Summer Reflection

As I reflect on this summer, I can't help but think of that familiar adage "time flies when you're having fun."  This summer has been one for the record books. We visited, celebrated and enjoyed the sights and sounds of summer. It was nothing short of amazing.

I was reminded that I need to take time throughout the year, to just be. To be present, to take time to enjoy the many blessings in my life, and to slow down. One of the things I enjoy most about the summer is the unhurried pace, and the increased freedom in following whims. These are the life lessons that I am bringing with me back to the classroom this September.

Franciscan University, Steubenville OH

Riding the "Big Wheel" at Darien Lake, NY

Sunset at Balsam Lake Provincial Park, Ontario

Fenway

Great Wolf Lodge New England

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto 

Beach day, Long Island

Fire Island, NY

Friendship, Skaneateles Lake

Keuka Lake, NY

Lessons Learned - Part 3

http://pixabay.com/en/stone-tower-balance-recovery-259242/

Well, I took a much needed hiatus last week. I spent time with my own kids and my parents, and just slowed down. During the school year I find that it is hard to do that. I haven't figured out balance yet, and it is definitely something I need to get better at.  I am not any busier than anyone else, we're all busy and caught up in things, and I wonder sometimes if it is to our detriment. Do we really need to be this "busy"? My friend Tom Murray wrote a similar reflection on this very topic. You can find his piece of reflection here. There's a whole lot of truth in it, and I found myself doing a whole lot of head bobbing and saying, "yup, that's me too." This actually dovetails pretty nicely into my last post in this series of lessons learned this year.

6.  Look and listen. Be present. I mean we know this to be true at a knowledge level, it is pretty obvious, but how often are we truly present, and in the moment. There are more than a couple of instances that I can think of when I fell into half-heartedly listening, and when I turned away instead of engaging. I was busy after all, and there were competing things that needed my attention. The hard question really is were those competing things really more important? I think we've gotten really good at justifying our busy-ness, and we've even come up with a clever term for what we do, when we don't give something our undivided attention, yes, we multitask. For me, what I learned, and what I am going to try to put into practice going forward, is being present to those that I interact with.  This means a whole lot less "multitasking". It also means that I am going to be more observant, pay a little closer attention.

7. Find the good. These are challenging times. I think Peter DeWitt nailed it in an interview he gave on TeacherCast last night, "education is caught up in a political cycle, rather than a pedagogical one."Our system is a hurting one in many ways, and in spite of all of that there are some really great things happening, trouble is we don't often see or hear about them because so often we operate in silos. This is why being a connected educator, regardless of the tool you choose to use, is so extremely important, it allows all of us to share the good, and to learn from one another. I am so appreciative to my PLN for helping me to find all of the good, for helping me to recognize that my sphere of influence is indeed a powerful one, and for energizing me.

8. I am enough. I love what I do. It is not always easy mind you, but at the end of the day I know that this is what I was built for. This clarity of purpose however, is a pretty recent thing. Which may be surprising to many of my colleagues. You see, for a long time, I bought into the cultural perspective that to be a teacher in the classroom is somehow not enough, and by not enough I really mean that it wasn't important enough work. Yup, it is out there, I said it. The question is why did I fall into that trap? Clearly the work of a teacher is important, just consider the number of lives we touch, futures we impact. Well, for starters, I think that teachers and administrators alike don't know exactly what roles teachers can play in the leadership of a building or a district. I know there is much discussion regarding "teacher leaders" and empowering them, but as far as how we actually do it, and do it effectively, it seems we have a ways to go. Part of it is us, the teachers.  We need to take back our profession, and not wait around for things to be done to us. We need to be proactive. So that in a nutshell is what I am doing. I'm committing to leading from the classroom. There are opportunities here, we just need to seize them, and be willing to share our talents and learn from others.

This was an absolutely incredible and insane year. A little distance, and a little reflection are powerful.

Lessons Learned - Part 2

Rich, Vicki, Patti, Lisa, Peter, Me & Tony
Digital Leadership Conference, Liverpool NY 2014

This is Part 2 in a three-part series on lessons that I have learned over the course of this school year. In my first post I wrote about the lessons I have learned from the students in Room 103. This post will focus on the contributions of my colleagues, both near and far and the value of being a connected educator. So picking up where I left off...

