The Only Thing I Can Control...

I've been reading at least one "self-help" type book a month since the fall of 2020. I've been trying to apply the myriad lessons to my teaching life. I keep thinking I've simplified them, to make them easier to remember, but none have really stuck with me... yet.

This week, this is my focus: 

         I will not let a 12-year-old's words or actions dictate what I say or how I act.

I re-read a blog post from George Couros, and the line that got to me was, "Never let an 8-year-old ruin your day." Yup. And how do they ruin my day? I LET them.

You might think this is common sense. If so, you've probably never taught middle schoolers. If you've taught them, you KNOW how difficult it can be to snap at them, to yell, to grit your teeth and say something that you'll probably regret later. Only to feel like crap afterwards, knowing you weren't your best self. The pot can only hold so much steam before it blows, and 12-year-olds know how to push all your buttons. So this is my goal this week: to not let a 12-year old's words or actions dictate what I say or how I act. The ONLY thing I can control is what I think. (I'm learning this from reading about and trying to practice Stoicism.) The next thing I can (usually) control is how I act.

I still have my "pause button," and I'm going to use it.

Here's a snippet of how I did during one instance in one class yesterday... 

     We'd been reading quietly (a slice of Heaven for me), and one student had been "in the bathroom" for ten minutes. When he returned, he shouted, "Mrs. Kirr! I was walking down the hall and some boy called me Black!" Many of the kids laughed. He loves to get people laughing.

     I closed my eyes. I took a breath. I looked at him. I said quietly, "If you'd like to report this, you may head to the office. If not, you may sit down and read quietly."

     "But Mrs. Kirr! I am NOT Black! I don't like that he called me that!"

     I repeated quietly, "If you'd like to report this, you may head to the office. If not, you may sit down and read quietly."

     I don't know how many times I repeated this. Maybe two more times? When I shifted to go get a yellow sticky note as a warning (before writing this incident in a form we've been using - see this post), he went to sit down. The rest of the kids got back to reading. I felt proud of myself.

And today...

     Once again, we'd been reading quietly (a slice of Heaven for me), and one student was tickling another student. The other student laughed, or I wouldn't have even noticed. I quietly told him to get back to his seat. "But I thought it was free seating today! Why do I have to go back to my seat! I didn't do anything! I'm reading, Mrs. Kirr!" I quietly pointed to his chair. "It's not fair! I wasn't doing anything! Why doesn't anyone else have to move! It's not fair!" I quietly pointed to his chair. 

     When he finally went to his chair, I whispered, "I'll answer your question now that you're here. You were tickling ___ and we're supposed to be reading."

     "I wasn't tickling him! I was getting something off his neck!" he "whispered" back.

     I quietly responded with, "And you were supposed to be reading." And then I walked away with my book. After a few more huffs and puffs, he opened his own book.

I don't like getting riled up by an outright lie or a made-up story.

I know I can't win an argument with a 12-year-old.
I like how I feel when I stay calm and simply repeat myself.

I like how these instances are over fairly quickly, and I feel like they're small but mighty "wins."

I hope this lesson will stick with me.

Head over to Two Writing Teachers for more slice of life stories.

Troublemakers

Labels irk the heck out of me.

The fact that we label students as "troublemakers" really irritates me, even though I've done it myself.

I've been waiting (why have I been waiting?) to read this one for a bit, and it did not disappoint, as I read it in two days...

The canary and cage on the front have two meanings. The most obvious is from Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," and the less obvious is the one that distressed me the most. Miners used to take canaries down in the mines with them, as they served as warnings about the air quality. If a canary were to die, the miners had to get out. When a child is singing loudly, we need to heed that as a warning that something is wrong in this classroom. Most likely, it's the imbalance of power.

Most of what Carla Shalaby shares is about a child's need to feel free - to feel as if they're in some sort of control - to feel HUMAN.

