Final thoughts on 2015-2016

Sitting in my classroom yesterday, packing it up to move classrooms for the second time in two years, I finally had a chance to reflect on this past year.  A year that involved teaching five preps ( four of them brand new to me) plus three independent study students, speech team coaching, Student Council sponsoring, leading out in peer coaching using video, being on the coaching crew, starting grad school, being a husband and a father, and occasionally stopping to eat and sleep. 

I'm not sharing that to brag, or cry for help, although I see why you might think that.  To say I've been busy is an understatement. Several colleagues have asked how I am able to manage all this, and I usually respond with a lot of luck and a little time management. But some things have begun to slip- namely this blog and my class reflection blog. What has happened is I have begun to prioritize what matters most, and what is most necessary. The one criteria I use to answer this priority question is simple:

What helps others the most?

This thought has always guided me. I think it's at the heart of why I teach- helping others become better at the things they are seeking to grow in. 

In fact, I'd wager it's at the heart of why many of us teach. Sure, we start because we love the subject matter, but if that's all it ever is, we burn out, or move into a job that deals with the subject matter but pays more and has better hours. But if we love helping people, we don't care about the pay (ok, we still care a little about the pay) or how difficult it is to deal with students and new standards.  We do what we do because we believe we can help others- students and teachers and parents and our communities. 

It may seem selfish that I include grad school, but I believe my journey to become an administrator is ultimately about being able to help others on a bigger scale. Working with our campus and district coaching crews, and looking at some of the things I have on my plate for next year that deal with providing teachers with tools for helping others has made me see that I want to help others grow, because that's what makes me grow. 

Helping students find their voice in my speech and debate classes, helping them find identity and sometimes callings in my psychology and sociology classes, and aiding teachers to find ways to improve their craft are all the things that make me come more alive. Those moments when I see growth in others that I had a small hand in makes the weeks of work to get there seem so very worth it. 

As I packed up files from professional developments and my work in coaching, along with student work that showed tremendous growth, I felt I'd helped. Knowing there was a student that I started the year wanting to get them out of my class but now I am inviting to join my speech team makes me feel accomplished. Not because of academic progress, but because I helped them find their voice, and to mature just a little more. Seeing students grow in ways tests don't measure is exactly why I teach. 

I teach because I want to help people find their voice, their role, and a better place than when we started in August. I teach because there is great challenge in reaching a new generation to grow for the better. 

When I close up my room each spring, I look back on the year. My final reflection. I measure my success not in awards earned, tests passed or even graduates with diplomas. 

I measure success by the notes that say "thanks for helping."  I measure success by the people who are in a better place because I helped. 

I just hope to increase my time of reflection on this measure of success each year. 

Lessons From a Barefoot Warrior Dash.

I ran a Warrior Dash today. It's a 5k+ with obstacles and copious amounts of mud. I ran it with my wife and another couple we are great friends with. 

This was my fourth time run, and for the third time I used water shoes to limit the extra weight regular shoes pick up from mud and water. With a little added sole, it's been quite comfortable. 

Today, my shoes failed me. About halfway through, the soles began to come loose, get slippery, and make agility impossible. After about ten minutes of struggling, I pulled off the shoes and ran barefoot.

Carefully. 

But it worked. I ran up and down hills, completed a balance beam over water and various other challenges. For the balance beam, I almost tried the shoes again, but found I was actually more secure barefoot!

As educators, we often fall back on old reliables- lessens that we've done for years, strategies and activities that we trust because they've always worked. 

Until they don't. 

Then we are faced with a choice- keep trying to run our race with "shoes" that don't work anymore, or take "barefoot" risks on innovative new endeavors. 

I hope you give it a shot. Take off those shoes. Give barefoot running a try because it just might work better than your old way. At least for this time. And even if you don't always do the new way, at least you know you can, or are open to new ideas. 

Will I run my next Warrior Dash barefoot in its entirety?  Not sure.

But at least now I know it's an option. 

1,2,3,4,5

Jeremy Stewart recently challenged me to a 1,2,3,4,5 blog- so here goes:

1 Struggle is learning to say no.  I like to be busy, but there are only so many hours in day.  I'm pretty effective at managing my time , and I work quickly, efficiently, and accurately.  But I interact with other people who, through no fault of their own, are not always able to meet my demands as quickly as I'd like.  Instead of getting upset at them, I need to say "no" more often so I do not overload my schedule to the point where it could easily collapse.  But I like to be active!  Argh, the struggle!

