Our Journey With Dyslexia - Things Have To Change

I have four boys, but when my second son, Justin, was about three, I was convinced I had a child prodigy. He could do puzzles that were far above his age level and by age five, he was doing Lego sets that were designed for teenagers. Then he started school. This social construct was so confining that my previously genius son was struggling and feeling like a failure.

When he was in second grade, I read The Myth of Laziness by Mel Levine. I knew this described Justin, and I wanted to help him. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. His diagnosis, after some very expensive testing, pointed to dysgraphia and dyslexia. Throughout elementary school and middle school, some of his teachers were very accommodating; some were not. He was punished for not putting his name on his paper when he worked so hard to get the right answer. He was forced to memorize mountains of process questions that were supposed to help him understand what he was reading. Spelling tests and multiplication quizzes caused tears.

By the time he was in high school, he was mentally done. The material was much more application based, but he had so many bad experiences, he was mentally scarred. I didn't blame him or push him. He had a few great teachers that really encouraged him, and I know they are the ones who kept him engaged at all. At age 15, Justin started his own business making farmhouse furniture. He was very successful, with people driving over an hour away to buy his furniture. A local store even contracted with him to make all of their in-store orders. I saw such a huge transformation in him. His confidence soared to levels I had not seen since his Lego days. Justin is currently studying Construction Science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

My third son, Jameson, has very severe dyslexia, but because of my experience with Justin, I saw the warning signs before kindergarten. We began remediation at the end of kindergarten using the Barton System, an Orton-Gillingham based curriculum. First grade was a bit rough until we started doing the remediation everyday; I do it with him after school instead of his traditional phonics homework. His first grade teacher was wonderful, but each year will be anxiety filled as I wonder if the next teacher will understand dyslexia and work with him.

Although I have traveled this path twice, I have some lingering questions. First, why is testing so expensive? Children in poverty will never be able to afford an accurate diagnosis. They will hate school and probably continue the cycle. A neuropsychologist should be a standard member of each school system.

Second, why can't we educate every single teacher on dyslexia? Most sources state that up to 20% of the population has some degree of dyslexia. This number is significant enough to justify each teacher being trained to recognize the warning signs. Instead of a chapter in one class during teacher preparation programs, it should be at least entire course, and it should be a part of ongoing professional development.

Finally, WHY CAN'T WE CHANGE THE WAY WE DO SCHOOL? Sitting in rows and memorizing multiplication facts made my brilliant Justin feel stupid. Only when he was allowed to explore his interests was he able to realize his true abilities. Yes, I let him skip school occasionally to observe carpenters at work. A middle school teacher let him build a Minecraft World to demonstrate his understanding of a novel. Another teacher let him build a table in front of the class for his demonstration speech. These were some of his best learning experiences. In my own classroom, I work hard to give students a variety of ways to learn and to demonstrate what they have learned.

Things have changed since Justin was in elementary school, and Jameson has had a very different learning experience so far. I am happy to see the attention that dyslexia is getting, at least in my own community. It needs to be a shift in all areas if we want all students to be successful.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: A New Chapter

You already know - change can be tough. It can also be exciting and necessary. This new chapter represents ALL those: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

For several years I have worked hard to bring useful instructional technology to a small school. The last few years I have been charged with managing and coaching the instructional technology. This past year I worked as the technology director. I did this while also teaching English. Well, mainly English. I've also had some computer apps classes, keyboarding classes, a business class, and a theater tech class. This is the nature of a small school. 

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I felt the need for a change. While taking some time to catch my breath, I will simply be an English teacher. By "simple" I do not mean easy; teaching is never easy. I mean I will not be wearing so many hats. This is a great opportunity for me to stretch my imagination in how I will approach the class. I hope to do something that gets the kids excited from the time they walk in the door on the first day until they leave on the last. A challenge? Most definitely. Am I up for it? You bet. 

Each stop along my journey has taught me something new. Each stop has made me bolder. Each stop has made me stronger. Each stop has made me better. I expect this stop will do the same. 

