Duolingo Lessons Learned

I'm on a 170-day streak on my free version of Duolingo. And I'm excited about it.

Let me backtrack - I took four years of French (7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade). Then it got difficult, and I wanted an easy life. So... I started Spanish in 11th, and continued it in 12th. My senior year I added a year of German. In between, I took a week of Russian offered through our library, and two American Sign Language classes in the summers offered through the community college. I went on to teach students who are Deaf or hard of hearing, so the sign language helped, obviously. The rest of the languages helped when reading or watching some movies, but that was about it.

During the 2017-2018 school year, I had a student who, when he started at our middle school, did not speak any English. We had another one this year. They both spoke Spanish at home. We've also had students who only speak Russian or Polish or any number of languages... and then they are immersed in our culture and become assimilated fairly quickly. I'm always amazed at all the English they know when they graduate 8th grade! I'm amazed that they become fluent in (at least) two languages so quickly.

This year, just before winter break (?), I thought it was time to brush up on my Spanish. Duolingo was the way I decided to refresh myself. I currently complete at least three lessons every morning, and I LOVE it. When I have extra time, I add another quick lesson. I wondered why there was such a draw for me to this app. I'm toying with the idea of buying a year's worth of the PRO version, as I have iTunes gift cards from my parents that I haven't used yet. It's pricy, but who knows? It may give me the help I need to feel comfortable speaking with someone (who is very patient!) in Spanish.

Here's what I've learned about why I'm so excited to use this app. Of course, reflecting on my own lessons learned brings up questions as to how I can provide this type of learning in my own class:

• I don't receive a grade. I simply am told if I'm right or if I'm wrong. If I'm wrong, they provide the answer, and then they give me the same question again at the end of the lesson. Knowing I'll be asked again helps me focus on the feedback they provide. No grades - feedback only. THIS I know how to do (after four years of practice)!
• I'm now listening without looking at the words. I'm trying to figure out what they're saying before I look at the words. I feel I need this challenge, and I can choose to challenge myself one day and take it "easy" the next. How can I include different modalities for my students to learn?
• Now that I know how the words are spelled, I can focus on the accent marks. I didn't care about them before, because I'd still get the answer "right" even though I didn't include the accent marks. I feel like I can handle them now, and feel proud when it doesn't give me any suggestions about them. How much does me "picking on" students' grammar in their writing affect their desire to write more?
• When I'm doing well, it becomes addicting. How many lessons can I get in this morning? Can I do just one more before I leave the house for school? Can I do another easier one before we head out for the day? When I'm doing well, I run the batteries down on my phone. How can I encourage my students to try more lessons on their own?
• When I'm busy in the mornings, I can choose easier lessons. When I have time during my day, I go back to longer lessons and feel proud when I move up a level on those. When do I let my students choose an easier vs. a more difficult lesson?
• Since I begin my day with it, I find I practice it for the next half hour in my head, often unknowingly. My husband will ask me a question, and I'll try to answer in Spanish. I find myself thinking in Spanish when the topic is familiar. How can I get my students thinking about reading and writing throughout the rest of their day?
• When I see my other team ELA teacher (who used to teach Spanish!), I know I can practice with her. I can also practice with my students. How can I provide more time for my students to "practice" reading and writing with master readers and writers?

Reflecting on my use of Duolingo reminds me of a quote I have kept from George Couros - Are we simply aiming to engage students, or genuinely empower them? 

I feel empowered after more lessons on this app.

I want to learn. 

I want to be able to communicate with new students who feel isolated.

This type of learning is relevant to me, because I'll be able to USE it and feel good about myself.

What are more ways I can do this for the students in my own care?

Summer Reading - My Plans

I always want to read MORE. As much as I read over the summer, it's never ENOUGH.

This summer, I have a plan. (I don't usually!)

I'm going to read from two lists, for sure:

     Our SD25 Middle School Summer Reading list - "Reach for the Stars"
          (Kind of not fair, as I've read eight of the twelve already...)

     #ProjectLITBookClub 2019-2020 selections (Follow them on Twitter here!)

When I want something different, I'm either going to choose a book that is on a list of some sort, or an award-winning book - by authors who are not white. Yup. It's time for more diversity. It's time I truly focused on it this time, instead of just being "lucky" coming across a book by an author of color. That being said, I just received a book in the mail from a fellow white educator... I'll be reading that one, as well.

For my students, I shared with them (once again) this page on our classroom Weebly - it's got lots of ideas for summer reading!

Do you have a favorite resource for good books? What are your summer reading plans? Thanks for sharing and reading!

This post was a few weeks in the making. The inspiration to post it comes from this challenge:
This post is week 1 of 8 in the 8 Weeks of Summer Blog Challenge for educators.

