Evaluate and Elevate Your Why #KidsDeserveIt

Today's guest post is from Sanee Bell, Elementary Principal from Houston, TX.

I like to say that I grew up in humble beginnings. I was raised in a two parent home until my parents divorced when I was 12 years old. It was at that time of my life when I began to experience situational poverty. I didn't know that the way we were living was considered to be at the poverty level. The government sets those standards and families who are living in those conditions usually don't know that a "standard" has been set to describe what they know to be normal. Whatever the standard, I knew that I wanted a new normal, and that there was a better way to live. At the time when I most needed stability, encouragement, direction and guidance, I found it at school in the teachers and coaches who genuinely cared about me and my well-being. 

Those individuals didn’t seek me out because they knew my situation. No one at school, even my friends, knew my situation. The beauty in the story is that they didn’t need to know those things to invest in me. What they didn’t know was that I needed opportunities and experiences at school more than ever. Those experiences helped me to escape from my home life, and I viewed them as a means to a better way of living after I graduated from high school. Education saved my life and changed the path of my future generations.

I tell you this brief bio so that you can understand my why. Our life experiences help shape who we are today. I always knew my why, introspectively, but it has taken deep reflection to own it and to be courageous enough to tell my story to others.  People want to know why I chose this profession. They want to know my passions, what motivates me, and what drives me to make the decisions that I make. As an educator, I should be able to state my why to anyone who asks "why do you do what you do?" In order to do this, I had evaluate my why in order to elevate my purpose. Educators who know their influence and the power that they have in the lives of children truly understand and are able to articulate their why to others. My why is hinged on three beliefs.

- I lead because education is the great equalizer.

Where a child lives should not be a determining factor of the type of education a child receives. Each day in our country many students come to school with a privilege gap. It is our responsibility to recognize and minimize this gap. Most students don't get to pick where and if they go to school. Since attendance is compulsory, the experiences that students engage in at school should be worth it. My education opened doors for me. It allowed me to cross the bridge into another world that I would not have known if I had not graduated from high school and college. 

- I understand my impact.

Coming to your why means really digging deep and knowing your own story. Growing up we were told to never tell our family business. I learned how to wear a mask and act as if I didn't live in a home where we were struggling to have our basic needs met. It has taken me time and courage to appreciate my why. My why is bigger, bolder and better because of my life experiences. My why has helped me to know and accept my impact as a principal. There are other Sanee's out there who deserve a quality education and who are depending on us to ensure that what we promise to offer students is what is actually being provided. In the lives of some children, the school and the adults who work in it are the only icon of stability that some children know. Some students have obstacles and challenges to overcome that many adults can’t even begin to fathom. A person does not have to have the same background or experiences to relate or see a sense of urgency in a situation. Our influence is greater than we’ll ever know, and our impact on the lives of children can change lives.

- If not me, then who?

I can't expect others to give and be their best for children if I am not modeling the way. If I don't advocate for all students, how can I expect that to be the pervading culture of my building? I know that access to education can be a life or death matter for some students. I recognize the sense of urgency that we must have as educators to prepare children for their future, which is not a world of standardization, but a future where they will be equipped to contribute to our society and greater causes than any individual can accomplish alone.  I know that it doesn't matter where you came from but where you are going in this life that determines future paths. Being an educator is my passion. I find significance in this work that I have been called to do. I heard Angela Maiers describe passion as not doing what you like to do, but doing what you must do. I could not imagine doing anything else than having the privilege and honor to impact the lives of children each day. I must do this work, because someone did it for me.

If we don't evaluate our why by taking self-inventory of our story and what drives us to teach and lead each day, we run the risk of losing sight of our core business. More importantly, if we don’t elevate our why, we may minimize the sense of urgency of our calling. Our business is critical, and as educators, we should be committed to changing the lives of children. I challenge all of us to reflect, recharge, and renew our commitment to our students and our noble profession. Go change the life of a child! Our kids deserve our best and nothing less.  

