Some of my students are in it, so I think it'd be a nice way to build up a relationship with them. I also want to limit technology time and do more fun stuff as a couple, not just simultaneously work on things in the same room and call it together time. I'm also giving myself permission to leave work on time and do fun things on the weekend. For me, this means craft time, nap time, and reading. For B, his "me" time is soft ball (which I'll try to go to more games) and video games. We also want to go hiking and do more couple activities with friends.
8) Focus on the right people
I set ridiculously high expectations for myself. I often invest too much energy and emotion into friendships, which when not reciprocated, leaves me devastated. So this year, to the best of my ability, I will not focus on those that don't want to be my friend and instead cultivate the relationships that matter.
9) Work Less, Live More
As a teacher, I far exceed forty hours a week. With three side businesses ({Teacherspayteachers}, {Jamberry}, and {Younique}), I often feel pulled in several directions at once. I'm going to set small, purposeful goals and then spend the rest of my time doing things I want to do. Sure, I'd like to hit promotions within my small businesses, but I'm also not willing to be that annoying, crazy sales lady. I hope my friends know that I'm all about girl time, mimosas, and bonding. Essentially, my business motto is this: If you want pretty nail wraps or make up, let me know! If you're just here for the brownies, that's cool too.
10) Fiscal Responsibility
News flash: weddings are expensive. I'm blessed to have help from my mom, B's family, and loved ones. While we're both seizing opportunities for overtime, I think we need to curtail our spending. Part of this will come from planning ahead for meals, so we aren't tempted to pick up take out on the way home. Part of this means focusing on big expenses (security door, new couch, new bedroom set, new flooring, vacations, and so forth) rather than short term items. We're couponing (thank you Cartwheel app!) and B's been doing a better job of comparing the prices of items, rather than just grabbing something off the shelf. In 2015, we paid off our new dishwasher, our security door, a new water heater, his wedding band, and his truck. We'll have our credit cards paid off in February and my car will be paid off before the wedding. I'm already funding my 403b at work on a monthly basis, but I'd like to be more serious about funding my Roth IRA and saving for the future. Luckily, most of our friends are feeling a bit poor after the holidays (you know, like the rest of the country) so we're all in this fiscal responsibility thing together!
11) Find more joy
Teaching, at times, is the most disappointing of careers. There's a lot of politics involved and I'm not paid enough, plain and simple. But instead, I'm going to focus on cultivating joy and authentic learning experiences in the classroom.
This extends outside of work. I'm excited about my wedding. But there's lots between now and November to be thrilled about as well. Waffles will turn one in March and have a Barkday celebration. The cats will turn five in April (how did that happen?), B and my bestie both turn 30 (uh oh!). I've got two other weddings (that I know of...), engagement shower(s)?, and engagement pictures. We bought our close friends an escape room ticket, so a group of 8 of us will be doing that soon.
I want to make my weekends mean something, and that means adding more joy (and less work) into my life.
12) Use the internet with intention
We've all been there. I sit down to check facebook real quick, but then I'm reading things I don't need to. I'm checking up on what other people are doing instead of living my own life. Then pinterest calls, and soon enough, an hour has gone by with nothing to show. The internet is crucial, but I want to set time limits and use it with intention. A large part of this means to stop multi-tasking. Yes, it seems counter productive, but I need to focus. If I'm working on a region ppt, I should have open ppt and only internet tabs related to what I'm working on. It seems simple enough and ties right in with working smarter.
What are your goals for this new year?
One of my favorite parts about the post-DEN event bliss is the rejuvenated, optimistic, joyful attitude I have toward teaching.
Today we're trying something new. We're doing our first SKYPE call of the year to Ms. G in Ohio. Mrs. H and I tested it yesterday and after forty minutes, four adults, four devices, and a bit of a headache, we got it to work.
