First of all, I appreciate the active parents. Every year, there are a handful of parents who get it. They get how hard we work, they get how much we care about (and how much we mean to) the children. They get that sometimes just a little thoughtfulness could make our day. My room mom this year is amazing. She keeps up with everything I need her to, does a little more here and there, remembers things that I forgot, and apologizes that she's not doing enough. She's fantastic, and I'm so thankful!
During teacher appreciation week, I wonder what it would be like if the point of the week was to highlight things that teachers appreciate. First of all, I appreciate the active parents. Every year, there are a handful of parents who get it. They get how hard we work, they get how much we care about (and how much we mean to) the children. They get that sometimes just a little thoughtfulness could make our day. My room mom this year is amazing. She keeps up with everything I need her to, does a little more here and there, remembers things that I forgot, and apologizes that she's not doing enough. She's fantastic, and I'm so thankful! Another thing I appreciate is having independently minded students. I ask my students to do a lot of creation, and they don't always do things the way I envisioned. Often, I'm annoyed at first - "But it was supposed to look like ....." I want to complain. Just as often, though, their headstrong ways end up amusing me, changing my opinion, and wowing me with student ingenuity. For today's #edblogaday Blog to Follow, Jennifer Laffin reminds us to take the time to learn about all of our students. Too often there are students who fly below the radar. Their voice matters as much as any other! Check out Sweet Writing Life!
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And because of that, I appreciate you! You're taking the time to read a teaching blog. From this, we can assume that you have some interest in education, and also that you are likely a teacher. From this, we can also assume that you care about the state of education, and do things in your own time to reflect on your practice. You are quite likely a connected educator with teacher friends that you've never met in person. You rock! I appreciate my coworkers - I know how late they stay. I have an idea of how early they get to school (I'm not one of those hour early teachers, so I'm just guessing!). I know how they go to bat for kids, how they agonize of students' struggles, and get excited when students show progress. I see how they deal with so many different parents, some helicopter, some indifferent, and manage, somehow, to be polite to them. My coworkers are amazing people. I appreciate the teachers in the schools with unpleasant working conditions. Maybe the kids are coming to school completely unprepared, maybe they're lucky to be at school at all. Some of them are only there because it's the only real food they get during the day. It might be that the building is old, the supplies outdated, or you've got too many kids packed in the room. It may just be a small minded and dictatorial principal, the kind who can destroy a culture. Those teachers are still there, and one of the things they do is to show their students that there's more out there, that there are opportunities for them. These teachers broaden children's horizons. They make the world a better place. I appreciate the teachers who work in idealized conditions. One part of growing up is realizing that even the people who "have it easy" have their own set of problems that are no fun to deal with. One of the best things these teachers can do is to show the kids who have everything going for them that others don't have it so easy. These teachers have opportunities to teach empathy, and they make our world a kinder place when they do. They are fantastic. I appreciate the parents who teach their kids to the best of their ability. They may not do everything right, but when they take the time with their children, it makes learning so much easier. This week, many teachers around the country will be getting little gifts (some big), free coffee, and flowers. I love working with my kids so much - even when they annoy the heck out of me! - that a thank you isn't necessary, but it is nice. So thank you. Today's #edblogaday Blog to Follow is Dare to Care by Denise Krebs. Her blog this month is notable not for what she's writing about this month, but for the fact that she's listing blogs worth reading. I swear that it's a coincidence that she mentions my blog today. The reason I've been paying attention to her blog is two-fold. It started during #AprilBlogADay when we passed a couple of ideas around. That's someone you want to look at, the person who likes what you have to say, but then builds on ot! But then, this month, she's highlighting three blogs each day, and I love it. I want to follow another blog each day, so she's definitely the one to check out!