Connecting With Colleagues #KidsDeserveIt

Today's guest post is from Clara Galan, a former middle school teacher and currently Community Manager at TenMarks (Amazon) and formerly at Remind.

“The most dangerous phrase in the English language is, ‘We’ve always done it that way.’” - Grace Hopper

Education, like many other public industries, relies heavily on tradition. As we watch new technologies transform spaces like transportation and communication, why is so much of education stuck in the same place it was during the Industrial Revolution?

Students sit in straight rows with set bells determining when they can study single subjects, when they can eat, and even when they can move! Unfortunately, we all know this system teaches students obedience and memorization, as opposed to independent critical thinking. As an adult, when was the last time you only used math, english, or science completely independent of one another? When was the last time you used a single textbook to learn information about a particular topic? Students are missing out on the skills that are absolutely necessary in the 21st century workforce.

As we end Connected Educators Month, I’d like to stress that one of the few ways teachers can prepare students for the challenges that lie ahead is through sharing and exploring best practices with one another. It may seem daunting to take on an entire educational system, but change can happen on the individual and local level, starting in your classroom. #KidsDeserveIt to be prepared for what lies ahead, and we all owe it to them for the future of innovation.

We’ve all been there -- Sitting in a crowded room listening to a district-led professional development powerpoint. The clock ticks as the anxious thoughts of lesson plans, grading, and assessments cloud your ability to concentrate. Professional development should be tailored to you and the unique needs of your class. As students learn from hands-on learning, teachers also need to be involved in directing their own PD:

Connecting Virtually

Although you may feel isolated in the walls of your classroom or school, there are so many educators out there who want to collaborate, share, and learn with you. In fact, these educators are just at your fingertips! All teachers are pressed for time, but it’s easy to take 5 minutes a day right on your device with these tools:

Twitter

Twitter may be the most obvious tool to most connected educators, but it’s not obvious to the majority of teachers. I participate in a wide variety of Twitter chats, and I often find the same people participating and sharing. This is great for building close relationships and a tightly-knit professional learning network, but it can create a sounding board effect. The true question is, how do we get more teachers on Twitter? Being challenged by new ideas is an important part of learning, and those ideas often come from new faces. #KidsDeserveIt to have all of their teachers learning and sharing from one another, not just the one “tech-savvy” teacher at school who uses Twitter.

I encourage you to find one Twitter chat on this extensive list of educational Twitter chats that you’re not familiar with and connect with new educators. In addition, challenge your colleagues who have not used Twitter before to participate in one --- here’s even a helpful guide to help them get started on Twitter chat etiquette. Get the entire faculty to participate in a chat during your next faculty meeting -- what better way to get hands-on PD?

Educator Groups

Google has a fantastic list of Google Educator Groups for educators around the world. Join groups within your community, or an area of the world that you are interested in. Many of these groups also host in-person local events. If you have a gmail account, you can easily join with your Google+ account. Edutopia also has a vibrant online teacher community, which you can access through a free Edutopia account.

Video Chats

The future is here. We can now speak face-to-face with people across the world without having to move from our classrooms. It still never ceases to amaze me when I can instantly transport myself to a classroom in Barcelona or Hong Kong without leaving my desk in San Francisco. Not only are the following tools great for teachers, but they’re also great for students. If your class is studying another language or culture, why not bring it directly to them as opposed to learning about it in a stagnant text book? I encourage you to try Google Hangouts, Skype, and Blab and find which works best for you. You can also host conversations on air on Google Hangouts, Blab, or Periscope for other educators to tune in. Check out this latest virtual recorded EdCamp hosted by ClassDojo and TenMarks. During this event, teachers were able to participate in the comments section of the Google+ page and on Twitter with the specific hashtag #EduMindset. Also, see an example of a streamed Blab show by the #KidsDeserve it co-hosts Adam Welcome and Todd Nesloney. The best thing is, these conversations live on forever on YouTube!

