Reflections from a 1st timer after #nerdcampli

There are emails that you wish you never opened, emails that make you mad, emails that make you laugh and emails that you want to cherish forever.  The following email is one to cherish.  It came from a first time edcamper after attending #Nerdcampli.  I was given permission to share the email but was respectfully asked not to include names.  For anyone thinking about attending an edcamp - I hope these words inspire you to try one.  

Wow!!  What an incredible afternoon. While I generally don't respond after conferences, I feel I need to say a few things about today's events:

First, thank you for telling me about it!  I am going to be signing up for the one in July as well. 

Second, hearing (and meeting) Lynda Mullaly Hunt was both an honor and humbling experience. What she showed us is that those students who are 'invisible' are really the ones we need to make the MOST visible. I read her novel Fish in a Tree again when I came home. I actually could see some of my students in her novel and will be approaching their education differently. 

In the next session, while I was very interested in listening to how to introduce YA novels to students and make connections to them, it was Mrs. Hunt's session that still played in my mind ('my mind movie' if you will).   I was able to have many conversations with other educators and administrators after her session and wrote down many other books/novels/stories that my students will be able to relate to as well. 

I also will be ordering "affirmation" cards from Vistaprint for my students.  

I apologize for the length, but never have I been so moved, humbled or touched by someone the way I was today. 

I hope to make my invisibles--visible!!

With deepest and sincerest gratitude,

(A very PROUD teacher)

This is just a sample of the responses and reflections shared by our teachers after attending #nerdcampl1.  On behalf of the entire Northern Parkway Admin team - thanks for taking a chance on a Saturday attending this un-conference.  #learningisjoyful 

#learningisjoyful

http://info.character.org/blog/learningisjoyful

Leaders do have Superpowers

On July 20, 2015 - I came across an #edtechchat on leadership.  I read tweets about what leaders should do, how leaders should act, ineffective leadership styles, and great quotes about leadership.  Although I didn't have time to participate fully in the chat, I did leave something for participants to think about:

Fast forward to the week of July 27, 2015.  I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Long Island Summer Literacy Institute in Merrick, NY (#LiLit15).  My reading session, hosted by Jennifer Brady (@bradylitcoach) reminded me that educators need to lead readerly lives if we expect our students to be readers.

The amazing author Kwame Alexander aka The Newberry Medalist for The Crossover Kwame Alexander inspired us and reminded us that our students won't "dance naked" unless we do (@kwamealexander).

My writing session was facilitated by JoEllen McCarthy (@JoEllenMcCarthy).  In her usual enthusiastic and contagiously joyful way - we were reminded that as educators  - we also need to lead writerly lives if we expect our students to be writers. JoEllen gave us time in our session to write about things that we are experts on.  After listing my areas of expertise on an "Investigations start with I" chart - I chose the theme of leadership (inspired by the #edtechchat) to reignite my writerly life.

Leaders 

Maybe we are not superhuman.

But as people in the position of leadership we do possess superpowers. 

We have the power to 

*belitte

*ignore

*dominate

*intimidate

We also have the power to 

*empower

*validate

*collaborate

*celebrate

Maybe we are not superhuman. 

But we can use our superpowers for good! 

Summertime and #learningisjoyful.  Can't wait until the final day of the Summer Institute as writer, poet and educator Georgia Heard (@Georgiaheard1) will surely remind me of something Joyful!  

Another Recovered Post - PD - Teacher Choice

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Professional Development - Teacher Choice

This year my administrative team made a commitment to differentiate our professional development opportunities for our teachers.  This was particularly important for me because

1) I hate going to professional development sessions that do not meet my skill level.  Whatever the topic is, there should at least be a choice between beginning/intermediate and intermediate/advanced.
and
2) Simply stated - Some topics and presenters are boring.

Our last pd session was held at our school from 3:10 - 4pm and included approximately 36 teachers.  Here is an example of what our school principal emailed the staff:

Team,

Tomorrow's staff development session will be our final session of this school year with the theme of differentiated professional development.

There are three sessions being offered tomorrow where everyone will have the opportunity to not only examine current research in the areas identified below, but also join in a collegial discussion on how these topics impact us here at the school. 

There is NO need to sign-up for a session. We will begin at 3:10 pm tomorrow.  Light snacks and refreshments will be available.  The sessions to choose from are as follows:

(1) Keeping "Learning Joyful" Until the Last Day of School: How to survive the home stretch.  Participants will share research, ideas and strategies to help you through the last 6-8 weeks of school. Participants attending are encouraged to BYOD as a component of the session will explore research found via social media (Twitter) Location: Library 

(2) ADHD & ADD an explanation not an excuse

Participants will focus on attentional differences and how they impact our classrooms. There will be a discussion on what is ADHD & ADD? Participants will walk away with proven strategies to use in the classroom.   Location: 513

(3) Causes and Cures in the Classroom: Getting to the root of academic and behavioral problems.  Participants will explore the work of Margaret Seale to examine strategies and tools to help us diagnose root causes and develop targted, effective interventions for our students. Discussions will focus on how we can help students overcome difficulties and experience real success in the classroom.  Location: 512

Sometimes we attach the name of the presenters but this time we did not.  We really wanted the teachers to choose based on topic not presenter.  Each group had between 10-14 participants.  I conducted "Session 1" because that is my passion (see blog entry #1 and entry #2).  We conducted the session in a collegial circle format where everyone shared ideas, strategies, what's worked, and what ifs.  

