Goal-Setting for the New School Year

This post is week 5 of 8 in the 8 Weeks of Summer Blog Challenge for educators.

Every summer I sit and reflect on what went well the previous school year and, more importantly, what didn't go well. I ask myself:

• What changes are needed to my classroom environment to stimulate a safe space for all students?
• How can I continue to accommodate all learners in my lesson planning?
• What units of instruction received positive feedback from students AND showed evidence of high levels of student growth and engagement?
• How successful was I in teaching all the necessary standards? 
• What instructional challenges did I face on a regular basis? 
• What will I do to continue my professional growth throughout the school year?
• How will I engage my students in learning activities that encourage student voice and choice on a regular basis?

The act of reflecting on these questions allows me to plan and adjust my practice for the following year. Based on my reflections from the 2018-2019 school year I have decided to make some changes to my practice that will allow for more student agency and provide easier to navigate access to monitoring growth and progress. 

For the 2019-2020 School Year I plan on:

• Continuing to build interest in reading by keeping daily independent reading time. This was mentioned by almost every student to keep (and some even wanted longer periods of time!).
• Build interest in books by keeping a working recommendation slide deck that all students can access and add to. I used this in my Summer Learning Lab class this summer and it received great feedback from students, along with providing a repository of student-recommended books. 
• First Chapter Fridays - I started this at the beginning of last year, but quickly fell out of the routine. I want to be consistent with this from now on; however, I am probably going to just focus on reading an excerpt from a book on Friday's that I feel will make students interested in knowing more.
• Building and maintaining a Class Site that will update regularly and will act as the main hub of communication for parents and students on standards of learning and classroom expectations.
• Begin to make the switch to Standards-Based Grading and building student portfolios. (There will be a separate post on this later that will share my process and collaboration experiences to build this experience for my students!)
• Become an ISTE certified educator.
• Continue to build facilitation and coaching skills that provide teachers with relevant, hands-on professional development experiences.
• Learn and implement restorative practices by blending with culturally responsive pedagogy and maintaining a trauma-sensitive approach with my students at all times. 
• Be consistent with allowing for student feedback and adjusting instruction to my student's needs! 

What are your goals this school year? 

Optimize Learning Through Classroom Environment

This post is week 4 of 8 in the 8 Weeks of Summer Blog Challenge for educators.

During the course of obtaining a teaching degree, we learn about the importance of the learning environment and how it has a direct impact on student success. Every summer I watch Teachers on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter post about what decor and theme they will be using in the new year. In fact, that's all I ever really see from August-September. But, is the decor really what is conducive to an effective learning environment? The obvious answer is no. Is it nice to have pretty things in your room? Yes. But, for some kids, this may be over-stimulating when teachers go over-the-top with their decorations. When I think of all the time teachers spend over the summer on decorating, I shudder. There are so many more valuable ways that teachers could spend their time that would have a positive impact in the classroom. 

If I am not spending weeks establishing a new decor theme in my classroom, what do I do to optimize the learning conditions in my classroom to provide an environment conducive to student success? 

1. Clean, organized space with minimal distractions. Anchor charts are built with students and not pre-made. Walls are mostly bare, with some inspirational quotes in vinyl to encourage and motivate students. We build our decor together through text annotations, thought logs, Z-charts, and sketchnotes that we create in class.
2. Cool, calm colors to stimulate a relaxing environment. Students have access to comfortable seating/standing options, so they can choose to work in the way that best supports them that day. 
3. Books. I teach literacy, so let's be realistic. I have books. Lots of books. Is this an area that needs to be better organized? Yes. I am working on it this summer. I literally had books stacked all over my classroom. I know I had 2-3 students that were overwhelmed by this because there was no sense of organization. So, I am focusing on bringing in more bookshelves and organizing and labeling books to help students that need it. 
4. Failures are celebrated and mistakes are a true part of learning. Through discourse, it is the norm to identify how thinking can differ and to learn to acknowledge and accept other points of view. Revisions are a normal part of our learning structure. Students learn that they will revise their work one or more times. It is not a condition of failure, but rather a condition of learning. 
5. Safe. The classroom is a safe place to share our thinking, our faults, our experiences without judgment. There are multiple ways for students to share about topics that are important to them. They can share with me verbally, write a note to me, journal, blog, or communicate digitally. No one student is ever made to feel their thoughts and opinions are not valued. 
6. Respectful. Students are respected. Their voices have an impact. I acknowledge their impact and show them that I want to hear their opinions and thoughts. Even if I may not always agree. Or if others disagree. It can lead to some stimulating, yet respectful, discourse in the classroom. This allows students to understand that they do have something to add to the learning in the classroom and that learning cannot happen without their engagement in the lesson.
7. Goal-setting is integral to students tracking their academic progress through self-monitoring, assessment tracking, and feedback forms. Students reflect on scores and feedback so that they can make the desired changes necessary to show improvement. 
8. High expectations push students to engage in higher-order thinking skills and extend past the imaginary mental boundaries they have set, so they can access the content at maximum levels of comprehension and application. Not trying is not an option. Our mantra is that something is better than nothing because when we try something, then we can receive feedback to lead us in the right direction. Doing nothing gets us nothing. 

