My PD Stack

Feeling overwhelmed just looking at my PD stack.

The stack of PD books from teachers and authors I deeply admire. Who've written words that I believe in and who have shared strategies that I know will help my students learn, create, collaborate and engage in learning.
The stack of PD books that I purchased, read, highlighted and fell in love with.
The stack of PD books that has grown over the years as new teachers and authors generously share their wisdom and what they have found works for their students.
The stack of PD books that I'm rereading this summer as I prepare for this new stop on my teaching journey-6th grade ELA at middle school.
The stack of PD books that, quite honestly, contains a wealth of teaching goodness that can't possibly fit into my 53 minute/5 days a week/36 weeks a year teaching time next year.

There are many books in my PD stack with ready-to-use activities and surveys and lists. I'm in the midst of finding ways to replace boring methods with these new, more engaging ideas to meet the 70+ ELA standards I am expected to teach my students this year. Some methods need to be adapted to my age group (11-12 yr olds), but all will only happen if they are what the students in my classes need-once I meet them.

There are books in my stacks that help me better understand how to engage my students in reading, writing, speaking and listening. A few books contain best practice in teaching and using various technology. We will be 1:1 iPads next year, so I need this support to help both me and my students in our digital (somewhat paperless) classroom.

Most of the books inspire a change in mindset and many have transformed my teaching philosophy. These books might change the layout of my room or the decor on my classroom walls. They might influence the way I confer with students, how I structure my schedule, or the frequency of peer collaboration. Others will definitely impact how I engage my students and hook them into learning.

These shifts in philosophy don' take time out of the 53 minutes I have each day with students in my ELA classes. However, it takes time to process, time to discover how they mesh with prior philosophies, and time to incorporate into lessons I'll share with my students. It's often these philosophical PD books that take the most planning time because they are woven into the fiber of my teacher being. They guide every decision I make in the students' best interests.

Yes, the stack is tall and overwhelming. At this point in the summer, I am reading and picking out the best of these PD books based on what I think my students will need. They are starting middle school: a critical time to either turn them on to reading, writing and speaking or to turn them off. Honestly, any and all of the strategies and ideas from these incredible teachers and authors will benefit my students.

Like I said, there's just not time to do it all. Once my students feel and experience the joys of reading and writing, and I get to know them, I'll return to these stacks and choose what they need next. In the meantime, my PD stack will continue to grow (I already have 2 books coming soon), and my philosophy will continue to shape and mold my teaching.

Overwhelmed? Yes.
Feeling lucky to teach on the shoulders of my PD stack mentors? Most definitely, yes!

The Little #stu2stuchat That Could!

Last fall, I had an idea.

I had fallen in love with Twitter chats. Through my participation, I met many amazing educators, shared philosophies and teaching ideas, formed friendships and found inspiration to connect my students to the world outside our classroom.

I joined in a number of different chats over the spring and summer, with every one filling a need and giving me an online voice, or presence. As I looked ahead to the 2014-15 school year and thought about what I could do to give my students that same voice, I came up with an idea.

A student Twitter chat.

One of my favorite group of Twitter friends is made up of amazing #5thchat educators. I love my Teach Like a Pirate crew, but since I teach 5th grade- these are my "people." (We do have our fair share of pirates in this group as well.)

Before school started, I reached out to this group and a few other awesome educators I'd met on Twitter, and started a Google Spreadsheet of Connectivity. I asked these educators if they would be willing to collaborate throughout the year via blogs, Skypes, etc. Overwhelmingly, they shared their information and our group was formed.

We have Skyped together, had our kids comment on each others' blog posts, collaborated on TodaysMeet, and participated in a book chat for Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, led by the incomparable Jess Lifshitz @JessLifTeach . Last week, a few of us started a 5thchatters Voxer group, with the goal of collaborating around a shared book, using padlet. Plans are in the works.

This post, however, is not about those collaborations. It's about that student Twitter chat, called (with input from the group), #stu2stuchat .

There didn't seem to be anything else out there like it. So, we started with just a few of our classes. The purpose was for our students to chat with each other. At first, they were learning the ins and outs of Twitter, from hashtags and character limits to retweets and answering questions with A1, A2. We were working on digital citizenship in real time. In the beginning, my students were so excited when our tweets would get retweeted or favorited.