Reflections: ~ Many participants remained and kept discussing after 4pm (always a good sign!). ~I shared a lot of the cool stuff I've been learning and inspired by via Twitter. I conducted a mini-Twitter workshop and had 3 more teachers sign up.  I showed them a recent Responsive Classroom chat #rcchat and we searched ideas for Morning Meeting group activities.~Teachers shared websites such as noodle.com, their favorite outdoor learning experiences, and reflected on their best school experiences as students.~One teacher came to my office the next day still excited to share what she wanted to do to close out the year~One teacher texted me the following:  "Your pd" was awesome.  I came to school early today so kids could try noodle.com prior to the test.  They love Zumba"

By the way, we didn't wait for district level permission or approval and did not focus on what might or might not happen as a result.  We just did it because we are passionate educators that are excited about what we do.

Recovered Post

I originally started this blog with this description: There's always something "book worthy" happening in my school each day.... So here it is....a glimpse of my work as an Elementary Assistant Principal. But I realized this blog has become more than just my work as an Assistant Principal. This blog reflects the intersection of me as an Educator, a mom, and my everyday life...1 blog account that represents who I am professionally and personally. I can't separate what makes me me!

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Questioning??? An empowering skill for all...

"Questioning" was the topic in #sunchat on May 25th.  Many good ideas where exchanged around the topic and I shared the following:

1)Some Ss have mastered art of silence/avoidance 2 questions and 2) Questions are great...if we allow time for Ss to answer them!  And not the same student(s) that dominate all discussions. 

I shared these tweets because as an assistant principal I've noticed that in most (not all) classes questioning is always one directional - from teacher to student.  Typically a teacher will pose a question, a few students will raise their hand to respond, and the teacher will choose a student to answer and the lesson goes on and on and on.  Once in a while a teacher will choose a student not raising his or her hand and 9 time out of 10 the student will sit quietly until the teacher asks someone else to help that student.  That's why I stated that some students have mastered that art of silence/avoidance.  But than again, these are my students -Black and Latino students in a predominately Black and Latino community with a high percentage of low-income households.  Are students in "other" communities taught to speak up confidently and challenge what's in front of them.  Are students in other communities expected to think critically and creatively while students in the community I serve expected to sit quietly and not question or challenge anyone or anything?  While I didn't share these thoughts during #sunchat it was clearly on my mind.  Why didn't I add these ideas to the chat?  Well, the chat was so positive, I didn't think it was appropriate for me to jump in with a Tweet about race/class and communities that are often underserved in the educational system.  But than I read the following excerpt from @JovanDM:

Second - Where are all the black educators on Twitter? by @JovanDM

@JovanDM wrote: Twitter and other social media outlets where educators congregate NEED the voices and experiences of Black educators and other educators of color because our experiences are often unique in that we must simultaneously grapple with the challenges of implementing curricula, integrating technology, navigating race and racism, and addressing students’ social and emotional needs in a way that many, though not all, of our White counterparts don’t have to. Our challenges, frustrations, hard work, innovation, and triumphs will remain the stuff of fairy tales if we don’t share them with one another and the world.

Wow -this spoke directly to my heart and soul and led me right back to my initial thoughts about questioning.  Yes, the #sunchat was about teachers asking good questions in class but should teachers be the only person in the class asking questions?  And if so, how do we really get our students to think critically about anything?  Black and Latino students are sometimes told by their parents not to question authority, just sit back, be quiet and listen to what the teacher says.  If a student questions a teacher or adult in the building they can be labeled as disrespectful, disobedient, or "at risk".   How and when are we to develop a community of thinkers if they are never allowed to question who or what is in front of them?  

If students do not know how to ask questions or if they have been conditioned so long to think that they can't ask questions, than it is our responsibility as educators to model when and how to ask questions.  We must work to empower all students and give all #studentsvoice. 

I am absolutely making this one of my instructional goals for the 2014-2015 school year and as I seek to find my voice in the Twitter and blog world, I will no longer hesitate to add my views as a Black educator to mainstream Twitter chats.  Because if I don't, who will? 

