Week in Review: Week 1

We've just finished week one of the 2015-2016 school year, and I thought it might be a good idea for my own goal setting/reviewing procedures to TRY to do a weekly week in review where I talk briefly about successes, failures, strategies, and goals for the next week. If you read this, please feel free to ask me about meeting my goals this week- keep me accountable, that's why I'm making this public. Let's see how this works!

What Worked: 

-introduced "Burning Questions" in Communication Applications. It's icebreaker questions randomly drawn and asked to a single, randomly drawn student each day. . Why it worked: Covers standards for interview skills and prepares them for being in front of the crowd in presentations later on. Students seem to enjoy it, and we are learning about each other as a class. 

What Worked

-asking students in Sociology, as part of Diversity unit, what are some areas in Anerocan Society where diverse opinions and actions have led to conflict- then opening discussion. Why it worked: Students have their opinions, first cautiously, then more confidently. Great back and forth a between students as I occasionally asked " devil's advocate" questions or introduced an alternate viewpoint. These kids have some solid ideas on all sides of issues. 

-in my stacked class(I teach Debate 1, 2/3 Honors and Independent Study in one class period), I utilized my upper level students as "experts" that could add to my teaching and also coach the Debate 1's. Why it worked:  Perspective. The uppers have done the types of debate we are discussing, they can tell the 1's what it's like in the moment. The 1's are listening and the uppers are learning coaching skills. 

What Failed:

-I talked too much. How to fix it:  First week it's often necessary, but even as we moved beyond that introductory unit, it was mostly me talking. I need to work on ways to ask more "discussion inspiring" questions in the midst of necessary content delivery. 

-I did not get any further ahead on planning and prep. I have 6 preps for 5 periods, cannot afford to fall behind or catch up to myself. How to fix it:  I just need to better budget time, maybe set aside one day a week to work on future lessons (I'm 5 weeks ahead right now). 

-I had trouble keeping which assignments were going to be for which class. How to fix it:  I have a desk calendar and colored pens I use for each class- colors correspond to objectives on the board and class work is graded in that color-I'm going to make sure to make visual reminders for me of what is coming up for which class. 

Evaluation:  It was a great first week. Connecting with students well, students are talking in class- about content, not gossip. Failures have easily identifiable fix and success have long term positive prospects. I'd give it an A-.

Goals for the week:

-Learn names. I'm getting there, but some classes are better than others. 

-Get another unit/chapter ahead in Sociology and/or Comm Apps. 

4 Tips For Day 1

Either your first day is here, or it's about to be. If you are like me, there are a LOT of thoughts running through your head, some good, some bad, some will strike you in the middle of the night with terror or inspiration. Here are some tips I will be following this year as I prepare for Day 1.

Share "You"

It is all about introductions. First impressions do matter, but a bad one is not insurmountable. Still, if you can, try to spice up your intro by being YOU. 

I've tried doing it other people's way, but I've found that just sharing bits of my life as a normal human being goes a long way. Last year I made a video that introduced my family and my hobbies. This year I will be showing a video I made about our family vacation. 

Whatever you do, share "you."  Be real and honest. Students want to know the real you, and can see through the phony. 

Say Goodbye to Last Year

No matter how good or bad it was, it's over. Done with. Graduated and moved into a dorm. 

My high school graduated its first seniors last year. They were an awesome group, and one of my StuCo kids expressed the fear that the other classes "won't be able to lead like they did."

The answer is " they won't and shouldn't."  That same advice goes for us teachers- last year was a different species than this year. You will have new students, new co-workers, and possibly new subjects. Don't waste time comparing the two years. I did that for a while last year, and it made me miserable. Find your joy in the "now" and make this year what it should be. 

Make Plans- with an "s"

There is nothing like going through your day 1 plan and finishing with a flourish--and twenty minutes left in class. 

Whatever you have planned, have backups in case they fail, or end early. Even if it's a default fall back to "So, you do anything interesting this summer?" class discussion. That has value towards building relationships. 

Give Yourself a "Cookie"

At the end of the day, treat yourself to a "cookie."  Set steward in mind for what you can enjoy and celebrate your Day 1 survival with. Doesn't have to be huge, but it must be something you like. For me, it is a Double Doozie cookie Slice from Great American Cookie Company. (Yeah, they do that and they are awesome.)

So there you are- 4 tips to a great first day. Now, go decide on your "cookie."

Mountain Message Part 3: 4 Hikers and Plan

(This is part 3 of a 3 part series.  Parts 1 and 2 are about spiritual lessons I learned from the journey, and appear on another blog I maintain.  Feel free to check them out as well.)

Our family vacation this year took us to Lake City, Colorado- a small town in a valley yet still sitting at about 8,600 feet in elevation.  It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and our family goal was to hike one of them in particular:  the 14,048 foot Handies Peak.