However, something clicked in me, realizing I was not practicing what I preach. We learn more from listening to the ideas of others rather than doing the talking ourselves. I needed to shift the tide and help my students see that the real value in Twitter chats is what others bring to the conversation. We lurked for a chat, when I moderated. We read the comments from the participating classes, and retweeted and favorited those tweets that resonated with us. Yes, we learned much more that way.

Over the past few months, my students have chatted with other classes about books they like, engaging math lessons, #oneword and New Year's Resolutions, speaking/listening, and being leaders.

Just this past Wednesday, we had our largest number of students participating. The topic was passion, genius and wondering. I was amazed at how quickly the time flew! Our four questions, starting with one that asked students to define the difference between these three concepts (if any) generated a wealth of passionate ingenious ideas! Since Angela Maiers is such a champion of the #youmatter movement and encourages students to share their genius, I alerted her to our little chat. Lo and behold, she joined in, offering her insight and wisdom. #daymade It was a huge moment for our little chat!

Fellow teachers like Kim @khurdhorst , Heidi @MrsJones_Merton , Paul @PaulSolarz and Jess @JessLifTeach helped promote the bi-monthly chats on Twitter, Facebook and Voxer. We even were featured on the @edtechbaton (thanks to Kim) one day. This recent chat was also a first for a few other reasons. A fellow teacher, Leslie @LPralleKeehn 's 3rd grade daughter tweeted from home on her snow day, while fellow Health/PE teacher Jenny @JennyWamsley had her classes compose written answers to the questions, with a few of her students live tweeting as well.

In the tweeted words of Angela Maiers, "It is so beautiful and affirming to see so many students talking about their passions!" I couldn't agree more.

Our next #stu2stuchat is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11th from 2:10-2:30 pm CST. My students hope you can join us to discuss "What motivates you?"

Give your students a voice outside your classroom. Aren't you just the slightest bit interested to hear what they will say?

Mutual Admiration Society (MAS)

This post is inspired in part by a dear Twitter friend, Jess Lifshitz @JessLifTeach . Actually, it's directly influenced by a few incredible tweets she recently posted.

The first was about one of her students, whose op-ed piece was published in their local paper. The other tweet was about @TheWeirdTeacher (Doug Robertson) reading a book to her students via Skype.

Both of these tweets just scream awesomeness! Both are phenomenal opportunities for her students. Both could make me, a fellow 5th grade teacher green with envy. But they don't. That's because we are part of a growing Mutual Admiration Society (MAS) on Twitter. For a while now, I've joked with Jess that I am the president of her fan club. However, she doesn't need me in her fan club since we have a mutual respect for the passion we each bring to our students in our respective classrooms. We are excited for each other's highs (like when both of us had our first Nerdy Book Club posts within the same week), and support each other during the stresses and struggles of a job we love that can often leave little time for the people we love the most...our families.

It would be too easy to become jealous of the wonderful ideas and creativity shared by my Twitter PLN. However, the power of a MAS keeps everything in perspective. I surround myself with an amazing group of educators at all levels, from teachers to administrators. Here are just a few.

Greg Armamentos @dashthebook writes an incredible blog, leads a running club, and inspires his students to become service-minded. He's in my MAS.

Heidi Jones @MrsJones_Merton has her students create and film a monthly video newsletter, leads the pirate movement at her school (along with her fabulous principal), and brings the joy to all she meets with her "awesomesauce." She's a fellow pirate in my MAS.

Scott Akerson @MrA47 seeks out every opportunity to connect his students using technology. My students and I have been lucky to be collaborating on our third project with his classes. He is another pirate in my MAS.

Erik Palmer @erik_palmer is an author and speaker, but at his core-an incredible teacher. He leads by example, spreading the message that teaching speaking & listening is critical to student success. He's in my MAS.

Jenny Wamsley @JennyWamsley teaches Health/PE, and knows the value of accessing her resources to learn and use any available tech tool in her lessons. Recently, she integrated literature into her health classes to engage her students. She's also a Voxer queen, who is a master of voice motivation in the mornings. She's in my MAS.

Brad Gustafson @GustafsonBrad and Mark French @PrincipalFrench are elementary principals in my home state of Minnesota. Both are leaders in their buildings and districts. They also serve as leaders among principals all over the state and the larger Twitter community. However, it's their devotion to their students and passion for their profession that inspires me. They are both in my MAS.

