Where did I go?

In the past two years, I have been commuting to Aurora to serve a diverse population of students. This experience has pushed me beyond what I knew I could do. I have learned the stories of children who are thankful for school lunches, grandparents who try their best to raise their grandchildren, aunts and uncles who have taken in nieces and nephews.  I have met refugee families who are thankful for a safe place to live. I am amazed daily of the resilience and determination to learn even when students are new English speakers.  Each day has become a new lesson in life.

As educators, we are on one of life's most important journeys as we shape the lives and minds of futures generations.

As I reflect, I left the classroom to embark on a new journey, to give back to education. My opportunity began at Laredo Elementary. In the parking lot of the first day, I panicked. Talk about a community I barely understood. What was I doing there?  I was out of my comfort zone. What can I offer these families?

Well, inside Laredo, I joined a group of down to earth people, who truly make a difference. They genuinely care. As all educators, they go above and beyond to give kids opportunities and support each other. I found hard working parents and grandparents doing their best.

Most of all, I found kids who just want to be kids. Who want to play, laugh and have fun. All kids are curious. They want to learn, they want to do well.

When I reflect on my experience at Laredo, I watched, I listened. And in every conversation, I thought about how much I was learning through every member of the school community. My commute has become my reflection time. I brainstorm ideas for making stronger connections with our students and families, for differentiating the school experience to meet the needs of each diverse learner, for giving them the opportunities they deserve, and for preparing them for tomorrow. I approach each day with these thoughts in mind.

My view of education continually evolves. How when I think of education, what are we doing?

We are shaping tomorrow’s world. We are developing open-minded adults who think critically, problem solve, and communicate. Why are we doing this? Because you and I, we are dependent upon them. And it takes everyone, every staff member, every parent, grandparent, guardian, aunt and uncle, and every community member. Shaping tomorrow’s world is a tough responsibility.

I look forward to working with educators around the world to make a huge difference in the lives of all students. 

A Better Me Equals a Better Educator

About a year ago, I decided it was time to take care of myself and start working on my bucket list. (Therefore, a very long break in blogging.)  Little did I know at the time, I evolved into a better person and educator.

After years of spending excessive numbers of hours preparing lessons, grading papers, taking classes, pursuing additional licenses, facilitating professional development, the toll was visible through high levels of stress and excessive weight gain. I was exhausted.

Reflecting on the past year, several key changes/events made the greatest impact.

First, I began working out and eating healthy. Trading excessive amounts of chocolate and wine for fresh foods, lifting weights, and running provided me with new energy. An energy which is visible in everything I do.

Second, I sought out to conquer a fear which had held me back. I always dreamt of traveling the world, but always hesitated. Traveling to Paris, Munich, and hiking in the Alps of Austria and Italy, provided me the experience needed to overcome this fear. I even developed a deeper appreciation for understanding culture. Taking an impromptu train trip by myself to visit my son’s host family was the day I put my fear to rest. Previously, I never would have done this. Now, I ensure a better balance between the emotional health of my students and colleagues with the academic learning. After this life changing experience, I am excited for the next adventure.

Finally, I looked carefully at the causes of my unhealthy stress. While I can’t eliminate every element, I have been able to significantly reduce it. I feel better and have a new balance in my life. In return, I have gained more time. A few changes I made as an educator include:

• Quit grading everything – Now students check much of their work providing them instant feedback. (At Edcamp this weekend, another educator suggested grading essays for one or two rubric indicators instead of everything. I look forward to trying this tip.)
• Cooperative work groups – Letting students work with partners and small groups on the majority of assignments. They complete the last few questions independently which I use for assessing their conceptual understanding and growth.
• Using technology for assessment – This has simplified my grading and updating my grade book.
• Letting go – For things I have no control over or cannot impact, I refocus.  My time and energy is spent supporting my colleagues which is much more fun.

I learned, to feel better, I needed to make changes which would have a long-term impact. If your stress levels are up or your motivation is dropping, what can you change which possesses a long-term impact? 