We all made it to about 14,000, but I was the only one to actually make it to the summit.  It was a rigorous and exhausting trip, but it provided for some interesting insight as an educator.  For one, I noticed the importance and ultimate shortcomings of being well planned.  For another, I noticed a correlation between the types of hikers in my own family and the types of learners in a classroom.

These are my observations.

Prepare- then improvise
We had attempted to hike Handies before, about four years ago.  We made it to about 13,000 feet from the trail head at 11,600 when a summer sleet storm forced us back down.  This previous experience, along with some studying of other hikers' methods led us to realize the need for certain things this time around.  Just like we prepared, teachers are right now preparing for their own hike through the curriculum and classes of the school year.  Here are some things you might find you need on your educational journey.

• Knowledge of the trail.  We needed to know when to follow the trail to the left or the right.  One might be steep, but it was well established- thus safer for our daughters (8 and 10) to hike.  the other might be less steep, but to find the trail again meant going over less stable shale paths.  Teachers need to know their path.  Understand the subject matter, and if you have taught it before, be aware of the moments when the trail gets more risky.  If you are a new teacher or teaching a new subject (as I am this year), familiarize yourself not just with your textbook and materials, but with a general knowledge of the subject.  Ask other teachers for their expertise on the subject.  I was fortunate to get a huge amount of help for one of my new subjects from another teacher in our district in the form of class notes and project ideas.  (Thanks Roy!)  So, find your maps and guides, and pay attention.
• Proper gear.  As we packed, I looked at my hiking boots.  They were about twenty years old and had held up well.  But I knew by looking at them that they would not serve me well in this journey.  I needed new boots.  Teachers, too, must update their gear.  It may have served you well last year, or even for twenty, but "gear" wears out.  Update notes, update technology (or consider it, for some) and be ready.  Also, when hiking as high as we were, layers are important.  Dress so you can shed what you do not need because it is better to bring more clothes than you need so you do not freeze.  (It was was 31 degrees when we started out, and warmed to 65.)  Teachers, it is better to bring more "gear" than you need than it is to realize in the moment, you do not have what you need in front of the whole class.
• Properly hydrate and apply sunscreen.  We each got one of those backpacks that has a water bladder and drinking tube for the hike, with 2 liters in each pack.  We also brought extra water just in case, and applied sunscreen multiple times.  Being closer to the sun has a larger impact than you realize until you are there.  For teachers, their hydration and sunscreen come in the form of trainings throughout the year.  I know they can sometimes be boring or even repetitive, but try to remember that they are fuel for your teaching hike as well as protection from potential failure.  I am fortunate to work in a district that has excellent teacher training and trainers/instructional coaches.  But if you do not have that fortunate situation, we live in an age when "water and sunscreen" are at the touch of your fingertips.  There are countless resources on line and especially in social media.  Our district is actually beginning a new Twitter chat for educators this year- its great water for the thirsty teacher.  And hey, taking up Twitter might just be the Proper gear for teacher development you need this year.
• Get ready to improvise.  In all our planning, we were sure we had thought of everything.  We even bought a can of oxygen for the thin air.  However, we did not.  We forgot our oldest daughters inhaler- thank goodness we had the oxygen.  We did not think about electrolytes at all, but thankfully some other hikers had and were kind with their supply.  Then there were the challenges that arose that we could not foresee.  Teachers, no matter how well you prepare, you cannot prepare perfectly.  Something new will come up, you will forget something, or the unforeseen will sweep your legs out from under you.  As educators, we must be flexible and adaptable- and willing to take help when it is offered.

Types of hikers

My family is made up of my wife, Kristin (also a teacher), our ten year old Leslie, and our eight year old, Kenna.  We had all prepared in different ways physically for the hike because lets face it, nothing in College Station, Texas can prepare you for the environment and elevation of Colorado mountains.  Kristin and I exercise regularly, Leslie is a gymnast, and Kenna does cheer classes.  We swim a lot in the summers.  But as I said, nothing prepares you for hiking and the struggles that can arise.

As we hiked, I recognized that we each represented different types of students, and how they hike is similar to how students manage their years/semesters in your course.  

