tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46552049133213258562024-03-05T00:25:46.644-08:00You Can Call Me Library LadyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-18441454058332933652015-09-01T19:11:00.002-07:002015-09-01T19:11:31.150-07:00My New Year's Resolution: Getting my House in OrderMy school year begins in May. Well, planning for my year begins in May. Right there before we break for the summer I have some time to reflect on my year and my practice while it is still fresh in my mind. I enter summer break thinking about what I want to continue to do, what I want to do better, and what I want to stop doing the next school year. I make plans for books I need to read and classes I need to attend in June and July. Pretty standard practice for most teachers I know. <div>
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That's most years, but not this year.</div>
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This year in May I was wrapping up my second year as a Teacherpreneur and trying to figure out how I was going to manage coming back to my library full time without my partner, Kelly. Although I was looking forward to taking complete responsibility for my program again, the benefit of our daily collaboration and division of labor was going away. I also decided to sell my house and make plans to move. The majority of my summer was spent fixing and cleaning and throwing away and negotiating, leaving very little time for professional development. </div>
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Somewhere along the way I made a connection between the moving process and my teaching. After thirteen years I feel pretty confident in my practice. I know I want to continue to grow and add new things, but I also know I need to maintain what I have. So before I move on to another new strategy or program, I will be making time to fix and clean (and possibly throw out) my current practices. I'm making a conscious effort to get my current house in order before I expand into a new one.</div>
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Here's a few things I'm working on:</div>
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<u>Managing my time</u>: I love to write, but I waste too much time on emails. I read an article this summer about 5 sentence emails (http://www.fastcompany.com/3014857/leadership-now/why-every-email-should-be-5-sentences-long) and I've adopted the practice. I shared the article with my colleagues so they would understand my shifting philosophy. So far the response has been positive. </div>
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<u>Online scheduling</u>: I have no idea why I held on to a paper schedule for so long. I started using YouCanBook.Me (https://youcanbook.me/) which allows my teachers and administrators to schedule their own classes. Again, the response has been positive.</div>
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<u>Sharing the wealth:</u> I've always been quick to volunteer to implement a new idea or to lead a group. However, I've realized I have too much on my plate already and frankly it's not fun anymore. So, I've been looking for ways to elevate other teachers in to leadership roles at my school and within my networks. There are so many people just waiting to be asked to fill a leadership role. This approach has helped me build relationships and promote the best practice of others. Win-win!</div>
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As teachers with experience, there are all kinds of things we do because it's what we've always done. I would urge every teacher to be reflective of not just the outcomes of their work but the what and why of their work. What are you still doing that you could do better or not at all?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-84920539813784720842015-04-20T18:56:00.000-07:002015-04-20T18:56:04.769-07:00Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes<div style="text-align: left;">
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It's April and I'm already thinking about next school year. It's pretty normal really. This time of year is the "transfer period" in my district, where teachers can apply to move to another school or position. I considered it. Briefly.<br />
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I have a couple of things I'm changing for next year that I've committed to and have begun the process of taking action upon.<br />
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<b>Making my library media center a more student-focused space.</b> Currently my space is set up to be the most convenient place to hold faculty meetings. That's nice, but that only accounts for 1 hour each month of the approximately 160 hours my colleagues and I are on campus. My kids are there every day, 6 hours a day. I've been looking in to learning common spaces. I can see a space with more kid-friendly seating, whiteboard tables and collaborative space.<br />
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<b>Learning how to meet the needs of ALL students.</b> My toolbox for working with special needs students is limited. This summer I will be taking some professional development courses and researching ways to support ASD students. In preparation for that, I will be spending time with my ESE resource teachers to get feedback on trends at our school and recommendations for areas of focus for my learning.<br />
