Mid-Year Reflections

I've not blogged as much as I had hoped because I have been so busy! The normal work things have kept me occupied,  but I have also been busy busting my tail in the classroom.  I often use the work smarter, not harder mantra, so has all this work paid off?

My students have definitely been digging deeper, which means we have been going slower. Overall, the grades have been better and the discussions more meaningful. This is definitely a positive,  but I'm not sure how we will get everything in before the end of the year!

I am especially proud of the Genius Hour projects! The students blew me away with their projects. One student began an organization to get pets to the elderly with no expense for the new owner! Another student started a project which gets athletes to read to elementary students. Other students composed songs,  choreographed dances, and much more! One student even wrote and published a book! You can read more about their projects here: http://south.zioneagles.org/genius-hour.

As for technology,  we have also been successful.  Students have blogged and reflected. I hope to increase this in yhe upcoming semester.  They have composed almost all their papers online, and they have engaged in peer editing many times. One of their favorite things was a mystery Skype with a school across the country. We've not used Twitter as much as I had hoped due to parental concerns. That's probably the biggest goal I've not met.

This has been a fun and engaging semester,  and I cannot believe how quickly it has flown by! I am looking forward to the next one!

This is one of my 7th Grade classes during our Dickens Christmas celebration! I'm on the far right.

One Quarter Gone Already????

I cannot believe that the first quarter of the school year has already passed! It has flown by, and we have been super busy. Here are some highlights:

1. I went to DC with the 8th graders. I don't have them in class, but my son is in that grade. It was more amazing than I could have imagined!
2. My students are doing Passion Projects. We can't do the 20% time, but we are doing at least 10%. I am so excited to see what their end results will be. 
3. My 7th graders read The Outsiders, and we went to see the play. Very fun!
4. The 9th graders just finished To Kill a Mockingbird. It is one of my favorite novels of all time. I love seeing the students get into it. We end up reading a large portion of it in class. The students want me to read because I really get into the voices!

As for my new Part-Time Administrator duties, I have been working hard to help the teachers learn how to use the IPads in their classes most effectively. Also, we have the students signed up for many academic competitions throughout the year, and we are even bringing back the middle school science fair!

It has been a very successful first quarter, and I can't wait for the next to begin!

Where is your focus?

Students make a stand to make every day extraordinary after watching a clip from Dead Poets Society.  They are reciting their first quarter memory work - O Captain,  My Captain! 

I have had one week with students, and my excitement level is through the roof! These kids are already impressing me. I am expecting great things from them.

The year didn't start that way, though. In-service was a roller coaster of emotions. I was excited to begin, but some major things deflated my mood. I won't go into detail,  but I was in tears for about four days. I couldn't believe how fast things changed.

The students arriving really changed my disposition. I put my focus back on them, where it should have stayed,  and left the pity party behind.

The week with them has been awesome; I absolutely love my job. I cannot believe I get paid for having so much fun!!!

If you get down just remember how lucky you are and keep the focus where it matters - on the kids!

A New Year = A New Start

As teachers we are lucky. Very few professions get the chance for a completely fresh start each year. The administration has had two (ish) months to forget all about the second day of school when you left a 6th grader locked in the bathroom because you forgot about them and went to an assembly. They don't remember the time a student jumped off the balcony while under your care. They have certainly forgotten the time you left a class unattended for an entire period because you were confused about the schedule change. (All true stories, but they aren't all me.)
Now that the slate is wiped clean, what will you do to capitalize on it? This is the time to step up your game! Personally,  I plan to just bring it all day, every day. No excuses. I'm sure I will stumble from time to time and probably even forget about a class again!
This summer I bought a poster for my room that says, "You don't fail when you lose. You fail when you quit." I'm taking that as my mantra this year. I won't fail because I won't quit. What will you do with your fresh start?

Reflecting on the upcoming year

I only have a few days until I return to school.  That means an end to the Summer Learning Challenges. I have enjoyed the challenges designed by Todd Nesloney. In fact, I re-worded the challenges and sent them to my coworkers.  This included making my own Google forms and procuring donations for prizes. I hope everyone has learned as much and gotten as excited as I have!

As I prepare for the upcoming school year, I have many new and exciting ideas. Before I begin implementing them, however, I want to take a moment to reflect. The two questions I want to answer are:
1. What are my strengths, and how will I use those strengths to help my students and coworkers?
2. What are my weaknesses and what will I do to overcome these weaknesses?

First, I believe I am strong in my willingness to experiment with new ideas, particularly technology.  This will help me engage students and make their learning more meaningful. I also hope to share with my fellow teachers,  so they can become more comfortable using technology.

Next, my biggest weakness is insecurity.  I am terrified that I am doing a disservice to the children I am entrusted with. This insecurity also makes it difficult to share my ideas with coworkers. To overcome this I will keep working hard to make my lessons the best they can be, and I will continue to step out of my comfort zone to share with others.