The four students the author chose to focus on were in what seemed to me GREAT schools. She asked the principal to share two teachers of high caliber. And to those teachers, she asked, "Who of your students is the most troublesome?" These are the four she shadowed for a bit - at school, and when possible, at home. What I found kind of amusing and kind of sad is that the behaviors these four first graders exhibited were some of the very same behaviors I see in some seventh graders.

I can see and understand the messages she shares about the young black students not having any adults at school to look to for models. I can see how schools are conforming students to ... basically act white. When I think of my own students, the ones that I lose sleep over happen to be white. My school has a high white population (and I, too, am white). The author is upset about students' exclusion to a different part of the room or a different room altogether. I do not worry about physically excluding students, but I may exclude them unintentionally if I call them out on something in front of the entire class.

What I was really struck by was the conformity we expect of our students.

The author points out that educators want compliance because that's what's expected in schools. That's how we can get our lessons across, and that's how the school culture simply IS.

While she was sharing the stories of the four seven-year-olds, I couldn't help but think of my own students, and I was reminded of a few things:

• Students really don't have much control at school, especially compared to at home. No matter how much we think we have student-directed learning or choice or voice, this book forced me to consider how much I actually control, and how much the school culture actually dictates.
• Many students learn that the culture of school is to listen and obey.
• Some students are simply just being themselves. Their personalities may differ from those of the majority of the class, or else the majority has figured out it's safer to hide or squash their true personalities at school.
• "Different" is often perceived as causing trouble.
• Many (most?) children have a natural tendency to want to learn. What do we do at school that dissolves that initiative? We have a curriculum to teach. I wonder how many times our curriculum is not something each child would choose to learn each day...
• Teachers often pigeonhole children into doing what we do, and doing it how we do it.
• We may have 25 students in class. We don't always make the time to help answer questions from inquisitive minds, and yet we encourage them to be inquisitive. We want them to think for themselves, and when they do, it can cause a disturbance. We want them to be independent, but only under our parameters.
• We need to listen to individual students.
• We need to get to know our students even more.
• We need to let them know when we are proud of them.
• We need to notice and name the good they do.
• We need to see them (or imagine them) outside of school - how does what they're doing in school look like outside of school? Might what they're doing actually help them somehow outside of the school setting?
• Stop labeling students! Making trouble is a verb - not a noun. It's not something to fix. It's something to explore.
• Just because a student is a "good student" does not mean that he or she will succeed outside of school. Compliance does not always equal success. We put so many limits on students in school - how will they succeed when they're left on their own? We want children to find their identities, to figure out their strengths, to be confident, to have a voice in decisions... We need to give them the room to do so - without fear of punishment, or worse, exclusion.

At the end of the book, I still wanted MORE. I wish I could copy the entire conclusion and her note to teachers here. Instead, this will be your advertisement to read this book if you have not yet. The author does not solve our problems with these so-called "troublemakers." She leaves it to us and our students. I have a tiny idea of what I can do when I return to school after this two-week break, and yet I know my students will have to help me figure it out. They have many more ideas than I ever will, and maybe we can get to the root of what they need from me.

My favorite quote: 

How stressful it must be to be a young person in our schools! How unsafe and frightening it must be to wonder - as you witness the next punishment and rejection of one of your peers - if you will be next. That kind of conditional acceptance, subjective belonging, contingent care, must feel terribly threatening to children, whom we know are biologically wired to make illogical choices as their brains continue to develop. They make mistakes and they make bad decisions - don't we all? Especially when we are stressed, feeling unsafe, and suffering?

The School Year Is Almost Here

The 2018-2019 school year is quickly approaching - so many signs that summer for many of us is over. There are so many things that were on my to-do list I did NOT do. I tried to promote the book a bit, had at least three podcasts, spent a few fun lunches and dinners with other educators, presented at two conferences, but most of the time - I spent loving the summer and time with my family. Before we head to our last vacation of the summer, I had to get these thoughts out, as I'm feeling like I did not do ENOUGH.

Here's what I haven't yet done, and most likely won't be doing...