(Our desktop doesn't have a web cam. There's not a webcam we could use. So we could see and hear her, but would type back our responses. We then tried the iPad, but didn't have the iTunes store password, so had to bring in a fourth person for that top secret information. I'm a proud Android user, but Mrs. H has an iPhone, so Facetime was our plan B for the day. Luckily we got Skype to work on the iPad and will be using the projector to display the image on the smartboard. Oh technology!)
There's a LOT to be frustrated by with education right now. But I've vented enough, so it's time to spread some joy.
I'm really excited about trying something new. I'm excited my kids will have the chance to use technology in a powerful way to connect with people in another part of the country.
What's something new you're trying with your students?
We recently had a teacher leave our school, which ruffled a few feathers. He hadn't been there for very long and there was some miscommunication, but I did my best to stay out of the drama. It's been a bit of a logistical nightmare trying to find subs to cover a short term vacancy that coincided with the holidays. I did my best with the students that I had and was fortunate enough to meet some awesome new substitutes.
However, upon his departure, the leaving teacher sent me a very thoughtful and kind email. He expressed his appreciation for opening my classroom door, for showing him new strategies, and for letting him learn from my teaching style.
The warm and fuzzy feelings continued when he shared that I would have been that "game changer" teacher for him as a child or his children now because of the passion I bring to the classroom. He commented that it was inspiring to see how truly excited my students were about their learning.
That's why I teach. I'm humbled that someone who was in my classroom co-teaching for such a short amount of time was able to notice the effort I put in and the difference it makes for my students.
Thank you, fellow teacher, for your compliments on my craft. I love what I do. I'm glad it shows, even on the most difficult of days.
Quite frankly, the school district is a bit of a hot mess right now. The most frustrating part is I don't know who to direct my anger towards. Is it the superintendent and his cabinet for mismanaging funds? Is it the board of trustees? (One is an incompetent ignoramus who had the audacity to enter our school and tell fifth graders that the goal in life was to be rich and have lots of friends. Petitions are circling to get this person recalled.) Or should I be mad at teachers health trust? The union?
I know the one group I'm not upset about is my fellow teachers. While I can't speak for all educators, but the ones I'm blessed to work with are some of the most passionate and dedicated educators. They are there early, stay late, and reach into their own hearts (and wallets) to provide what their students need the most.
In one of the teacher support groups I'm in, I found this rather frustrating post.
I do not know the author in person and for that, I am grateful. She's been rather hostile and aggressive towards other teachers, which serves no purpose other than fanning the flames of anger.
Her post:
"I ran into a nice kid yesterday who told me he hoped to get his degree and then apply to be a TFA. TFA is a scam. Please warn your friends and neighbors about this trap. It would be much easier for aspiring teachers and better for kids if the leader in the at-risk classroom was prepared. Please forward to anyone who is considering this move and warn them."
Below it, she attached a rather biased and negative opinion piece.
Normally, I move on from these sorts of things. I try to take the high ground. I try not to engage with the irrational.
However, I've had enough. Biting my tongue only works for so long.
Here was my response:
"Don't paint all TFA teachers, or ARL teachers, with the same brush. As a TFA alum who's on year seven in the classroom, I take offense to my non-traditional career path being called a trap and a scam. Teaching isn't easy, period. Name calling and pitting teachers against one another doesn't make the situation better. Why not band together and inspire one another? Not all students have the same background, so why not embrace that teachers have diverse backgrounds too?"
So far, I've only received positive replies and other teachers mentioning the great work that the TFA teachers have done in their buildings. Turns out, spreading positive vibes and emphasizing diversity as a positive attribute is more well received by the public then rage-filled vents that seek only to hurt others' feelings.
Yes, teaching is quite frustrating at times. Low pay and a lack of respect don't help. But when teachers start bashing other teachers, how does that make the situation any better?
Instead, I choose to spread good vibes. I hope this rather angry teacher finds something positive to share with others. Being irate all the time isn't the way to live.
It's almost the start of another school year and I'm excited. I'm ridiculously, optimistically, enthusiastically excited about this school year.
Yes, the school district's budget is awful and I'm still upset about taking a pay cut, but there's not really anything I can do about it so there's no point to dwell on it. As teachers, we've made our disapproval pretty clear! So it's time to move forward.