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<b>Amplifying the work and voices of others.</b> There are so many incredible things happening in classrooms all around us every day that we never hear about. I've been presented with an amazing opportunity to pursue a passion of mine and be a Coach with the National Blogging Collaborative. (http://www.nationalbloggingcollaborative.com/) This work will not only spur me to write more often (and therefore be more reflective about my practice), but encourage others to write and reflect and share their work as well.<br />
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I would welcome any suggested resources you may have for supporting any of these goals. Feel free to comment here or send me an email: juliehiltz@gmail.com.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"</span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/datruss/5216340720/in/photolist-3L1ka-eyApiU-SFYi4-4pZmmW-h9vbyN-bKhxUt-go5BmK-4sHnvT-qiX9dD-wbRWx-7eGBx-du8yPb-8WX7mY-qhFxiH-7CqVAc-8fmKCS-ubyYu-rwcAoE-iNpH9k-bUQC5N-qAD3cy-P22Ry-9j6H8q-9G985o-4LsNVw-8qfmtz-9TGA1E-2gLut-4y1ctA-fL3kdA-7eb2fd-4di7kV-6QxoCs-83byg5-6QthPD-gtKUhx-3L5LjJ-aZhtTP-8JycpQ-7m5L8a-5kHTCD-5L9MMg-dibFV8-HSLDq-6Fyp1X-r8Feb2-6w7RVh-ZnESn-8MGc34-jam7TY" style="font-size: small;">David Jakes on Change 2</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">" by Ann Truss is licensed under </span><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" style="font-size: small;">CC by 2.0</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-53044660270793428232015-04-19T16:28:00.000-07:002015-04-19T16:28:08.155-07:00Start With a Question<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My attempt at #AprilBlogADay has become more of a #AprilBlogAWeek. However, I'm going to keep at it and try to finish strong. Fingers crossed.<br />
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As I'm sitting her processing the events of the last week and planning for my week ahead, I am struck by the reality that I have more questions than answers. That's not unusual, but at this point it is interfering with my ability to really focus my writing.<br />
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Going with my gut, I'm going to just put those questions out there and see what kind of discussions I can get started. Maybe I'll inspire someone else's writing?<br />
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<ul>
<li>If good teaching is good teaching, why does most professional development look like the "sit and get" that we're discouraged from using with students?</li>
<li>In that same vein, what would PD look like if we used the same teacher evaluation rubric to rate the presenters?</li>
<li>Why are we still paying teachers by the hour? (Is this just my school district?)</li>
<li>What if unions and school districts provided job training and placement services?</li>
<li>What if teachers were provided with PD on how to build professional learning networks in addition to traditional PD?</li>
<li>Why are we trying to teach 21st century learners using 20th century school day schedules and teacher assignments?</li>
<li>Why do certain politicians still perpetuate the myths of "failing schools", "bad teachers that can't be fired" and a "broken education system"? </li>
<li>Why aren't teachers including in the hiring process for colleagues and administration? (Again, is the just my school district?)</li>
<li>Why does 5.5 hours of student contact time sometimes feel like 10 hours of Broadway stage time?</li>
<li>How is it possible that watching a student take a test for 80 minutes is more exhausting than teaching a student for 5.5 hours?</li>
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What are the questions that are plaguing you?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-26002455786076414362015-04-13T18:13:00.001-07:002015-04-13T18:15:42.645-07:00Time to tidy up.I've missed writing the last few days because I've been working in the yard. In fact, I've spent most of my free time the last few months working in and around my house since my husband and I decided it was time to sell. All of a sudden my comfortable house (or perhaps it would be more honest to say the house that I had become comfortable in) was in need of a lot of work. Flooring needed replacement, walls inside and out needed paint, landscaping needed trimming and closets needed to be cleaned out. I began to wonder when everything had gotten so out of hand.<br />
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How could I have let this happen?<br />
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It was quite easy actually. Time passed and my family got comfortable with where we were. As long as no one was in danger, it was easier to adapt than to repair. We learned to walk around items out of place in the garage and ignore the cracked floor tile in the kitchen. Sure the house would have looked nicer with a new paint job but it was good enough. Until it wasn't good enough for someone else who might want to buy this house. Now we have a problem.<br />