Post-Summer Update...
I have now read the following books (some I read years ago) from the #ProjectLitBookClub lists (going across in order):
     A Long Walk to Water
     Amina's Voice
     The Bridge Home
     A Good Kind of Trouble
     Blended
     Other Words for Home
     Merci Suarez Changes Gears
     Crossover
     First Rule of Punk
     Front Desk
     The Parker Inheritance
     The Last Last Day of Summer (abandoned)
     Amal Unbound
     The Benefits of Being an Octopus
     Ghost Boys
     Time Bomb
     Refugee
     New Kid
     Full Cicada Moon
     Look Both Ways
     Ghost (the entire series)
     The Wild Robot
     The Stars Beneath Our Feet
     Wishtree
     Wonder
     El Deafo
     A Very Large Expanse of Sea
     Hey, Kiddo
     Internment
     Monster
     Scythe
     The Marrow Thieves (abandoned)
     The Prince and the Dressmaker

2018-2019 Digital Scrapbook

JUNE
- The day after school gets out... I found myself at Edcampd13 in Bloomingdale, IL. Got to hang out with Kim Darche and a teacher from my own school - Sue Klarner!
- Remast conference - hosted a two-hour healthy grading workshop and then gave my very first keynote presentation! (No evidence that I was there except for this photo of all of us - LOVED working with pre-service and new teachers!) Gooooo Jackrabbits!

- ISTE - downtown Chicago. Mixed feelings about this one - the application process was INSANE, the cost was OVERPRICED for educators (even presenters), and getting there was a hassle. I can't imagine how those that came from out of town felt. With all that being said... I was able to meet (some old friends) these passionate educators (one of the best things about such a large conference):

 

 

 

 

 

 

JULY & AUGUST
- For some reason, there was one week in July when I was asked to do podcasts...
   I Wish I Knew EDU - Teachers on Fire - Shawesome Education
- BLC18 - Building Learning Communities - now THIS is a conference I LOVE. EVERY SINGLE TIME.  Olivia, Pana, Aaron, Alan, Caitlin...  just a few of the MANY MANY passionate educators who were there to support each other and our messages. So very grateful for this first larger audience Keynote opportunity, as well! Shift the Language!!

 

    

Thanks, Paul Bogush, for this photo of the Grand Ballroom at the Park Plaza!

- I "attended" three online summits! #StrobelSummit, #DitchSummit, and #HiveSummit

September
- I was able to be in on the ground floor when Teachers Connect hosted it's first "chat!"
- Hooray! I was accepted into our middle school committee that's discussing standards-based grading!
- EdCampML (middle level - their first!) was held at Concordia University just north of Milwaukee. Beautiful campus, and passionate teachers attending. I came home with a bottle of wine for my raffle prize... another first!

October
- EdCampWalkersPoint (their first!) was held at their newest middle school in Milwaukee, and had the BEST edcamp lunch EVER! Maybe half or more of the participants had never been to an edcamp before, so there were some quiet sessions at first, but each teacher seemed very passionate about what they do.
- Educators Grow Podcast with John Wawczak

November
- My district sent me to the Secondary Reading League's 42nd Day of Reading - with Cris Tovani!
- Teach Better Podcast with Rae Hughart and Jeff Gargas

January
- 10-Min Teacher podcast with Vicki Davis
- The cold did not stop us from heading to #EdCampMadWI. I brought homemade cards and blank cards and proposed a letter-writing session! I'm hoping to do this at every edcamp I go to from now on. It was very valuable for the six of us that were there. Afterwards, Bob tried his first Wisconsin cheese curds!

- P3 Podcast with Noa Daniels - I've GOT to try this with my students!

February
- I was able to visit Dunlap CUSD #323 (#323Learns) to be their keynote speaker and facilitate two sessions on healthy grading and one on personalized learning. Look who I was fortunate to see - and they sat in the front rows to support with smiles and nods! If I could've changed anything, it would be that I could learn from THEM in their sessions! Stefanie Pitzer, Stefanie Crawford, and Jodi Gordon, Don Sturm, and Mandy Ellis!

          

- I was able to "attend" ICE19 "after-hours" three days the last week in February! I was able to meet "old" friends once again, see a pal from Boston, and meet new people! 

Boston pal Matt Joseph BOWLING at the PearDeck party at the Punch Bowl, "Tech Rabbi" Michael Cohen and Shawn McCusker, & beautiful Mandy Froelicher!

April
- I was fortunate to head to Prospect High School (down the street from my own school) to meet with readers of Shift This and try to help answer questions. I shared stories of resistance that were not included in the book, and was able to provide some resources to help with their questions.
- EdCamp Chicago came back! This one was right near me at Lake Park High School on 4/13.

May
- Video conference with Meagan Parrish's peers regarding Shift This
- Video conference with Niki Monkul's peers regarding Shift This

June
- The end of my 24th year teaching... More summer fun this month that will be in next year's year-in-review!

Book Giveaways

Here's the scoop. I was near the end of reading The Zen Teacher by Dan Tricarico, and thought of an idea... Clean off that shelf - at least somewhat.

I quickly rounded up books I'd already taken notes on in my Google Docs, and then started typing in the notes from the ones I had highlighted and written in but not taken digital notes yet. Once I stacked them up, it was a pretty tall list. It made a lot of room on my shelf. I did NOT round up the books I like to take with me when I present (I have a duplicate copy of Pure Genius I'm keeping), the books I still use for reference, the books my district provided for a book study (those will stay in our school), or the books that I just love dearly and can't let go.