• I won't be starting a podcast - unless my students want to start their own.
• I purchased 50 (teeny) stickers for Shift This - I won't be purchasing more. I understand the sticker is an advertisement. It can spark discussions - great! And even though I have myriad stickers on my school laptop, I just won't take time to design a sticker and send them out. It's just not me.
• I won't be tweeting out a link for readers to fill in a form so I can send them "swag." As mentioned above, I don't have swag.
• I won't be presenting if it's a conflict with what I'm trying to do in my classroom. My students come first once the school year is in session.
• I won't be a full-time consultant. My place right now is in front of seventh graders.
• I won't be setting up "summits" for other teachers. These are very valuable, and I sign up for as many as I can. I realize it must take a TON of time to set up and execute. Time I could use to improve my own practice. Thank you to those who take the time to do this (some - many? - are not teaching children directly anymore).

Here's what I have done and will keep doing...

• I will be available for a video conference if you have a group that is reading Shift This and time permits. I will NOT charge for this half hour. I'd love it if educators took the ideas and ran with them, even after they hear first-hand about issues I've had!
• I will still be available for podcasts. This will be dependent on time I spend preparing for students.
• I will still be available for presentations - if it fits with my schedule and does not conflict with my current position as a classroom teacher.
• I will still organize the #ShiftThis chat on Tuesdays. We have guest moderators who will bring their own voice, so I'll be able to enjoy this hour with contributors!
• I will try to self-promote without going "overboard." I still think educators should read Shift This, so I will be sharing what others have said about it, and perhaps quotes from the book itself.
• I will continue reading young adult and middle grades literature and sharing them with followers if I feel they will benefit our students.
• I will continue saving quotes from this literature to use as mentor texts for use in our ELA classes.
• I will continue to scour tweets for ideas for #geniushour, #goinggradeless (#tg2chat, #ttog), along with the #1st5Days, and add these ideas to the free LiveBinders I curate.
• I will continue to take small breaks from social media - to reflect on where I am and where I need to be going.
• I will continue to share - though blogging, too - ideas that I believe other teachers can connect with or learn from.

The school year brings its own struggles. These things listed are some of the things I can control in my life. I may not be able to "do it all," but I have to be okay with that.

Unmapped Potential

Unmapped Potential by Julie Hasson and Missy Lennard (PurposefulPrincipals) went on my list to
read after a few quotes came at me from Twitter. This is not a review; this is simply one of my take-aways.

I think I got something out of this book that might not have been the authors' intent... I believe most of the focus (except for the stellar chapter 8 which gave GREAT information about how to lead your team) was supposed to be about the potential in our students. I learned better ways to work more effectively with colleagues that don't necessarily work the same way I do - to recognize and use my colleagues' potential. Bear with me here...

"If you want to change the world, start by making your bed." This quote, by Admiral Charles McRaven, came across my twitter feed a few days ago, and then I read it in Unmapped Potential - right on page four! The authors go on to say, "Simple steps done with consistency and conviction can create a big impact. And making a small, positive change in one area will positively impact all other areas." My thoughts went right to teacher interactions.

If you've got a pretty good rapport in class with students, in the hallways and after school, and you're anything like the readers of Shift This, the most difficult part of your day might be when you interact with other staff members. I've been getting many direct messages and emails from teachers who say that chapter ten on "Resistance" from Shift This resonated with them, because they feel they have no one they can go to during the day. They're thought of as the "crazy" teacher who has "loud" classes or tries "weird" activities, where no one is learning (grrr). And since there's only a certain amount of time during the day, these teachers that encounter this resistance decide to only focus on their students, and not on their relationships with their peers. Many of them have "given up." They'd rather put their energy into their students, because INSIDE the classroom is where they see the most collaboration and growth.

My mind was on these readers when I picked up Unmapped Potential, so I kept substituting "students" for "teachers" as I read. Next, I read, "...belief plus action helps you realize your goals." Julie and Missy went on to say that what we believe is what will happen. They shared a story about a boy who lost his eraser. He BELIEVED that another student had taken it, and he became very angry. Even though his teacher gave him another, he was still angry - at his BELIEF - not at the actual situation (which had been resolved). This story will stick with me for a long time, because I do this.

