Just Say Yes!

I tried something new this year...saying yes.

• Yes to starting a class Twitter account.
• Yes to hosting Twitter chats.
• Yes to accessing authors and educator heroes for Skype visits.
• Yes to purposefully reaching out to a fabulous and inspiring PLN of 3rd-5th grade educators.
• Yes to starting a student-to-student Twitter chat with this PLN.
• Yes to attending my first edcamp (and soon, my second).
• Yes to joining an Alabama PLN educator's new student Twitter chat (on the first day of school), focused on digital citizenship.
• Yes to collaborating with a 7th grade #sstlap educator from Missouri through a TodaysMeet back channel, discussing the Bill of Rights on Constitution Day.
• Yes to jumping on Voxer, joining a few groups and contributing/learning in a new way.
• Yes to starting my year off sharing talents through play doh, flying around the room like an airplane, and wearing an eye patch to inspire my student pirates.
• Yes to a class mantra of "You Matter" and "We are geniuses."
• Yes to participating in our first (of many) Mystery Skypes.
• Yes to making my first iMovie and Animoto videos with my students.
• Yes to using Biblionasium with my reading groups to create a motivating online book club.
• Yes to trying online eportfolios, with the help of another Twitter PLN member.

This year, I am trying anything and everything that will make a difference for my students, related to risk-taking, global connections, and their self-worth.

By saying yes, I am repeatedly pushed out of my comfort zone. There is no safety net when venturing into uncharted territory as an educator.

-I benefit by discovering the expanses of my skills and  creativity as an educator.
-My students' families benefit from increased communication  and children who have more enthusiasm for learning and  more passion for school.
-My students benefit from teacher & peer appreciation for  their talents/geniuses and participation in a classroom  beyond our four walls.

Recently, I said yes to:

• an Oreo project, culminating in a Skype stacking challenge with a class in Alabama.
• a collaborative online descriptive art/writing project with another class outside my state.
• more Mystery Skypes in the next few months.
• creating an Amazing Race literature idea via Craig Kemp after reading his blog post mentioned in the #whatisschool chat.

Who knows...I just may say yes to something new tomorrow (and the next day).

Can I say that every one of these adventures has gone off without a hitch? Of course not. However, in the words of my teacher/author friend, I have dared greatly. 

Do. Or do not. There is no try.

For my students, I will continue saying yes. The true measure of my impact on them will be when they start saying yes, too.

Edcamp or Bust!

Edcamp or Bust!

Once you attend an edcamp, you'll never get the same feeling of inspiration from regular PD. Even though most districts haven't jumped on this train, there are a few ways you can put on the conductor's hat and direct it yourself.

This year, I am starting small...with my 5th grade colleagues. As team leader, I decided to try and run our team meetings in edcamp fashion. As long as we do not have an assigned agenda (data team), this is my plan.

Before the meeting:
I'll remind my team to think of what they need/want to discuss. Also, I will ask them to bring an idea to share with the team related to a topic (for example, an engagement strategy).

I'll send out the short agenda of "must discuss" items.

During the meeting:
For the first 15 minutes, we'll tackle those "must discuss" items, and then set them aside.

Then, it's edcamp time!

We'll excitedly share out the ideas and possible topics we want to discuss related to teaching craft, reaching specific students, or specific curriculum/tech strategies.

Collectively, we'll decide on the agenda and a timeframe for each item.

For the next 30 minutes, we'll enjoy sharing and learning from each other.

For the final 10 minutes, we will each share the idea we brought related to our topic (example was an engagement strategy).

That's a wrap!

What I loved about edcamp was the ability to learn and share what I needed and what was relevant to me that day. I loved learning new ideas and sometimes problem-solving an issue with others in similar situations. I loved that teachers could be both givers and receivers of learning, even in the same session. I loved that I was not expected to "sit and get" from a menu that may or may not fit my diet.

Although not exactly an edcamp, structuring team meetings this way is my contribution to the larger picture of teacher-led PD. Right now, I've grabbed my own conductor hat. I hope to pick up steam and ride this momentum toward a more collaborative, happy and productive year with my fabulous colleagues!

I'm positive that it will be a change for the better! The most effective leaders lead their team by working alongside them.