I accumulated the following books in various ways...

• I won some at EdCamps. 
• I won some through raffles, or by answering questions in presentations.
• I was sent some to review on this blog.
• I was sent some because my work or a quote was in them.
• I was given a couple because I'm loved.
• I traded Shift This for a couple of them.
• I actually purchased some.
• I'm a connected educator. You aren't yet? It's time to become connected.
• None of them were purchased by my district or school to use for the classroom (one was for a book study outside the ELA curriculum).

I read them in various ways...

• I highlighted some.
• I wrote notes in some.
• I wrote a chapter of one.
• I used sticky notes in some.
• I took digital notes for some.
• I highlighted, wrote in, and took digital notes for some.
• I used some to help me with Genius Hour or going without points/marks.
• I actually didn't read some of these, or started them and realized they were not for me (and I'm not telling you which ones). Reading is so very personal - we all have our own tastes and needs when it comes to books. I hope you win one and it helps you on your educational journey!

They're in various conditions...

• Some are in perfectly new condition.
• Some are written in.
• Some are highlighted.
• Some are signed by the author(s).
• Some have sticky notes (although I tried to clear most out).
• Some pages are dog-eared.
• Some bindings are broken.

I'm celebrating...

• life
• my 40s (I'm loving my 40s and there are 40 books here)
• our profession
• being so fortunate to have owned and read (most of) these books,
• being so fortunate to have learned from them, and used the authors' words to transform my thinking (and teaching, in many cases),
• books, in general, and...
• the fact that WORD SHIFT comes out this summer! 

HOW TO HAVE A CHANCE TO ACQUIRE ONE OF THESE BOOKS:

• You must provide an address in the United States. (It costs the price of the book for me to send it elsewhere - I'm so sorry to my friends on other parts of the globe!)
• You must look at the book descriptions online to find out what they're about if you don't already know.
• You must fill in the Google form below.
• You may fill in the form multiple times.
• You must wait patiently for the month to be over.
• All winners will be announced and contacted by July 1st.

I understand, once these books are out of my hands, they are yours to do with as you please. I only ask that you do not sell them. If you don't want the book after you read it, please give it away. Please do the research to see which you can benefit from, and which to leave to someone else. Winners' names will be added to this post after the contest is complete. The books are in order here by title:

Assessment 3.0 by Mark Barnes -- WINNER: ANDREW BROERE
The Best Lesson Series: Literature - 15 Master Teachers Share What Works edited by Brian Sztabnik -- WINNER: SANDRA HENDERSON
Book Love by Penny Kittle -- WINNER: KERRY HANNING
Code Breaker by Brian Aspinall -- WINNER: KAREN BURKE
Common Core English Language Arts in a PLC at Work Grades 6-8 by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey -- WINNER: BRITTANY SCHMIDT
Digital Citizenship in Action by Kristen Mattson -- WINNER: JOSHUA BODEN
Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller -- WINNER: KRISTEN WILTON 
Drive by Daniel Pink -- WINNER: EMILY PHARMORNSUWANA 
Eight Myths of Student Disengagement by Jennifer A. Fredricks -- WINNER: JENNA MOLLER
The Element by Sir Ken Robinson -- WINNER: KIMBERLY ISHAM
Escaping the School Leader's Dunk Tank by Rebecca Coda and Rick Jetter -- WINNER: MIKE STEIN
Falling in Love with Close Reading by Christopher Lehman and Kate Roberts -- WINNER: CONNIE HAMILTON
The Flexible ELA Classroom by Amber Chandler -- WINNER: MEGAN LEE
Flipping 2.0 compiled by Jason Bretzmann -- WINNER: DAVID ISBELL
Flipping Your English Class to Reach All Learners by Troy Cockrum
Hacking Assessment by Starr Sackstein -- WINNER: TRACY MAILLOUX 
Hacking the Common Core by Michael Fisher
Hacking Education by Mark Barnes and Jennifer Gonzalez
The Human Side of School Change by Robert Evans
Instant Relevance by Denis Sheeran -- WINNER: MEGHAN KESTNER 
It's Like Riding a Bike by David M. Schmittou
Kids Deserve It! by Todd Nesloney and Adam Welcome -- WINNER: JULIA GALVAN
Make Writing by Angela Stockman -- WINNER: VICKI STUCZYNSKI 
The Passion-Driven Classroom by Angela Maiers and Amy Sandvold -- WINNER: AMY BROWN
Pure Genius by Don Wettrick -- WINNER: MARIE BOWERS
Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller -- WINNER: ELIZABETH GONSALVES
Reclaiming Our Calling by Brad Gusftason -- WINNER: TRACY MITCHELL 
ROLE Reversal by Mark Barnes -- WINNER: AMANDA DAUPHINAIS 
Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth by Aaron Hogan -- WINNER: TJ RAINES 
Spark Learning by Ramsey Musallam -- WINNER: LAURA VON STADEN
Steal the Show by Michael Port
Stories in EDU compiled by Jason Bretzmann and Kenny Bosch
Teaching with Tablets by Nancy Frey, Doug Fisher, Alex Gonzalez
Thrive: 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching by Meenoo Rami -- WINNER: MARLA DUNCAN
Unmapped Potential by Julie Hasson and Missy Lennard -- WINNER: LISA GAEDE
Well Spoken by Erik Palmer
What Color Is Your Brain? by Sheila N. Glazov -- WINNER: MORGAN BOLES 
What Connected Educators Do Differently by Todd Whitaker, Jeffrey Zoul, and Jimmy Casas -- WINNER: TRACIE ROBERSON
Who Owns the Learning? by Alan November -- WINNER: KATHRYN FINCH
The Zen Teacher by Dan Tricarico -- WINNER: KAREN FIELD

