Spider-web Teaching: Reach, adjust, step, adjust

We just completed our first month of school with the current occupants of room C-128 at the end of the C hall, River Valley Middle School. I am already learning my lesson for the year---adjust, adjust, change, adjust.

Don't get me wrong--anyone who knows me can tell you that I'm not one for sitting still, unless I'm sitting at a computer while getting something prepared for class, a meeting, etc. However I am surprised to find myself adjusting so thoroughly, and in every week, during my 12th year of teaching. One would think by this point, more than a decade into my career, that I would just have things down pat in that far away land of "this is what I teach every year at this time".

That's about as far from reality as one can get, and I hope that any new teachers/first-year teachers reading this post find some comfort in that---you may NEVER stop being a new teacher. Something will always change--your school, grade level, subject matter, textbooks, building administration, district administration, state standards, student needs, laws, the list is endless. If you are lucky, REALLY lucky, only one or two of these will change in a year, and you will be forewarned. 

If however, you have a perfect storm of giant changes like I do this year, you may feel overwhelmed. It's SO EASY to get jaded, negative, and frustrated by these changes. After all, why can't "they" just leave well-enough alone? (P.S. If you figure out who the "they" are, please let me know!).

We want, nay, covet the idea that teaching is something we figure out--that there is a master equation to arrive at "Master Teacher Mountain", and once we put all of the pieces in line, we can climb right on the Mountain Express, choo-chooing our way to greatness.  But the teaching profession is not a train chugging to an end destination--and teachers who work and think that way are often the negative players in our buildings. They wish their years away on "if only", and are missing the beautiful scenery along the way.

Teaching is not a train ride to retirement, 

but a spider web to greater heights. 

If you find yourself tired, frustrated, just worn down, and uninspired by your work right now, it's NOT necessarily because you need to leave teaching. It could be that you've been spending A LOT of time weaving your web, and you haven't even noticed it!  How exhausting it must be for our arachnid friends to spend all hours of the night working, while everyone else is sleeping, creating great art instinctually, only to have the winds of change tear it down the next day! (Sound familiar)? 

How do you know if you've been weaving?

• You find yourself inspired at times, but exhausted (mentally, physically, emotionally)
• You generally like your coworkers, but can't seem to spend time socializing because "there's so much to do".
• You find that you are seldom doing the same thing more than once--you are trying to get to every child through a variety of means, all the time!
• You look around and wonder how everyone else is not as tired as you!
• You feel like every change and request brought your way by leadership/administration is a tear in the productive web you've been weaving.
• You question whether teaching is really what you "are supposed to be doing", "your calling", or "worth it" any longer (especially if you are close to retirement).
• You seldom look your students in the eyes anymore. 
• Besides their school work, you cannot recall personal facts about more than 10 students, because you are so busy doing teaching that you've lost the desire/need/reality of bonding with students.
• You cannot remember the last time you reached out in a positive way to a student's family.
• You are not having fun at work. Ever.
• You cannot wait for the school day to be over...every, single day.

Sound familiar?

How do you fix it?

By adjusting your mindset, one student, one class, one day at at time.

Chances are you are a good teacher, if not a great one. All of that time that you've spent chatting with teachers in Twitter Chats, following Facebook teacher groups, pinning items on Pinterest, making anchor charts, pouring over learning data....etc...etc....etc...has made you BETTER. I mean, seriously, we are the Olympic athletes of education.  We spend hours every day honing our skills, trying new things, rewriting our playbooks. We are the Darwin's Bark Spider of the education word (look up these spiders--pretty awesome skill set!  They've certainly passed all of their Mother Nature summative assessments).

So what do we do, as teachers, when our webs are torn down by the winds of change, rains of assessment, or by wild forest-dwelling creatures we call "students"?

We find a way to have fun. 

Because teaching without joy is as dead to us as it is to our students.

I know what you are thinking...

"Katie, there is no CCSS standard that assesses for 'having fun' or 'citing elements of joy'."

"I'm afraid to go away from what's scripted, because if my admin walks in, he/she may think we are unfocused or that my kids are off-task."

"What I used to love isn't part of what we teach anymore".