2 Accomplishments I'm proud of are being nominated to be a part of the Inaugural CSISD Teacher Leader Academy and being a part of CSISDchat as a participant each week.  The first one is humbling because I was selected to be one of four teachers on our campus to be a part of it.  All of them have more experience than me, and as I was painfully reminded of yesterday, all of them are younger than me.  For both of these accomplishments, the benefit is that I am getting to constructively interact with fellow educators and share insight, questions and growth together.  The work with TLA has led my team to really dig into the peer coaching elements of education, and I am a stronger teacher for it.

3 Things I want to accomplish before the end of the year (by August) are

• to take at least one of my Cougar Speech Students to State UIL,
•  develop a new teacher handbook for my campus (part of grad school),
•  and work with my administrators on what the next steps for coaching on our campus looks like and my role in it.

4 reasons I remain in education are simple

• I feel challenged by it.  I get bored with things, but education has let me constantly be challenged and tested.  I want to keep growing.
• The students.  To make an impact in a person's life is VITALLY important to my life's purpose.  Seeing the small, but sometimes significant changes students make to succeed is so rewarding.
• It is fun.  I look forward to my classes, and to going to College Station High School everyday.  Its exciting.  And..
• I've worked in a career that drained my soul.  I stay in education because even if we do not get paid what we are worth, I get my worth from daily doing something I love and am passionate about.  Don't ever think that more money will make you swallow the bitter pill of not enjoying your job a little easier.  Do what you love.

5 People who I hope take the challenge are: (Some may or may not have blogs, but I am issuing the challenge anyway.

• Amanda Mann inspired me to write another "5" themed blog on Monday, so I am returning the favor now.  I just took a high school psychology class to observe her class and saw a teacher who loves her students, loves inspiring them, and loves learning.  She energetic and eager to reach all the students she can.
• Kristin Lehrmann is my wife an excellent special education teacher.  And she doesn't blog, so I might lend her mine for a bit.  I also got to watch her in class today, and while it may seem to some she is frenetic, I see it as she is more in-control and observant to the specific needs of her students than most of us could hope to be.  She is almost intuitive in her teaching, and I really love watching her serve the students she loves.
• Julia Mishler is an assistant principal at my school, CSHS. She is an innovator and a risk taker. She is excellent at developing relationships with students, and laying out ideas and concepts for us teachers.  She expects much of her colleagues, and it makes us better.
• Tiffany Parkerson is our interim principal and she has excellent insight as an educator.  She has great vision and really seems to have her finger on the pulse of where education is headed.  She is patient yet persistent with change initiatives and is a great leader for our school.  She has also been a great voice of encouragement for me as an educator.
• BJ Kurtz is an educator I know as @BJKURTZ from Twitter.  I "met" her through CSISDchat this past year and I have seen her desire to grow as a technology innovator, but also as a blogger.  I'm very interested to hear what she has to offer!

You Could Be So Much More

We've all seen things like these:




Teachers are always tired, always frustrated, always looking for the next vacation.  This is the perception of the world at large about educators.  And who is sharing these memes?

We are.

We are perpetuating the ideas above.  That teaching is all work and no reward.  And we wonder why some people, when their child expresses an interest in teaching, say "But you could be so much more."

As I write this, I have just returned from a session of our our District's Teacher Leader Academy where we discussed, among other things, the negativity that is felt towards the teaching profession in general, and public education in specific.  The consequence of negative perceptions of public education is a big one:  Studies show there a fewer people wanting to become teachers.

Why?

Negative Talk from Teachers Themselves

Those memes above are just the tip of the iceberg.

A major reason for the negativity came from the fact that we as teachers seem to talk more about the negative than the positive.  Think about it- how many conversations have you had with non-educators lately wherein you mentioned how-

• Busy
• Tired
• Swamped
• Stressed
• Tired of behavior issues

                      -you were?  Conversely, how often have you talked about the victories, the positives, and the hope?

Our non-educator friends hear this, and think "I don't want to work that hard for so little reward."  They also think "I don't want my kid to grow up to do that." (More on this soon.)  

We need to change the tone of the conversation.  Or do we truly believe it's just too hard?  That it is not worth it?  Have we lost our passion, or are we just agreeing with an established education culture that likes to complain and offer no solutions except to throw our hands in the air and say "Blah, the State Board of Education?"

Be the positive.  Stop posting the humorous but demeaning memes that contradict the important and vital and GOOD work we are doing.  Be proud and loud about what you and your fellow educators are doing.

Pay, Or Lack Thereof

I'm going to get this out of the way- if you have a problem with teacher pay:  write your Congressman.  Contact the State Board of Education, sign a petition, support a candidate.  But do not just complain. It does nothing.