Update 6/30/19:
I am NOT looking forward to only one person winning each book! I've got to get over the guilt of not being able to send one to everyone, and instead, be happy that I AM able to afford to send these off to good homes.
Winners will be announced TOMORROW!

30 Seconds

My last class of the day is a bit... rambunctious. They get out of lunch early and are at the door, clamoring to get in before my own lunch is through - before the first passing bell rings. It should not matter, I'm aware, yet I have to say - it's got 13 males and 6 females. It's got five males who seek attention. It's got six females who are quiet as mice.

So I tried something last week. I tried providing the class 30 seconds of getting out the noises - the fake farts, the "duh-DUH" that they've been enjoying blurting out, the talking they needed to shout, and the slapping of the thighs together or claps of their hands.

I counted down the last 10 on my hands, so they'd know when it was time to settle down.

I then turned off one of the light switches and passed out the quiet work (an article of the week along with a comprehension check).

Next time, it'll be 20 seconds.
Why?

• 30 felt a bit too long
• they actually got so loud I had to shut the door
• one of the girls came to me and let me know she wasn't a fan

What do you do when the maturity level has hit an all-time low (when it feels as if it should be getting better, as they're getting older)? Thanks for any tips you've got!

Quick Tip #32 - One Big Idea

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Legacy

While reading Fewer Things Better by Angela Watson, I came across the chapter of "Aligning Time with Priorities to Build a True Legacy," and I stopped reading. She caught me off guard. I hadn't a clue what I wanted my legacy to be, nor had I ever really stopped to think about it. I've always wanted to "be a good person," but HOW do I want to do this?

Another question I had to consider was, "What do I want to accomplish in my life?" I took out my notepad and jotted down my accomplishments up until this point. Of course, the first things I thought of were all the things I have NOT done. You don't need to see my list - go ahead and stop reading to create your OWN.

Next came the wondering... have I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish in my life? Well, not if I don't even know what legacy I want to leave. I checked out Angela's workbook pages that go along with this chapter, and still had a difficult time. I had to think of "legacy" as not something HUGE, but small somethings. What would people say about me when I'm gone? What will they think I stood for?

As I wrote down the ideas that came to me throughout the day, I considered their importance. I feel as if they're all connected, as they all work with each other. As I wrote each one, I considered my school days as of late. Some students are in the mindset that school is already over for the year. It seems as if they're asking, "Why should I care about Mrs. Kirr or her class?" It's been difficult to be patient with the disrespect I've been seeing - towards me and towards classmates. This week, however, when I began to write this information down about who I want to BE, I saw my students differently. I acted a bit more purposeful. I wanted to show them who I wanted to BE. I wanted them to know that I'm not budging from these priorities in my school and home life...

What do I want people to think of me once I'm gone from their lives? I hope they say "Joy (Mrs. Kirr) was...

• caring, kind
• inspiring to teachers / a leader
• a role model for kids and peers
• herself - and proud of it
• a reader, a writer, and a constant learner
• grateful, which made her happy... and
• present in each moment." *

* I'm currently working on doing this at all times - it's difficult for this multi-tasker, but it will keep me mentally healthier and happier, I believe. I've been working on it since reading Teach Like a Pirate in 2013 when Dave Burgess talked about IMMERSION!

Oh, I want more, for sure. I want to be more giving - of my time and resources - to those outside of my profession. I am not in that season of my life right now, however. I feel that will come more when I'm retired and can focus on others in my community and at large. What do YOU want? What kind of life do you want to lead? I believe we all have our own legacy living in our hearts. Once we get the words straight in our minds, they will affect our actions. And once we know we're doing what we need to do for our heart, we'll be able to take care of ourselves and those young learners in front of us so much better. Things will fall into place. Our profession won't seem as overwhelming. We'll be able to be better teachers of students first, and curriculum next.

I've noticed that since I've written these down, I have already changed a few of my actions. Word choice on my tweets has changed even further, because I'm practicing being more present, I'm less judgmental, I'm more at peace with what is, not thinking of what could be, and I'm calmer. Simply calmer about issues that arise. It's only been a week, but considering what I want others to think once I'm gone has (dare I write it?!) helped me mature.

Resistance - Revisited

I was on my way to visit a group of local teachers who'd gotten together to for a Shift This book study. I had been asked to share stories of the resistance I've come across from our community.