There's a lot to be complained about at school! Everyone has an opinion on it. At every level there are things to gripe about. Whether it's kids, parents, politicians, or teachers, there's a lot we can point to. Pay, testing, grading, evaluations, bonuses, hours, calendar, there are so many things that need attention. The thing is, I feel like the most ignored opinion in education is the one it has the most impact on - the students. And I know, we're talking about people who have to be goaded into doing what's right for them, people who often don't have good long term planning skills. Sure, but if you talk to the average adult, those weaknesses often don't go away just because you're grown up. If they did, diets, bankruptcies, and lawyers would not play so large in our society. I do frequently hear the phrase, "What's best for the kids?" and I know that kids don't always know the answer to that. I feel, though, that to get more kid buy-in on learning, to make things memorable, and positive in their educational career, you have to bring them into the conversation. In the classroom, even in elementary school, that means training your students to be leaders. Children - much like other, grown, humans -like to be trusted, and enjoy when they're afforded some autonomy. So if we put some power in their hands, they can learn about the stakes in the game. Having a student not only understanding, but helping to set their educational goals is such a powerful motivator in setting the purpose for learning. When your class has their goals at heart, cutting them in on how to run the class makes sense. Can it go higher? At what point in the decision making process do we cut out student voice? Teachers are often left out of the decision making process at the legislative level. On so many teacher Facebook pages, you'll see memes about how the people making decisions about school should have classroom experience. I don't disagree, but why stop there? I know the logistics would be tricky, but I want to see students cut into the process. For today's #edblogaday Blog to Follow, it's robbinswriters by Molly Robbins. Molly reminds us to be in the moment with our students at this time of year. It's so easy to be overwhelmed by our end of the year to do list. Make sure you focus on the people you're doing it for!
This week, another teacher told me that I was the duck from David Shannon's book, Duck on a Bike. I had no idea what she meant - I'd never read the book before. She described the book, and I knew it was a compliment, but it felt mostly like it was just because I let things roll off my back. The next day, she loaned me a copy of the book, and I read it to my students. I said, "Mrs. Holmes told me that this book reminded her of me. Let's see if we can find out why." As I read it, I was honored and flattered - it's about a duck decides to go for a bike ride (like I needed to tell you that, it's in the title...). As he rides around the barnyard, he's faced with the usual sorts of comments that you get when you do something differently. There are naysayers, some are jealous, and some think it's pretty cool. In the long run, when the opportunity comes, (SPOILER ALERT) all the farm animals are riding bikes around the barnyard, too. My kids totally got the connection! Our classroom has been a very different class this year, with alternative seating, a lot of student freedom, and a very differentiated program. And while I've heard way more positive than negative opinions about our class, I can definitely identify with Duck. Even more so, I felt so honored by my colleague making the comparison. But what's the takeaway? I feel like I just wrote a long paragraph to toot my own horn. I guess it's that if you put yourself out there, like duck, and try something cool, don't be afraid. You're not the only one who wants to do the cool stuff! Be big hearted, full of sharing, and brave. As long as you are, as long as you're kind hearted, as long as you reflect honestly on your mistakes as well as your successes, you're doing the right thing. And when you've done it, you'll be Duck, too. Not all leadership is loud and pushy. The best rarely is. If you lead by doing the right thing, the best thing, the awesome thing, the best people will follow. Because of #edblogaday, I've decided to add a Blog to Follow at the bottom of each post. Every day, I'll be sharing a blogger who has shared their experience in a way that makes me happy to be in their ranks.
Today's Blog to Follow is Teaching Now by Tammy Neil. I've spent the year working to increase student voices. My aim is to help students find what they care about, put their feelings into words, and share those words wherever they can. Tammy is that leader for teachers. So much of what I know about here comes through places where she collaborates. She moderates numerous chats, she blogs, she works to build teacher connections. I don't know if she's put it into these words, but it is clearly one of her missions to help teachers know that they're not alone in their classroom, and that by connecting and collaborating, we all become more powerful. Scroll through her posts - so many of them are about helping people connect, or examples of how she uses her PLN to make her teaching practice better. Tammy is a fantastic example of what being a Connected Educator. So if you've got some time, and want to get more connected, check her out! I picked up #AprilBlogADay about a week in. I’d been keeping a blog since last fall, but it was really sporadic until my pal Tammy Neil told me that not sharing what you’re doing in class is selfish. So I started writing more. I was trying to write once a week, but it wasn’t always happening.