I honestly believe this will be the best year I have had teaching! What will you do to make this your best year yet?

A open letter to my coworkers

Dear Coworkers,

I am an introvert. You may have thought that I am unfriendly,  but I am really quiet and self-conscious. That's why it has taken every ounce of courage to send you the summer challenges and get donations for the prizes. It may not seem that way, but I am sure my blood pressure has risen each week when I send the emails.

Why would I do it, you may wonder. Because I love you, I love our students, and I love our school. Education is rapidly changing, and I want us to be on the cutting edge. Technology has always been an interest of mine, and the merging of it and education has me lighting up like a firecracker! I cannot afford to ignore it. No matter what subject you teach, you cannot ignore it.

This is about more than just teaching kids to use technology. It is about teaching kids to think laterally across all disciplines. No longer are we preparing students for a factory job in which they do the same task all day. Today's workers have to be able to wade through mountains of information and put the right pieces together. Health, science, physical education, math, social studies, and language must be all combined to help kids get the bigger picture. Technology is wonderful tool for doing this.

Some of the best students are those that attempt to figure out the answer to their question before coming to me. Let's model that behavior and learn how to use the technology on our own instead of waiting on someone to make us.

Now you know why I've been bugging you with my emails. I hope my enthusiasm is contagious. I apologize if I have bothered you or seemed pushy and overbearing.

I have never been more excited to begin a school year. Don't get me wrong, I love summer! Nothing is more precious to me than hanging out with my babies! This year, though, could be my best one yet. I hope you are as excited as I am!

What can you learn from bad teachers?

As educators, most of us can look back and reflect on those teachers who influenced us. "Miss Smith made me want to be a science teacher." "Mr. Brown showed me the power of music." With fondness we reminisce about those wonderful experiences.

But what can we learn from our bad experiences in school?  I never considered this until I was participating in #SsTschat on Tuesday evening.  One question brought to mind some incidents that I had forgotten. I realized then that I could also learn from unpleasant experiences.

Here's what I learned:

1. I had a teacher in the 1st grade who told the entire class I was a chatterbox and did the associated hand motion. The entire class started laughing and doing the hand motion. I learned to NEVER ridicule a student.

2. I had a mean 3rd grade teacher. She never smiled. That's all I can remember about her. I learned to smile often and make sure the students know I love them.

3. My fourth grade teacher was one of the nicest teachers I ever had. One day, though, she embarrassed me in front of the class. I learned that even the best teachers make mistakes.

4. I had a teacher in high school who often used big words in class. If someone asked what the word meant, he made them look it up. People stopped asking. I learned to answer a question, and if I can't, be honest enough to say so.

5. I had a coach in college that remarked on my weight in front of the team and told me I had eaten too much Captain D's. That has stuck with me, and I am still self-conscious about my weight. I learned that what I say may alter a child's perception of themselves.

Most of these teachers were good teachers (except maybe the 3rd grade teacher-yikes!), and I have fond memories of them too. But even today, their harsh words often echo in my mind.

When the teacher becomes the student

Sometimes I feel sorry for my children;  I realize it must be tough to have a mom that is a teacher. Homework is always done right after school, summer reading is discussed in detail, giving 100 percent is the minimum.

There are times, however,  when I see the fruits of my labor.  Each of my teenagers have brought a tear to my eye this summer. Well, they often bring a tear to my eyes, but this time it was happy tears.

My interest in technology has not gone unnoticed by my 13-year-old, Justin. He has heard all about the exciting things I have planned for the coming school year. Recently Justin decided to make his own personal website filled with Lego information. His fascination with Legos has me convinced of his future as an engineer. I am so excited to see what he will do with his site!

My 15-year-old, Jackson,  just finished his summer reading novel. It was The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  He flew through it and promptly announced that he wanted to throw the book away when he finished it. Jackson was devastated by the events in the book. He later asked me to buy him a book about argument. I was again brought to tears by my child's investment in academia.

Like I said, it must be hard to have a mom that is a teacher. Even though they complain, they continue to exceed my expectations!

The Pointer Sisters, Shrek, and Professional Development

I occasionally (aka all the time) have a hard time focusing on one task. My mind jumps from one subject to another, and my co-worker thinks I am a bit ADD. Here is an example of my thought process when thinking about professional development: I am very excited, the Pointer Sisters had a song about excitement,  they also had a song in Beverly Hills Cop, Eddie Murphy was in that movie, I really liked Eddie Murphy in Shrek... This explains why I may suddenly blurt out something about green ogres in a professional development meeting.

Like I said, I am very excited about all the PD I have gotten via Twitter.  I have learned more in the past three months than I have learned since I began teaching. Teaming up with teachers all around the world has been an enlightening experience!

Unfortunately,  not everyone has jumped on this opportunity, and, frankly, it is discouraging. Internally I am on the floor kicking and screaming like my three-year-old. I am so passionate about my profession and my school that I can't understand why others are not participating.