I hadn't prepared anything, and didn't think it was necessary. If someone asks me to do a video chat with their group who read the book, I gladly agree if we can make a time work. No cost - it benefits me just as much as it does them, as I always hear something new or am asked a new question that helps me think and reflect once again. This time I wanted to show up in person since they were from the high school district that my own students will attend when they get to ninth grade. It's so much easier to feel the vibe in the room in person than through a computer screen.

I was driving the ten minutes or so and wondering... what is it about resistance that makes the shifts I've made so difficult? Why is it so hard for me to deal with resistance? Why does any sort of resistance break me down a bit (and often even make me cry)? Am I that unsure of myself and what I'm trying in the classroom?

Thinking back to the huge shifts I'd made (namely genius hour and going gradeless), I realized something that will help me the next time I encounter resistance. I would not be making these (difficult!) shifts without huge reasons for doing so. I made these shifts because I want my students to learn more of the curriculum. I made these shifts because I want to help make the curriculum stick. I made these shifts because I want my students to be lifelong learners. How can that be wrong? If parents or other teachers have a problem with that, I simply need to go back and share my "WHY."

I told this to the group at the high school, and also told them that if it does NOT work for a child, I'm free to backpedal. I'm free to discuss with them what's going on and make a decision with them as to what to do next. I truly want what's best for students, and I'm doing what I can in the limited time I have.

It's been a quiet year this year when it comes to resistance (knock on wood). Maybe it's because I communicate with parents every two weeks and also send good notes home. Maybe it's because I've been "gradeless" for a few years now, and parents have talked about it and figured it won't kill their children. Maybe... just maybe... it's because they, too, think it's a good idea and will help their child focus more on the curriculum and less on a letter or number.

It's time I shift my own thoughts about resistance. It's time I looked at resistance as simply another chance to chat about what we (together) believe is right and good for the children in front of us.

Let me know when you have a Shift This book study and want a virtual (or real) visit! I'd be glad to answer any questions and share any resources I can.

Teaching Well

I'm in the midst of Spring Break.

I want to do it all.
I want to read books that my students might love.
I want to write blog posts that teachers can read and be inspired by or learn something from or question and comment.
I want to catch up on movies I've been told are great - DVDs from the Library, as we don't have Netflix. I know - I'm on the "older side."

Knowing that I'm on the "older side" of teaching, I want to do more than school work. I want to live a full life BEFORE I retire. Currently, my husband and my students are my entire world. I am constantly seeking balance between school and home.

Today I'm doing a bit of both... it's part of my newest mental wellness plan. It's time for another book review - thank you to Lisa Bush for this next one. It was such a surprise to see it in my mailbox, and I got reading right away this January! (Because I was trying to take care of my mental health, I put writing about in on the back burner until I felt sure I would follow through with her ideas!)

I haven't yet shared about a book I was provided called Teaching Well by Lisa Bush (@purplesemicolon on Twitter and YouTube). If you can take just ONE of her ideas for having a healthier work life, you can probably be a bit more balanced with home life. One quote that stuck with me right from the start: "We have a right to live a rich and creative life beyond the classroom walls." Work for teachers does not end. There will always be work to do. At some point, we need to close the door and leave work behind. Instead of just surviving, we'd should be able to thrive. Therefore, we need to make the difficult decisions to put ourselves first. We are better, stronger, kinder teachers when we take care of ourselves. We canNOT run on fumes.

Another idea stuck with me - when we are the most overwhelmed with work is when we NEED to stop and make time for ourselves. Simply 30-60 minutes is all we need in order to recoup some of the energy we need. Lisa shares four pillars of wellness:
     1. Prepare for a good night's sleep.
     2. Manage stress.
     3. Put nutrients into your body.
     4. Stay hydrated.

When I began Teaching Well, I had two of the four figured out (sleep & nutrients), and I was working on the hydration. (I've been hydrating well since January!) I knew I needed to work on managing stress better, so that is one reason why I felt the need to end the #ShiftThis chat. There are other things I've done since then, as well, such as try to get outside every day. In the winter months, it gets dark so fast - so I've made walking as soon as I get home a priority (running is done for me - too much on my knees - waiting for biking weather next). Since many days I could not walk in the daylight, I got out in the dark anyway, and I've learned to like walking in the dark (no worries, Mom - I'm safe). This March, my husband has come on many more walks with me than in the past, as well, and it's helping his life, too.

What I loved most about Lisa's book is that she's got the science behind the ideas - the PROOF that teachers need to do a better job of taking care of themselves so that they may better take care of their students. As I flip through it again for this blog post, I have many notes that say "share with students." I have not yet shared these parts with them - probably because I had not yet practiced what I would be preaching. This is another point she makes. We, as teachers, need to practice all of the things we wish our students would do - whether it's reading for pleasure and research, writing, or getting a good night's sleep and eating healthy.

She's got some great ideas about working collaboratively with other teachers, changing the way we look at learning, and chunking tasks for preps and after-school time. We cannot "do it all," and we need to be okay with being mediocre at certain things, so that we DO have the energy and time and patience to give our students AND our families our best selves. Bonus - if you teach ELA, English, or the Humanities, you'll truly appreciate the specific ideas she throws in for us.