Then one day, someone retweeted Chris Crouch’s call for people to join this challenge. Why not, right? I’ve been wanting to write more, maybe even put together a book, so I figured that committing to someone else was a good way to increase the frequency of my writing. And it’s really been a success for me. I’ve been able to put out a few hundred words a day, and some of it has even been good. I’m starting to think that when it’s time, I’ll really be able to organize my ideas and my values into a book worth sharing. I’m really excited about the transition into #edblogaday. One of the things I need to do a better job of is responding when other people comment. I get all weird and socially awkward when people nice things, sometimes, and that’s something I just need to stamp out. Another thing I need to do is start reading other peoples’ work more often. It’s not fair to ask other people to read me if I’m not returning the favor! So thank you, Chris, and the good people of #AprilBlogADay. I’m looking forward to taking this journey with you! For years, my teaching has been covering. We’ve gotta get all the stories in from the reading series if we’re going to make sure we cover all of the reading skills. We have to make sure that we work through every chapter in math if we’re going to justify our scores on the state test. The problem is, and most of us know it, if you go fast enough to get through, the ‘smart’ kids are gonna get it, the ‘dumb’ kids are gonna get left behind, and the average kids will get a lot of it, but they will learn to hate the work. If we slow down enough for the ‘dumb’ kids, the average kids will learn to hate it, and the smart kids will get bored. If we take the average comprehension kids, you lose the other two groups, one to boredom, and one to confusion.
And the most powerful thing that I’ve learned is that if I allow for everyone to learn at their own rate, if I make it about celebrating growth, hard work, and persistence, my students succeed so much more. When I go crazy trying to chase the right formula of who to teach what when, I want my where to be anywhere but in my classroom! In reading, I’ve gotten to the point where I model effective reading, I coach low readers to help them make better reading decisions, and I work with kids to make sure they’re reading enough to grow to their goals for the quarter. In math, we find out what they need, we find out what they have, and we build a bridge from the have to the need. Over the years, I’ve used math books, both in print and online, and supplemental materials to help build their skills. For most of the kids, this is enough. They work at their pace, and they do the digging. Occasionally, they ask me to explain something that’s not clear. There’re always one or two kids who need more help, but when I’m not taking up time asking students to all be on the same problems at the same time, it’s easier to work with the kids who are feeling lost. There’s a lot of stuff that I’m obsessed with – I love seeing how students respond to what they’ve learned, either from me, or in their own research. I love watching children develop their voice and their passions. I love teaching them about sharing their ideas online. I love opening up my students to Genius Hour so they have the opportunity to chase down the things they care about. But that said, it all starts with getting the students to see themselves as the chief agents in their learning, and getting them to take charge of their progress. It seems like every day, we declare that something is the worst. "Oh man, fire ants? They're the worst!" And every time I say it, I think, no, that's not the worst. Dying in horrible ways? Maybe the worst. Fire ants? Annoying. Anyway, the worst advice I've ever heard about EdTech? It came from another teacher.
When we look at an internet connected device, we have machines that are built for research, for creation, and for sharing at unprecedented levels. And though I may take issue with the amount of things that the district (any district, for that matter) chooses to block, my students have so much ability to learn about anything they want at any given time. The things my students have made using simple tools on their PCs are very cool, but they're just learning. The potential for kids to share their voices in very professional looking ways is ridiculous and amazing. And then when it's time to share, there are so many ways for me to connect my students to other classrooms, and to share our creations. Oh yeah, I was gonna mention the worst advice. So this nameless teacher from history demonstrated an amazing new way to use the iPad sets in a classroom. If you forward PDFs of your worksheets to your students, they can write on them on their iPad and send them back to you. And great, now, instead of one of the most versatile devices in history, on which you can Explore, Create, and Collaborate, you've got what? You've got a $400 freaking worksheet machine. Horrible. Today's #AprilBlogADay topic is How to Build a More Powerful Classroom by Letting Go. Right. I feel like I write about this a lot, but it's important, so right the heck on, man. Let's let go.
