A Whole New World

In the past sixth months, my world as an educator has widened like the Grand Canyon.  I believe I am very knowledgeable in the field of deaf education and try to keep abreast of the latest research and effective educational practices.  I do what I can to serve my profession well and to be a voice and leader to the key people in the field: parents, students, teachers, interpreters, and others.  However, my field of vision has been very narrow.  Little did I know about the vast Teacher Leader Movement happening around the U.S.  That all changed this past January.  Yes, I got a taste of this movement while serving as the KY Elementary Teacher of the Year, but I had no idea the depth and breath that Teacher Voice was taking hold all around me.

In January, right before being invited to attend ECET2 (I wrote about attending this convening in "Don't Be Isolated"), I stumbled upon the website for CTQ (Center For Teaching Quality).  This website brings teacher leaders together from throughout the U.S. to engage in dialogue on various educational issues.  I have joined their CTQ-KY Collaboratory and have lurked and participated in some bold and innovative discussions.

While at ECET2, I learned about Hope Street Group and the Prichard Committee, two organizations promoting transformative educational policy with teachers' voices at the forefront.

I also learned how teachers are using Twitter to expand their PLN. Since January my PLN has expanded exponentially.  I am connected to almost 100 teachers and teaching organizations around the U.S on a daily basis.

• I follow links to blog posts from many teachers on various topics.  
• I follow links to education articles that my PLN has shared.  
• I read Op-Ed pieces that teachers have written as a way to elevate their voice.  
• I keep abreast of happenings at the Department of Education and the various organizations I follow (both deaf ed and non-deaf ed).
• I learn about new Apps and other technology that I am eager to try with my students this fall.  
• I hear about educational books about teacher leadership, differentiated instruction, UDL, and numerous other topics 
• I live vicariously through teachers as they attend conferences.  For example, I was not able to attend this year Let's TALK conference but was able to follow along on Twitter as teachers shared photos, quotes, and other take-aways from the conference.  
• I occasionally attend Twitter chats on Thursdays by following #kyedchat.  Leaders create a topic and pose questions for participants to answer.  There are a multitude of education-focused twitter chats happening weekly.

The list goes on and on.  Twitter has become my instant professional development.

My eye opening experiences don't end there.  Two weeks ago I had the honor of traveling to Seattle as a new member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Teacher Advisory Council.  There I learned the true meaning of Teacher Voice and Teacher Leadership.  I learned how to be a stronger advocate for educational reform.  I discovered that there are teachers everywhere with innovative ideas, doing what they can for the sake of all students.  I left with an indescribable feeling: to feel valued and respected enough to be entrusted with the innovative initiatives of an incredible philanthropic organization that keeps itself grounded by Teacher Voice.  I hope to write more about this experience in a future post.

I recently discovered that there is a new movement called Teacher Powered Schools.  "[T]eacher teams have secured authority to design and run their own schools. They make the decisions on aspects of school such as curriculum, budget, selecting personnel, and more. In addition to full schools, teachers can run a department within a school or a program that spans several schools."  What an incredible concept.  Can you imagine what would happen if teachers of the deaf and hard-of-hearing at a school for the deaf or in a region of a state were able to do this?  They are the experts and true leaders in the field of deaf education.  Maybe then all DHH children will become college and career ready.

Needless to say, teachers should no longer be teaching and learning in a silo.  There are countless avenues for teachers to collaborate, innovate, and celebrate.  If I kept my blinders on and never clicked on the FaceBook post about CTQ that appeared in my News Feed last January,  I would have never discovered this vast world of Teacher Voice and TeacherLleadership that is running rampant all around me.

Join me in expanding my PLN by signing up for Twitter and following me @heidigasl.  I hope to one day have enough DHH teachers in KY and around the U.S. as part of my PLN to start our own Twitter chat.  It takes a Village! 