You and I cannot, by ourselves change this.  And yes, it is a HUGE barrier to education getting the top-talent.  They go for the jobs with big salaries and benefits.  So, aside from getting politically active, how can we on the ground encourage a new generation to take up the teaching mantle.

Remind them we get paid with something else, too.

• Students, though rare, who say "Thank you for making time for me."
• A parent's tears as they tell you how much you meant to their child.
• Seeing a young person realize their full potential, without them even realizing they had it.
• Being the positive influence that a student doesn't find anywhere else.
• Jeans days

"You Could Be So Much More"

At our meeting today, on several occasions, this conception came up.  Well-meaning parents who want their child to succeed tell them not to go into teaching.  Why?  Low pay, little respect, it's a tough job, everyone is a critic, etc. 

 Those are valid concerns.  

My answer:  "Let's prove them right."

As educators, let's be more.  More than paper-pushers, more than grading machines, more than presenters, more than the "baby-sitters" we are accused of being.

If you are tired, I get it.  But we cannot phone it in.  That's why people think they could be "So much more."  Greatness comes not when the task is easy, it comes when the task is at a razor's edge of failure, so we dance lightly on the edge and do the unimaginable:  reach just one more student.

As educators, we must "be so much more."  We may be called upon to play the role of surrogate parent, wise sage, comic relief, unseen support, and fighter for the rights of students.  Do not play the role reluctantly.  Doctors save lives, lawyers free people, athletes and actors entertain, astronauts discover and explore the last frontier.

Teachers save lives, free students, entertain, and discover and promote new stars.

Every.

Single.

Day.

So, why should you teach?

Do you love it, do you feel called to do it, do you want to be in a place to make a significant impact on potentially hundreds (thousands?) of lives?

Then that is why.

So, lets "be so much more."

Then the next generation of teachers will be as well.

My Top 5

A colleague recently threw down the Twitter gauntlet and challenged educators to name the Top 5 rewards they find in education. Without further adieu, I give you:

5. Seeing the smiles on learners faces as they realize they enjoy learning. At least that one time. 

4. Relationships with fellow educators that is both congenial AND collegial. 

3.  Learning to see the world from a different perspective as we seek to relate to our students and fellow teachers. 

2.  The look of the "aha" moment when a student gets it for the first time. 

1. The opportunity to shape school culture and ultimately the culture of a generation- for the better. 

You Found Me

Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Where were you? Where were you?
Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me
Why'd you have to wait?
To find me, to find me

 You Found Me- The Fray

A couple days ago, I was driving to school when I found this song on the radio.  As College Station High Schools impressive figure rose up, the rising sun behind it, giving my place of employment a shadowy, yet calming look, I began to think about what the song means for me as an educator.

See, educators are in the business of finding people.  Sometimes literally.  But always in a more metaphorical sense.  We are tasked with discovering the ways our students learn, the barriers that keep them from that learning, and the special things our students may not even know they are capable of doing.  But as educators, we are also responsible for each other, finding fellow teachers who fly under the radar but do amazing things, finding those who have skills to share, finding educators who have more to offer than meets the eye.

So, here are a few of the hidden students (and educators) we need to find.

The Hide-and-Seek

They may be shy, reserved, or just very humble.  They know they have something to offer, something of their uniqueness and talent that they could share, but they don't want to.  Maybe it's fear, that they are not as good as they think, that others won't appreciate them or understand them.  When we find them, we catch a glimpse of something that we are not sure we really saw.  A deep insight, a new method or teaching technique, a quality that is in short supply.  When we see it appear again, we want to try to draw it out to see what all it entails.

 The Hide-and-Seek needs gentleness and patience.  If we pounce on it, we scare them back into hiding.  We start small, asking them quietly off to the side a question that brings the thing we saw out again.  We help them build confidence, or trust or whatever they need to share the great thing they have.  The Hide-and-Seek has to learn to believe in themselves, and that journey starts with us showing that WE believe in them.  There is no greater look than the one on the face of a student who shares themselves after fearing the results- and realizes they are accepted.  Its a door that won't easily close again.

The Confused

These people have gotten lost along the way.  They missed a lesson or a key point, and they drift away from the path.  If the Confused is a teacher, maybe they have reached a crisis of faith- "How do I keep doing this? What did I do wrong?"  Sometimes, the Confused is not lost in due to their work, they are dealing with issues that have shaken their worldview.  A tense family situation, the loss of a trusted friend due to betrayal, the discovery of a truth that rocked their world.  They bring this confusion to our classes and hallways with anxious eyes and wringing hands.