I do not have rules in my classroom; however, I am aware that classroom management has a high impact on student learning. I set the stage at the beginning of the year that the only things required in my classroom are to be respectful and kind. Not a rule, but let's have integrity and do what is expected of us at all times. I hardly ever have to reprimand students for behavior. When they feel respected and like they are a contributing member of the learning environment, then they are more likely to give their absolute best in the classroom. 

So, do I spend months over the summer stressing out about my decor? No. Do I think about it some? Of course! But, it is not my primary focus. I want to maximize learning for my students, so I focus on increasing my own pedagogical knowledge in the summer, so I can return a stronger teacher with higher-content knowledge and application skills. Let's face it, teachers are the indicator of student learning, not the pictures on the wall. And, while the physical environment is important and should reflect a space that is comforting to be in, it does not have the largest impact on optimizing learning. Find balance and focus on the social-emotional environment within the classroom just as much and not just the physical environment to provide a space for students to learn. 

Dream. Inspire. Educate. How I became the Teacher I am Today

This post is week 2 of 8 in the 8 Weeks of Summer Blog Challenge for educators.

Dreaming of a Better Future

Growing up I struggled with trauma & poverty. It wasn't a guarantee that I would graduate high school, let alone go to college. In fact, no one in my immediate family had, so college was not even on my radar for a very long time. I never doubted I would finish high school. That was something I knew I would do just to spite those that said I couldn't. But, college? Never.

Until one teacher helped me see that there could be a better future for me. One where I could have a positive impact on children's lives. One that I had never even dreamed was a possibility for me. Education. Be a teacher. The idea clicked and at 20 years old, I was the first in my family to enroll in college. I thought I would teach British Literature, so I focused on literature courses and a few basics. Until at 21, I decided I needed to work more than go to college, so I dropped out of college.

Then, I had my daughter. She was my inspiration to get back to school because when I looked into her tiny face I KNEW I wanted more for her. In fact, I wanted to be a role model for her. I wanted her to grow up and see that with hard work and education, she can achieve her dreams. So, I set out to reach my dreams and enrolled in college again. While in school I became a substitute and through my experiences, I quickly realized that elementary was the right fit for me and that I truly loved being around kids in the 4th and 5th-grade classrooms that I was a regular substitute for. 

I worked so hard when my daughter was an infant. I subbed during the school day and focused on my studies in the evening. In fact, most of that time is a blur. There were many long, sleepless nights where I would work on school tasks while caring for a baby. It was more than worth it though. 

I completed my Bachelor's of Art in Interdisciplinary Studies Pre-k to 6 in under 2 calendar years thanks to Western Governor's University self-paced program and affordable tuition. Not only was I the first in my immediate family to achieve a college degree, but I also did it in an amazingly short time-frame AND with a 4.0! I realized education is my key to a better future, thereby ensuring that her future is better as well. I believe this is the beginning of my understanding of the power that education can bring to children who don't believe there are other options. I realized that education cannot be taken from me. It is the one thing I control. Which means that my students have that same gift given to them every day they come to school.

Inspiring Children to Find Their Passion

Through my passion for reading and education, I found a new love. A love of inspiring young minds to find their passions. I realized that without teachers who cared for me and pushed me past my own limitations, I would not be where I am now. I would not have taken Advanced Placement courses. I would not have gone to college. I would not think of education as a place I belong in as a profession. I would not be in a classroom at all. Now it is my turn to pass that same inspiration and belief on to others who doubt themselves due to their unfortunate circumstances. Our circumstances do not define us. What we make of them does.

Educators have power in words. 