The Need to Appreciate Each Other

Teacher Appreciation Week occurred recently.  This is the time of year when children give their teachers hand-made cards, parents chip in to buy gifts from the class, special treats are provided by the PTO.  I enjoy being treated like royalty for this one week each year (some years more than others).

This week is also a time where messages on FaceBook, Tweets on Twitter, Op-Ed pieces in on-line news bombard social media to ensure the public knows just how much we teachers do everyday.

As the school year winds down, I start to reflect on the past 2 years of my career.  So much has happened to me that I need to take the time to give appreciation to those educators, administrators, family and friends important to me.

First, I appreciate my husband and children more than words can say.  Without their support, I could not spend countless hours of my personal time continuing my professional growth and doing what I can to improve my field.

I appreciate Robin Bush, my Director of Special Education, who asked me two years ago to become an itinerant teacher after being in the classroom setting for numerous years.  She gave me the opportunity and the time to spread my wings as a Teacher Leader, encouraging me and supporting me along the way.

I appreciate Crystal Corum, the DHH teacher who took over my classroom.  I am so impressed with her quality teaching that she looks like a veteran teacher and not one with only a few years under her belt.  I have never worried about leaving the students in her hands.

I appreciate Denise Gross and Lisa Howe, the two people who were my rocks in my classroom.  They kept me balanced and in line.  No matter how controlling or frantic I was, they were always there for me. I would have never been able to be a successful teacher without them beside me.

I appreciate Carrie Wedding, an amazing special education teacher, who allowed me to take over her classroom and co-teach with for my KY ToY observation.  She and I have always clicked when it comes to educating students that we always gel when we are together.

I appreciate Ashland Oil and the judges for the Kentucky Teacher of the Year.  Being a special educator and winning an award that is normally won by a general education teacher still brings tears to my eyes.  I truly appreciate the judges for selecting me from a field of amazing teachers.

I appreciate my entire DHH cadre.  We fluidly work as a team to develop learning activities and special events for our students.  Their dedication to our profession is second to none.

I appreciate some special people at KDE - Johnny Collett, Todd Davis, and especially Amanda Ellis - for being open to exploring what is best for students who are deaf/HH and the teachers that serve them.  These three individuals have servant hearts and truly care about doing whatever it takes to make ALL students college and career ready.  I envision a time when ALL DHH students in Kentucky will receive the best education possible!

I appreciate the entire Board of the Kentucky Educators for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  These dedicated individuals give up their personal time in order to coordinate PD for teachers, promote quality education for DHH students, and listen to the needs of the teachers in their region.  We may still be only a few years old, but KYEDHH has the momentum to become a powerhouse.

I appreciate Christy Delk, Joann Ernst, Tony Peavler, and Elizabeth Ward for being rock stars.  The four of them and I are developing an e-guide of TPGES specifically for teachers of the deaf/HH.  By the time we are finished, we will have volunteered at least 100 hours to provide this support that is needed as we begin to implement TPGES in the fall.

Finally, I appreciate the mysterious person(s) who saw something special in me to recommend me for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Teacher Advisory Council.  I am thrilled to start my journey with the TAC, and I hope one day I will learn who this person is and can thank them personally!

As you finish out your school year, take time to thank those in your life that make it possible to be the amazing teacher that you are!

How to Find the Time to be a Teacher Leader and Still Teach

"Teaching is not a job; it's a lifestyle."  This is one of my guiding principles, as it is for many other educators.  This is especially true for those who are Teacher Leaders.  I always have my hands in so many projects outside of my full-time career that it sometimes becomes overwhelming.  When one project is finished, two or three more are patiently waiting for me.

As of the writing of this post, I am current president of the Kentucky Educators for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, where we are working on our upcoming annual summer conference; a member of the Kentucky Education Commissioner's Teacher Advisory Council; leading a group of itinerant teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing in the creation of an e-guide on how the new TPGES system connects to DHH teachers; and was recently selected as a member of the 2014 - 2016 Gates Foundation Teacher Advisory Council.  This doesn't even include all the mini-projects that I continuously have on my plate, such as advocating for the needs of our DHH students.  AND, I still have 10 students preschool through high school in 8 different schools on my caseload.  We still have 2 more weeks of school left.