Welcome to School

Well, I had pre-written this blog a few weeks ago and was about ready to publish it when a video came across my Facebook stream. I thought the video explained my thoughts much better.

Take a moment to notice how you greet your students, parents, and community into your school and classroom. What message does it send? We know people are very observant and learn from watching and doing.  What are we teaching our students as we greet them for the day and for class? What tone are we setting for the class period and school day?

Imagine for a moment, you are a student entering your classroom.  Where is the teacher? What is she/he doing?  What message does it send? What is the teacher learning about you and the kind of day you are having? How are you feeling about coming to class?

Think about the following scenarios. What message is being sent? Would you want to attend this class?

Leaning against the wall –
The teacher is leaning against the wall in the hall.She says hi but doesn’t engage in any type of conversation.

Writing on the board –
The teacher is writing notes and information on the
board. She says hi, but doesn’t look at you.

Behind computer –
The teacher is sitting behind the computer as you enter the classroom.She does not glance up to acknowledge your presence.

Hand shake –
The teacher greets you at the door with a
business handshake.  She asks how you are doing.

My preferred style has changed over the past several years. Now, I greet each student with a handshake, welcome them by name, and inquire as to how they are doing.  Through this, I learn so much about my students from their exciting adventures to their bitter woes.  During this exchange, I have redirected behavior, given subtle reminders, and felt their excitement. I believe my classroom environment is more respectful and values relationships, individuals, and focuses on learning.  An additional bonus is that I am teaching the students a proper greeting and giving them a opportunity to practice in a safe environment.

It may not be much, but "What if…"

• You are the only person who said “hi” today to a lonely student?
• You could redirect a student not ready to learn before he even entered your room?
• You discovered a student was having a tough day and you needed to modify your approach?
• You discovered a student’s behavior would be off because they were excited?
• Your students discovered your routine was off and you were not there to greet them properly and so they greeted each other?

Not a believer yet, pay attention to how you are greeted when you going into different businesses.  What do you notice about your behaviors and feelings?

What is a paragraph?

A paragraph is 4-8 sentences that state facts on a main subject. [A small group of students responded]

Initial response to the question

What’s wrong with this response?  Many teachers work long and hard with students to develop well-written paragraphs which include a topic sentence and supporting details and examples.  They want the students to recognize the importance of clearly communicating and supporting ideas.

However,…Here’s a snapshot of a discussion from one of my 7^th grade classes.

A small group of students numbered the paragraphs in a narrative piece of writing so they could reference the text during their discussions and written responses.  After working independently, they began to discuss how they would chunk their reading so they could stop and discuss in order to comprehend the piece. They soon discovered; they each had a different number of paragraphs for the same piece of writing.

Their discussion turned into pondering the definition of a paragraph. Does it begin when the text indents or is a paragraph 5-9 sentences?  They were struggling with a portion of the text which used dialogue and the paragraphs were 1-2 sentences long.  Their justifications were solely based on “but the teacher said.”

New definition after a group discussion
 and a bit of research.

            Pointing to a single sentence containing dialogue, “This is a paragraph,” stated one girl.

            “No, that’s not a paragraph,” responded a classmate.

            “Why?” asked the girl.

            “Because teachers always say a paragraph is 5-9 sentences long”, replied the classmate.

At no point, did they discuss the concept that a paragraph deals with a particular idea.

After resorting to an online dictionary and considering various ideas, they discovered a new definition.

            What is a paragraph?

                        A portion of writing that tells a particular idea that begins with an indentation. [Their new response.]

A couple of them are still struggling with the concept of a paragraph, but we’ll get there.

Why do I share this? Concepts are a critical component of learning.  These students (and many more) do not understand the concept of a paragraph. If they did, just imagine how their writing would improve. This idea does not stop at paragraphs. Listen to your students; do they understand the concept of a sentence, of base 10, of the water cycle? When they understand the concept, they can apply it to new learning situations and discover more.

Did you notice, my writing communicates an idea using a variety of paragraph lengths?