A bit of this book reminded me of The Zen Teacher by Dan Tricarico (@thezenteacher on Twitter) that I had read just this past November (see more here). This school year has been the year I've really wrangled with doing what I feel I need to do to stay mentally healthy.

I wish the same for you - Do your best while remembering to take time for yourself!

#ShiftThis... The Chat

The #ShiftThis chat is coming to a close a month from today. I need to explain my reasons WHY.

I. Love. The. People. The group of teachers that show up want to change things in education. They want to shift students' audiences (get the community involved!), assignments (towards more relevance!), attitudes (growth mindset, anyone?) and much, much more. You know who you are. I am so very grateful to all the passionate educators that have taken on moderating the chat on Tuesday nights. Take a look HERE at all of the fabulous moderators! We couldn't have had those wonderful chats without your valuable contributions.

So why is it ending? Technically, it doesn't have to end. Anyone can pick it up at any time and use the hashtag to share questions or ideas about shifting the classroom, school, district, or education in general. I am stepping down as facilitator, a year after I stepped down as the moderator. YOU can still be a moderator and I will support you by helping you publicize your topic and date and time!

I haven't answered the question, I know. There are myriad reasons why I feel the need to step down from the chat.

• I do not like to "sell" the chat. I feel that my Twitter feed should be much more than that, and yet I feel that when a person looks at my feed, all they see is #ShiftThis. I want to be able to celebrate others' ideas more than my own.
• I didn't write the book so we could have a chat dedicated to it. I am glad we had the two-year stretch so people now use the hashtag to share their shifts, and I hope to continue to see shifts educators and administrators are sharing.
• I feel out of touch with teachers on Twitter lately - I've lost touch with some educators because I'm totally focused on the one hashtag and creating tweets for advertising it that I miss the time browsing my feed and checking on those people that were there from the beginning for me. I know our connections morph as we use Twitter more, yet I don't want to lose sight of those educators who mentored me and have always been there. I want to support THEM now.
• I need to put my feelers out for other chats I could jump into and out of as they come by. I'd like to try some that I haven't been able to attend, since I often feel that one hour a week online in the evenings is enough for me. Tuesday at 7pm CST is a VERY popular time for Twitter chats. Sooo many good ones going on at that time. I'm excited to be able to join and learn from other chats and educators I feel I've been neglecting.

I have gained so very much from the inspiring educators who have joined the #ShiftThis chat the past two years. Thank you for all you contribute - to our chat and to many others! I love the fact that we are #BetterTogether, and I hope you continue to connect and contribute - #YouMatter!

Teacher Evaluations - Circumstance and Privilege

I've got an observation coming up. I'm just fine when someone pops in our classroom to visit or say hi or ask for something, but observations make me fret. This is not a summative year for me, so it's just an informal one, and I asked my administrator to surprise me, because I just cannot choose a date.

Anyway... I was thinking about the labels we use to evaluate teachers. To tell the truth, I don't even know what the first two (of four) are on the Danielson rubric, but the next two are "proficient" and "distinguished." These are the two where we want to be. Some teachers like to talk about other teachers and where they fall on the spectrum. I heard from a teacher friend of mine that I was "distinguished." Really? It was news to me!! (Oh, how I can't stand rumors!)

Some educators want feedback in order to grow further - if we're not "distinguished" in one or more of the four domains, how do we get there? Some people don't worry about it. Some teachers are satisfied with "proficient," and I believe they should be. I'll explain why.

I've been reading teacher wellness books lately. In The Zen Teacher, the message I received loud and clear was to make time for YOURSELF - EVERY day. In Teaching Well, the message I received was to not over-do it.

When we have four domains, it's as if we have four grades. If, in two domains, I received a "proficient," and in the other two, "distinguished," who's to say what the "final grade" should be? Isn't this just as varied depending on the teacher as the difference between an 89% and a 90%?

Consider the teacher that is "proficient" in each of the four domains. "There is room for growth," are the first words we think, and we do not recognize that sometimes all we can do is "proficient" - and that should be very okay.

Consider the opportunities afforded that could affect your evaluation.

• Mrs. Kirr got a grant to turn her tables into white board tables! Mrs. Nelson got one of our new classrooms, and so they had to purchase new furniture for her. Sweet! Mrs. Powell found a great kitchen set of chairs for only $25, so she brought them in to add to her hodge podge flexible seating. Mrs. Maxwell still has the retired teacher's math desks that are hard to get into if you're not skinny. All of these are due to circumstances and privilege. 
• What about the extra "outside school hours" you work? You'd better chaperone a dance or help out at a game at your own school and then also do the same for your own child at his school. Don't forget your bus duty this week when it's going to be 5 below. 
• Your car had better get you to school or your students will be without a "guest teacher" because they are in high demand. Sorry - your babysitter / daycare bailed? Too bad you'll have to take a sick day - it's good our after school club meets tomorrow and not today. No worries if you yourself are actually sick - it's often easier to go in to school than to write sub plans (not the best idea if you want to take care of your physical and mental health, however). 
• Oh, and I'm not going to sit next to a student on the floor anymore, because my back hurts after a while. Stinks that I have plantar fasciitis due to all the walking I'm doing around the room every day. A tennis ball being rolled under my feet each morning helps. 
• No, I'm not going to attend the three day, two night trip because I have a family I'm supposed to be taking care of first. 
• And this year - no coaching track, because I realized last year I really have no clue what I'm doing, and it's so unfair to the kids. 