Teacher-to-Teacher Chats

In addition to Twitter and video chats, there are several apps that enable quick teacher-to-teacher chats and voice recordings to share classroom strategies. When I was in the classroom, the only way I could approach colleagues was by getting on the classroom landline, sending an email, or approaching them in the faculty room. In reality, this is not very practical. See some of these free apps below to stay connected to your immediate colleagues and larger professional learning network:

• Remind: Although Remind has traditionally been used by teachers to send quick messages and notifications to students and their families, there is now a teacher-to-teacher chat feature. If you and your colleagues are already on Remind, it’s a safe and simple way to connect.
• Voxer: Voxer is a great way to send voice recordings and messages to small and large groups of teachers. Take a look at this post by Joe Mazza to see how more educators are using it!
• Slack: Slack is being increasingly used by tech companies and nonprofits to stay connected. You can create different “channels” for various subjects or groups, and attach photos and files.

With all of these channels, be sure to establish some guidelines with your school or network to ensure balance. Unfortunately, it can become overwhelming and consuming when you’re trying to have dinner or spend time with your family and your phone is blowing up with notifications (I’ve been there). You, as the user, have the power to turn notifications on or off to your comfort level. Overall, these apps certainly make communication more productive than sending emails.

Instagram

Lately, I’ve been loving following the #teachersfollowteachers and #teachersofinstagram hashtags. So many teachers are sharing photos of their classrooms that bring their work with students to life. Many focus on elementary school, but I sometimes find good nuggets for middle and high school as well.

Connecting Face to Face

Despite what some technology companies might tell you, reforming education isn’t about slapping a tablet or an app on a teacher’s desk. It’s about changing a mindset. Countering “We’ve always done it this way” is about exploring new methods of learning that meet student’s needs and help them to authentically understand, retain, analyze, and innovate. Of course, ensuring that students (and teachers) are competent in technology is important for this modern world, but tech is only a tool. It’s a tool that needs to support a mindset and human relationships.

Thus, it’s so important to meet with fellow educators and students face to face in collaborative settings. This can be a challenge amidst busy schedules, but both EdCamps and CoffeeEdus provide opportunities for teachers to step out of their classrooms and share with one another. The unstructured environment also gives teachers the freedom to discuss their class’ unique needs, as opposed to a district-led one-size-fits all model.

Technology should support our human relationships and interactions, not replace them. I can’t tell you how many times a colleague sitting directly next to me has slacked me or sent me a Google Hangouts message. It’s a little absurd.

Collaborating for The Future

Teaching is one of (if not the hardest) job out there. Although you may be feeling overwhelmed with lesson planning, parent-teacher communications, grading, etc -- you will find that connecting with other teachers will ultimately make your life easier! You’ll discover new methods and tools that will reach your students’ needs and help you become more efficient as a teacher. District-led professional development can only take you so far -- it’s only through connecting with others in our field (who actually practice on a daily basis) that we learn the best.

Together #KidsDeserveIt

Maybe you’ve seen it? We’re sure you probably have. A school, a department, and maybe even an entire district - working in silos.

A decision is made and implemented in one department, and nobody else knows about it. Right down the road, or even the hallway, there are others with creative genius waiting to be tapped.  Waiting to be asked.  But instead a decision is made without any conversation at all.

Does your district operate like this?  We’ve all seen it before.  And we’ve seen that nothing good ever comes out of “top-down” decisions or brilliance that is kept in hiding.  

Now - hopefully you’ve seen a department, a school, or maybe even an entire district, that has the synergy. They have the organization. They’re working together. Ideas are put on the table so everyone can listen and have an opportunity to contribute.

It goes even deeper though. It’s not just about knowing the mission and vision. Are you a part of it? Can you feel it? Are you hand in hand with your colleagues, pushing forward for kids. Moving in the same direction.

Thanks to the use of technology and social media we can no longer hide out in our silos.  We can’t “close the door” and keep the awesomeness to ourselves.  It’s time that we share, that we collaborate, that we challenge the status quo.