I don't know where I will go from here, but I do want to get back into administration some day. I love being able to share my passion, excitement, and knowledge with other teachers so they will be as excited as I am to walk into the classroom. Wish me luck!

Time's Up in Education

I'm sure most of you are aware of the Time's Up movement started by Hollywood celebrities in response to the growing accusations of sexual harassment and inequality in Hollywood. Does this have a place in the field of education?

I am 41-years-old and a female working in education, and I can say definitively that the boy's club is alive and well. According to a 2011 eSchool News article,

"Seventy-two percent of the education workforce consists of women, yet the number of women in leadership positions falls far short of that statistic. They fare best in the role of elementary school principals, with 54 percent of these jobs being held by women. But at the secondary school level, only 26 percent of principals are women, and in the head job of superintendent, 24 percent are women."

At one school, I actually had my administrator tell me that I would have a hard time getting respect from parents because of my age and gender. Of all the jobs I have had in education, I have had one female administrator, and my children have only had a female principals while in elementary school. When I mention the boy's club to some in power, they seemed surprised. Well, the men seem surprised. Even as I write this, I worry that I will be seen as radical for suggesting inequality.

When discussing this disparity, some say that women are underrepresented because they take time off to have children, so that puts them behind. WHAT? I am punished because I decide to have a FAMILY? Women feel such pressure to get back to work after having a child, which, I believe, increases PPD. I speak from personal experience. I am lucky enough to have four wonderful children. I had such severe PPD with my last one. I went back to work when he was 8-weeks-old. He is now 17-months-old, and I am still struggling.

So, what is to be done? Respect women of all ages. Give them the chance to lead if they show the interest and ability. I am tired of feeling marginalized because of my gender. Time's up.

Recovering from Snow Days

Most teachers are thrilled when they hear about the possibility of a snow day. Two snow days? That is like winning the lottery. After five, I am sitting here in a bit of a panic. I like a lazy snow day home with my kids as much as the next mom, but I also want to do my job to the best of my ability. Losing so many days for snow, combined with days missed for field trips and other events, means that I have less time to do my job.

Some of my friends have posted how Atlanta area schools have digital learning days. Many parents are appalled. "Let them be little." "Let them enjoy the days off." "Snow days should be fun." So how do we get through the material and make everyone happy? I believe the answer is technology and personalized learning.

As the Instructional Technology Coordinator at my school, it should have been my first thought, but it wasn't. My first thought was that my students would have extra homework until we were caught up. Then I thought that I would have to leave out something that I deem important. Would not finishing Romeo and Juliet really affect their ACT scores? Then the answer came to me.

Although it will not be easy, I've got to meet the students where they are and work to get us all back on the same footing. Instead of traditional vocabulary instruction, I could record myself giving the instruction and then let the students work at their own pace on the work. I could also pare down the amount of vocabulary work I give them.

As for the novels, I could cut some of the work related to the readings. We could use the time for class discussion or divide them into groups to discuss a certain element and bring them together for their group to teach. I enjoy reading in class, but this might be a time to put aside my preference and let them read on their own a bit more.

Finally, not everything has to be graded. Grades are NOT the end goal. LEARNING is the end goal. How we get there does not have to follow a cookie cutter design. It is time to ditch the industrial classroom model and personalize learning.

What would happen if we started saying yes?

Eric Sheninger challenged me (and a group of others at a conference) to be more consistent in my blogging. If we don't tell our story, he says, someone else will. So, here are my takeaways from the Digital Leadership Conference I attended today.

1. We must do a better job telling our story. Zion Christian Academy is an amazing place with amazing people, but no one seems to know us. "Never heard of it," said a table mate today when I told him where I worked. We've got to tell our story so people see how awesome we really are.

2. Our education model is based on antiquated ideas and methods. We teach students to memorize information for testing all the way through many college programs. The business community is not happy with the product they are receiving. They want creative thinkers, innovators, world-changers! "A relevant lesson asks students to use their knowledge to tackle real-world problems that have more than one solution."

3. Stop focusing on the "yeah, but" and focus on "what if." This is similar to something I heard at the Global Leadership Summit earlier this year: instead of saying no, say how. If we start saying yes, we build relationships. Relationships are key no matter what industry you are in.