I have an amazing school that prioritizes people first. We take our jobs seriously, but have lots of fun while working hard! This culture of support and fun spills over into our classrooms and I think that's important. I enjoy going to work. I want to be there. I enjoy the people I work with.
It's an awesome feeling.
So now let's zoom in on what top ten things are contributing to my excitement:
1) Long Range Plans
We have long range plans done before the school year has started. I feel like I have direction and a sense of purpose. Last year, we didn't have plans and as a natural result, some activities ran too long and we hit major crunch time in March. Our long range plans, which we know are flexible, have all our standards addressed by the beginning of April. That leaves eight weeks of flexibility for testing, reteaching, and shifting things around due to school events (field trips, assemblies, etc).
2) My Planner
Continuing with the excitement of long range plans, I have already sketched out the year in my teacher planner and created my online planning calendar.
I have my first week's plans done and many of the copies already made. Mrs. H and I are going to go over the plans on the way to day two of our math training on Monday, then head to school after to do some more planning.
3) Balance.
With a new puppy at home, I'm not staying late each day. I will go in early because that's when I work best, but I am leaving each day as soon as the parking lot is clear. I've voiced it to others to keep me accountable, but I am going to leave on time to spend time with B and our fur babies.
I've picked one night a week to work on things from home (whatever night B has class), but that's it. I'll be more proactive in planning and keep my door closed more in the morning so I can get my work done. I'll just ask my coworkers to respect closed door means work time while open door means I'm willing to chat.
I've got an upcoming trip to Arizona planned in October for my mom's birthday (and buying a new computer because this laptop is eight. EIGHT. This laptop is a third grader.)
I've got fun girls nights planned. We've got date nights to look forward to. Friends have new babies that I get to snuggle, then hand back when the crying starts. I've got a full calendar and there are fun social events planned!
4) Sunshine committee.
At the end of last year, I started talking to Mrs. S more at work. She was always friendly, but she intimidated me. Not only is she like a walking Amazon (six feet of gorgeousness) but also appears to have every aspect of her life together. She crafts, has three young kids that are all involved in sports. Not only does she show up to their games, but she makes their jerseys and does their make up (for dance, not for her son's football team). Plus teaches, is quite good at it, and runs Sunshine committee. It's a little intimidating!
However, she's also possibly one of the nicest people at my school. I asked how I could help with Sunshine events next year without stepping on her toes. She welcomed my ideas with open arms and we started talking. Turns out, she lives maybe ten minutes from me. She loves crafting, organizing, wine, and girl time as much as I do!
We've hung out over the summer under the attempt to plan Sunshine events (didn't happen) and she's become more than a colleague, she's a friend.
So next year, I get to have craft and wine parties with a friend. It will be for school events, so it's legitimate procrastination.
5) DENSI 2015
I'm still in my glorious post DENSI bubble of happiness. I signed up as an ambassador for my district, so I'll be hosting some PD in the coming months. I'm still going through my notes and blogging about the amazing sessions I attended. There are so many things I want to try, but I'm not going to overwhelm myself. Two of the things I'm most excited about are notebook sketching and mystery skype.
6) Notebook Sketching
Also known as {embracing the doodling}, I'm excited to add more creativity into note taking with my students. I know it will take some modeling but I'm eager to embrace something new.
Learn more about it {here}.
7) Mystery Skype
Our adventures with the map have been well documented.
The map is blank and ready for the next round of students. However, this year we are stepping it up. Last year we made powerpoint slides for each state, but didn't give students enough practice time identifying states and capitals on the map. (That was quite obvious with the end of the year assessment.)
This year, we're adding mystery skype. Thanks in a large part to my tribe, the DEN, I am connected to educators in every other state. We're going to call other classrooms and have students try to guess where each other are from, using geography clues.
For example:
1) Does your state border an ocean?
2) Are you closer to Mexico or Canada?
3) Are you east or west of the Mississippi River?