Shauna Pollock @misspollock and Melissa Eddington @melsa777 started the Weird Teacher book club on Twitter and Voxer. They share amazing stories and have organizational skills galore. Shauna recently invited a few of us on #weirdtbc into a collaborative story writing project, which Melissa and I jumped on. They are both in my MAS.

This is just a snapshot of a few members of my MAS. I could go on and on describing its many members, since I never cease to be amazed by all of the brilliance surrounding me on Twitter. Instead of letting the noise of their accolades drown out my voice, this idea of a Mutual Admiration Society lets all of our accomplishments sing in the choir. We take pride in each other's successes. We celebrate the exciting projects in each other's classrooms, and often get our own students involved. We don't let jealousy cause us to feel unworthy, because we know we are better when surrounded by an inspirational PLN.

I'll bet you are part of a Mutual Admiration Society, too. Just look around you.

I Feel Like I'm Home Again

Oh, Kelly Gallagher! How you have forever changed my teaching for the better.

I have always loved teaching reading and writing, but it wasn't until a colleague introduced me to Readicide four years ago that I was on my way to becoming the teacher I am today.

Yes, Readicide was the beginning, I read it cover to cover and felt like he was speaking right to me. Then came Reading Reasons, which I lovingly shared with all of my students on a mission to spread the importance of reading. Next was Deeper Reading, which pushed me further away from novel packets, worksheets and arts & crafts. This book empowered me to encourage deep book discussions, and caused me to lose my remaining grip on literal questions as the only way to check for understanding. 

Finally came Write Like This. Two years ago, I had the absolute pleasure of attending a 3-day writing workshop from my reading/writing hero. I went alone, paid my own way, and soaked up every bit of writing knowledge from Mr. Gallagher himself. When I had the opportunity to meet him and shake his hand, he signed my Write Like This book, with its numerous dog-eared and highlighted pages, chock full of post-its. The funny thing was, just about every lesson he shared, I had engaged my students with wild success. Hearing him share the reasoning behind these writing activities, and watching him talk the talk, was nothing short of amazing. I got a photo with him, which I had made into a framed 8x10 and now proudly display in my classroom (and on my website). My former students returned to my room that fall to see the picture I promised I would have, and I didn't disappoint. 

Kelly Gallagher was the reason I joined Twitter (because he said it was the best thing any teacher could do). His forward in Erik Palmer's Well Spoken was the reason I bought that book, which transformed my teaching of speaking and listening. (That's a whole other story!)

Now, I am devouring his latest book, In the Best Interest of Students. The print book will come a bit later, but I'm reading the ebook now. Again, I am wowed by his educational pedagogy that is right on the money. I especially love the way he breaks down what the text says, what the text does and what the text means. I appreciate the lengthy section devoted to sharpening speaking and listening skills, which is a huge focus in my classroom. Also, I love the overall idea that we must stay true to what is best for our students, no matter how strong the pull is away from that.

Although he is preaching to the choir in my case, his words bear repeating to the masses. There's something about the wisdom of Kelly Gallagher that rekindles the belief in my teaching methods. I don't over teach a novel because of him. I move beyond the four corners of a text because of him. I teach students that you get better at reading by writing, and better at writing by reading because of him. I teach the Six Real-World Writing Purposes because of him. My students are the lucky benefactors of Kelly Gallagher's wisdom, but I am the lucky vessel through which they experience it.

Go now. Run. Get your copy of In the Best Interest of Students. You won't regret it!

The Right Place at the Right Time

Bam! I can't believe that awesome idea! I'll save it/tweak it/ use it tomorrow.

It's amazing how often that happens when I am scrolling through my Twitter feed or participating in a Twitter chat. I'm constantly wowed by my "luck" as I strike gold when I find the perfect idea to teach whatever it is I'm teaching now or next. It often seems like I was in the right place at the right time. Many ideas appear to be targeted at me and my students. 

I find myself wondering what would have happened if I didn't check my feed today or didn't join in this chat. I ponder all the great ideas that were likely missed because I wasn't connected at that time.

However, those of us who are engaged in Twitter (ok...obsessed), believe that no matter when we log on, there are phenomenal educators on the other side of those tweets. Any time of the day, I am likely find an idea or activity that resonates with me. In addition, someone is usually tweeting just the perfect thought I need to hear at that time if I am open to listen.

Any time on Twitter is the right time, and Twitter is definitely the right place. I wonder what will speak to me and my students today?

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.