It can be as simple as it was for me when a teacher said: "We need more good teachers. You need to go to college." The fact that a woman I respected and admired thought I would make a good teacher was enough to get my feet moving toward college. She pointed me in the right direction even if it did take many years from that point on. Without that one statement from her, I know for a fact I would not be in the classroom now. 

I try to remember this moment as much as possible to remind myself of the power that we have with our words. I tell my students about their individual and unique gifts and help them see how they can foster those gifts through education to have a bright future. A future that is successful in spite of the hardships and trauma they may endure now. I believe in them. And that is communicated daily. It is the springboard for their own inspiration.

Education is a Gift

Every person has the right to an education regardless of race, culture, gender, disability, or circumstances. I knew growing up that school was an escape for me. It was a way for me to shed the trauma of my home environment. This is a truth many of my students know as well. 

Once a teacher showed me that he believed in my academic ability, it became even more than that. Not only was school an escape from home, but school was also now a way out. I could be better. Do better. All I had to do was learn. So I did. And through that experience, I realized that while everyone attends school, everyone does not see it as the gift it should be. That has become my mission. 

I desire for every student in my classroom to come in and realize they are not a product of their circumstances. They are not the traumatic experiences they have lived in. They are creating who they are every day they walk in the classroom. I frequently tell them that the one thing no one can ever take from them is their education, so fight for it! Recognize that it is your right to be in the classroom, but you will walk out with the gift of knowledge that is all your own. No one can take that from you. Ever. This is the most precious gift. Believe in yourself. If I can help my students see this year after year then I know I am doing what I was meant to do. I want to inspire other kids as I was inspired. I believe in them and the future they will create. This is more powerful than any lesson I will ever deliver on content. This guides who I am as a teacher every day when I walk into the classroom. I can only hope that my students see my passion and belief in their abilities and use that to gain an understanding of what they can accomplish. 

What I Was Meant For

I realized that my true calling is with teaching literature. Let's face it, I love to read. That love and enjoyment of books carries over authentically to my students. It helps me inspire them to find their love of reading.

I also realized that I am definitely meant for intermediate/middle school grade levels. I love working with children when they are trying to find themselves and explore their identities. I am hoping that my impact will be larger because they will hopefully carry my lessons on education and my belief in their individual talents as they grow and become successful adults. 

I learned that through being a life-long learner, I can accomplish more than I ever dreamed of. By the time I was 28 I had a Masters Degree in Instructional Design. This was an idea that never seemed possible for me when I was growing up. And, because of that, I can help my students realize that they can make a change for themselves as well. 

What does the future hold for me in education?

I am also beginning to learn that I may have a calling for a larger impact. I enjoy teaching educators. I want to help others in the classroom meet the needs of their students-not just academically-but also emotionally. But, I fear leaving the classroom. I know one day I will. I am beginning to think it is what I am meant to do. But, I also know that the unknown is scary. There is even a part of me that worries I am not good enough to inspire educators to learn and grow for their students because of my traumatic past. After all, how could I teach them when I didn't even know I wanted to be a teacher until I was told? No one truly knows what the future holds, but I do hope that mine holds the ability to impact teachers in the classroom and the students in front of them. And, I am finally seeing that I can believe in my own abilities. 

My future as a learner is changing as well. I am considering a new journey into a Ph.D. The fact that I even put that in writing to share is monumental. It may take a while to gain courage, but it is there in my mind. I now realize it is something I can do. And that is what I want my students to understand. Education is there for them. The sky is the limit. They hold so many possibilities in their hands. All they have to do is BELIEVE in themselves like I believe in them! 

Summer Learning Labs

This summer I am trying something new to engage my readers & writers in an attempt to lessen the summer slide.

Use Google Classroom to create an online-only learning environment. 
I sent home a sign-up for upcoming 6th-grade students the last week of school that gave students permission to participate. This form asked students for their ID number to be added to the Classroom and parents for their email address to be added to a Google Contact Group and connected to the Google Classroom for guardian summaries.

Collaborative Opportunities Provided
I have built-in many opportunities for students to share their reading experiences.

• Google Classroom discussion questions are a great resource to engage students in discourse with their peers. 

Discussion Question created to share why they joined this
summer class and what they hope to gain from it!
Students then replied to one another.

• NearPod's Collaborate Board is a great way to share information with peers and add images. Students can even like each other's postings!