The question that I face again and again is how in the world I can possibly do all that I do AND have time to teach and have a family.  It is a good question; I wish I knew the answer.

What I do know is that with the Teacher Leadership Movement happening across the state and the creation of hybrid teaching roles where teachers spend part of their day educating students and the other part acting as a leader, there has to be a way to create such a hybrid role for someone like me.

Most DHH teachers are the only teacher in the entire district serving all the DHH students.  How could a hybrid role exist for such a person?  Who will educate the rest of the students on the caseload while the DHH teacher is acting in a leadership role?  In my district there is another DHH teacher, but she has a full caseload in a self-contained classroom.  If I spend 2-3 hours per day teaching half of my students (I see each individually at their home school), will another DHH teacher need to be hired to teach the other half while I am serving as a Teacher Leader?  What will that person do the rest of the school day? I would be even happy to serve in hybrid capacity for 5 hours per week, dedicating this time solely to DHH Teacher Leader projects.

I am sure this is the same a question that other Teacher Leaders who are in similar specialized fields have.  How can an art teacher who is solely responsible for traveling to each elementary school in the district become a Teacher Leader in a hybrid position?  How can the sole Biology teacher at the only high school in a district become one?

As the Teacher Leadership Movement progresses and the desire for hybrid roles increase, let's think about how people like me can have the best of both worlds: continue to educate students in order to stay connected and current in the profession AND have time to work on the multitude of Teacher Leader projects and initiatives that are necessary for student success.

The Need to Feel Connected

This article was recently published in the Kentucky School for the Deaf's Statewide Family Support Center Newsletter spring 2014 issue.  It is geared towards parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing but is applicable to professionals as well.

        

           In your child's IEP, under the Special Factors section, we are required by law to describe all opportunities that children with hearing loss have to directly communicate with peers and adults in their language or communication mode.  Let's dissect what this actually means.  Direct communication means face to face communication with peers or adults in whatever language the child uses WITHOUT the use of an interpreter or other facilitator.  Peers refer to children with normal hearing AND children with a hearing loss.  Adults refer to any person a child may encounter at school, both hearing AND deaf or hard of hearing.  Therefore, IDEA mandates that students who have a hearing loss be given opportunities throughout the school year to chat with hearing, deaf, and hard of hearing children and adults without the use of an interpreter in whatever communication mode that child uses.  What this means is that a child who is oral must be allowed opportunities to talk verbally with other kids and adults (who have and do not have hearing losses).  A child who signs must have chances to chat in sign with other DHH and hearing children and adults who sign.  IDEA does not, however, define how often this is to happen. 

            Why would IDEA require these direct communication opportunities?  In my opinion, there are two reasons why.  First, in order to be competent communicators, all children - hearing, deaf, and hard of hearing - must have many varied occasions to interact.  Language develops in all children by watching adults converse, by interacting with adults, and by chatting with other children.  IDEA recognizes that DHH children must have these varied opportunities throughout their school day and year in order to become competent language users. 

            I also believe that this IDEA requirement was put into place for the social and emotional well-being of children with hearing loss.  Humans are social creatures; we thrive on the relationships we develop.  Every person seeks out people they relate to, have similar interests with, use the same language as.  This is true for DHH children.  They need to connect with other DHH children.  Have you ever gone to the store and your child sees a person wearing hearing aids and gets excited?  Have you ever been at a restaurant where a deaf couple are there eating and your child can't keep his or her eyes off of them because they are signing like he does?  Children with hearing loss have an innate need to find other children or adults who also have hearing losses.  Their self image flourishes when they know they are not the only person in the world who cannot hear.  This is especially true for those children who may be the only child with a hearing loss in their school or district.