Beyond the Bake Sale - #ptcamp - Week 2 reflections

Beyond the Bake Sale - #PTcamp Week 2 Reflections

My role as an administrator in developing partnerships

This year the administrative team at my school has decided to work with cohorts of teachers and serve not only as their immediate supervisor but also as their coach/mentor/partner in education.
By developing more of a partnership with teachers our hope is that we will be able to directly support more teachers, students and families academically, socially and emotionally.  We are a K-5 building with approximately 780 students and 36 class sections.  We will each have 12 teachers (2 per grade) in our respective cohort.

I believe that the key to success in my cohort will be to help teachers develop true partnerships with the families in their classrooms.  I believe that developing partnerships on a class by class level with be more authentic and meaningful rather than trying to meet the needs of all families on a school-wide level at the same time.

We all know what works and Beyond the Bake Sale is a great resource to remind us of best practices. But with all best practices, they only work if you actually do them...consistently....and with the same level of enthusiasm in the beginning of the year until the end of the year.

So as excited as I am about the possibilities, I am more excited about starting small and making meaningful connections with my cohort of teachers, their students and their families.

Success builds Success was a phrase that Michele S. used in reference to the idea of starting with small steps on the way to your goal.  I trust that the success I will have with my cohort of teachers and families will lead to success with all teachers and families in my building.  I will celebrate the growth that is made each day, each week, and each month as we work toward school wide partnership practices.

2/18/14

Beyond the Bake Sale - Week 4 #ptcamp

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Beyond the Bake Sale - #PTcamp Week 4 Reflections

I might not be able to do everything, but I can do SOMETHING!

I have to admit, the last chapter that I read for this week's reflection (Chapter 9) was so far my least favorite chapter in the book.  Up until Chapter 9, I was able to relate to specific ideas, strategies, goals that I had control over.  Chapters 1-8 helped me reshape, refocus and get reenergized.  But Chapter 9 almost deflated me.  Almost, but not quite.  Chapters 1-8 made me remember that I could do something to develop and enhance partnerships, advocacy, and trust, but chapter 9 appeared to take the power away from me and into the hands of the Superintendency and Board of Education.  But I quickly got back on track and told myself I might not be able to do big things that immediately influence what happens on a district and community level, but I can do big things in my school and for the parents, teachers, and students that I work for and with every day. 

So I decided not to spend a lot of time with Chapter 9.  That was my choice.  And we all have choices and the power to make a difference and we have the power to change what we do and how we do it.  So instead of feeling like I have little or no control regarding policy, I'm just going to do SOMETHING that is meaningful and beneficial for my school community...and have fun doing it.   I can only trust that what I do can eventually become policy but I cannot wait for policy to determine what I do.  

~~~~~

Oh, I usually refer back to a tweet that I read or wrote when I'm writing this blog.  So this week I tweeted: MT: Parents have choices.  Sometimes parents just feel like doing something else instead of going to a school event but still care about education.   

I wrote this because all to often in the education community we look at attendance at events as the measure of success and equate that to family involvement.  In my school we moved away from attendance as the only measure of success because sometimes parents are just doing something else and can't change their schedule because the school is having an event.  For example, a typical week for me (Educator and a mom) can include a PTA meeting at the school I work in, a reading workshop at my son's elementary school, a concert at my other son's high school and a Board of Education meeting in either the school district I work in or the school district I live in.  I can't attend all the meetings/events and still have a balanced professional and personal life.  So I have to choose.  And my choice will be determined by which event/activity will I get the most out of, which one is a non-negotiable, and which one will keep me out of the house for the least amount of time.   But if I choose not to attend the reading workshop, will the teachers at my son's school think I'm not involved or I don't care about my son's reading progress?  Totally not a true statement but can be perceived that way based on the traditional lens of attending events = parental involvement.

Another idea I just want to share and get out there is that some parents and students would rather learn on their own and support their children in a different manner.  Some families are just not interested in small talk or social functions.  That is a very hard concept for me to wrap my head around as just my presence on social media indicates I am a social person.  But what about those in our community that are not social.  Are we conditioned in our society to respect their option of being in their own space and learning at their own pace.  I recently came across the book:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Stop Can't Talking by Susan Cain

Q: Quiet offers some terrific insights for the parents of introverted children. What environment do introverted kids need in order to thrive, whether it’s at home or at school?
A: The best thing parents and teachers can do for introverted kids is to treasure them for who they are, and encourage their passions. This means: (1) Giving them the space they need. If they need to recharge alone in their room after school instead of plunging into extracurricular activities, that’s okay. (2) Letting them master new skills at their own pace. If they’re not learning to swim in group settings, for example, teach them privately. (3) Not calling them “shy”--they’ll believe the label and experience their nervousness as a fixed trait rather than an emotion they can learn to control.

Just wanted to add this piece because as we push for partnerships, let's remember that as wide as we open the doors for families to join us, some would rather show their support behind closed doors.