More Than Just a Mud Run

Yesterday, I embarked on a new adventure when I attempted my first run of any kind.

 

A mud run.

The Dirty Girl Mud Run.

Yes, I jumped in mud, ran in mud, crawled in mud, and fell into mud. Many times during this muddy romp, I asked myself what I was doing. (My husband had asked this same question many times in the two months since I registered.)

I was completely out of my comfort zone.

And having a blast!

Here's what I learned:

·         I don't step out of my comfort zone as often as I should.

·         Laughing at myself through struggles makes them easier to handle.

·         It feels liberating to try something you never thought you could.

·         Risks and new experiences are more enjoyable with friends.

·         Completing a challenging task is an incredible feeling, and can be addicting.

·         I would actually sign up for another run (maybe even next year's Dirty Girl).

 

These self-realizations mirror the type of classroom environment I want for my students.

Every day should present an opportunity for my students to step out of their comfort zones and try something new. As often as possible, my students and I need to laugh at the humorous moments along our learning path, especially at our failures. We all need to appreciate and celebrate our efforts, and not just the perfect final product.  I want my classroom community to support each other, despite different opinions or experiences. Everyone has something to learn from each other, including me learning from them. My students need to believe that trying again and again is worth it. Learning from failed attempts has merit.  In addition, once they have reached one goal, I want my students to feel the desire to tackle another one.

Yesterday, it was just a mud run to many at the event.

However, to me it was a realization that I am a better person and teacher when I step outside my normal.

When I take risks and push through.

When I fall down in the mud and when I surprise myself (and family) by scaling the wall or running up the obstacle instead of climbing.

When I feel proud of the mud covering my body as proof of my accomplishment.

When I am excited to feel that way again.

My students don't know it yet, but they'll be doing many mud runs with me this year.

 

Prepare to get dirty!

 

I am joining other bloggers in a Motivational Monday Linky Party. Click this link to read the other incredible blog posts!

 

 

http://thecompellededucator.blogspot.com/2014/08/motivation-monday-31-link-party-august.html

 

Give Me a Steep Hill!

Although many friends and members of my PLN are runners, I'm more of a bike enthusiast. As long as the Minnesota weather cooperates, I enjoy going for long bike rides on the numerous trails around my neighborhood. Whether I'm with my kids, husband, or just by myself, biking is my preferred outdoor activity.

Yesterday, while on one of those exhilarating solo bike rides, I was pedaling up a long steep hill. Just when I had to stand up to give myself more momentum (and felt maybe I wouldn't make it), I finally reached the top. Now, those of you who bike know the sheer joy of cruising down a hill, wind in your hair, almost feeling like you're flying.

I got to thinking how much these hills relate to my work as a teacher. Whereas flat terrain is like using the teacher's guide (TE), hills are like taking risks and trying new ideas. Flat terrain is teaching the way you've always taught, with a fixed mindset, remaining in your comfort zone.

With a growth mindset, the climbs are much more exciting than flat terrain because they lead to the thrilling cruise down the hill.

Are they difficult? Are they challenging? Are they often lonely?  Yes!

They are never boring, that's for sure. In addition, the momentum they generate for future learning and success can't be quantified.

In the past two years, biking uphill for me included:

• diving into Twitter and building my PLN, despite a lack of Twitter presence among my school colleagues
• joining the Global Read Aloud (GRA) when nobody else in my building was involved
• celebrating International Dot Day for the past two years with only my teaching partner and our students
• trying out something new to my teaching partner and I, called Genius Hour, and learning as the year went on
• teaching Kelly Gallagher's Reading Reasons and Six Real-World Writing Purposes with passion and enthusiasm
• jumping on the TLAP ship and transforming my classroom practices to include hooks and tons of engagement (the only pirate in my building)
• trying my first (and my building's second) author Skype with Dave Burgess, then following it up with a Skype with author David E. Kelly
• incorporating Erik Palmer's PVLEGS Speaking and Listening framework (which wasn't part of the curriculum)
• engaging in weekly Socratic Seminars (with TodaysMeet back channel), the highlight of my week, with only one colleague who realized the benefits for students

Next year, hopefully my hill will get steeper thanks to: more author Skypes, a class Twitter account, Mystery Skype, broadening our GRA involvement through Edmodo and Skype, student online portfolios, and whatever I discover along the way from my fabulous PLN.

