Wednesday, April 1, 2015
April 1 - The challenge
This morning I decided to join the #AprilBlogADay challenge posed on Twitter by Chris Crouch (@the_explicator). Its intent is to encourage teachers to practice, use, and refine their voice.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I always have a lot to say, but do I have enough on my mind to blog EVERYDAY in April? Who knows, but I am giving it a try.
Today is April 1, the start of a new month where an increasing number of signs of spring are starting to appear all around us. It is also a fun day as everyone tries their best to trick one another. I am walking around my house in eggshells as I wait to see what type of tricks my husband and children are going to play on me today. As I travel from school to school today, I will be on the lookout for pranksters around every corner. This is all in good fun.
My mind wants to write about the ways educators are fooled on a daily basis, but my heart says, NO WAY. This is April 1; spring is in the air, summer break is only a few weeks away, Kentucky is in the Final Four!
I will leave the fooling for another day!
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Trapped by Snow...I Gotta Write
Earlier this week, my town was hit with 10 inches of snow. If you live in the north, you might be giggling at 10 inches, especially if you are in Boston. However, for us, it is a blizzard! School typically closes if we get an inch or 2 on the ground. We've been out all week with no hope of returning to school soon.
So, what does a cooped up teacher do when she is trapped in her house for days? Write, of course!
I have the bug. Not the sickness type of bug but the writing bug. Sure, I have been blogging sporadically for a couple of years now; recently, though, I can't stop thinking about writing.
Since December I have been working on an article for my school district's newsletter about teacher leadership. I drafted it then put it aside. Nothing motivated me to pick it back up and continue working on it, even after getting some great advise from Chris Bronke (@MrBronke). That's until the National Blogging Collaborative (@natblogcollab) came into my life and partnered me with Brooke Perry (@brookster29) as my writing coach.
In over a week's time, my "rough" draft was revised again and again until it was in mint condition. Valuable feedback was given by Brooke; even other NBC coaches chimed in. I cannot believe the transformation of this piece from beginning to end. I don't think I have ever been more proud of a piece of writing as I felt when I emailed the article last night. Now I patiently await publication so I can share it with the world.
And now I have the bug! Since Monday, I
So, what does a cooped up teacher do when she is trapped in her house for days? Write, of course!
I have the bug. Not the sickness type of bug but the writing bug. Sure, I have been blogging sporadically for a couple of years now; recently, though, I can't stop thinking about writing.
Since December I have been working on an article for my school district's newsletter about teacher leadership. I drafted it then put it aside. Nothing motivated me to pick it back up and continue working on it, even after getting some great advise from Chris Bronke (@MrBronke). That's until the National Blogging Collaborative (@natblogcollab) came into my life and partnered me with Brooke Perry (@brookster29) as my writing coach.
In over a week's time, my "rough" draft was revised again and again until it was in mint condition. Valuable feedback was given by Brooke; even other NBC coaches chimed in. I cannot believe the transformation of this piece from beginning to end. I don't think I have ever been more proud of a piece of writing as I felt when I emailed the article last night. Now I patiently await publication so I can share it with the world.
And now I have the bug! Since Monday, I
- have finished drafting a co-blog and am working on revisions with my co-blogger with the hopes of publishing soon
- outlined another co-blog with him that will come out before the first one is finished
- and am now writing this blog
I do look forward to getting back to work educating bright minds, but am quite happy to have been trapped in the snow so I could write!
Sunday, February 8, 2015
My Magic Wand
Recently, a question was posed in a Voxer chat group that really made me think:
If I had a magic wand, and with one motion could change something in education that would make my job more effective, what would I reform?
My initial response is that I would magically establish regional DHH programs throughout Kentucky. Why wouldn't I pick that answer? Anyone who knows me well would think the same. This subject is what I have been advocating for years now. It is the quickest and easiest answer to this question. However, the more I contemplate, the more I realize that there is ONE thing that would completely transform how I teach. If this one change was to occur, Deaf education would never be the same again.
Imagine what it would be like if parents, upon discovering that their child was deaf, were paired with a Deaf mentor. This person would be the parents' connection into what life could be like for their child. A Deaf mentor could:
Let's use a magic wand and allow Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to be the first point of contact for parents of children with a hearing loss. Let them welcome parents into this visual world and show parents what their children could become!
If I had a magic wand, and with one motion could change something in education that would make my job more effective, what would I reform?
My initial response is that I would magically establish regional DHH programs throughout Kentucky. Why wouldn't I pick that answer? Anyone who knows me well would think the same. This subject is what I have been advocating for years now. It is the quickest and easiest answer to this question. However, the more I contemplate, the more I realize that there is ONE thing that would completely transform how I teach. If this one change was to occur, Deaf education would never be the same again.