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As a teacher I have some of those same problems in my classroom. This far in to the school year the bulletin boards are starting to show their age and some furniture is not quite in the right place. There are some stacks of equipment to be repaired and to-do lists that are waiting to be done. I would never open my media center in August looking like it does today but I'm at a place where I've come to accept it because there are only so many hours in the day. I'm comfortable.<br />
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I'm sure I'm not the only teacher that finds themselves in this position and that's OK. In April many teachers' classrooms look lived in and they should. Thousands of students and teachers have been teaching and learning for three grading periods already. But we have one more grading period to go so beginning tomorrow I think I'll make the effort to try to get things looking a little better. I may not have more than 5-10 minutes every day to work on these things, but it's a start.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-59476536773397679922015-04-09T16:50:00.001-07:002015-04-09T16:50:49.578-07:00Mutual Benefit Requires Mutual ConsiderationMary Fernandez is retiring in June. She has been my principal and mentor since 2004 and one the primary factors in my personal and professional development as a teacher leader. Mary has always been focused on creating the conditions for success. Understanding that students benefit from effective teachers, she has worked hard to put us in the best possible situation to be successful. We've been encouraged to take on leadership roles both on and off campus, take responsibility for our professional development and exercise autonomy in our classrooms. As teachers we hold each other accountable. Together we have built a collegial professional community.<br />
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I have known about her retirement for several years now but my anxiety is building as I await the announcement of her replacement later this month. The problem I have is within my district administrative hiring decisions are like a box of chocolates- you never know what you're going to get. Principals and Assistant Principals serve at the will of the school board. And while I respect the authority of the school board to make those administrative appointments, I am disappointed that these decisions are made without the input of the parents or teachers that principal is assigned to serve.<br />
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To me it's the next natural progression in education reform. If you want teachers and parents to be collaborative partners with schools then those groups should be able to have input on who becomes the instructional leader for the school. The teachers and parents at my school know the students and their needs. They know the community and its expectations. We also know what the kind of empowering administrator we want so we can continue to learn and grow as professionals.<br />
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Whoever the new principal is I will welcome them with open arms and an open mind. I will do the work required to support their transition and build relationships. I will be transparent with my work both inside and outside of the building. I just wish I had a say.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-72899422595291589262015-04-08T18:11:00.001-07:002015-04-08T18:11:32.994-07:00Take a Field Trip<div>
My school is practically buzzing this week as two of our grade levels prepare for field trips. My second graders have been studying animals and their habitats for their trip to the Lowry Park Zoo and my son and his fourth grade peers are getting ready to immerse themselves in Florida history at Cracker Country (http://www.crackercountry.org/). I love to see the kids getting excited about learning and I've been extra busy in the media center this week finding books and other resources for the teachers and students. </div>
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It reminds me how excited I was when I was in school for Field Trip Day. Not only was it a chance to have an adventure off school campus, but it made learning even more fun and relevant. I loved to read, but I needed to see and touch things. Preparation usually included stern warnings about being on your best behavior and requests to wear special clothes. It was a small price to pay for the opportunity to eat a bagged lunch outside of the noisy cafeteria and see the more informal side of my teacher's personality. </div>
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During the last two years as a Teacherpreneur with the Center for Teaching Quality (teachingquality.org) I have had the opportunity renew my love affair with field trips. I've been working more closely with new and established media specialists throughout my district by visiting their school sites. I get excited every time I have the chance to go to a new school because I know I'm going to learn something new. I've taken hundreds of pictures and incorporated many of the ideas I've seen. It has challenged my thinking about how I use the space in my media center and what I'll do next year.<div>