I do this. I think one thing about a person, and it stays with me. I've often that "that teacher doesn't want to change. That teacher is happy with the status quo." The authors say "Your struggle to connect with some people is likely rooted in your thoughts about them" (57). My thoughts/beliefs have driven a rut into my map about this person. It's so deep, and I don't even know if it's true. "If we focus on changing our thoughts about them, we can improve our relationships with them" (58). I realized I had to take a break from the book and come up with new beliefs. Stop reading here for a moment. Think of a person you believe "doesn't care" or "is negative" or "thinks my work is crazy." Then think of a POSITIVE belief you could honestly believe about that person. Once you've done this, please keep reading... 

If the person is a teacher, we can most likely be correct believing that "all teachers want their students to learn." Another belief - on our part - could be, "I believe this will be my best school year ever." I can see how saying this daily when you get ready for school could actually work!

We need to put up the "road closed" signs on that rutted road (belief) for now, hoping weeds will sprout through the cracks in the asphalt and that our new belief will take hold - a brand new road, clean, smooth, and ready for us to travel many times. (Did you know - this new road has stops along the way for refreshments? And most likely chocolate?)

What's next after creating a new belief? When we get agitated, frustrated, angry or worried, we need to repeat the new beliefs, and not let feelings influence our actions.

Prior to this happening, however, we need to visualize how we will respond to negativity if (when) it appears. At the end of each chapter there is a section called "Map-Changing Actions." The authors give great suggestions as to how to visualize your response (at the end of the fourth chapter).  "Close your eyes and see yourself successfully performing something challenging... (this could be a conversation with that teacher) ...Imagine the sensory details - what you see, hear and feel - as you perform the task. Envisioning your state may also be helpful. For example, seeing yourself in a calm state may decrease physical symptoms of stress when the time comes to perform it. Finally, envisioning success can enhance motivation and confidence, making you more likely to continue despite challenges."

Visualization has been used for how many years? For how many reasons? Yes. This could work. We need to make the time. (Heck, why not right now??)  When I think back on situations that might arise again at my own school, I can visualize how to keep calm and patient, and then what I might ask to get the conversation going. I'll try to ask more questions than give answers, and I'll put my focus into listening to responses.

If you've got an issue with a colleague, you've got your reasons - your purpose - for mending these issues. If it affects you negatively, you want that out of your life. You can only control so much. What you can control is your new beliefs. Spend some time shutting down those negative roads on your mind map. Spend more time setting up new beliefs to latch on to. Focus and apply your efforts on what you can control. Notice and appreciate the strengths in this person, and respond in ways that make both of you better, instead of bitter (29). If you try to avoid the challenge, "you cheat yourself out of an opportunity to grow" (50). And "...you will likely regret being angry, but you will never regret being kind" (61). "Your new way of responding to this person might just reduce the very behavior frustrating you" (64).

I can see how teachers can use the authors' messages to develop better relationships with colleagues. Looking through this lens will hopefully help those that encounter resistance throughout their day! Please share with me in the comments what beliefs you may have had and any new beliefs on which you choose to focus!

Taking a Break from Control

It happens.
Sometimes it makes me late - to a meeting, to a party, to class.
It's human.

WHY, then... WHY is this story about Shanna Peeples' (who I totally respect) bathroom policy considered radical? Why is it even a discussion? You've gotta read this story!

Why do some teachers want control over when students use the bathroom?

Chapter four in Shift This mentions giving students control over when they leave the room. In room 239, we have a sign-out sheet that students can use - to visit the bathroom, get something from their locker, see the nurse, visit the library... They sign out and then they leave. I have seventh graders. They love this procedure. Do you think they don't take advantage of this?

Of course they do! So how do I notice this, and then what do I do? (And how can I look so casual about it?!)

First, I offer them practice. At the beginning of the year, I go over our sign-out system quickly, and simply ask that students are courteous about leaving. Try not to leave in the middle of a discussion or dissemination of important information. Try to NEVER leave when another student is sharing something. Some need to be reminded, but school is a great time to practice. I trust them until they prove me wrong.