Imagine what it would be like if parents, upon discovering that their child was deaf, were paired with a Deaf mentor. This person would be the parents' connection into what life could be like for their child. A Deaf mentor could:
- Make daily/weekly visits to the home to teach parents and family members American Sign Language
- Help the parents understand what living in a visual world is like
- Connect parents to other Deaf adults, parents of Deaf children, and Deaf teens
- Serve as a role model to the child
- Provide strategies for parents on how to incorporate aspects of Deaf culture into their home
- Help parents understand that learning ASL will help their child learn to speak if so desired
- Be the one that connects parents with hearing professionals
The list goes on and on.
How awesome would it be if parents and family members of Deaf children became fluent in sign language so that there would be no barriers to their interactions?
How different but exhilarating would it be if Deaf children entered preschool or kindergarten with a fully developed language that consisted of over 10,000 signs/concepts similar to the language level of hearing children?
How thrilling would it be for these children to be developing a Deaf identity prior to entering school?
How would the dynamics of Deaf education change if teachers no longer had to constantly play catch up as they tried to directly teach ASL, offer incidental language learning opportunities, AND teach English and other academic content?
This is to not say that other supports and services for the child and their family would be eliminated. There is still a need for speech therapy for those children who would benefit from it. Research has proven over and over again that learning ASL does not hinder speech development; it enhances it.
Additionally, teachers, consultants and other professionals (hearing or Deaf) that provide support to parents are still vital to the overall development and success of a deaf child. These professionals would work in collaboration with the Deaf mentor and not in place of.
For those children who are hard of hearing, they would not be lost in the fold; Hard of Hearing mentors would also be available to serve as role models and mentors to the family.
How awesome would it be if parents and family members of Deaf children became fluent in sign language so that there would be no barriers to their interactions?
How different but exhilarating would it be if Deaf children entered preschool or kindergarten with a fully developed language that consisted of over 10,000 signs/concepts similar to the language level of hearing children?
How thrilling would it be for these children to be developing a Deaf identity prior to entering school?
How would the dynamics of Deaf education change if teachers no longer had to constantly play catch up as they tried to directly teach ASL, offer incidental language learning opportunities, AND teach English and other academic content?
This is to not say that other supports and services for the child and their family would be eliminated. There is still a need for speech therapy for those children who would benefit from it. Research has proven over and over again that learning ASL does not hinder speech development; it enhances it.
Additionally, teachers, consultants and other professionals (hearing or Deaf) that provide support to parents are still vital to the overall development and success of a deaf child. These professionals would work in collaboration with the Deaf mentor and not in place of.
For those children who are hard of hearing, they would not be lost in the fold; Hard of Hearing mentors would also be available to serve as role models and mentors to the family.
Let's use a magic wand and allow Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to be the first point of contact for parents of children with a hearing loss. Let them welcome parents into this visual world and show parents what their children could become!
Friday, January 2, 2015
New Year's Goals, Not Resolutions
Every year millions of people establish New Year's resolutions and then often break them within the first month of the new year. I, too, have made the dreaded resolutions and have fallen off the wagon. That is why this year I am creating goals for myself instead of resolutions. The change in vocabulary is important because with goals come results. Goals are dreams that become reality. Goals are something to be put in writing and reviewed occasionally to monitor for progress. Goals can be short and long term; goals can be broken down into achievable steps.
Here are my professional short and long term goals, in no particular order. They are being documented in my blog so I can hold myself accountable. I may find myself adding to this list as the year progresses
Here are my professional short and long term goals, in no particular order. They are being documented in my blog so I can hold myself accountable. I may find myself adding to this list as the year progresses
- Finish reading Switch and find a way to direct the "Rider" of decision makers and get their "Elephant" emotionally invested in the need to establish regionalized or cluster programs for deaf and hard of hearing students in Kentucky
- Complete all necessary paperwork to get my Director of Special Education credentials. My dream job is a hybrid role of part-time teacher and part-time Director of a regional program for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Develop a stronger Growth Mindset by finally reading all the books I purchased: Mindset, Drive, and Quiet
- Achieve my Professional Growth Plan regarding Transition by participating in webinars about transition and ILP, speaking to local experts, reading and more reading
- Work with Help Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf to establish regular ongoing #deafed Twitter chats. One wasn't enough!
- Through collaboration with the DHH teacher work group, complete work on all documents that support the Teacher Professional Growth and Effectiveness System for teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing
- Share the incredible ongoing work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Teacher Advisory Council with my district and Professional Learning Network. Not only should the work of TAC be shared, but so should the individual successes of each teacher in TAC. We all have implemented successful programs or strategies that can benefit educators and students around the U.S.
- Blog more! Even though not many read my blog, writing is a way to develop professionally and to process what I read and learn. I plan to write more about effective DHH teaching strategies to help new and veteran teachers
- Co-blog with Deaf and hearing educators. Collaborating with other experts establishes a stronger voice about key topics and teaching strategies
2014 has been an incredible year in education; so many advancements. I have grown professionally more in 2014 than I have in the past 19 years of teaching. I am excited to see what lays ahead of me in 2015!