If you've read my previous entries, you'll know that this is something I believe in. It is also something I struggle with. I know, in my heart that there are things that they can do, and I know that letting them do things for themselves is way more powerful. There are times, though, that it's scary letting them have control. There are times it's annoying! The good thing about this is that giving them power means that you start off with the power, and they're more likely to recognize your authority when you support their decisions. They're also more likely to understand when you have to step in. The thing is, sometimes when you find it a bit annoying, or a bit scary, they may feel that way, too. And when you have that intuition that you need to step in, those are often the same times that they won't mind the help. If nothing else, they'll understand. It is seldom that giving my students the reins hasn't paid off. It doesn't always work, but they respect that I'm game to try. Together, we learn from it. I learn where they still need support, and they learn from their mistakes. And we know, learning from mistakes is so much more powerful than just getting it right by luck. So find where you can let go, and let your students lead. Wade in slowly if you must. Take your time. It'll be okay. It's in their genetic programming. Summer is a creature with a great set of phermones, and the kids can smell it coming. And it's making them crazy. Every year, teacher's magazines publish articles on how to keep your class working at this time of year. Last week, I mentioned that I like to pack my schedule so full so we don't have time to go too nuts. They still get nuts, though. Leadership is all about getting people on board for your vision. To do that, you have to sell them on your ideas, or you have to allow their voice to play a role in your path. That's one thing that really works for me when I need my kids to hop on to my train. I think a useful mindset to turn to comes from chapter ten of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The Little Prince visits an asteroid with a king sitting on a majestic throne. When the prince lets out a yawn during conversation, the king forbids him to do so. The prince is embarrassed, and admits he cannot help it, he's just too tired. At this point, the king says, "Then I command you to yawn. I haven't seen anyone yawn for years." And it is so with everything. The king commands him to do that which he wants. By doing so, the king gets to feel powerful. It feels a little silly, but I like it. He later explains: One must command from each what each can perform. Auth- ority is based first of all upon reason. If you command your sub jects to jump in the ocean, there will be a revolution. I am entit- led to obedience because my orders are reasonable. So now, with my students, if I know they want things a certain way, don't I become more powerful by granting them power? After all, who has more authority than the person who gave it to you? You give me power, I'm grateful, and will respect your wishes. And fantastically, it works in both directions. By handing the reins to my students, they're more likely to listen to my commands. And what of 3rd graders with 6 weeks left of school? What will they do with power? It turns out they'll make school a more awesome place to be. The first instance came last week when I asked what it was gonna take for me not to get so mad and yell-y during cleanup time. Most of the girls and some of the boys clean up our room very reliably. A few children, though, end up playing, running (our room is not a safe to run space), and being unbearably loud during cleanup. This means we don't get done in time. This means we don't get to do the Good Student Phonecall of the Day, this means I don't get to lay out the, They're Not a Prize, I Just Give Them to You Because I Like You Skittles. We all want to get done on time, we just aren't all diligent to working for it. So we're talking about it, and Pip! (yes, she's added an exclamation point to her name, and I think it fits) suggests that we need to make cleanup more fun. We all agree. She says if we get in a Cha Cha line, we can pick things up and deposit them as we go by the recycling bin. I have no idea if it will work, but it starts tomorrow, and everyone is excited! Another example from our class came from buying Kid President's Guide to Being Awesome for my class. Payton thought up an idea to have a weekly election for Kid President in our class. I was skeptical at first. I told her to write her ideas down, and we'd talk. I was annoyed at first because all she did for the rest of the day was walk around and garner support for her goals. Then I read her proposal, and it was awesome. She felt we could learn about elections better by having a weekly ballot, and she outlined the job of Kid President as someone to cheer kids up, encourage cooperation, and help make our class more AWESOME. We had our election, and Ben walked away with the Presidential Badge! I lent him the book for the weekend so he could bring ideas to us and help our class to be more awesome during his term of office. When I backed down, and let my students lead, I got real campaigning for an idea, I got organizational skills from kids, I got a project to help students focus, and I got an institution that empowers someone with positive goals. Sheesh!