• The Struggling Hiker.  Leslie, our oldest, is normally our athlete.  But the cold and thin air of the mountain kicked her asthma into high gear.  We had gone less than a mile (round trip it was over eleven miles) before she was struggling for air.  Fortunately, we had the oxygen.  She took hits very frequently throughout the trip.  It became clear about two thirds of the way in that she would probably not be able to make the summit.  The goal was to get her as far as we and she could.  With Leslie, we stopped and took breaks often to let her catch her breath.  We constantly encouraged, set small milestones that we then congratulated her for making, and talked to her about her interests (currently Harry Potter) to take her mind off the difficulties. She made it to 14,000 feet- higher than most kids her age could do.
• In our classes, we have students who struggle.  They don't like the subject or they have another factor that makes learning more difficult for them.  Their slow progress can slow down the rest of the class as well, so it becomes important for the teacher to create a culture in the classroom that allows for the other students to work with the struggling student instead of bemoaning that they are slowing everyone else down. We can set milestones and chances for small victories.  Students need 'wins' from time to time, or they give up.  We can build relationships based on the student's interest- once I asked a student about their interest in working on old cars, and it forged a connection that made a difference in their classroom performance.  And we must constantly seek reasons to encourage all students, not just those who struggle.
• The Tragic Hiker:  Kenna, our youngest, was a natural hiker.  She sped up the mountain, never took hits of oxygen and had energy to stop at snowbanks and make snow angels.  I had no doubt she was going to summit.  Then, at about 13,800 feet, a fellow hiker's dog that was not on a leash jumped on her and knocked her down.  She slid a bit down the mountain, but she was tethered to me, so she was not in any danger of falling too far.  But it terrified her.  Before the dog's owner could get to the dog, it jumped on her again.  (I feel I showed great restraint as evidenced that the dog is still alive.)  No amount of encouragement or comfort would change Kenna's new mindset.  She would not summit.  But we could get her farther than she was willing to go at first if we loved and cared for her hurts and fears.
• Some students start out the year with all the promise in the world.  Then something happens.  Often, we do not know exactly what it is:  maybe it is problems at home, loss of a loved one, job problems, girl/boy problems, etc.  If a student is willing to talk about what happened, that is at least something.  We can listen and share advice- if asked for; we can share our own personal struggle that correlates with theirs.  But if a student does not want to talk about it, we can just be there for them in case they change their mind.  Our lofty dreams of this student being a "summit" kid may be gone, but we can still help them be successful, get them farther than they were initially willing to go when tragedy struck.  We just need to show them we care more about them as a person than the lofty educational goal we set.  By doing this, the student will see that our still solid educational goal of success is in their best interest.
• The Compassionate Hiker: My wife, Kristin, is a very compassionate person.  When I get frustrated with our slow progress, she is there to calm me and comfort the girls.  Kristin could have made the summit.  But when we reached 14,000 feet, altitude sickness and weariness and fear and asthma got to our girls.  They were successful at making it to 14,000 feet, a HUGE accomplishment for them even if they did not summit.  The view was still spectacular, the air was still rare.  In that moment, Kristin knew I needed to make that summit and the girls could not.  She sacrificed her own chance to summit for me, and for the girls.  She was concerned more about the health and welfare of our girls and about my happiness than her own goals.
• There are students who could do so much more.  They do not, however, and it has nothing to do with lack of desire or unwillingness.  There are students who are willing to sacrifice their own chance at being 'summit' students because they care more about the relationships and the mutual success of their classmates.  They are the ones who spend their free time working with the 'struggling' and 'tragic' students instead of doing that extra credit that could pad their own grade.  What do we do with them?  We thank them.  They got to success as students easily enough, now they are concerned with being successful as human beings.  We need to encourage this compassion, while still encouraging their educational growth, because the world needs these people.
• The Summit Hiker:  I made the summit.  I was successful, but I was able to go beyond that. I was able to see a view that a majority of people will never see, and I am thankful for that. But I did not do it alone. There are definitely others who COULD make the summit, but choices of what is important to them, or difficulties or things that happen to them prevent them.  I came down from that summit wanting to share what I had seen with others, and feeling just a little bit sad that my family was not right there with me to share that moment.
• These are the perfect score on the SAT students, the students you know deep down know the material better than you.  The students who are vigorously recruited by the kinds of schools that others only fantasize about.  They will be successful in whatever they choose.  What do we do with them?  We get obstacles out of the way so they can succeed.  We celebrate their success.  We remind them that being a 'summit' student does not mean that they are better than the others overall.  We try to teach them humility and humanity- not as teachers that "put them in their place," but as teachers that model humility and humanity. We teach them to appreciate and be thankful for their success so that they may ultimately share it with others because they want to make the world a better place.  

I learned a great deal on that mountain.  I was humbled by my accomplishment because I could not have done it without my family- especially Kristin's sacrifice.  I believe that someday my whole family WILL stand on the summit of a "14er" together.  I had that moment of success, and I want them to feel it to. I want to share more than just pictures and stories with them.  I want to share the experience. We will work and grow and mature to a point where we can all stand there together.  I want that for them.

Isn't that what we do as teachers?  We have tasted the success of gaining knowledge, and we desperately want others to gain it as well- so that they can know the joy of success.

That is the kind of teacher I want to be this year, for sure.

See you at the summit.