Share a Beautiful Line of a book
you are reading right now

• Kidblog also allows students to comment and give feedback on each other's writing pieces. 

Kidblog Dashboard 

Challenges

I will be providing my students with a variety of challenges geared to increase interest in reading and writing, as well as continue to build skills. Some examples of challenges I will be providing my students:

• Find errors in popular celebrity posts & correct the grammar. 
• NearPod has a great Writing Do's & Writing Don'ts that I put on Student Paced Lesson choice that has students look at Social Media posts & provides opportunities for students to collaborate electronically. 
• Correct meme's to have proper grammar. 
• Take a picture of a book you are reading while outside.
• Record a video of you sharing a Beautiful Line* from a favorite book.
• Have students use Google Slides to build a slide deck of book recommendations.

Example Student Addition to Slide Deck

My purpose is to try to eliminate the dreaded SUMMER SLIDE. I have provided this opportunity for students that are beginning 6th grade and also for the students that are moving on to 7th grade. Kids work hard all school year, I hate to see them lose it over the summer! 

I also believe an added benefit for the students that are participating is that we will the opportunity to build relationships before the first day of school (with me AND each other). Students will also be familiar with the technology expectations and applications we will be using in class. I am hopeful that they will feel more comfortable when they walk into the classroom for the first time in late August. 

I shared a picture of a
trip to the library & was
able to have a conversation
about the library
& books with a student!

After I left a picture of my trip a student was
inspired to share the results of her trip
to the library as well! 

Private comments in Google Classroom allow me
to help students with technology before school starts
and build relationships by asking questions!

*A beautiful line is a line or phrase that resonates with the reader in a deeply personal way. It can also be a line that the reader enjoys because of the use of beautiful language. This idea was taken from 180 Days by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. 

If you have any ideas or would like more information about how this goes, please contact me!

Summer Fun, Summer Learning

This post is week 1 of 8 in the 8 Weeks of Summer Blog Challenge for educators.

I often hear how I am so lucky that I have summers off. In a way that is true; however, the majority of my summer vacation is spent engaging in reflective practice and learning. Summer vacation provides me an opportunity to reflect, grow, and challenge my thinking of educational practices. I have time to rest and recharge. I am able to read professional books that I choose, attend conferences, and engage in professional discourse. Just like during the school year, I set goals to help keep me focused because let's face it, social media & #eduTwitter can be very overwhelming and cause me to lose focus on what I want to accomplish. 

Professional Learning Goals

1. Read a variety of educational books that focus on pedagogy, restorative justice, equity, and technology. Preferably I like to read professional books at the beach with sand on my feet, sun on my face, and the sweet smell of salt water in the air. 

2. Engage in conferences with other educators. This year I can only afford to participate in the free online conferences, such as the Teach for Tech Conference that will feature over 60 speakers and sessions! 

3. Participate in Twitter chats, such as #pd4uandme, to gain new insights into teaching to meet all learner needs. 

4. Continue to grow and develop a Facebook Professional Development group that focuses on a variety of topics, including a year-long book study of "Onward: Stories and Resources to Cultivate Emotional Resilience" by Elena Aguilar.

5. Provide Professional Development to educators within my district as a Google Trainer for Education. 

What professional goals do you have this summer? I'd love to engage in learning experiences with you via a Twitter chat or you can meet up with me and Laura Cahill to engage in learning units on Facebook! 

Thank you for trusting me....

Every day we wake up and send our kids to school. We have trust in the teachers and staff in the building. We believe that they will care for our children and keep them safe and teach them. We also want to know that you love our child as much as we do. We trust that you will give them a chance and forgive them when they make mistakes. That you will support them and teach them how to correct wrong-doings. That you will laugh at their jokes and show empathy when they are sad. That you will listen to them when they just need a friend and that you will do all you can to keep their whole selves safe. 

As a teacher-mom, I understand this trust and need from parents because I do the same thing every day with my own children. I send them off to school with the hopes that they will be safe and feel accepted, supported and loved. So today, I just want to take a moment and say THANK YOU. 

Thank you for trusting me with your children day after day. Thank you for communicating with me when you are worried. Thank you for supporting my role as a teacher in your child's life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to know your child. Thank you for trusting me in such a way that I now have someone new in my heart. 