So I guess I'm saying if you want your students to stay on your train (and we know, with End of Course Exams, we need them to stay on our trains!), give them a little bit of power, and they'll help you keep the train running on time. I have a confession to make: I am a hypocrite. In my classroom, our motto is Explore. Create. Collaborate. I have it on my business card. I believe that collaboration is a huge piece of production and growth. I believe that most things don't get done without a huge team effort. And now, having said all that, I have to admit that I'm frequently a terrible collaborator. I'm driven largely by novelty, and that often makes for being a bad team player. On the right team, with the right roles, I can play a good part. Frequently, though, I'll either take things over and do it all myself, or wander off. Even so, I'm coming out in favor of Collaboration tonight. Last August, I found out about the EdCamp movement, and learned on Twitter about EdCamp Citrus, a one day teacher created professional development event in Inverness, Florida. I rode down with my pal, Kristin Harrington. We had an amazing time, and I met some awesome people from around Florida. On the trip home, after dinner with fantastic new teacher friends, Kristin and I talked about how we had to put on EdCamp St. Augustine. When I got back to school the next Monday, I told my pal Katrina Worthington all about it. I told her that we were going to do it, and she was on the team. I'm so happy she said yes. We made a website, and wrote down things we thought we would need to do. We tried to figure out a date. And then we stagnated. For so long. It was almost funny. Passing in the hall, we'd both agree that we need to work on EdCamp. Didn't happen. Christmas break came and went. Nothing. Our February goal was looking more and more unrealistic! Then, in January, I went to EdCamp Orange in Orlando. I invited everyone from work via email, but it was the same week as FETC, so no one who would want to go was available. I was floored when I got there, and my principal showed up. He told me that he'd actually driven home from FETC the day before, but drove back down for the EdCamp. It's so cool to have a principal that supports your interests as a teacher. On Monday, I stopped by his office to thank him, and he said we need to pick a date for our EdCamp. Sweet! The only downside was that now the pressure was on. Kristin, Katrina, and I talked about it, but we realized that we needed to work with other people if this was actually going to work. I put out some feelers, and invited some people to my classroom to put this together. I was floored by what we accomplished in our first meeting. We put out an invitation for our next meeting for anyone who wanted to help. My pal Tammy Neil, who was busy planning her own EdCamp (in Branford, FL), was visiting, and her voice added so much to our planning. And from that meeting, we assembled a fantastic group of teachers who are putting together a fantastic day. In a recent email, we listed questions about who could do what in planning. Each person offered their ability to pitch in in a different color. In a manner of hours, we had a gorgeous document of our collaboration, our care, and our passion for good teaching. I was amazed, I was impressed, and I was humbled by the work everyone was putting in. And that's it, man. I spend so much time being the person who runs around to the beat of his own drum, and frankly not being the best team player. But I get it now, it's about getting people on board for your vision, it's about jumping in on someone else's dream, and it's about making things happen. And together? We can make so much more happen when we have something to believe in, and when we work together.
We're not done building EdCamp St. Augustine, though. It's two weeks from today, and it won't be done until everyone has returned to their schools the following Monday with a new idea to share. So I'm inviting you. How can you help? Will you come join us in St. Augustine for a day of collaboration, sharing, and new friendships? If you help create the professional development, your presence will make it that much better! REGISTER HERE! |
AuthorSean Farnum, 3rd Grade Teacher, Loves Dogs, Tech, Bicycles, Kayaking, Comedy, and Veggies. "There's no point in being grown-up if you can't be childish sometimes." Archives
June 2015
Teaching Now by Tammy Neil
robbinswrites by Molly Robbins Dare to Care by Denise Krebs Sweet Writing Life by Jennifer Laffin Making My Way in K by Karen Foley Towne Hall by Meredith Towne ReThinkTeach by Lisa Berghoff The Whole Teacher by Melissa Kitchen Backstage Guiding by Beth Crawford Rummages & Ramblings by Ben Dickson |