At the start of the year, not many students take advantage of this system - it's as if they're not sure of it. Can this be true? But in another class, we get three passes for the quarter... I can just go when I need to?

Still, after four weeks in, I take home the sign-out sheets. I make tally marks on a roster to see who may be abusing the system. What does "abusing the system" even mean?? I have 80-min. blocks, with a four-minute break in between. Sure, they could go during break, but many other students are using that transition time so they don't have to use a pass... And for my class after lunch, should students be given more leeway? Who am I to decide this?? So what I do is I figure one time a week should be normal. (Right? Is it? I still don't know.) There are some students who never leave class. Then there are others...

After I tally, I jot down who I should talk with. In a quiet one-on-one conversation, all I ask is, "Is there a reason you need to leave our class so much?" Sometimes their answers will surprise me! And many times, they leave because they forgot something at their locker - this is a different issue, and this is what I use the tracking sheet for - that's (narrative) feedback that gets shared in my online grade book. I show the average for the class, and we - together - set a goal for the next four weeks. Usually this discussion and goal helps.

Does it not work sometimes?

Obviously. I have students who struggle in ELA. Leaving the room is an escape, and I'm aware of this. When the work gets tougher, this student will escape more often. The next four weeks I tally once again. We have the discussion again. And what do we do? We need to come up with a way to MEET the student's goal. We need to come up with a PLAN, since simply setting a goal did not work. This past year, my co-teacher and I simply used an index card with my initials on separate pieces that I cut partially for the student to tear off and then just leave - no questions asked. When the index card is gone, they're done for the four weeks. It works - and is still fairly discreet.

And yet... I need to tweak my own system sometimes. Last year, with three weeks left of the school year, I was tallying... and I stopped half-way through. Too many students were suddenly leaving a LOT from our class = 15 or more times in four weeks!! This was the first time I'd run into this. So... I went back to my old passes I still had on a document, and printed them out.

The new plan was for students hand to it to me, I initial, and they leave the room. When they got this paper, they GROANED! When I explained that too many people had taken advantage of the system the last four weeks, they nodded, giggled, and said nothing more. (Plus, we only had three weeks left of school - that's one per week!) I had to add this caveat, however - they could not buy or sell them. They could give them away to friends in need, but they could not buy or sell them. I knew this group of entrepreneurs...

They surprised me again - I found one that someone left behind, tucked it under the transparent desk cover thing-a-ma-bob, and a student used it and then returned it!! I love 7th graders. I want to treat them like the humans they are, and then tweak the plan when it's not working.

How do you handle bathroom breaks? Leave a comment with your idea we can all steal!

Let It Go

What are our issues with giving students control in classes?

Why do we have a difficult time letting go of control?

“There is no time to cover the curriculum I’m supposed to cover.”

“They won’t get enough preparation for the standardized tests.”

“Other teachers will walk by the room and think I’m crazy.”

It's time to get over it.

We are here to teach CHILDREN first.

If you say you want your students to be creative and prepared for the world ahead of them, you need to give up your control - at least for part of your school year! Our students need to be adaptable, flexible, creative, innovative and leaders. They can NOT practice these skills unless we give them the time. Allowing time during your class for students to pursue their own passions does get loud, confusing, and it just might be your most difficult and rewarding part of your week.

Genius Hour, 20% Time, Innovation Day, Passion Projects… By any name, this is student-driven learning. Your job is to give students the map so that they can create their own journey, with u-turns and break-downs along the way. They may fail, but we'll be there to help them reflect on wrong turns and show ways to get back on the right path.

Why should we “give up” part of the day or week to let students learn or create what they want? If you can’t answer, then try this question: What do you remember about your elementary and high school years? We remember the teachers who were nice, and those that were not. But really, what specific curriculum do you remember? And could you find that curriculum by Googling questions now? Did you ever get a chance to do what YOU wanted in school? We remember those things that are personal to us - those times we were truly engaged in the learning, because we were allowed some choice. Kids are naturally curious - they DO want to learn - but they probably want to learn many things that are not in our curriculum.