One of our favorite quotes is, “Never doubt that a small group of people can change the world, when indeed it’s the only one that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

Now is your time.  Reach out to that colleague down the hall, send a quick email to your supervisor with a new idea asking them to collaborate, bring up some out of the box idea at your next faculty meeting, or find “your people” on social media.  Do whatever it takes to bring better ideas to life through collaboration.

It starts with one.  One person willing to stand up and say, “I want to work together”.  Will you be that one?

When Leaders Don't Lead #KidsDeserveIt

I think it’s safe to say that every one of us has worked underneath someone who didn’t lead.  A person who was in a place of power, of leadership, but the ship was sailing without a captain.  I know for both of us (Adam & Todd), we’ve worked under administrators who scream, who went to jail, who were amazing, and one who was more like “he who shall not be named”.

The image of a ship is one that we use often.  A ship can sit on the water and float without a captain leading it.  But ships weren’t designed to just sit or rock back and forth.  Ships can also head out onto choppy water, but if there is no leader behind the wheel the ship can run ashore, hit something, or go in the completely opposite direction of where you thought you were headed.  A ship needs a captain.  A ship needs someone who can take the wheel and steer the boat in the right direction. Ships need a compass - purpose - crew and their sails pointed in the right direction to harness the wind!  But not only a ship needs a captain who KNOWS how to lead.  This quote by Saint Exupery is so true, “If you want to build a ship, don’t gather people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea”

One of the hardest things for a teacher is working on a campus where the leader doesn’t lead.  Leaders need to be actively in classrooms.  They need to have a clear vision of where things are headed.  But leaders also need to take the heat when necessary and need to admit failure.  Leaders need to take risks, push boundaries, and consistently make decisions that are in the best interest of every child and know when to lean on others, when to ask for help, and how to make others shine brightest.

And the same goes for district leadership.  Campus Administrators also need strong leadership from those above them.  They need someone who has a vision and stands firm.  They need someone who is willing to lead them and help them grow. What’s the message when your leader isn’t learning? They don’t ‘believe’ social media, can’t wrap their head around ‘Tweeting’ or blogging about their districts story. What do you do if your district Technology Director isn’t using any tools to connect and learn online? Where are they learning from? How can they lead a district to relevancy?

When leaders don’t lead, you lose your “superstars” and no one grows.  Those exceptional leaders and teachers will leave a campus/district who doesn’t have strong leadership. They’ll go in search of someone who will grow them, push them, challenge them.  They’ll look for a leader.  Not a warm body in an office. Don’t let your briefcase hit the ground and never move again. We must constantly be moving, growing, learning, pushing, failing, falling - and then getting up stronger and smarter than we were before!

Leaders have to lead.  They have to take control of their ships and create a shared vision and admit when they make mistakes.  For when a ship has no leader, it’s not being used the way it was designed to be used.

The Power of Being Positive - #KidsDeserveIt

Today's guest post is written by Matt Johnson who is an incredible educator in South Carolina.

A battery has two ends: a positive and a negative. When connected to a device requiring power, the end marked positive which houses a source of electrons will flow and deliver energy causing what once was powerless to become useful.

photo via motherearthnews.com

You're right. I had to look that up. But the connection to how we are to treat and respond to others especially kids is so vital to how they mature and grow up to be adults. Opponents of positive reinforcement say "That's not how the real-world works." But in order for students to make it to having life in the real-world, they must have good choices modeled for them and given that recognition for doing the right thing. But I get their point. I've never been rewarded for driving the speed limit.

Many young kids are so often told what's wrong with them causing a wealth of negativity to be housed inside their minds. Those kids come to school and don't know what is expected of them causing them to be, let's be honest, difficult to love. These kids are negatively charged in need of a source of electrons to flow and create what is currently powerless to become a powerful and useful source for many. Their bucket is empty in need of being filled. But guess what? This concept works for adults too!