4. The Connected Educator & The PLN (Professional Learning Network) 

A few songs come to mind immediately, "With A Little Help From My Friends" by the Beatles and "Thank You For Being A Friend" by Andrew Gold...Yes, I'm a little sentimental and a touch nostalgic, but it's the truth. Having colleagues in your building or district that encourage, support, empower, inspire, and challenge you is critical. Having colleagues spread across the globe that also play these parts is just as important. I really believe that the more we interact, the more we connect, the more we share, the more we learn, the better we become. We have to look beyond our own front door. Of cours, venturing out into the unknown can be scary, and for many beginning the "connected educator" journey can be just that. Putting yourself out there, being vulnerable, it takes no small degree of courage. Baby steps. (Cue the classic Bill Murray in "What About Bob?" ) Connecting with educators around the world however, is transformative. Being a connected educator has introduced me to people, and opened up opportunities I never could have imagined.

The beginning of becoming a connected educator for me was participation in the weekly organized chats on Twitter. It is through these chats that I have engaged in professional development weekly, if not daily. A few that I participate in fairly regularly are #SATCHAT, #COLLABED, #EDTECHCHAT, #NYEDCHAT, #ARKEDCHAT. These are the chats where I "met" Tony Sinanis, Daisy Dyer Duerr, Brad Currie, Tom Murray, Scott Totten, Jamie Armin, TwoTeacherZ, Marty Keltz, Jena Ball and Scott Bedley, all tremendous teachers and leaders in their own right. I do feel the need, however to highlight  #NYEDCHAT in particular, which has allowed me to connect with other great educators in my own state. Peter DeWitt, Lisa Meade, Vicki Day, Tim Dawkins and Patti Siano, a group that I now consider my "go to" educators. Over the past 6 months we have worked together to plan EdCampUNY, a project that has brought us closer. Now when I need to share an idea, gather feedback or vent, they are there, and again, most of them I did not know a year ago.

I have learned so much from all of the educators listed above that it is difficult to encapsulate it all, but it is probably best summed up as courageous leadership. Whether they are teacher leaders, building leaders, or leaders in educational enterprise, all of these individuals lead with heart, and understand the importance of developing the whole-child.

My journey as a connected educator had me looking for other professional development opportunities as well.  This past fall I attended the Edscape Conference in New Milford, New Jersey where I was able to meet many of the people that I had been interacting with regularly through Twitter. You can read more about my reflections following Edscape here. Attending conferences such as the CNYRIC ITD: Talks, NYSCATE annual conference, Edscape, and the Digital Leadership Conference this year allowed me to expand my professional network and provided an opportunity for me to meet face-to-face for the first time with many of the educators that I have connected with online.   Sitting here now, reflecting on how much I have grown professionally and personally as a result of the relationships that have been forged and built over the past year, connecting with these individuals and many, many more, well I am truly overwhelmed. I have been blessed beyond measure. I have written about the power of the PLN before - see this.

5. The Power of the GHO

This year I wanted to learn more about using Google Hangouts in the classroom. I know it sounds cliche, but Google Hangouts have been an absolute game changer! We were able to connect with amazing students, teachers and creative geniuses. We participated in Google Hangout sessions with:

• Scott Totten, Music Teacher in New Jersey
• Scott Bedley and his students in California
• Bill Selak and his students in California
• Michael and his teacher, John Lozano in California
• Barbara Phillips and her students in Ohio
• Lauren Lenzini and her students in Illinois
• Susan Hippelli and her students in Pennsylvania
• Jena Ball and Marty Keltz of CritterKin (more about this in a future post)

These opportunities enriched the dialogue in our classroom, provided us with an authentic audience for our work, and gave greater meaning to what we were learning. Google Hangouts allowed us to connect with peers from across the country, and in doing so, learn how truly connected we all are. We learned about each other and our communities and what makes our part of the world unique. We learned about kindness and empathy. We learned  that the words of Mem Fox are indeed true, "Little one, whoever you are, wherever you are, there are little ones just like you, all over the world..."