It will require some flexibility (time zones) but I think it will be a great learning opportunity for my students.
8) Engage NY
Last year, math was frustrating to plan. We were pulling mostly from Engage NY's lessons, but didn't follow their pacing guide. As a result, many of the lessons had to be tweaked. After switching up planning roles, Engage NY was abandoned because it was too time consuming. I didn't agree with the change, but I must remind myself of this:
This year, it was decided by my admin that all grade levels would be using this. There are no excuses. We've also split up the copying load so everyone has a role for each unit. I think that it's important for all of us to be involved with the planning of all subjects.
9) Novels
I've picked the novels I want to do with students and am fairly positive I already have enough copies! We'll start the year with The Lightning Thief, move into Esperanza Rising, and finish the year with Number the Stars. It's a tad ambitious to do three novels, but I think we can do it. All of the fifth grade reading literature standards can be taught with these novels and I think it's important to have students involved in longer, more complex texts.
10) Support
I'm not alone. I have a supportive grade level. I have a great school. I have teacher friends in other districts. I have a (future) family member who is now licensed to sub, so I don't foresee having to worry about finding someone to watch my kids if I'm out of the classroom for the day. I have my DEN tribe and know that I can reach out, virtually, for support and be overwhelmingly comforted by the advice of others.
I have a wonderfully supportive fiancee. He's even willing to help me sharpen hundreds of pencils next week (because that's love). People have shown their true colors recently and while that was a painful moment, I'd choose to focus on the overwhelming support and loving messages I've received from others.
I'm in the midst of planning my wedding (no major developments) and enjoying this engagement period. I've received lots of advice, some welcomed and some not, but it's nice to see people (for the most part) supportive of my choice to spend forever with that goober B of mine. However, I want to remind them all that I was on student council, I was an RA, I'm a teacher, and I'm a ridiculously type A person. I like logistics. I've got this wedding planning handled!
Monday brings day two of a math training and classroom prep. Tuesday brings finalizing my room. Wednesday marks the official start of training and next Monday will be my first day with students. Right now, my roster is sitting at 31 and that's where I hope it stays!
There will be moments of darkness and periods of doubt. I'm glad I've got support to turn to. This year will be the best yet. Thanks for being a part of it.
I've had a rough few days.
Between unpredicted backlash after what was supposed to be a joyous day and finding a live scorpion in the house, ready to sting one of my fur babies, I've been on edge. I was furious that I needed to call the pest control company for the third time in six weeks to come back out and spray, but my six month issue with them is another story. Our cable company was consistently changing their rates and story, which only lead to further frustration. Essentially, I've been feeling a lot like this:
But I'm holding in my inner she hulk.
I was humiliated by a family member on social media completely out of the blue. The situation was blown way out of proportion, I truly did nothing wrong, and I was publicly shamed without just cause. My perception of this person has changed and I am having a very hard time moving forward. I've spent a lot of time crying about this mind boggling situation.
Instead of commenting and sparking a fight on Facebook for all the world to see, I simply untagged myself and set a text message, inquiring as to what the concern was and asking why this wasn't addressed privately. I am dissatisfied with the response and lack of resolution, but I am working on forgiving this person.
I did not retaliate, though it was suggested I would. I'm not that kind of person.
Instead of focusing all my energy on what's going wrong, I'm focusing on what's going right.
I had tremendous support from friends who saw the hurtful words and reached out to make sure I was alright. They sent loving and gentle reminders of the type of person I try to be: kind, giving, thoughtful. They offered words of support and prayer, both of which were appreciated.
So for try it Tuesday, I challenge you to look around and see what's going right. Look for the positives.
It's so easy to focus on the hurt and negativity that surrounds us. It's a struggle to find the good things some days. When you've been scorned, it seems impossible.
But you can do it. I can do it. Let's spread positivitiy.
Yesterday, I had a two hour lunch date with two wonderful women at work. We talked about their family vacations, their babies (both boys are a few months old), and my upcoming wedding. There was nothing but love, Starbucks, friendship, and cake pops.