How often do you tell someone you are glad to see them? No reason. Just glad they're here today!

Who was the last person you gave a handwritten note to tell them you're so proud of them?

When was the last time you played with kids at recess or sat down and had a conversation with them at lunch instead of talking to other adults?

What was the last word you spoke to your students at the end of the day? Did you tell them you can't wait to see them tomorrow?

What positive charge are you supplying to students and others you see each day?

So if you're like me having had to answer each of these questions, you may realize you 

have a to-do list starting tomorrow. But understand this, one day of positivity to those so full 

of negativity and expecting change tomorrow is like hooking a double A battery up to a 

pickup truck. It will provide it some energy but that Hemi isn't going anywhere! So my words 

for all of us are this: Be consistent, be persistent, but don't forget the power you have in 

positive, yet voiceless actions such as smiles, hugs, fist bumps, and high-fives. So tonight 

eat your spinach or if you're Mario, a spotted mushroom because it's time to Power Up! Our 

kids need it. They deserve it!

Slow Down - Take Your Time #KidsDeserveIt

Adam read this article about a town in Italy named Cremona and sent it to Todd right away. The town is famous for making violins, especially the Stradivarius. Reading the article fascinated us and we saw so many ideas that could easily relate to education.

Think about the time it takes to handcraft a violin, the process, the pain, the challenge, the journey, the experience from this, how can we create this for our kids?  How can we teach them the importance of slowing down sometimes in our fast paced world.  What’s the value in slowing down?

Our lives as educators moves at a breakneck speed.  We have deadlines, forms to complete, grading to do, phone calls to make, and the list goes on and on.  Sometimes it feels like we just run from one thing to another in a school day.

And in the midst of all that busyness sometimes we get lost.  We get so caught up in some things, that we forget to slow down and find the small moments too.  Those moments that can be easily lost in the shuffle of life’s fast pace.

Moments like stopping to eat lunch with your students. Just taking those few minutes to sit down, have a conversation on their level about what they want to talk about, and spend time getting to know them.  

Moments like playing at recess.  You shouldn’t ever be afraid to jump into a game of kickball, or slide down the “big kid” slide, or play a game of tag.

Moments in class when a student asks a really great, thought provoking question, and it stops the entire lesson so that everyone can discuss and figure out the answer.

Moments when we just need to pick up a picture book and read it and laugh together.

Sometimes we must slow down our speed a little and really develop things.  Develop those relationships, develop those thinking moments, develop those experiences and memories.

If you’re anything like us, slowing down can sometimes be very hard to do.  It doesn’t really fit either of our personalities.  But both of us make a conscious effort to find the small moments in the day to stop, take a look around, and notice and take part in things we were missing.  Because sometimes you must slow down to create something truly great.  And when you take the time to readjust and slow down, it can make all the difference.

We Need to Take Care of Our Teachers #KidsDeserveIt

Today's guest post is written by Brandon Blom who is an amazing educator and Principal at Stoneridge Elementary School in California.

At the start of every school year I seem to read a lot of articles about why there is a teacher shortage or why the teacher pipeline is drying up.  If you have been following the news lately you have seen a string of stories about teacher shortages in states like Kansas, Oklahoma, and California, just to name a few.  I also have read articles about how in the public’s view respect for teachers has gone down over the years. All of these articles make me think one thing: Kids deserve teachers who are respected and appreciated.

I would love to see our teachers better taken care of at the federal, state and even district levels.  As a principal I am not in a position to change all of these issues, but I do feel as educational leaders there are things we can do to help show our teachers in a positive light, give them the respect they deserve, invest in them, and start changing the culture around education.

Our Stoneridge Elementary School teachers the day before school started.

Here are some things we do at my school to help create a culture that shows teachers we care:

-Give them time.  Sounds simple but giving teachers time to plan and collaborate is so important.

- Give them the resources they need.  I know budgets are tight but do whatever you can to give them the resources they need.  If that means going to your PTC and asking for more money for their classrooms, helping write grants, helping them get started with DonorsChoose or other charity sites, do you best to get them what they need.