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It hard to work as a media specialist sometimes because of the isolation. I'm the only one of "me" at my school. I can visit other teacher's classrooms for ideas and inspiration but it's not the same for me as being in another library space with another library teacher. Next year, as I return to my full time media specialist position I hope to find ways to continue to visit other spaces in other places.<br /><div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-57944771717502156062015-04-07T17:11:00.000-07:002015-04-07T17:11:43.453-07:00Going on the Record<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today I had the pleasure of meeting two fellow advocates for public education: Major General George W. “Nordie” Norwood, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) and Major General Don Infante, U.S. Army (Ret.) at a press conference for Mission: Readiness. From their perspective, increasing the graduation rate for Florida students through a high quality education serves two purposes: increases the number of eligible candidates for military service (currently 71% of young adults ages 17-24 are ineligible for a number of reasons) and supports the retention of military personnel whose children attend public schools. Both of these gentlemen understand the challenges that we are facing as educators, particularly with regards to the potential high stakes penalties based on the new Florida Standards Assessment. </div>
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While I would never assume to speak for all teachers, I was asked to speak AS a teacher on this subject. The following is an excerpt from my comments.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtD_QmP6Pz8s5RqnUFQ69ukD3R9Ik_AcI3PKM-u-2EKATRPD0rAcU42II98bbSbUXNAgVGCkHYp-v6ixCh26eSFsgjXRLnLI55yer9Ky6tS_hjsdoZtx-UViK33PDR774zPY2OZHRWYs/s1600/JH+MissionReadiness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtD_QmP6Pz8s5RqnUFQ69ukD3R9Ik_AcI3PKM-u-2EKATRPD0rAcU42II98bbSbUXNAgVGCkHYp-v6ixCh26eSFsgjXRLnLI55yer9Ky6tS_hjsdoZtx-UViK33PDR774zPY2OZHRWYs/s1600/JH+MissionReadiness.jpg" height="289" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As an elementary
Media Specialist and alum of Florida's K-20 public school system, I am honored
to be here today with these distinguished military leaders to discuss the
importance of high quality public education for Florida's future. </i><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Over the last
three years I have been involved with implementation of these College and
Career Ready standards in my classroom, my school, my district and with
teachers across the state. The
Florida Standards have resulted in not just a shift in how students learn but
how teachers teach.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>The process of real learning is messy and rarely linear.
Under the Florida Standards, teachers are encouraging students to really dig
deep and problem-solve in new and challenging ways. With guidance, we are
helping our students work through the productive struggle of acquiring new
skills and applying their knowledge in different contexts. Our lessons are
designed to mirror real world learning experiences by making sophisticated
links between multiple subject areas, standards and skills. Students are
learning how to communicate more effectively through active listening, critical
analysis and developing persuasive arguments. They are collaborating, creating
and sharing their work through the use of technology in new and meaningful
ways. These are life long learning skills will serve our students well no
matter what career path they choose.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>These higher standards for English language arts and math
are being fully implemented in all grades this school year and I have seen the
difference this approach to teaching and learning has made with my own child.
By moving from the previous standards that were a mile wide and an inch deep,
his teachers are able to spend more time developing a deeper understanding of
more complex and challenging concepts. At the expense of his own personal
frustration sometimes, his language arts teacher is assessing his understanding
by pushing him to not just choose a correct answer but to explain the
"where" and the "why" of his choice. His math teacher is
able to help students understand multiple ways to find solutions to problems
and has the time and space for students to share their own methods as well. As
was intended by the standards, his fourth grade teachers are helping him build
a solid foundation for learning that will continue to grow as his makes his way
through high school. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>As teachers we are devoted to our students. We want them
to experience the same pride and joy we feel when are successful. We want them
to continue to wonder and explore. We want them to own not just the learning
process but the outcome acquisition of knowledge for themselves and their
peers. The reality is we're not quite there yet. The implementation of the
standards has not been without struggle. As I said before, real learning is
messy and teachers have been learning right alongside their students during the
transition. We have been developing, questioning and refining our teaching
delivery and practice and will likely continue to do so for the next few years.