I feel again, like I have only just begun to scratch the surface here. I may have to come back and add to this post, as I sit a little longer and reflect a little more. But I think right now, if I had to sum it up. It would be the importance of relationships and human connections, because that is what is at the heart of being a connected educator, participating in a PLN and connecting with others through tools such as Google Hangout. What do you think? How have you built professional relationships this year? How have you modeled learning from others for your students? Hoping some of you will share by adding comments below.

Lessons Learned - Part 1

It's hard to believe that another school year is pretty much in the books, and what a year it has been! After teaching 6th grade for the better part of 10 years, I volunteered to change grade levels and moved to second grade. Moving to second grade was exciting and a little daunting, I wasn't sure what to expect. My first teaching position in my current building was in second grade, but that was more than a decade ago, a lot had changed. So I spent a great deal of last summer trying to prepare, but nothing could have prepared me for what lay ahead. Reflecting on the year, I have learned and re-learned some very powerful lessons. The next two or three blog posts will be devoted to these lessons.

1.Students
Lots of things may have changed, but the most important thing that has not changed (at least not yet - thankfully) is the natural wonder and curiosity of second graders. The students in Room 103 love learning, and have this genuine curiosity and joy around learning. Every day has been an adventure, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

2. Students
Kids are kids. These last few weeks of June are no exception. Rather than fighting the current, I allowed myself to get caught up in it. We had June Fun Days this month with each day having its own theme. We dressed up silly, played games, had fun, and yes, a lot of learning continued to happen. But if you walked past our room it was messy and a little chaotic, and it probably would have made a few folks uncomfortable. There was a time when I would have been uncomfortable, but not now.

3. Students
Life is hard. We have seen a steady rise in the number of students severely impacted by trauma in the family, poverty, mental illness, the list goes on. For many of our students, school is their safe haven. It is a place where their bodies, minds and hearts are nourished. A teacher's job is as important today as it has ever been, and maybe more so, because we take on these additional roles, and do more than facilitate the learning of specific content. We nurture the whole-child.

The top 3 lessons learned and re-learned  were related to students, which really isn't all that surprising as they drive everything we do. I could have probably dug up more, and as I continue to process the year in the next few days I may need to add to this list, but these are my significant take-aways as far as students are concerned. The next two posts will focus on: colleagues, a PLN and being a connected educator, the global classroom and a community of learners, leadership and humility. I hope you will stay tuned, give the upcoming posts a read, and share what your own takeaways for the year have been.

This link will take you to an Animoto that I put together as a tribute to my students and their learning this year. Enjoy!

More Than a Number

I recently had my rubric review with my principal.  That's the meeting where you sit down to discuss, and reflect on your performance and growth, in relation to the goals that you set at the beginning of the year. You then apply all of that to the Danielson rubric, and based on a numeric formula you have a score out of 60. I personally think it is an interesting process, on the one hand you have the potential to encourage greater self-reflection, engage in meaningful conversations with your building leader, and ultimately focus on professional growth. I feel there is one huge obstacle however, and that is "the score".

I can't help but wonder what this process would be like if there wasn't a score tied to it. Would there be a way to use this reflection process to improve climate? What if in addition to sitting down with our building leader, we sat down with our colleagues, and reflected collectively on what we have done and what we are doing? What if we identified our strengths as a building, and our weaknesses? What if this process brought us together, rather than isolating us? What if we collectively refused to be defined by a number? We are professionals; we do important work every single day and this must be our focus. I think a lot of good can come from the process in general, but we have to move beyond the numbers.

I would love to get your thinking on this. How is this working in your building or district? What are the strengths or benefits you have seen? What areas do you think need improvement? I appreciate you taking the time to read and contribute your thoughts on this.

The Power of Stories

#Digilead101

Today I was able to attend the Digital Leadership Summit hosted by SAANYS and NYSCATE. My reasons for attending the conference were three-fold. First, I was going to be able to hear Eric Sheninger speak on digital leadership, and get a copy of his book (signed no less). Second, Tony Sinanis, was coming and speaking about community engagement, and well if you've read my blog before, you know how much I admire Tony. Finally, I was going to be able to meet in person for the first time, a great group of people in my PLN.