Maybe others are not following my time table. I have to understand that each person is different, and they may show more interest when a few others and I demonstrate what we've learned. My hope is that our excitement will be contagious. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink, right?

Speaking of horses, did I ever tell you how much I like Eddie Murphy in Shrek...

My first flipped classroom

Students have been out of school for over a month, and most of them have begun their summer reading. Typically students at my school are required to read two books, and the assessment varies by teacher. In the past I have had students keep a journal on one novel and complete a writing prompt the first week of school.

This year I decided to do something different. I utilized a free website,  Eduongo, to flip the summer reading.  Students have a variety of journaling options, including video journaling, and have a discussion board to interact with other students. They have no "due dates" and can read at their leisure.

I love the results!  The insights are awesome,  and I love discussing the novel with them while it is fresh on their mind. It also gives me a chance to know the students and their writing. This means I won't have to spend the first few weeks of school finding out their weakness and strengths. Also, I will not be bombarded with stacks of essays on the first day of school.

This does require more work on my part. I had to set up the website ahead of time, and I am spending time this summer working. The benefits far outweigh the negatives,  and I am excited to start the year ahead of the game!

What if I fail? I'm scared!

I have tried to be a leader at my school in terms of using technology in the classroom. Part of that stems from love of technology;  most of it comes from my excitement at seeing students connect and get excited about learning.

In my last blog I mentioned several ideas I have for increasing engagement through technology in my classroom next year. Something suddenly hit yesterday;  what if it doesn't work? I know that failure is a good thing sometimes, but that's for students. I am the teacher; I can't fail.

Why do we do that? So many times we forget that the rules apply to us too! Students don't like a boring presentation,  but that is what we do in meetings. We want students to experiment and think creatively,  but we are scared to try something new.

As I continue putting together my ideas for next year, I have to remember to dream big and try new things. It will not be the end of the world if I fail. The important thing is that I keep moving forward and not let my fears hold me back!

Planning for Excitement!

What scares you? I mean what makes you curl up into a fetal position and suck your thumb? For some people, it's change. For me it's unicorns, but that's a story for another day!

All the changes I see in educational technology and professional development have me excited!  In fact, since I began my professional development via Twitter, I have become addicted. Addicted to change and learning? How I wish my students felt this way?

Students CAN feel this way! If we are willing to step out of our comfort zone and accept that our way may not be the best way, we may be able to excite them! That begins with learning new ways to teach and engage students!

Through Twitter and connecting with others, I have begun to make a list of some of the ways I plan to change next year.

• Twitter for discussion on novels, then Storify
• Collaboration on papers via Google Docs
• Portfolios via Google Sites
• Genius hour for 7th
• Similar project for 9th, but more on their own
• Plickers
• Eduongo for flipped learning on basic grammar and lit themes, genres, etc 
• Tweet as a character from novel, story then storify
• Self-made Smart board for grammar
• Socrative App for reviews
• Google Classroom = infinite ideas!

I have other ideas too, but this a start. These are things that I always do, but I have found a better way to do them. For example, for several years I have required students to keep a portfolio of their work; this year I will have them use Google Sites to make a virtual portfolio!

What are you waiting for? Begin planning at least one way you will work to increase student engagement next year!

Times they are a changin'...and so is education!

I am amazed at what I witnessing! Education is undergoing a major shift that has nothing to do politicians or policies. This change is being spearheaded by those on the front lines and is spreading like wildfire! Teachers are taking professional development into their own hands and connecting with each other like never before. Technology has facilitated this change, and it is changing education like no government official could ever do.

Social media, videos, applications, sites, and blogs are just a handful of the ways teachers are learning from each other. Teachers, we cannot afford to stand still or teach the way have for years. Don't wait for someone to make you learn something new. Reignite your passion for teaching!

What type of teacher are you?

I have been reading through Twitter this morning.  Professional development is now my drug of choice; I cannot stop reading what other teachers are writing! It has definitely encouraged me to step up my game.

One teacher calls himself the weird teacher and another the nerdy teacher. These are names the students have given. What would the students call me? I don't want to be the boring teacher, the monotone teacher, or the sits-at-her-desk-and-never-teaches teacher. I want to be the challenging teacher! The hard-but-I-will-never-forget-what-she-taught-me teacher!

It is up to me to change the way the kids see me. I must constantly be working to challenge them, make their learning relevant, and relate to them. I must keep my lessons fresh and exciting.  Yes, even gerunds and infinitives can be exciting! I REFUSE to settle and give any less than my best.

It is time for you to really take a look at yourself. What would your students call you?

Win the Race!

As the school year draws to a close, I am already excited about next year! Scratch that - I am still excited about this year. Lets's face it; some teachers are phoning it in at this point. Not me! I am planning our Greek Day, field trips, and ways to continue incorporating technology. Students and teachers, finish strong!

First Blog!

So, this is my first blog post, and I am very excited! We MUST get students connected, and it starts with ME! I am working to create my first class web site, too. Consider this a test for now.