Empowering the Voices of Others

Over the past year, I've learned that I enjoy speaking/presenting at conferences. But there's a different kind of joy found in empowering and raising the voices of others!

My district hosted its annual Innovate@BVSD conference this week. Rather than leading sessions (for the most part), my work was behind the scenes, making sure everyone else was good to go. And it was awesome! I loved seeing friends and teachers in our district share their learning. They had amazing things to say! I loved seeing the conference attendees engaging in the conversations and soaking in everything they could. I loved the buzz and energy of a group of educators ready to start a new year.

Having fun is an essential part of conferences...right?

I think my favorite part, though, was seeing some teachers who were nervous to present absolutely rock it! As one of the people organizing the event, I fielded many emails & questions in the days leading up to it. Many were from first-time presenters who decided to step out and share, even if they didn't feel 100% ready (newsflash: no one ever feels 100% ready). I remember being there a year ago...heart pounding, wondering if I was good enough or if anybody would want to come to my session or if it would be a total flop. If you feel that way, you are not alone!

Seeing friends step past their nerves and grow in confidence was amazing. As a teacher, I loved seeing my students step up and grow. As a person who works with teachers, now, there's nothing more rewarding than seeing them become leaders in the district and beyond! Their voices are so much more authentic than mine, because they are doing this work every day in the classroom.

Teachers, we need you. We need your voices. We need to hear from you.

And just like that, I've learned another cool facet of my job. Happy August, everyone!

Changes

Changes are all around us.
Some are big, some are small.
Some are easy, some are hard.
Some, we have control over, others, we don't.
How do we respond?

What we model is what kids learn.
What do they see in me?

Am I sad? That's okay.
Some changes come with loss.

Am I excited? That is great!
The future looks so bright!

Am I scared? That's okay.
Being stretched brings growth.

Opportunities are all around us.
Some are big, some are small.
Some are easy, some are hard.
Some, we have control over, others, we don't.
How will we respond?

As I ponder the changes that come with this new school year, I am filled with so many thoughts and feelings. It has made me think...our students, too, are experiencing many changes as they head into a new year. What are they thinking? What are they feeling? How can we model looking for the opportunities that come with changes while still acknowledging the sadness/fear/[insert emotion here]?

As important as our content is, it can never overshadow the life lessons - explicit and implicit - that we teach our kids. What are your students learning from you?

What happens when you DON'T get accepted to #GoogleEI?

A long time ago, I promised to always write honestly on this blog. That means celebrating the successes, but also being real about the challenges. Two weeks ago, I was excited after applying to the #GoogleEI #LAX18 cohort! Earlier this week, I was disappointed to find out that I was not accepted.

The stages of disappointment

While everybody reacts & processes differently, here's what my past few days have looked like:

1. "Oh."

I wasn't in the best mood that day to begin with, so my initial reaction was basically, "Of course. Why would I expect anything different? It's just more of the same right now." Not something I'm proud of, but that really was my first thought.

2. Sharing

After I had a minute to collect my thoughts, I wanted to share the news. Rather, I didn't want to be asked 1,000 times - I would rather put it out there on my terms. First, I shared with my friends who helped me with my application, then I put it out to the Twitterverse. I wanted to truly congratulate those who got in, and I knew I was not the only person feeling disappointed, so I wanted to encourage those in the same boat as me. It took me a bit to craft a tweet to say what I wanted, but then I put it out there.

This also included liking & replying to many #PLN friends who did make it in, and especially those who didn't. It's so easy to feel like you are the only one, because more people share about their happy moments than their sad ones. I was motivated to break that lie down right away!

3. Thinking

If you know me, you know that I usually don't feel at peace with things until I've had some time to think & process. That happened after I went home for the evening. I hate failing, and I hate being rejected, and even though I know that's not the end of the story, I was definitely feeling both of those things. I appreciate my friends who tweeted, texted, messaged, & talked me through some of my feelings, reminded me that there are many more chances, and drove home the fact that this is not a reflection on who I am. Even though I knew some of these things, it was still helpful to hear them. I also appreciated the reminders that it was okay to feel bad, as long as I didn't stay there forever.