Teacher friends, these are EXCUSES. Granted, if your VERY FAVORITE thing to do was to give lecture notes to 30 students who sat silently and wrote down everything you say, we may have to have a talk. But ALL of us can find a way to bring about our passions, to have fun with our students through introducing one element of creativity, new background knowledge, friendly competition, or inspired talk.  All it will take is one time--you will be caught in your own web, taking the first step again.  

From there, it's just a jump to the left....and then a step to the right (sing with me! :)  ).  Take a step up the web toward a greater student understanding, or step sideways while they need new help. Find a new structure that works for you (often it's not the content that is losing our students, but the delivery...find a new way to get it to them that you both find engaging). If something breaks down, either fix it and try it again, or step over it and spin something new.

My greatest hope is that we find within ourselves withing a great renewal of mind and spirit.  So great, that as we once again climb up our glistening webs, a whole crop of new teachers comes behind us, marveling at the glory of our webs and beginning their own.

In conclusion, I will leave you with this image from a very smart, sassy archnid...

You are...

Until the next bell,

~K

Lead, Serve, Learn: The 3 Pillars of Principalship

Some academic writing, as required for my administration certification program...

What makes a school leader?

In order for an organization, a school, to grow and succeed, a leader must be put into place who can hold all sides of the school up to a high standard. The strength of a school sits on three pillars of character, and the school administrator must fulfill these three crucial roles in order to lead the school community toward success. The pillars of administrative success require an administrator to be a leader, a servant, and a continuous learner.

Principal as Leader

The importance of a principal as a leader cannot be overstated. One needs just to scan the internet for articles about the importance of this relationship to find study after study showing that no underperforming schools on record have been turned around without the leadership of a principal, and that many a good school has fallen apart under the direction of a poor leader. When viewed through the lens of student achievement and community, or plainly doing “what’s best for students”, a principal-leader has been shown to empirically improve school performance. In Leadership Matters, a joint publication by the NASSP and NAESP, a study by Louis, et. al, was quoted as saying, “Leadership is second only to classroom instruction among all school-related factors that contribute to what students learn at school.” (Louis, 2010).  From the student’s perspective, the school administration should be a concoction of cheerleader, counselor, parent, community leader and liaison.

 To lead a staff, the principal must be a visionary, a coach, and a manager. Leadership is killed when the administration focuses on micro-management, shows unpredictable or volatile behavior, or when (even unintentionally) the administrator seems part of a clique, such as a group of teachers or office staff that is seen as “favorites” by the rest of the staff. (In fact, a study by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found administrative leadership as the primary factor in the retention of good teachers) (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2010). In the end, the powerful leadership of a talented, energetic, wise administrator can make or break a school or district.

Principal as Servant

In addition to being a dynamic leader, the best school administrators are focused servants to their communities. Schools are not isolated businesses where young people go to work each day. A school is a vital cog in the greater good of the community in which it exists, and it is there to serve that very community. As the leader of a school, the principal must be a servant-leader for the larger community as well. Opening school doors for community functions, inviting community and business leaders into the school on a regular basis, and touting the school’s students, alumni, staff, and attributes to the larger region are all roles of a servant leader. 

Principals must not only be congenial to the local area, but must lead through humility and service in their own buildings. In an article about principals as servant leaders in the country of Jordan, Kayed Salameh states, “Leaders know that people will be more impacted by the quality of relationships than they will be by the accomplishments of tasks. Therefore they intentionally work to build community that works together and learns to serve one another in the process” (Salameh, 2011). An administrator that is loved by his/her community is the one that willing does car rider/bus/cafeteria duty, can stand in for any absent staff (including the most challenging positions) without hesitation, and who knows the importance of the school in the larger community.

Principal as Learner

Perhaps the most intuitive role for a school leader is that of master learner. Within the vast expectations of the common vision of a principal, learner can often be lost completely, yet learning is what brings most principals into their own leadership positions. As a beginning administrator, it is vitally important that one seeks out an experienced mentor, someone who has been through the rigor and ringer of administration, and who can guide the new administrator through the challenges of the first few years in the office. Just as other occupations (law, business, engineering, even education in the roles of student-teachers) have mentoring opportunities, so must school building administration. This allows the new leader support while learning the role.