Just like a biker builds muscle, teaching with a growth mindset builds confidence. Each hill becomes easier to climb. We look for steeper hills to push ourselves and our students outside their comfort zones and stimulate learning.

Although flat terrain is easier, I'll take another hill any day!

El Deafo and Me

For 20 years, I taught my students as a hearing impaired teacher. No hearing aid, just 80% loss in one ear due to a tragic incident when I was just 22. At the time of the loss (1994), doctors said there was nothing they could do to return the hearing or correct it. They stated that a hearing aid would only amplify the muffled sound in my bad ear. I went back to the audiologist a few times in subsequent years, only to hear the same diagnosis.

Daily life became a bit different. It was difficult to hear in loud situations (or with loud conversation, such as in restaurants). I started tilting my head so that my "good ear" was facing the speaker. Family and friends sat on my "good side" when out in public places.

Since I didn't have total loss, I managed to compensate fairly effectively. I got used to not quite hearing everything people said. I'd repeat what I THOUGHT was said, and check for clarification when it didn't make sense. My inability to hear more than 87% of what was spoken (since my "good ear" compensated for what my "bad ear" couldn't pick up) became my new normal. I was missing so much of the world around me.

Luckily for me, last year I started having wax buildup in my good ear. There were a few scary days when the wax prevented me from hearing at all. I was afraid that would become a permanent situation. After having my ear flushed twice (an uncomfortable, but not painful, experience), I decided to check back with the audiologist to see what he could do. It was 2013 after all, and I was hoping that maybe something would work now.

Yes!

I was definitely a candidate for a hearing aid. Unlike the main character, Cece, in Cece Bell's new book El Deafo (out in September), mine was so small it was not noticeable unless you looked into my ear canal. After waiting two weeks from the fitting appointment, my hearing aid arrived just in time for the beginning of last school year.

Like Cece, I was amazed at how loud everything sounded! Shuffling papers sounded like metal crushing. Putting away dishes sounded like I was breaking them. My usual television volume needed to be cut in half. I had to ask my husband, "Have our children always been this loud?" (He told me they have.)

The biggest change was in my classroom.

Thirty+ students are loud. Louder than I had ever heard (since my hearing loss occurred only four months after starting my first teaching job).

I had to step out in the hall and ask a colleague to go in my room to see if they were louder than what the collaborative activity required. She said that the noise level was what a typical class sounds like.

I was shocked and saddened by all that I had probably missed my students say over the past twenty years. How many had asked questions I didn't hear? How many comments had I misinterpreted? How many became frustrated and gave up asking or commenting?

When I read El Deafo, I felt like someone understood what it was like for me. Although I was not hearing impaired in K-12 (or even in college), I experienced many of the same emotions as Cece. I didn't have a Phonic Ear around my neck connected by cords to my ears, but I always felt different. I was embarrassed telling people I didn't hear what they said since they were talking into my bad ear. I desperately wanted to go to Happy Hour or social gatherings with my colleagues, but didn't because I knew I would miss too much conversation due to the noise. There was a part of my life I was missing.

This past year, with my hearing aid, I felt like I was part of the world again. It's amazing how many situations I used to avoid because they made it difficult for me to hear and carry on conversations. When wearing my hearing aid, I catch almost every word and don't have to sit in a certain spot or angle my head to hear what's being said. I know the hearing aid is in, but nobody else does unless I tell them. It has made such a difference, especially with my students.

We need diverse books like El Deafo so students and teachers like Cece and me can relate to characters in books. We need to read books about situations like our own. I am excited to have a copy of El Deafo in my classroom library (and our school's media center) so students can read Cece's story and gain insight into someone's different life experience.

Thank you, Cece Bell. We need THIS diverse book!

How Twitter is like NBC's "The Voice"

I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

What I love about the show, "The Voice," is that it allows contestants to be judged on the quality of their voice alone. The audience can see them, but the four judges have their chairs turned around and cannot.