(I haven't succombed to the whole coffee drinking thing, but I'm in love with their peach green tea lemonade!)
I also went to Joann's in search of classroom things, but instead found some very cute craft items for my wedding in the magical clearance land. Plus I had a 20% off my whole purchase coupon, which just made it better.
I went grocery shopping and stocked the fridge with healthy salads. Eating right is connected with feeling right, so I'm pleased to try to make these healthy life style modifications.
I had a twenty minute chat with my bestie before she heads off on vacation for a week. She's going to snag some Mayan post cards for my munchkins because she's amazingly thoughtful like that.
This morning, while i relaxed in our hammock, I got to watch Waffles run around and play in her pool. She is so excited about everything and I'm enjoying this puppy stage. She'll go from frantically chasing a bird to snoring next to me on the couch in a matter of minutes. I'm so glad we rescued her. Even when I'm furious at what she ate (air conditioning insulation, a tissue box, and a pumice stone...all in the same day), I have to remember that she's teething and 4 1/2 months old. Then she looks at me with her puppy eyes and her ridiculous ears, and all is forgiven.
Seriously, how does this face not make you happy?
I get to return to my classroom tomorrow. I'm so excited for year seven and to implement some new strategies I learned from my DEN tribe. I get to decorate my classroom and create a happy learning environment for my students.
I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on TpT lately and it's nice to feel appreciated. I make all my products for my own bunch of students, but I share my resources with others. It's nice to know their students are using (and loving) them too!
I feel valued and appreciated by my fellow colleagues.
Seriously, I hit the teaching jackpot with my school. My first school had some amazing people, but also some stinkers. At my new school, it seems everyone supports everyone. We are there to learn from each other, to inspire our students, and to have fun.
Yes, we take our jobs seriously, but we also have lots of fun while doing it. I think that fun component is super important. What other job has administrators supporting a prank war to deal with end of year stress?! (More on that later.)
What's going great in your day? What positive moments are you going to focus on?
From the start, DENSI 2015 is purposefully filled with intentional activities, sessions, and conversations meant to hone our craft as educators.
One of the opening sessions focused on passion projects, which is similar to Ted Talks, but this time focuses on DEN Speaks.
One of the opening questions was simply this:
Why do you teach?
The room immediately exploded into conversations, some with tears, about making a difference in students' lives. Teachers from all over the country (as well as Canada and the UK) shared stories about that one student who was particularly difficult, but they were able connect with and positively impact.
For once, I didn't join the conversation. I simply sat back and soaked in the inspiration, the joy, the passion of teaching. I took the time to listen to others and not just wait for my turn to speak. Sitting at the table with teachers who have been changing lives for longer than I've been alive was a very humbling experience.
That is what it should feel like when I'm surrounded by other teachers. I don't want to be in a cloud of negativity, I want to be inspired by the passion in others.
So let's continue that conversation: Why do you teach?
After much reflection (and reading others' blogs), here are some of my take-aways from DENSI 2015:
1) People matter.
One of my favorite things about the DEN is that it's truly more than a digitally connected group of educators. It's a family. It's a tribe.
I know that if I'm stuck on a concept or just need a little inspiration (DENspiration) after a tough day, they will be there. One of our tribe members, Lindsay Foster, has a daily twitter image or message to inspire creativity and spread the love. She challenged herself to spread positive vibes and I whole heartily embrace this. In education, it's ridiculously easy to fall into a negative attitude because there's so much that is out of our control. So I'd rather surround myself with happy vibes and that love for teaching was overwhelmingly evident at DENSI.
I can reach out on Edmodo, twitter, facebook, or texting when I need advice from my tribe. This doesn't mean my work family isn't amazing (because they are) but sometimes it's nice to get other perspectives. My tribe offers that. From the first moment I walked on campus, I started to recognize people from DENSI 2013 or from the facebook group. Everyone is welcoming, everyone is positive, everyone genuinely operates with the mindset that everyone should be successful.