- Make Professional Development a priority in your budget.  Once again I know budgets are tight but teachers should not have to pay for their own PD.  Our teachers know we do not have an unlimited budget so we do our best to spend money wisely.  At the same time I make sure investing in them is a priority at our school.

- Provide them with good PD yourself.  If we are talking about respecting teachers, we need to make sure that when we have staff meetings or PD days, their time is respected.  We need to show them that we are learning together and providing them with PD that is meaningful.  They need to leave the meetings more enthusiastic about teaching than before they came.

- Respect their time.  If you say your staff meeting is an hour, then end on time whether you are finished or not.  Also if a meeting is unnecessary, cancel it! Don’t have it just to have it.  

- Always end meetings with celebrations! It’s a chance to recognize each other for the great things going on around campus and in their personal lives.

- One of the fun things I do is buy each staff member their favorite Starbuck’s drink and deliver it to their classroom.  Teachers love getting their drink and it gives me an opportunity to thank them for their work in front of their students.

- Get together outside of school.  We try to always go out as a staff after Back to School Night or Open House or just get together for a Happy Hour every once in awhile so we can connect outside of school.

- Provide food at staff meetings. We provide food at every meeting. It might just be bags of popcorn and some grapes (and usually something sweet) but teachers appreciate being fed after a day of teaching.

- Give them a card or personalized message before the school year starts thanking them for what they do.  This year all of my teachers are on Voxer with me so I sent each of them a message just letting them know I appreciate what they do and I am looking forward to the school year with them.

- Meet with them one on one end of the year to check in and see how the year went.  The first question I always ask is how is your family so they know what is truly most important before we start talking business.

- Be available.  I am constantly walking around campus to see how I can help.  I also go by every grade level during Professional Learning Community time to ask what they need from me.

- Have fun and dance!  We do a staff dance at the talent show every year.  It is a great team building activity for the staff, and students and parents love it! At first you might have some teachers resist but if you lead the way, enough will follow that it will be worth it.  Here is our dance from two years ago:

-Tell them to go home.  Our teachers work really hard and want to do what is best for students but sometimes when they are there late, they need someone to remind them to go home and be with their family.

-Bring passion, energy and new ideas all the time.  Teachers want someone who loves their job as much as they do.

- Know your students.  Teachers care deeply about their students.  Teachers love when we know our students.  In the past I have given a prize of me teaching their class for different activities like which class donated the most money or which teacher won a certain competition.  This year I am trying something new:  I am going to sub each class for at least an hour.  That way I can see what the students are like in the classroom, give the teachers a tiny break, and also remember just how challenging and rewarding it is to be a teacher.

I have listed a lot of ways principals can take care of their teachers to show they respect and appreciate them.  I am a positive person and obviously do my best to take care of our teachers but there a few things that taking care of teachers does not mean:

- It does not mean saying good job or praising all the time.  There is a lot of research and articles against praising students by saying good job and the same goes for teachers.  This was an adjustment for some of my teachers as they wanted to hear me say good job all the time.  Instead, I praise their hard work and I am specific about feedback.

- It does not mean agreeing on everything.  Like many staffs we disagree on items, and that is a good thing since a lot of time disagreement leads to better solutions for our school and students.  As long as it stays respectful we understand we are not always going to agree.

-It does not mean to holdback feedback if it is needed.  If there is something that you see that will help a child learn, say something.  Teachers need to hear how they can get better.

- It does not mean everything is great all the time.  We have to constantly look at what we are doing and how we can improve.

Teaching is not easy and the teacher’s role seems to expand every year.  I would love to hear how other educational leaders are doing their part to take care of our teachers.  I know there are ways I can still improve and take care of them even more.  If we take time to appreciate our teachers it will go a long way to making sure our school culture is awesome for our students.  Kids deserve a positive place where both students and adults are happy to come and learn.