Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Do Good With Your Students Today: A Call to Teachers


I don't know about yours, but my students do not watch the news.  And therefore they are often oblivious to the events in our world that bring hardship and pain onto others.  As adolescents they are naturally inclined to think about their own hardships--they forgot their gym shoes, they don't like what's for lunch, they missed the bus, they failed a test--but they don't spend much time thinking about what other people may struggle through.

And this will be the case this morning.  As thousands of people in Joplin, Missouri wander the streets in disbelief, looking for loved ones, standing in silent tears not sure where to begin the rebuilding of their lives, my students will complain about another rainy day.

But please do not interpret their lack of interest  as a lack of heart.  Kids believe that if it is important, we will address it at school--they expect us to; they rely on us for this; they trust us to do so.  And when we address tragedies like the one that took place in Joplin with our students, they think hard about their world and their values, and they thank us for taking the time to show them.  And when we don't address these issues, we breed apathy.

This morning I will be sitting with my students and looking at pictures.   We will decide how we can help.   Yes, it will take time out of our precious curriculum, but frankly, don't we have an unwritten curriculum for the heart? I hope in the long run my students will leave my classroom able to read analytically and write coherently.   But more than anything, I hope to see them give and care endlessly.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The Best PD Available: Sometimes It's Right At Our Fingertips

A busy week has swept by me once again, full of school functions, school visits, speeches, and track meets.  Too much to write about and not enough time to write about it well, but in the little spare time I have had, my mind has been occupied to the point of explosion by exciting thoughts.

The one thing that has really struck me this week is the importance of teachers watching teachers.  I have had the pleasure of sitting in 5 of our 8 semifinalist classes and visiting their schools, and I have walked away from each observation with ideas for either my classroom or my school.  I have been thinking about the importance of mentoring programs; gotten a glimpse of integrated arts at work; watched kids come alive in a science classroom; seen how reading, writing, speaking, and supporting arguments can be so easily integrated into a social studies lesson; and witnessed technology playing a seamless role in classrooms.  I have pages of art ideas, book titles, and contact names in my notebook that I have furiously gathered on the side.  I have returned to school, eager to share with my peers.
 
This makes me think about the role professional development plays in our schools.  Professional development is usually us sitting in a classroom or at a conference having a professional speak to us.  And we then either put the information in a binder or privately implement a new practice into our classroom, returning to our schools where we too often teach behind closed doors.  But I have found that sitting in these classrooms and walking through these hallways really makes me reflect upon my own practices.  Do I give students enough time to process before they answer?  Are my objectives for a lesson made clear?  Do my class sizes impact how I teach writing and how could I overcome that?  What is the culture we set in our school?  This week has been some of the most effective professional development I have received, because sitting in other teachers’ classrooms does not only give me new ideas, but it forces me to reflect upon my own beliefs and practices.
 
What if within our districts our doors were more open and we spent more time visiting other classrooms?  I teach in a regional district of 8 schools. What if I was granted the time to sit in every other middle school classroom and they, mine?  What if we had the chance, as 8th grade teachers, to spend time in 9th grade classrooms? What if 9th grade teachers spent time in our 8th grade classrooms? I can’t imagine anything more transformational than this.  We could suddenly share ideas and materials, offer support, help one another in nonthreatening ways.  Our doors would be flung open and we would be a much more reflective staff.  We would become teacher leaders, natural mentors, and collaborators.   

Teachers yearn this.  
Is there any reason why we can’t make it happen?  

Sunday, May 15, 2011

At last...pictures from DC



I am still missing some of my pictures, but here is a good start!

President Obama addresses us
May 3, 2011


The presidential seal
May 3, 2011


View of the Washington Monument, taken by Molly Boyle, Iowa TOY
May 2011


Our bus!
May 3, 2011


The Lincoln Memorial--one of my most favorite places on earth
May 5, 2011


All State TOYs in our lovely Target t-shirts
May 5, 2011
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View of the White House
May 2, 2011


Washington Monument
May 2, 2011


Ford's Theatre--taken by my husband, May 2, 2011. I was sad I did not make it there, sadder that
he didn't realize that Lincoln actually died across the street so he didn't get a picture of that.


Ford's Theatre


I love this picture--preparing to go to the White House; trying to figure out the camera.
May 3, 2011


Bangs or not?  Prepping for the White House
May 3, 2011


Taken by Brandon while waiting to get into the White House after passing security.
May 3, 2011


View of White House


We met with President Obama in the Oval Office, one by one, by height.  I am a hair
taller than Shelly Moody, Maine's TOY (dressed in red) and Wilma Ortiz, Massachusetts' TOY (in the black suit).
Here we await the Illinois TOY, Annice Brave, and then commence to sweat in the 87 degree weather
 as each teacher has his or her time with the president.


For some reason, even though it was a flawlessly bright day, we still had giant spotlights shining on us.
May 3, 2011


View from the Rose Garden
May 3, 2011


View from Rose Garden
May 3, 2011


Action shot of my conversation with Senator Kelly Ayotte.  I need to learn to speak
with my mouth and not so much with my hands...
May 3, 2011


Looking up at the stairs in the Senate House Building.  Beatiful!
May 3, 2011


I love this picture--it makes me look all senatorial, talking outside the Senate Building,
but really I'm talking baseball with my son!
May 3, 2011


Senate Building and a lingering "boy misses Mom" conversation
May 3, 2011




Me, totally enraptured by this whole experience.  This is the Supreme Court.  Sigh.
May 3, 2011




The Capitol
May 3, 2011


The real Capitol Steps.
May 3, 2011


View of the Smithsonian Castle (to the left) and the Washington Monument
from the Capitol.
May 3, 2011


The Capitol on a glorious day
May 3 2011


A secret little place we found right outside of the Capitol.  An underground spring.
May 3, 2011


Meeting my hero
May 3, 2011


Phil Wilson (Alabama) & Drema MacNeil (West Virginia) @ the gala
May 4, 2011


Julia Williams (Louisiana)


SMART Board training
May 4, 2011


SMART Board training
May 4, 2011


SMART Board training
May 4, 2011


Brandon & me on the way to the Sphinx Club for our National Teacher of the Year gala


A grand entrance


Our table


Jon Rolle (DC teacher)


A scrumptious dessert!


Me with Wilma Ortiz (Massachusetts)


Kelly Nalley (South Carolina), Cheryl Conley (Florida), and Jennifer Facciolini (North Carolina)


Kelly Nalley (South Carolina) and Angelica Jordan (Department of Defense)


My husband, Brandon
Me with the lovely and uproarously funny Kentucky TOY, Erika Webb.  I love this girl!


Brandon and me


Kimberleigh Doyle our amazing SMART Board leader and me


A late night return to The Fairfax, where we stayed.  Because of my camera issues,
I only had my phone to take pictures with, and while most of the pictures from this evening
came out poor and oddly colored, the effect on this photo was beautiful.


Matinga (Michigan), Joe from Delaware's date, Wilma (MA), and Brandon arrive back at the hotel.


Me in front of the United States Department of Education--so excited I could barely breathe!


The parent and community involvement table at the DOE
May 5, 2011


A working lunch at the DOE


Chief staff members of the DOE listen to me.  At least they're smiling!


Me addressing the DOE


Joe Masiello (Delaware) records "My Favorite Teacher"


The DOE presented us with a cake, tuned up some music, and showed us that all educators know how to have fun!


A view from our reception and legislative conversation with Education Counsel


A view of the Capitol


My wonderful wonderful friend, Joe from Delaware, on our Target bus tour
May 5, 2011


The Target buses driving by the Capitol with the sun setting


The Capitol
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