Circumstance and privilege. Seriously. I remember signing up for every after school activity I could when I was young. I desperately needed the money, I could stay up all hours of the night and still work well during the day, and my parents were glad to have me out of the house (or I didn't really care for my roommate).

Consider the teacher that is "distinguished" in all four domains. How is this teacher not more highly regarded at school automatically? We should be observing her classes and learning lessons from the best of the best! Those who couldn't attend could watch the video broadcast on their own time! Tell me she has a Golden Apple already... If a person received "distinguished" in all four domains, we don't believe it. We think there's something sneaky going on. ... Because NO ONE could earn "distinguished" in all four areas. Seriously. You would be breathing and eating teaching 24/7. Then WHY DO WE STILL STRIVE FOR IT?!

Why isn't "proficient" in all four domains okay? Maybe this is the year your child took all of your time. Maybe this is the year a family member is sick. Maybe this is the year you needed that dental work. Maybe this is the year you had to clean out your parents' house.

Why isn't "proficient' in all four domains okay? Sometimes all you can work is 60 hours a week. Doing more than that will wear you out - mentally and physically. We need to take care of our own selves before we can care for others.

Why isn't "proficient" in all four domains okay?

Because.

We know we can do better.
We want to be the best for our students.
We don't want to be in a rut.
We want to feel good again.
We want to feel rejuvenated.
We are passionate about what we do.
Good enough will never be good enough.
We will always strive to be master teachers.

And yet...

We should be okay if we are "proficient" in all four domains. We strive to do the best we can in the amount of time we have available. If I've learned anything this school year, it's that at this point in my life and career I cannot - and really should not - do it all if I want to stay mentally and physically healthy.

Speed Dating - with BOOKS!

The first time my classes tried speed dating with books was in 2013. It's time for a new blog post!

Before we first started, I found these blog posts to be especially helpful:
Tips for Getting Kids to Do More Choice Reading: Book Speed Dating
          by Erica Beaton (@EricaLeeBeaton)
Building Our To-Read Lists: Book Speed Dating
          by Colby Sharp (@colbysharp)
Book Speed Dating: How I did it and why I'll do it again
         by Leigh Collazo (@MrsReaderPants)

We've usually got some kind of contest or challenge going on for reading at our school library. This month is no different. With the challenge in mind (and the new face lift our library has had), here's how it was set up (and now our teacher-librarians set it up for us!):

There were six tables, with different categories from our "TMS Tower" challenge. Here are the challenges:

We're hoping students will find this fun, fairly easy, and will get them out of any "reading ruts" they may be in currently.

The challenge was explained, students received a page where they can take notes on which books might look appealing (and from which category they come), and we broke into small groups (3-5 depending on the class size) and let students browse for about 3 minutes per table. Then students regrouped and the local library challenge (100 Books before High School) and prizes were announced.

I loved the twist this time with these fun categories. I also loved the incentive to complete the challenge by the end of the year - when you complete it, you get to choose a book to donate to a library in need. Mrs. Fahnoe shared how fortunate we are at our school to have such wonderful books (most in great condition!), and how it'll will be beautiful to see more books going to kids who need them.

Of course, not every child took this seriously. That doesn't mean we're giving up! The plethora of books should be a clue to them that there IS a book for them out there, should they choose to stop and take some time with it...

10-Minute Teacher Podcast

I spent some time with Vicki Davis this month... we ended up talking about change...
Ten minutes? Sure, you've got time to listen!




Here is @CoolCatTeacher's podcast page.
Here is our first meet-up back in 2013.

Conference Musings Q2

Once again, it's my busiest time of the year. One-on-one conferences with my 7th graders to decide what tiny little letter represents all of our work and learning from the quarter. (Past reflections on conferring with students are here.)

I've conducted 61 one-on-one "grade" conferences with students the last two weeks. I need to meet because even though I've gone all quarter without points or scores averaged together, I still need to put a final letter grade in the online gradebook. Some conferences go faster than five minutes, and some go slower, and they all leave a paper trail for students to take home and explain to parents. This quarter, we used pages 6 & 7 of this document. These were the second grade conferences we've had this year, so they were a teeny bit faster than first quarter. It's still quite the learning curve for some! 

Here are some snippets (all names are changed)...