I used to think it was all about the CHOICE students are given, and that’s a HUGE part of it. With more choice, they are more motivated to learn… but there is more.

The shift to Common Core invites creativity, freedom, deeper thinking and understanding. The only way for more of this to happen in schools is for teachers to give up the control. I want a student-centered classroom - one where my students learn how to become lifelong learners - how to seek out experts and ask the questions that will get them further along in their exploration… how to pursue answers, rather than memorize facts.

During Genius Hour, students have to first find their passion. This shouldn’t be difficult, but it is so very difficult for some, because we have beat that curiosity out of them. School has become a place (in some instances) where we don’t have time to find out what students like - we have too much we need to teach them! WE tell them what WE think they need to know. They get used to years of this, and by the time they reach us, they don’t know how to be curious anymore - they lose some of the urge to share what they know with us. In fact, some of the students that have the hardest time during genius hour are the ones who have learned to play the school game well. Your “straight A” students will have a difficult time without rubrics, deadlines, and the openness of this year-long project. They want to be told what to do. This won't work in the world in which they're heading.

For these students, you may have to scaffold their learning. It begins with a conversation. There are many questions you can ask students to lead them to ideas. First, you’ll need to generate ideas for their passion. You can ask a multitude of questions (list here) in your one-on-one conference. You can also, as AJ Juliani suggested in this blog post, ask students to create a “March Madness Interests” bracket. Once students find something they’d like to do, it’s time for them to set their own parameters. If they need a deadline, have them come up with it. They could create a calendar with dates on it when they’d like to be done with certain parts of their project, and select a date in which to present. If they want to be graded, they should be tasked with creating the rubric, and given parameters with which to do so. If they will be doing more than one project for the year, they may find it easier to begin in this fashion, with rubrics and deadlines becoming unnecessary for their next projects. What you should do, to make it easier on all of your students, is come up with steps to follow. It can be as simple as “Brainstorm ideas, research, and present,” or as complex as you’d like (depending on what you’re willing to manage).

Benefits for students: They take ownership of their learning. The develop social skills. They learn how to work smarter at solving problems. They become better at asking questions. They develop a more trusting relationship with you, which hopefully spreads to other adults. They have increased motivation to come to your class. They are more engaged during class, which leads to learning.

Benefits for teachers: Having time built into your week when you can sit down with kids individually helps them feel valued, and it will also help you. You will learn what makes them tick. You will learn what type of learner they are. You will learn what they are skilled at, and what they wish they knew. You will learn about their life outside of school. You can use all of this information during the rest of your week - and your students will, too. It’s suddenly all about the students, the way it should be - they’ll trust you because you know them. You’ll show them you trust that they can make decisions for the class.

Created with Festisite & Over

All of your lessons will revolve around your students - their skills and their needs. And isn’t THAT what it’s all about?

So… How do teachers pull this off? I recently wrote a post about decisions you’ll have to make - it may look daunting, but it will be one of those decisions you won’t regret.

Students' ideas will provoke change in your classroom & in your thinking!*

*Disclaimer: Be ready to be the loudest and most engaged class in your hallway…

Managing Twitter Through TweetDeck

I've tried it. I've tried to not follow "too many" people on Twitter. I tried to keep my "following" list at 300 so I "didn't miss anything." I can't keep track of them all on my Twitter feed! What if I miss someone's tweet that I'm meant to see? What if I miss a gem that could really change my way of thinking about student learning? Ahhh! NOOOO!

My next step - I learned that the more people you follow, the more different perspectives you get about teaching. No longer do I just follow middle school ELA teachers - I follow Kindergarten teachers, tech experts, librarians, principals, superintendents, music teachers, etc. How do I keep up with all of it? I don't, really. However, I do have a way of feeling like I see many tweets that I "need."