Just as there is a beginning, there is also an end. And at that end every year I cry. Great, big sobbing tears on the way home. Because I know that I will not see or hear from the majority of these kids again. I know that a piece of my heart is gone, but that they will always have that piece. I hope I have communicated this to them through my actions all year. I want them to walk out of my classroom at the end of the year with more confidence in themselves as a learner and a person. I want them to think of me every time they find a new book that they love. And I look forward to the days when they stop by for a quick visit-just long enough for a hello and a hug-because those days make my heart swell with love and gratitude. 

So, again, thank you for sharing your child with me day after day. It has been a valuable gift to learn and grow from your child. A gift I will never take for granted. 💕💕💕

The Angry Student

You know the student I am talking about. For me, it was a boy in my class last year. Almost every day for the first two months was the same:

He walks in and throws his bag down, sits down, and places his head on the desk. A friend tries to talk to him and he yells at him to go away. He's angry. You can feel the energy from him and so can those around him. You have a routine in place for the morning. Students are to come in and get their supplies ready for the day and then read silently, while eating breakfast, until after announcements when they will switch classrooms. You won't have this student again in your classroom until after 12:30. How do you help this student restart, so he can have a successful day?

1. LEAVE HIM ALONE
Seriously. Leave him alone. Don't bother him. Give him a few minutes to collect himself. Do not reprimand him. Do not try to ask what is wrong. Leave him in peace for a few minutes. Then, when he has calmed, go to him.

2. INQUIRE HOW TO HELP
First, keep a calm, gentle tone. Then ask him what he needs to get on track for the school day. Does he want to talk? Does he want to take a walk? Does he want to sit for a few minutes before going to his class? Basically-what does he need to get back on track for the day? And, whatever solution you both agree to, you MUST make sure to uphold it on your end. This is an important step in building and maintaining trust.

3. OFFER TO LISTEN
Once he knows you will help him restart his day, ask him if he'd like to talk. Give him an option to say yes or no. If he says yes...just listen. No advice. No judgment. Listen to his words & validate his feelings. That's it. Build a trusting relationship by showing him you genuinely care and want to help.

4. ASK IF HE WANTS YOUR ADVICE
Once he feels validated, ask him if you can give him some advice, or if you can share an observation. But, again, ask him. Allow him to choose if he wants to hear it. If you do go this route be careful that your well-intentioned advice doesn't turn into a judgment of his behavior or lecture.

I know this works. I have had this student in my class. The one who shuts down and gets angry and pushes everyone away. I learned very quickly to leave him be. I was able to determine that the majority of his anger in school came from a lack of confidence. My partner teacher (she teaches math) would get aggravated because she said he was "too smart" to feel that way. I understand what she meant. He is a very bright kid. But, when he was in her class he would shut down, get angry, yell, run out of the classroom, or just be very disrespectful and mean to her when he would get to his frustration level. My number one rule for myself when a child behaves this way is that you never win by arguing with a child, so don't engage. If you want to come out ahead, you need to play the long game and put in the work to build the relationship.

Let's be honest, he started with these behaviors in my classroom as well. I responded by giving him time to adjust his mood, inquiring about the problem he is having, listening and responding to him in a calm and respectful manner, and offering help if he wants it. Then, slowly, he started asking for help instead of immediately getting frustrated. Next, he began to ask if he could sit with me to work. At one point he wanted me to read and affirm every sentence he wrote before he would move on to the next. Slowly, he developed the confidence to only come to me when he was finished. By the end of the year if he had a bad morning he wouldn't come in and sulk, he would walk up to me and say "I had a bad morning and this is what I need...." and sometimes I would need to intervene in other classes because I was the only one he would respond to in a respectful manner, even when he was angry. Unfortunately, the middle school contacted me within the first week of school asking for advice on how to "handle him." They didn't like it when I responded with "Walk away and leave him be. Give him time and respect. Gain his trust." By the end of the first month of school, he had been suspended two times.

The last day of school he gave me a letter-carefully crafted-thanking me for never giving up on him even when he tested my patience to the highest limits. He still comes to visit me. He tells me how he is doing in school. He still struggles with managing his anger. He told me just last week he hasn't yet met another teacher who listened and believed in him the way I did. This breaks my heart. I hope that he will find that teacher next year. And every subsequent year after that. I look forward to his visits in the future and I can't wait to see what he accomplishes. I know he can overcome these troubles. He just needs his teachers to believe in him. We can do that. Right? We can believe in the angry kid and give him a chance to learn positive behavior choices when frustrated.

What have your experiences with the "angry student" been like? Please share your reflections with me!