4. People will not change because they are told they have to. They must be inspired by their leaders and WANT to.

Love as a Leadership Trait

Life sometimes just doesn't go the way we want it to. Our Head of School is leaving, and I am still in a state of denial. For most of the time we worked together, he served as the upper school principal AND HoS. I have only had one other administrator that comes anywhere close to being the kind of leader that this man is. The reason I admire him may surprise you.

DW, as I will refer to him, has many leadership traits that I want to emulate. The one thing that really stands out to me, though, is love. I cannot think of a single decision that he made that was not done through a lens of love: love for the school, love for the teachers, and love for the kids. This love was genuine and evident. Love may not be high on your list of leadership traits; I beg to differ.

When DW had to discipline a student, it was never about punishment. He wanted the child to realize his mistake and leave his office a better person. They usually did. He was fair and would give appropriate punishment, but that wasn't his primary focus. Punishment was not the primary way he communicated with students; he always took time to get to know the kids. Even though he was very busy, he still wanted to teach the seniors so he could pour into them before they left the sanctuary of high school. Do I try to really get to know my students? Do my students know that I too try to make every decision out of love? I hope so, but I probably need to try harder.

As a teacher, we never had to question if he loved the staff. Even when he made a decision I didn't agree with, I knew his basic reasoning. DW wanted to do the right thing. What made a bigger impression on me is that he went above and beyond his duties.  I will never forgot having horrible morning sickness and DW keeping me stocked in saltine crackers. When we were on a field trip while I was pregnant in NY, he constantly checked on me and made sure I had water. He also made sure my pregnant back had a cushy chair for graduation. He did things like this for others, too. Sometimes little things make a huge impact.

Parents were able to witness DW's love in action, too. One thing he is famous for is walking students in the school under an umbrella when it rained. If a parent had a complaint, he always took time to really listen to them, and they usually left happy just by talking to him. He really cared and valued their opinion. They knew it.

DW is the very definition of servant leadership. Everyone has their flaws, but he is definitely an example to follow in all areas of my life. He will truly be missed.

How Technology Changed Our School

This semester was one that I had been dreaming about for years. Literally. We finally implemented a 1:1 Chromebook initiative in our high school. Some teachers, parents, and students, however, were not as thrilled as I obviously was about the new devices.

Teachers were reluctant because it seemed like something else they HAD to do. Another task had been put on their already full plate. By the end of the semester, I think they all realized that it was a tool to help make their classroom more interactive, the learning more personalized, and their job easier. Yes, it took time to learn the new tool, but it was worth it. I'm actually toying with the idea of calling the Chromebooks screwdrivers next year so everyone remembers that it is just that - a tool. "Students, get out your screwdrivers." "Teachers, let me know if I can help you with your screwdriver."

Parents were reluctant because it was another gadget that gave their kids more screen time. Our goal in using instructional technology is to make that screen time more productive and not simply mindless entertainment. We are preparing students for a world in which technology permeates EVERYTHING. Heart surgeons use technology in the operating room. Mechanics use technology to tell them what is wrong with a car. You can even find a website that discusses the latest technology for chefs! Many of our students will have jobs that do not even exist today. As educators, we have the responsibility to prepare them this ever changing future.

Students' reluctant attitude caught me by surprise. I expected all of them to be as excited as I was, but we had a few that wanted no part in getting a screwdriver, er, Chromebook. They did not want the responsibility that came with the device or an increase in workload. Some of the most wary students, though, seemed to benefit from day 1. We had students who rarely turned in assignments turning in assignments regularly via the Chromebooks. Students began to carry fewer books and notebooks, and they felt more organized. Everything they needed was in one place.

We still learn math, science, literature, and history. Teachers still direct, encourage, motivate, and inspire their students. What has changed in our school is that students are genuinely engaged in lessons, they are more organized, and they are being sufficiently prepared for college and careers. I am not saying that things are perfect, but the school culture has shifted. Zion Christian Academy is leading the charge in preparing students for tomorrow while still focusing on preparing their hearts and minds for the glory of God.