In February of 2013, I met Karen Lireneman (from British Columbia) in person - 15 minutes from my house near O'Hare airport! I asked her how she could keep up with all the tweets from all the people she follows - she asked, "You're still watching your feed? You need to watch the hash tags!" Those two sentences changed the entire way I manage all my learning on Twitter. Now, I'm finally getting around to letting you know how you, too, can follow those people you don't want to miss.

Note: There are other tech tools you can use to accomplish this task, but I will be focusing on TweetDeck, since that is all I use.

Step 1:
Create an account with TweetDeck. You should begin by seeing your Twitter feed appear in the left column. Sadly (or not), I really only look at this column now when I'm sick at home in bed... TweetDeck looks like many twitter feeds in columns. It can look kind of crazy busy at times, but no worries. You can make it look as simple or large as you like.

Step 2:
On the left, click "add column."

Add "@Mentions."

This will be the column of people contacting you, using your Twitter handle. This way you won't miss when someone really wants to include you in the tweet.

Step 3: 
On the left, click "add column" again. Time to add your direct messages column.

If someone sends you a direct message, he or she REALLY wants you to see this. Watch for spam, however! Don't click on suspicious links.

Step 4:
Go back to your Twitter account. Have you created any lists? If not, this is the time to do so. If you have already, skip to Step 5.
Go to someone you adore, and click on the gear next to the "Following" button.

Click on "Add or Remove from Lists." If you have not created any lists yet, you'll need to do so.

Here are a few of the lists I currently have...

You will notice I also subscribe to someone else's list (the last one in the photo).

You may also notice that some of my lists are "locked." That means that people in that list do not know they are in this list of mine. I do this for my "first" list - this is a list of the people I truly find precious on Twitter - those I truly do not want to miss each day. I have it locked, so that I may change my mind at any time without hurting anyone's feelings. I currently have 90 people on this list, but I think 50 of them do not tweet regularly, so it's very easy for me to keep up.

Step 5:
Go back to TweetDeck. On the left, click "add column" again. Click on "Lists," and choose one that you'd like to keep track of.

My favorite is my "first" list and my "Met f2f" list. Repeat this step until you have the columns you'd like up on the deck.

Step 6:
On the left, click "add column" again. Click "Search."

In the search bar that comes up, type in a hash tag you love to follow.

Click on "Tweets," then "Add Column."

Now you won't miss a thing about this topic - even if you miss the scheduled chat or don't follow the people tweeting about it! (Sometimes #geniushour has some funny ones - people who tweet things such as "Wore my dirty clothes in the shower this morning. #geniushour...")

Step 7:
If you've gotten this far, why not make your learning even MORE precise? Time to go to the top of one of your columns. At the top right, there's a picture of two lines with a circle in each. Click on this icon.

Once you click it, more options open up to you.

Clicking on each arrow gives you even more options with which to sculpt the tweets you see.

Since my "Met f2f" list has gotten so large during this past year, I have "retweets excluded" so I don't keep seeing the same things over and over. I have an alert on my "mentions" column - only during a chat - just in case I get wrapped up in the chat and don't see who's including me in a message. Have at it - see what you like, and tailor as you get a feel for it all.

I also use this box when I want to "clear" a column - I do this after I've checked out the tweets, and want to clear it so I know I'm "caught up" for the minute, at least.

My TweetDeck looks like this when I'm all caught up.

(Of course, I have more columns to the right of this - I currently have 9 columns on my TweetDeck.)

Other ideas...
Move the columns in the order of importance you'd like. Arrows to the left and right are found under the special options for each column.

Some days certain hashtags or lists will be more important to you than others, and you'll want to move them where you can see them easily.

During a chat, I create a column for that hash tag, and move that column to the left next to my "mentions" column. If it is a large chat, I also add a column for the moderator, so I don't miss the questions in all the great discussion.

I hope this helps you feel more calm about managing your Twitter feed. I still don't catch everything, but you'll learn quickly that if it's great, it will be retweeted and then retweeted again, and you'll eventually see it in one of your columns! Do you use something different to manage your tweets? Any other tips and tricks? Please leave a comment so more can learn from you!