There continues to be anxiety surrounding the delivery of the Florida Standards
Assessment and the associated consequences for students and teachers based on
those outcomes. I appreciate that our legislature is currently in the process
of negotiating a bill that would delay high stakes accountability until the
test has been validated.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>I have a
genuine love and respect for the students, families and colleagues I have the privilege to work with. I believe, as do my colleagues, that we have a duty to
provide the highest quality public education to all ensure the success of all
students. It is going to continue to take hard work and time, but I believe
that proper implementation of high standards for all students are a part of
that success. All that I ask is for is patience, and the continued support of
our state’s parents, community members, administrators and policymakers as our
students and schools continue to make this transition.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>I’m pleased
that our distinguished military leaders are joining many educators, business
leaders and others in urging our state leaders to keep the implementation of
these standards on track in a reasonable and judicious way. </i></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-40075664561898131982015-04-06T17:24:00.000-07:002015-04-06T17:24:15.534-07:00What Goes Around, Comes AroundA colleague of mine came to visit me in the Media Center the other day and after the usual platitudes the conversation shifted to her class.<br />
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Hands in the air and disbelief on her face she said, "You will not believe how little attention these kids pay to directions. I gave them one of those worksheets where the directions tell you to read all the way through to the end and....."<br />
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"Just stop," I said, hardly containing a laugh. I was very familiar with the worksheet she'd given to them. "I can believe it. I was that kid."<br />
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Yes, those "following directions" worksheets were around 30 years ago when I was in elementary school. I was that kid that couldn't be bothered to read the directions or wait for the teacher to tell me what to do. After a quick scan of the page, I was that was convinced I knew what the task was that I just jumped right in and started working. I wasn't a bad kid, I just wanted to get the task over.<br />
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My teacher collected the papers after 5 minutes and handed out treats to those students who had read the directions, turned their papers over and put their heads down. My teacher then thought the same thing my colleague thought last week- that her students just didn't pay attention when they were told to read directions. If only they would pay attention, think of all the learning they could do?<br />
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I only made that mistake one time. Once.<br />
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That day in fourth grade I left my classroom with a bruised ego but a lesson learned. However, because I was motivated by being correct I learned to read directions carefully. To this day I still mistrust directions that are vague or appear oversimplified.<br />
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The truth is that students tend to approach most tasks in similar ways. Students that rush through work because they think it is simply a task to complete will rush through the work. Those students that dilly-dally because the work is hard will continue to dilly-dally. Those students that make careless mistakes will continue to do so until we find what motivates them to do better and reinforce those behaviors. It's not always easy, but it's the job we do.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-10478309685286660812015-04-03T18:34:00.003-07:002015-04-03T18:39:24.910-07:0010 Books That Changed My Thinking<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not feeling very well this evening but didn't want to give up on the challenge of writing a blog today. So, in honor of School Library Month and Teacher Leadership, here are 10 books I love- in no particular order.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Prince </b>by Nicolo Machiavelli</span></li>
<li><b>The Count of Monte Cristo</b> by Alexandre Dumas</li>
<li><b>Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon</b> by Patty Lovell and David Catrow</li>
<li><b>Mindset</b> by Carol Dweck</li>
<li><b>StrengthsFinder 2.0 </b>by Tom Rath</li>
<li><b>The Art of Choosing </b>by Sheena Iyengar</li>
<li><b>The Hunger Games</b> by Suznne Collns</li>
<li><b>Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything </b>by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner</li>
<li><b>It's a Book </b>by Lane Smith</li>
<li><b>Outliers: The Story of Success</b> by Malcolm Gladwell</li>
</ul>
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What are your go-to books?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-32635879820299429232015-04-01T19:09:00.000-07:002015-04-01T19:24:39.553-07:00Go Get Your Own Satisfaction<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0pt 0pt 10pt; text-indent: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0pt;">Cruising through SeaTac airport this morning I read a poster that challenged the notion set forth by The Rolling Stones that you "</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0pt;">can't get no satisfaction". The message of the advertisement certainly connected with this rock music fan, but I'm afraid it failed in its mission as I have no idea what it was trying to sell me. But, I digress.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0pt 0pt 10pt; text-indent: 0pt;">
<span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I loved the song "Satisfaction" when I was in high school. Jagger was signing the about the challenges of his youth and mine, the acknowledgment that your circumstances are sometimes out of your control. You can't always get what you want, no matter how hard you tried. And tried. And tried, tried, tried, tried, tried, tried, tried. It's Ok because it happens to everyone. Don't be so hard on yourself.</span></div>