Alan -

     I know he's got an "A." There's no doubt. He had trouble with his writing, but followed the feedback and improved it dramatically in his first revision. He asked me if he could average the numbers for the scores he had. Sure - even though this is one thing I think is wrong with typical grades. He came up with a 94.5%. "Yeah, I'll take that," he said.
     Me - Hey, [Alan], since you like to average the numbers, would you like to just simply go with a regular grade next time?
     Alan - Hmmm... Will I get the same feedback?
     Me - Nope. It's either grades OR feedback, as it's too much for me to do both, and the research says it doesn't help, anyway.
     Alan - Then I'd rather stick with the way we've been doing it. I think the feedback helps me learn.
     Me - (with a tear in my eye, I swear) Thanks for making it all worth it. It sure is a heck of a lot more work, but when I hear it's helping you learn, it's all worth it.

Paul -

     Similar to the conversation with Alan, except Paul actually said he "crunched the numbers." When I asked him if he'd like to go to normal grading, he thought about it and finally said, "No. Let's wait one more quarter. If it doesn't work out in my favor, we can switch over fourth quarter." (Seriously. I can't make this stuff up. Oh - and this is the kid that reminds me of my one and only nephew.)

Ally -

     Oh, how Ally was nervous. Her legs were shaking up and down, her face was blotchy red.
     Me - [Ally], what do you think when you see all this evidence? What does it tell you?
     Ally - (quietly) I don't know... I don't know.
     Me. - Let me change the question. How does this make you feel?
     Ally - (straightening up) Proud.

Upton -

     This quarter, he's been blowing off directions, asking me every day to repeat what I'd already said (and what was on the board), going on YouTube so often that I had to block it for our class, and has been talking a ton while I'm sharing how we're going to work each day. I haven't talked with him about it, as he's not the loudest one in the class. He's also a huge reader, so I don't worry about him figuring out the directions or following through when he gets down to work.
     These were the comments he chose for his report card:

He knows. 

He knows. 

This, in itself, helps me to realize, once again, how important it is to take time to reflect.

Mike -

     He, too, has been ignoring my directions, distracted as heck at ANYthing happening in the room or outside the room. Head turning this way and that, busting out laughing at things I cannot see or hear. He's not distracting the class - only himself.
     For our "analysis of evidence" writing, he wrote three sentences. I marked it as "incomplete" and let him know I was available before and after school, and during lunch. The day before we were to meet about his final grade, he "wrote a new one." When we sat down to chat, I asked him where his paper was with the page numbers for the evidence he'd found for his writing. He mumbled that he didn't do it. When I asked who he went to for peer editing, he said he did it on his own. When I asked why there was a blog post about something totally unrelated to ELA, and yet he didn't yet post his reflections on our book clubs, he said he didn't get to it. We looked at his evidence. He did not try to inflate it. He was honest and reflective. We agreed on his grade. Then he set a goal to "use class time more wisely."
     Yes. Yes. Yes.
     I will help him with this goal as we move forward.

More Nonfiction

I decided last night, as I was soaking up Jack Andraka's Breakthrough, that I need to read and share more nonfiction with my students this year. I also finished Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder this week. I posted it on instagram, and one of my former students said she read it for a class her senior year. That one makes me simply want to do MORE to become a better person.

With Jack's book (I'm going to finish in two days), it's personal.

A dear friend of my husband was diagnosed (early, she says) in June with pancreatic cancer. A dear friend of my own's father passed from this terrible disease. I didn't really know about this type of cancer until June last year, and now I fear for our friend.

I've heard of Jack Andraka, and knew he did something remarkable with science, and I'd probably even heard it was for early detection of pancreatic cancer, but at that point, I simply didn't care enough to read it. It wasn't personal for me.

His writing is personal. Jack's close family friend he called an uncle passed away from pancreatic cancer. His work is personal. He spent months of his freshman year working towards this ONE thing. My reading became personal as soon as I stepped into this book. It wasn't simply "something on my to-read list" anymore.

There's so much more to say about this book (that I now need to purchase for the classroom), but I'm not here to write about the book. I'm here to explore - again - that this is how I'd love for school to be. I'm in the perfect position - ELA class - where we can read and write like crazy. I truly wish we could make it more personal for students - reading and writing MOST days about what we believe is important.

Some of my seventh graders need more guidance, I know. Some of them seem apathetic about so many issues; I get it. As I provide short video feedback on our last bit of teacher-directed writing however, I am catching some students who have the skills and asking them to move FORWARD. To not take my direction, but use the same skills to write about what THEY deem important. Great - you can tell me who the dynamic character is in your book and back it up with evidence and then explain it all clearly? Then NEXT time, write about a PERSON you know that is dynamic, and provide the evidence and explain. Better yet - write about something you want DONE - find your audience - and write to THEM about what you think needs to be done, and then share your evidence and your WHY. Make it personal. Do it because it's right and good for you and your life, or the lives of others.

What other nonfiction books are out there for our younger adolescent students? I need more nonfiction books that will get my middle schoolers (some of whom still think reading is not for them) feeling, thinking, and responding. Responding through writing, projects, actions... More along what I wanted our genius hour to be. More along the lines of Erin Olson's idea of - "Read. Be inspired. Do something inspiring."

Please add your favorites in the comments below - and tag another reader with this post so I may easily curate a bunch and pay for them when I can. Please share how you use nonfiction - and make it personal - for our students. Thank you!

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