Sunday, November 9, 2014
The Adjectives of ECET2
Curious, anxious, excited, stressed, nervous, overwhelmed, enthused, uplifted, flabbergasted, blown away.
These are some of the words that describe my feelings these past few months. As I described in my post A Whole New World, since attending Kentucky's first Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers (ECET2) convening, my world has been thrown upside down and opened up beyond my widest dreams.
A few months after attending ECET2 KY, I was asked to be part of the committee to plan a regional convening. Those who know me understand that I LOVE to plan conferences; so after experiencing what ECET2 was all about, I eagerly jumped at the chance to help spread the movement into my neck of the woods. After hours of tireless collaboration with two amazing teachers @ruck1m and @NMcCutchen, the Green River Region ECET2KY was a big success. Teachers learned about the power of MAGIC from Jack Givens, legendary KY basketball player and my brother in law; discovered from Ali Wright, CTQ Teacherprener, that many countries around the world are providing more time for teachers to plan, collaborate and learn; and realized the importance of teaching and leading with a servant's heart from Owens Saylor, superintendent of Daviess County Public Schools. Participants experienced powerful breakout sessions surrounding the Common Core, social media, and teacher leadership. In colleague circles, teachers were able to dive deep into our profession and what it truly means to be a teacher leader. I was proud of our work and honored to be a part.
Then came the email; I was invited to the 4th annual national ECET2 convening in New Orleans. Yes! I made it to the big leagues, being one of 300 teachers from across the country about to be elevated and celebrated Gates Foundation-style! Friday evening we were led down Bourbon Street by a local high school marching band. Bystanders were taking photos; beads were flying everywhere. During the next 2 days, we heard some profound and inspirational stories from extraordinary teachers and leaders. I think I cried during each heart-felt story. Honest, thought-provoking discussions ensued during our Colleague Circles. Breakout sessions helped me better discover who I am and how I can go about change in my profession; even the slightest change can make a positive impact!
Words cannot truly express the impact this experience had on me. I am not a wordsmith and could not possibly share in words what this experience was like. That is why you need to read this blog post from genius writer Chris Bronke Keep The Flame Burning.
This video will give you a glimpse into ECET2NOLA and the power of teachers!
Because of these experiences, I now count many teachers across KY and the U.S. as dear friends, even though I may only chat with them on Twitter or Voxer. ECET2 has not only expanded my PLN, it has given me a new family!
Since NOLA, these adjectives now describe me: inspired, challenged, illuminated, motivated, elevated, and celebrated!
These are some of the words that describe my feelings these past few months. As I described in my post A Whole New World, since attending Kentucky's first Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers (ECET2) convening, my world has been thrown upside down and opened up beyond my widest dreams.
A few months after attending ECET2 KY, I was asked to be part of the committee to plan a regional convening. Those who know me understand that I LOVE to plan conferences; so after experiencing what ECET2 was all about, I eagerly jumped at the chance to help spread the movement into my neck of the woods. After hours of tireless collaboration with two amazing teachers @ruck1m and @NMcCutchen, the Green River Region ECET2KY was a big success. Teachers learned about the power of MAGIC from Jack Givens, legendary KY basketball player and my brother in law; discovered from Ali Wright, CTQ Teacherprener, that many countries around the world are providing more time for teachers to plan, collaborate and learn; and realized the importance of teaching and leading with a servant's heart from Owens Saylor, superintendent of Daviess County Public Schools. Participants experienced powerful breakout sessions surrounding the Common Core, social media, and teacher leadership. In colleague circles, teachers were able to dive deep into our profession and what it truly means to be a teacher leader. I was proud of our work and honored to be a part.
Then came the email; I was invited to the 4th annual national ECET2 convening in New Orleans. Yes! I made it to the big leagues, being one of 300 teachers from across the country about to be elevated and celebrated Gates Foundation-style! Friday evening we were led down Bourbon Street by a local high school marching band. Bystanders were taking photos; beads were flying everywhere. During the next 2 days, we heard some profound and inspirational stories from extraordinary teachers and leaders. I think I cried during each heart-felt story. Honest, thought-provoking discussions ensued during our Colleague Circles. Breakout sessions helped me better discover who I am and how I can go about change in my profession; even the slightest change can make a positive impact!
Words cannot truly express the impact this experience had on me. I am not a wordsmith and could not possibly share in words what this experience was like. That is why you need to read this blog post from genius writer Chris Bronke Keep The Flame Burning.
This video will give you a glimpse into ECET2NOLA and the power of teachers!
Because of these experiences, I now count many teachers across KY and the U.S. as dear friends, even though I may only chat with them on Twitter or Voxer. ECET2 has not only expanded my PLN, it has given me a new family!
Since NOLA, these adjectives now describe me: inspired, challenged, illuminated, motivated, elevated, and celebrated!
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