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<span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reminds me a lot of my teaching experiences. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you don't get your satisfaction. Best plans, best pedagogy, best curriculum and resources, best technology, best prepared students, best intentions...not always the best outcome. Learning objectives unmet, students disengaged, observations not reflective of your usual performance, unproductive meetings or unfulfilling collaborations.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0pt 0pt 10pt; text-indent: 0pt;">
<span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It sure is convenient that Jagger gave us an "out", right? You've tried your best and it didn't work out. It's also crap. (There I said it.) You don't have to settle. Period. As a teacher you have choices. You're an educated professional with an internet connection. You're an employee not an indentured servant. Go out and get your own satisfaction. </span></div>
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<span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><u>Change your circumstances.</u></span><span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Transfer to a new school or district. Change grade levels or subject areas or switch from primary to secondary education. Be an advocate for yourself and your faculty or become the administrator your students and school deserves. Refuse to participate in activities that waste your time. Acknowledge the fact that teaching may not be for you and move on to different work.</span></div>
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<span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><u>Change your attitude.</u></span><span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Become a connected educator and build a new personal learning network. Surround yourself with solutions-oriented peers. Focus on the positives. Share your successes to inspire others. Seek interactions with people that disagree with you. Capitalize on your personal strengths and passions. Be a critical friend. Ask more questions. Seek to understand before you expect to be understood. Assume the best intentions of others.</span></div>
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<span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><u>Change your goals.</u></span><span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Embrace Carol Dweck's work and change your mindset. Say &no& to opportunities that don't make your heart sing. Recalibrate your measure of success. Try something that you are just convinced will not work. Work towards improvement and not perfection.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0pt 0pt 10pt; text-indent: 0pt;">
<span dir="LTR" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm sure there are many more ideas out there. So, what did I miss?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655204913321325856.post-90305428963758619412015-03-31T19:21:00.002-07:002015-03-31T19:21:38.200-07:00Am I where I want to be?<div>
<i>Thanks to an invitation from Chris Crouch (aka @the_explicator) I've decided to accept the April Blog a Day Challenge. I realize I've been kind of a slacker when it comes to writing and I'm hoping that the focused topics, inspiration and comraderie will help to keep me motivated. </i></div>
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#AprilBlogADay Day 1 Am I where I want to be?</div>
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When I started teaching in 2002 I had two goals: to work in a school I love and complete my National Board Certification. And by 2008 I had accomplished both. Nothing to do but enjoy my time with the students and cruise to retirement, right?</div>
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But there's an awesome kind of transformative magic to the National Board protocols that no one tells you about. Whether you achieve or not, you can't help but be inspired by the process. The teacher mentors you meet, the programs and professional development you learn about and the teacher leadership you begin to recognize in yourself and others. </div>
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But it wasn't just the National Board process that shaped my thinking. Somewhere along the way I realized that I loved the process of learning and teaching. I loved continuous improvement and research and reflection. I loved challenging myself and others.</div>
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And I had amazing administrators that patiently answered all of my "But what if?" questions. They gave me a safe space to learn and lead and grow. They showed me how to be an inclusive leader and encourage others to do so.</div>
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And at some point when I began to get a little restless for a new challenge I was introduced to the Center for Teaching Quality (teachingquality.org), a national organization that promotes teacher leadership. And they connected me to resources to learn how to advocate and problem-solve and share my expertise. I began to think about how I could improve teaching and learning for students and teachers. I began to tweet and blog. I began to give presentations around my state and help other teachers discover their own teacher leadership. I began to participate in conferences with teachers across the nation and around the world about best practices and future goals. </div>
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All of these things have led me to where I find myself today. I have more experiences and opportunities than I would have imagined and every day is better than the day before. I'm constantly learning new things, meeting new people and cataloging new experiences. I've learned to define my career by the moments not the milestones. I am definately where I want to be.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06245234592888874649noreply@blogger.com8