When these brave (and lucky) souls open their mouths to sing, the judges either turn around in support of their vocal talent or they don't. It doesn't matter what they look like or what they're wearing. It doesn't matter if they can dance or not (although it sometimes negatively affects their singing).

They make it onto a judge's team based solely on the music they offer.

How refreshing!

When I first joined Twitter one year ago, it was like auditioning for The Voice.

Nobody could see me (except a small profile picture). Nobody could hear me talk. Nobody could see me teach. They couldn't see my classroom or my students. They couldn't see my messy house (although it's cleaner in the summer months).

Through Twitter, I was able to share only what I chose to share. At first, I was careful to only tweet out my best thoughts and ideas. I was trying desperately to make a great first impression. This is similar to a competitor on The Voice. They walk on stage and sing the best they know how. If they make it on a judge's team (and therefore, make it on the show), they can challenge themselves and try different styles.

All that the members of my PLN can judge me on are my tweets. Do they offer a new idea or perspective? Are they in line with their own thinking? Do my tweets challenge their thinking? Do they link to other's awesome ideas? Do they demonstrate my positive feelings toward their ideas?

Once the number of followers increased and I "made it" on the Twitter "show," I shared a little more of myself. I felt more comfortable offering a divergent opinion or sharing my own ideas (even pictures and videos of my students). I joined chats and tweeted out opinions that may have differed from my peers. I have experienced huge professional growth over the past year, as do most of the contestants on The Voice.

Maybe this is why I like the show so much. All contestants have the unique opportunity to be judged only on the song they choose to share. Then, they have the support of the judges, the fans, and the show to push themselves as artists.

My tweets are like my song. My PLN members are my judges and fans.

Thanks to my wonderful PLN for choosing me to take a spot on your team. I have never regretted my decision to choose any of you as part of mine.

Reach out!

Who would have thought some friendly banter would lead to a respectful, collegial friendship?

A few months ago, I was involved in a Twitter chat during a playoff game between the MN Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Friendly "banter" was exchanged via tweets between a teacher/Blackhawk fan and myself (a Minnesotan & Wild fan by default).

That Blackhawk fan was Greg Armamentos, or @dashthebook.

I believe the Blackhawks won that game, and they went on to play in the semi-final game.
However, that's not what matters.

I discovered that Greg had recently published a book, so I looked it up on Amazon and placed my order.  He started writing it with his students, which is awesome. Also, he self-published (like Dave Burgess), which I admired. It arrived a few days later, and I quickly read it from cover to cover.

It was an incredible story-one that I shared with a few students before the end of the school year. Greg has since sent a signed copy of his book to my school (so I can keep that one and put the other in my classroom library). Thanks to Greg's generosity, my new students can look forward to a Skype visit from Greg (the author) this fall.

The story doesn't end there.

As the school year wound down, another Twitter teacher Ben Kuhlman (@bkuhl2you) issued a challenge called #10summerblogs. Greg jumped in (although he and Ben already had blogs), which encouraged me to give it a try. I had wanted to blog for a while, but this was the push I needed to get started.

Greg was the inspiration for one of my posts about validation (needing our backs scratched). He reminded me that we all (students and teachers) have something worthwhile to say. I was encouraged to share my unique voice with the larger Twitter community.

Every time I publish a new post, Greg is there with kind words and support. He does this with all #10summerblogs participants, as well as authors of books he adores.

Thanks to him, I have read more blogs from wonderful Twitter teachers, and I have enjoyed new books like Circa Now and Dash. I even braved my first time moderating a twitter chat (#5thchat) with an author I admire- Erik Palmer. It was a phenomenal experience!

During a recent Twins game against the White Sox, our friendly rivalry was ignited again. This time it was the MN team (Twins) who won that series, despite currently trailing the Sox in our division.

Although this seems like a tribute to Greg (and he's humble enough not to need it), it's really a post about how you never know what can happen when you reach out on Twitter. When you connect with other educators who share a similar passion. Even when you give them a hard time about their sports team.

Who knew that some friendly banter about the Wild and Blackhawks would lead to a Twitter friendship that inspires and supports me as an educator?

Make sure to reach out and connect. You never know the great people you'll meet.