            For many years, teachers across Kentucky have planned events specifically for DHH children as a way for students to connect with similar peers.  Events such as Hands Alive, Regional Spelling Bees, Xtreme Xperience, HEAR US, and Kids Like Me, are a few examples of how teachers and parents are working together to give students chances to develop relationships with other DHH children.  These events have lasting impacts on children, parents and teachers.  Here are their words.

·       A child: "I like going to these events because I don't feel different.  I'm the only kid in my school that wears hearing aids.  I wish there were more."

·       A child enters a DHH event for the first time and turns to his teacher: "There are other kids with hearing aids like me."

·       A teacher: "This event has helped my student be less shy about his hearing loss."

·       A teacher: "Events help the DHH students build their self-esteem and confidence to know there are other people out there like them and therefore they feel better about themselves."

·       A parent after his second experience with his son at a DHH event: "He is young and may not appreciate this, but I saw the older kids looking after him, practicing with each other, and supporting each other.  These events will be a good influence on him."

·       A parent: "When I talk to the deaf high school students and learn about all they are doing, I have much hope for my child."

            Schools spend so much time focusing on academic achievement.  However, we MUST do what we can to focus on the whole child.  Children who are deaf and hard of hearing need us to make sure we do whatever we can to allow their language, self image, and emotional well-being to flourish.

Don't Be Isolated

It has been a very long time since I have written on my blog.  I have been busy being a wife, mother of 4, and teacher.  I have been busy being a student in a Director of Special Education certification program, writing columns for Kentucky Teacher, creating products for TeachersPayTeachers, acting as president for Kentucky Educators for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and using my voice whenever possible to advocate for high quality education for deaf and hard of hearing students.

A few weeks ago I was invited to attend the Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers Conference in Lexington, KY.  During this day long event sponsored by The Fund for Transforming Education in Kentucky, I learned what it truly means to be a Teacher Leader. 

Session leaders and facilitators were from the Hope Street Group, Center for Teaching Quality, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Irvin Scott, Deputy Director at the Gates Foundation, had all of us on our feet singing, "I've got a feelin'...that we're making a difference in kids' lives." 

You can read these blog posts to learn more about what happened at the conference.
http://findingmyteachervoice.blogspot.com/2014/01/teacher-dreams-do-come-true.html?spref=tw
http://transformingedky.blogspot.com/
http://coachratliff.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/welcome-to-your-blank-canvas-ecet2ky/


The most important lesson I learned from the conference was that isolation is the enemy of effective teaching.  This rang true to me because teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing frequently feel isolated.  Most are the only DHH teacher in their entire school district and may not have a colleague in a neighboring district.  I am fortunate to work in a district where there are two other DHH teachers with whom I can communicate and collaborate.

DHH teachers are overcoming their isolation by attending DHH cadre meetings across KY, becoming members of KYEDHH and serving on the Board, going to any PD available related to educating DHH children, and using technology to connect.

This is not enough, though.  What else can be done so that DHH teachers have a readily available PLN of other DHH teachers in KY and elsewhere?

When DHH teachers have the opportunity to collaborate, to communicate, to network, they have the ability to provide higher quality education to students who are deaf and hard of hearing. 

When DHH teachers reach out and look for support and engage other DHH teachers in solutions-based discussions, they are then better able to make decisions guided by student outcomes than what is easiest for the teachers.

When DHH teachers look to other DHH teachers to be virtual or onsite peer observers, they are more able to focus on relevant professional growth and learning.

DHH teachers, don't be satisfied with your daily routine and isolation.  Reach out and collaborate.  Find your leader voice and connect for the betterment of all our students.  Join me in giving DHH teachers and DHH children a voice; become a teacher leader!

Here is one final blog that explains what being a teacher leader truly means.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rick_hess_straight_up/2014/02/teacher_leadership.html