Education as a field encourages learning, and principals must seek their own continuous education in order to stay abreast of learning trends, legislation, and educational developments. Without continued learning, leaders will lose the focus of education.  In his article, “The Learning-Centered Principal”, Richard DuFour points to the school building administrator as the ultimate learner, for the good of the students. He states, “By concentrating on learning, today’s school leaders shift both their own focus and that of the school community from inputs to outcomes and from intentions to results”. (DuFour, 2002).  Leaders must seek intentional results in order to facilitate learning in schools, staffs, students, and themselves.

By creating and maintaining a professional learning network (PLN), leaders can discuss and try-out new ideas before presenting them to their staffs. This is made easier in our modern world of social media, and on any night of the week, leaders can attend “Twitter Chats” on a variety of educational topics. In addition, staying connected with local universities is another way to keep fresh ideas flowing through the administration office and into the school building, helping the cycle of learning to continue to all levels of the school.

Leadership is a tricky pathway, and what works in one environment will never work in all environments. It is the responsibility of school leaders to act as servants, leaders, and learners in order to take students and teachers forward in the modern age of learning. 

Keeping Kids Connected: Using Video Conferencing as a Bridge for Homebound Students

This was originally published on the Indiana Department of Education's eLearning "Digital Learning Month" blog on February 5, 2016.
(It was exciting to be published on a state blog!)
http://indianadld.blogspot.com/ 

                                                                             Teachers are constantly working to find new, innovative ways to engage our students in the classroom. From total participation techniques (as discussed by Pérsida Himmele and William Himmele [Himmele, Pérsida, and William Himmele. Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2011. Print.]) to the use of video games or coding in the classroom, we want students to have fun, to be involved in the learning, and to acquire and assimilate each day’s lessons. Yet some students are unable to participate in the exciting, interactive lessons that we’ve created because they are absent from school. Approximately 64,000 U.S. students were homebound or hospital bound last year due to a medical condition classified under IDEA. If schools are tasked with providing education for every student and are focused on consistent involvement in the classroom, then they are responsible for the use of resources for this purpose. One way to bridge learning gaps for some homebound students is through the use of video conferencing in the classroom.

Classroom video conferencing, or distance learning, has been used for well over a decade at the college/university level to promote diversity in learning across the country and around the world. This technique, which allows students to participate in classroom learning from home or another setting, has a place in our upper elementary, middle, and high schools as well. It can be an effective tool that allows participation for students who are unable to be with us in the classroom. Classroom video conferencing works especially well for students who are unable to attend class because of anxiety, social disorders, or other medical conditions which would still allow for students to participate at a particular time each day.

Recently, I had an eighth grade student, “Rory”, who was a member of my 8th grade Honors English class. Rory had a medical condition which precluded him from participating in our class for a good portion of a 9-week quarter. Rory was under medical care for this condition, but was still able to complete school work from home. In order to keep him involved, I consulted with his parents, and we decided to try video conferencing with Rory during our class time, whenever possible. 

We set-up a video conference through Google Hangouts, since our school uses the Google Apps for education platform. Rory was able to log-in to the hangout from his home computer, and one of our district technology coaches set-up a web cam on my classroom desktop computer. Rory was ready and waiting to read along with us that day. He was able to interact with the other students, participate in our classroom discussion, and even get the homework for that night. We were able to keep him involved in our classroom without any kind of social awkwardness (in fact, the other students had been very concerned about Rory’s absences, and they were very excited to take turns sharing/working with him during class). 

What do you need to set-up classroom video conferencing for homebound students?

Classroom video conferencing can be set-up in a very short amount of time. After conferencing with the parents/guardians of your student for permission, you will need to have/do the following:

• Put a camera on both ends. 
• For the student: If your district has a 1:1 initiative in place, the student may already have a camera through their device. If not, your district may be able to provide the student with a loaned device, or the camera on a cell phone/iPod will also work. The student must have access to the internet for conferencing to happen. 
• For the teacher: If teachers have laptops or tablets, the device’s camera can be used, or a webcam can be attached to a desktop computer as well. We had our interactive board/projector on during the conferences, so the whole class could see Rory, and he was able to see all of them as well. 
• Choose a software system that works on both ends. 
• For Apple devices: Facetime, Messaging, and Skype are the best. 
• For Android/Windows devices: Google Hangouts and Skype work. 
• If you have a webcam installed, there may be a proprietary software program that you have to use. Check with your district tech team for help with this. 