The Power of the PLN Strikes Again

This evening as I had some time to process the day, and what it all means,  I am once again struck by the power of the PLN. As I look at the pictures, think about the conversations, and the sharing of stories, I am reminded of how richly my life has been blessed by the people I have met as a result of connecting via Twitter. As I sat and looked around the table during the closing panel discussion, it seemed hard to believe that most of the people sitting there I didn't know even a year ago, and yet they have had such a profound impact on my teaching practice and in my confidence to share my own story.    
Sharing stories is powerful because it connects us, it is a method of communication that connects with us on a deeper level, and the engagement that results is real and powerful.

Stories, and the power in telling your story was certainly a theme woven throughout the day, particularly in the sessions that I attended. Here are a few of my key takeaways:

Tony Sinanis on Community Engagement

I love how Tony began his session. He asked the participants to reflect on the following questions:

What is your school story?

Do you explain the how and the why (behind the things you do)?

What do you stand for?

How would kids answer that question? Would it be the same?

I am curious about what our students and their families would say, so I think I am going to ask. How clearly have I communicated by my words, but more importantly by my actions what I value, what I believe to be true about education, learning and community. 

I was also challenged to consider whether I am giving students voice, and the power to think critically about what they are doing everyday, and am I putting the power to share their learning journey, their story into their hands. I was pushed to consider how I could this better.

Eric Sheninger on Digital Leadership

I travelled to New Milford High School in the fall for EdScape, and was extremely impressed by what I saw, the physical space (think modern learning spaces married with the beautiful architectural details of a school built in the late 1920's), the student ambassadors, and of course Eric. Not having had an opportunity while at New Milford to learn more about Eric's story, and the story of New Milford High School, I was really looking forward to hearing his keynote address (and yes, getting my booked signed). What perhaps, struck me the most was Eric's honesty about his own digital leadership journey, his own story, and what can happen when we give up some of our power and control.

Here are a couple of quotes that really stuck with me, "give up control and don't fear failure; trust our kids" and "action over position", and with that action over position I extend that to our entire community of learners.

#HibachiChat

Last, but not least here is to Tony Sinanis, Eric Sheninger, Lisa Meade, Vicki Day, Peter DeWitt, Patti Siano and new friends Alan Spieldenner and Rich Hughes with much appreciation for the laughs. XO

The Courage to Lead

Courageous leadership can look a little different given particular situations. At times courageous leadership can mean bucking the norm, refusing the status quo and moving an organization in a new direction or into unchartered territory. At times courageous leadership may in fact be speaking up, and being vulnerable as you confront difficult situations, and at times it can be as simple as acknowledging that as a leader you don’t have all the answers.  

When I sat down and thought about educators that I believe demonstrate courageous leadership on a regular basis, a couple of names came to me right away, Peter DeWitt and Tony Sinanis. If you are a regular in any number of education chats on Twitter you are sure to have run into them.  These two gentleman have had a tremendous impact on me, and many others. In addition to their regular contributions during Twitter chats focusing on education, they write reflective blogs that challenge readers to think deeply about the current issues in education. What makes Tony and Peter particularly courageous is their willingness to wrestle with complex ideas and examine many sides of a situation. They confront reality head-on, and communicate openly. Both of these educators seek feedback and consider multiple viewpoints, you can see this through their participation in regular Twitter chats, education conferences and the dialogue they generate with their individual blogs. Peter and Tony say what needs to be said, even if it may be counter to popular opinion.  And there is an understanding that learning can be messy, and that in failure we pave the way for future success. Finally, they lead with heart, and leading with heart takes courage. It means being authentic, being vulnerable and cultivating human relationships.

Epilogue:

After I wrote this, I got to thinking of another person that I feel is demonstrating courageous leadership, and her name is Lisa Meade. Lisa is a middle school principal modeling the value of being a connected educator, an innovator and reflective practitioner. She regularly engages and challenges others in many of the education chats on Twitter, and regularly posts her reflections on education and teaching practices in her blog. She understands the importance of building relationships and sharing her passion. Sometimes I don't think she sees herself as being particularly courageous, but she is.

Privileged to have them as colleagues, inspired by their leadership and ultimately blessed by their friendship.

A FEW MUST READS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE BLOGS:

A Work in Progress by Lisa Meade

I am a Nine by Tony Sinanis

Why Did You Become a Leader? by Peter DeWitt