I met people that recognized me from my TpT store picture and had previously purchased products, which was a surreal experience. We ended up discovering this over the less-than-appetizing cafeteria breakfasts. The friend requests are still coming in and my PLN (professional learning network) is ever-expanding. It's nice to know I've got people in my corner.
2) Work-Life Balance.
If there's one thing to know about DENSI events, it's the importance of #napchat. Nap chats fit perfectly with my love of naps. Sleep is valued. Taking care of yourself is encouraged.
DENSI focused on putting fun and joy back into the classroom. Our jobs matter. But home life and social life matters too. There was time for learning at DENSI, but there was also lots of time for connecting to others. I don't think Kate and I got to bed before midnight any day of the week because we were up chatting with others...oops! Again, people matter.
Last night, while B had softball, I went over to a friend's for dinner. Several of my pals inquired as to where he was, which was appreciated. He was not only missed by me, but my friends as well. I ended up staying for many hours after because I was having such rich, meaningful conversations with others. The evening did include Cards against Humanity, at which point those meaningful conversations fizzled into ridiculously inappropriate ones.
This year, one of my personal goals is to be better at the work-life balance. I've already shared with two of my lovely grade level ladies that I need to leave by 4. Most of this is to get home to let Waffles out, but I want to make sure I have my evenings for me. I'll set aside one night to work late from home (whichever night B has class) but I want my nights free for our family time.
3) Leadership matters.
I'm fortunate enough to work for two amazing administrators who aren't afraid to get a little bit silly when leading by example.
Beyond my admin, the leadership of the DEN is awesome. The DEN (Discovery Educator Network) isn't as strong in my district as I'd like, so I'm excited to be in conversations about strengthening it to build community. When educators in my district hear "Discovery Education", they tend to think of the benchmark assessments and the frustration that usually accompanies standardized testing. I'm hoping to help change that conversation.
4) Have fun and be yourself.
I'm a creative person. I like having my classroom be a slightly loud, slightly messy, melting pot of learning. I take risks and sometimes lessons flop. That's okay. I learn from them and move on. I have fun in my classroom and that's okay.
My classroom is a reflection of me. My classroom is a reflection of my students. My classroom is a reflection of our learning journey.
When you're excited about what you're doing, that enthusiasm rubs off on your students. That's a good thing.
5) Share.
Often times, we get so wrapped up within the walls of our own classroom that we forget to connect with others. We forget to share the great things that are happening. We don't recognize the greatness in ourselves and feel inadequate when compared to others.
This has to stop. There are exciting things happening in classrooms and they need to be shared and celebrated.
We need to share with each other and learn from each other. Part of my hesitation with sharing is that I don't want to feel like I'm doing someone else's work for them. Truth be told, I've worked with some lazy educators over the years. My definition of lazy has shifted because I acknowledge the importance of a work-life balance. I didn't always appreciate that in my early years and would be unfairly critical to others who left on time to see their families. I didn't think they put enough effort into their classrooms, but looking back, that wasn't my place to judge.
Luckily, my tribe is filled with hard working educators who want to share their ideas with others.
6) Take the time to laugh.
Not everything at DENSI went perfectly. It rained when we saw the monuments. I went eight straight days without soda. I survived on grilled cheese and omelets. There was ridiculous jack hammering during our trainings (not to worry, it was dealt with). Worst of all? The sheets. I had two flat sheets that did not fit the dorm bed. I ended up in a cocoon-like ball each night and just slept on the slippery, rubber mattress.
Could I control any of this? No.
So I chose laughter and rolled with it.
7) Don't stop learning.
I haven't dived into my pages of notes yet, but I'm so excited to try new things in my classroom. I obviously need to buy a green table cloth to try greenscreening and videos in my classroom. I'm excited to incorporate mystery Skype into our geography lessons. Doodling with note taking will be a new adventure this year.
If I expect my students to be life-long learners, I should model that myself.
Thank you, DENSI and my tribe, for helping me feel excited about this upcoming year.