Special Considerations  

1. Technology notoriously fails when we need it to work. Set-up a practice session with the student/family outside of class time, just to make sure everyone understands the hardware/software you are using. 
2. Engage the homebound student as much as possible. Assign certain students to partner with the student during class. This can be as simple as asking “turn-and-talk” questions, where all students are talking to someone else, and an assigned classroom student moves to the camera to speak with the homebound student. 
3. Give the homebound students whatever hard-copied materials the class will be using ahead of links/documents where these can be easily found. 
4. Allow for questions afterward. It is important to check-in to make sure nothing from class time was lost in the transmissions. 
5. Remember why the student is home in the first place. It is very likely that the student will have days when he/she is too ill to participate. Be mindful and patient with these, allowing alternatives for classroom participation. In these times, you could simply use the webcam to video the class discussions, sharing this with the student afterwards. 

In the end, classroom video conferencing should not make the situation more stressful for the student, the teacher, or the student’s family, but should offer a way to continue the student’s engaged learning in the classroom.

When school is home...or better (Beau's Story).

Today, my family welcomed a new member. The girls and I climbed into our van this afternoon and drove 2 hours to Evansville, Indiana to meet a yellow lab named "Beau" who needed a home. We've been looking for another "big" dog for a while because something about that big bark makes me feel safe.

When we arrived at the home where Beau was staying, the girls stayed in the car while I went in, just to be safe. Upon sight, Beau was a beautiful, seemingly healthy dog with a big bark and a very nervous demeanor. Beau's backstory includes being abandoned in the farm country of Southern Indiana during a very cold streak of days. When found, he wouldn't allow his rescuers to approach him for a week. He continued to roam, ice hanging from his body, for days. Finally, his rescuers were able to earn enough of his trust to get him into a car and back to their house, where he has been for the past two weeks. When I met him, he was living with quite a few (at least 3) large, energetic dogs.

I couldn't approach Beau at first, as he barked at me, not quite aggressively but certainly with apprehension. Eventually, I was able to give him a treat, and he allowed me to pet his back--but not with an open hand. I had to close my hand and avoid Beau's head when I tried to pet him. He clearly had been hit with an open hand upon his head before and was very cautious of any movement that resembled this.

Once we got into the car, Beau was significantly less nervous. He decided to ride shotgun, and watched the scenery pass for a while...

..

...before he settled in for a deep sleep.

So what does this story have to do with teaching?

Everything.

Because everyone needs love and safety...human and dog alike. 

And when we find it, we know instantly. Our souls are at rest immediately. We find our "safe places".

Like Beau, some of our students are wandering in fields of cold and loneliness...some of them are literally homeless, and others find school to be their safe place, their "home".  I was certainly one of those students--school was always the place I wanted to be. School activities kept me there as much as possible. As young as 6th grade, I was able to find early morning basketball practices, after school softball games, and weekend speech tournaments to keep me at school. Just like me, many of our students feel most purposeful, most successful, most knowledgeable while at school.

As teachers, we often KNOW that some students love school, but we are often unaware of the number of students who wouldn't mind staying there for as long as possible each day. For those of us who teach older students, this is even less obvious, because students can mask it in extracurricular activities, just like I did.

In the end, however, school is home for many of our students. It is where they are fed, physically, mentally, and spiritually. For many of our students, school offers safety, security, and a fresh start. It is important to never stop giving students a chance to be made new. 

I have lost 4 students so far this year to alternate settings, whether alternate schools or juvenile detention. Each of these students saw school as their safe place, and it was their returns home each day, weekend or school break that caught them up into the danger of their environments. Some might say that it is better that they are gone, for the "good" of the other students, but I don't necessarily believe so. If these students were able to stay in their "safe place" all the time, I wonder if they could finally put their environmental difficulties behind them?  

In the end, I hope you take from this post a desire to reach out to those students who never talk to you, to reach out anew to the "difficult" kids who give you lots of attitudes, to smile and greet the students who say they "hate" your class. 

Our kids are master roleplayers, but underneath, they are looking for a place to rest, to be surrounded with warmth, and to finally be home.

Just like Beau...