The Confused needs empathy.  We feel confused and we feel alone, so we need someone to walk with us.  Sitting with a student who is confused means we need to listen a lot.  And really listen.  That doesn't mean that we immediately try to fix it- the best way for the Confused to be found is for them to find THEMSELVES.  We listen, we ask questions to guide them, and we let them have the breakthrough.

The Undiscovered

Like the Hide-and-Seek, there is something special that has not been found.  But the Undiscovered may not even know it themselves.  Maybe they have never been given the chance to try something, or maybe they are just beginning to explore that talent or thought.  

As a Debate Coach, I spend a lot of time looking for the Undiscovereds.  I notice demeanors, work ethics, vocal styles.  And when I approach students who I think have an undiscovered talent, they are often surprised- and reluctant.  Again, it takes patience and gentleness, but it also takes experimentation.  Giving the student a chance to discover for themselves what I have seen in them.  If you have built up trust with this student (or educator) then they will be willing to give it a shot.  But be careful not to go too far too fast, or they become a Hide-and-Seek.

The Hopeless 

Sadly, these students and teachers are too common.  They have given up.  Beaten down, literally and/or figuratively by life, they just do not care anymore.  They act out, they don't act at all.  They feel any attention- especially negative- is worth any action.  They have given up on dreams, if they ever had any.  They may have been the Confused once, but they were never found. They may come to us tired, hungry, poor, angry, or apathetic.

They need grace.  They need compassion.  They need love.  And they need our time and attention- positive attention even if they do not "earn" it.  They need to know that someone cares.  They need to know that someone cares about them, even if they do not care about themselves.  And they will break your heart.  Some will be found, but others will escape us, and we will lose sight of them and they will go without rescue.

So, we must be ever vigilant for the Hopeless student...and teacher.

You Found Me

As the song played on my radio that morning a few days ago, and as my school loomed in view and my thoughts turned to the Lost and Hidden all around me, the process of this blog started.  But it did not start with thinking about others.  It started with when I was Lost.

See, I came to education at a time when I was Confused- what I thought I was going to be had gone away.  I did not know where I was going or even what I was supposed to be.  I was approaching Hopeless fast.  I doubted myself, and my competence.

But I had some educators who found me.  They encouraged, they coaxed, they gave me opportunities.  They took a chance and a risk and they trusted me.

And I began to trust myself.

See, I like finding students and teachers because I know what it is to be found when I was lost.  I know what it is to find a purpose when once there was not one.

Each morning, I sit in the commons of our school.  It is a three story atrium, and students and teachers wind around the square structure on their way to class.  I sit in the atrium during my conference because it connects me to my school. (And because another teacher floats into my room.)  I watch and I talk and I try to notice my fellow humans who are playing at Hide-and-Seek,  who are Confused, who are Undiscovered, and who are Hopeless.  I look for them, because one day, I want to sit across from them-maybe over coffee- have a conversation about how far they have come, about how they are so glad someone gave them a chance, and hear them say to me,

"You Found Me." 

If a Teacher Asks a Question and No One Teaches Their Subject, Does It Make a Noise?

I was super excited to get to teach new material this year.  I was even more excited to get to teach content that I alone taught on my campus.  No schedules to line up with, no assignments to match up, no meetings to attend.

It was going to be great!

And it has been, but what if something comes up that I do not know how to handle?

Who do I ask?

Now, the easy answer for me is to go to other teachers in our district that teach the same classes.  But not everyone has this option.  Not everyone has been to a conference to network, or knows a lot of teacher from all over.  Here are a few suggestions I offer:

1.  Twitter/Social Media:  Educators are using Twitter like crazy.  As I type this, I am about to attend our district's chat- #CSISDchat.  It is a weekly chance for us to share what is going on, victories and losses.  But there are THOUSANDS of chats on at all times.  There might be one for your specific content.  A Google search is good to find lists like the one here:  http://www.teachthought.com/uncategorized/cheat-sheet-twitter-for-teachers/

2.  Talk to Admins:  They can encourage, enlighten or correct.  They can also suggest trainings and courses to attend.  They WANT you to be successful, because it means students are successful.

3.  Talk to the previous educator: Ask the admins for their contact.  They have literally stood where you are standing and might have insight.  Of course, use discretion here, depends on why they left.

4.  Other teachers on campus:  Yep.  It doesn't matter if you teach Psychology (like me) you can get insight from CATE teachers, or Science, or Math, or English.  Sure, they may not know your content, but good teachers know good practices.  Good teachers know students, and if you share a student with a teacher, ask what approaches they use.

Teaching is a team effort.  How you define your team is up to you.

Classroom Activities for Building Relationships

Here is my first attempt at a vlog!