4. Growing & Improving

This is the one I am struggling with right now. I want to grow & improve, and I would never say that my application is perfect, but I felt good about what I put together. So now I'm feeling a bit stuck with knowing how to improve it. I like having a plan, and I don't have one right now! I know it's still pretty fresh, and I think that the best thing I can do right now is step away from my application for a bit and come back to it later with fresh eyes. In the meantime, I want to do what I hope to do every day, regardless of anything I'm applying for - learn and grow as an educator and as a person!

5. Schedule & Logistics

I include this in here, because I didn't realize how much I was planning my summer around keeping those dates in July open! I am a year-round employee, so I work through the summer, and that was going to be my mini-vacation that I took off. Now that it's not happening, I need to make sure to give myself a break somewhere, but the dates are more flexible. This is my next step...figuring out what my summer will look like with Plan B!

The Surprising Benefits

While I still wish I had gotten in, there are a couple of good things that have come out of this:

1. Community

Truly, my friends are amazing. The EDU community on Twitter is amazing. The amount of encouragement I have received is such a reminder that people care. In a world where the negative often gets amplified, I have heard nothing but positive messages. I have no doubt that these people are cheerleaders, encouragers, and a positive force in the lives of their students/colleagues/families as well, and that gives me such hope!

2. Inviting Others Onboard

I don't know if this would have happened either way, but I've heard from a couple of people that they are interested in applying for the next cohort, and there's something powerful about saying, "Yes! Let's go for it together!" It's been cool to see how even my "failures" have encouraged others to step out in their own journey.

What's next?

Well, as I said in my original post, I don't have any regrets about applying, even with this outcome. The application pushed me to think creatively and become a better educator. I'll keep learning and connecting. I will keep working to make education better for kids and for all of us. And I'm pretty sure I will be applying again in the future. Who wants to join me? 

#GoogleET!

I was so excited to receive the email this week welcoming me to the Google for Education Certified Trainers program!

I first heard about this program a couple of years ago, but didn't think it was for me...yet. While I helped people around my school(s) often, I wasn't really leading any trainings or presenting to groups of people. I decided to pursue my Google Certified Educator Level 1 Training. I studied all summer and was excited to pass the test!

I knew I wanted to keep going further, but between teaching full-time and being in grad school, I had limited time and energy. It wasn't until the next summer that I studied and took the Google Certified Educator Level 2 test! While the Level 1 test was a good review of many things I already used in the classroom, the Level 2 course taught me more. It was definitely challenging, but I was excited to accomplish this goal!

As I changed jobs, I realized that I am leading a lot of professional development, and the time seemed right to work on my Google for Education Certified Trainer badge. The problem is...I was still in grad school, and the thought of studying for one more thing (other than my finals and PRAXIS) was just too much to handle. It wasn't until after I finished everything for my degree (February) and took a moment to breathe (spring break) that I completed the application. The Trainer Course was not too time-consuming, since I had already done my Level 2 certification, but the application process made me reflect on how I teach and why I do things the way I do. I answered the short essay questions, and moved onto recording my video. The 3-minute limit filled up quickly! It took me several takes to be as concise as I wanted, but I finally ended up submitting my video at a length of 2:59. *Phew* After a couple of weeks of waiting (I may or may not have been checking my application status nearly every day), the email arrived - I had been accepted! Hooray!

Even though it's only been a few days, I have already appreciated learning from the forums and connecting with other trainers. It's fun when those connections span multiple platforms, as well - finding friends on Twitter in the group or vice versa allow us to strengthen our #PLN connections!

What's next? Well, I've had some amazing friends encouraging me for awhile to work on my Google Certified Innovator application. I've really wanted to do it since first hearing about the program, but just didn't feel like I had the time or energy to really give it the thought that it deserves. [Side note: When I decided to get my Masters, I knew that saying "yes" to that would mean saying "no" to future opportunities - it just took discipline to stick to that so I didn't burn myself out!] But now, the time has come. To be honest, it scares me more than any of the other certifications I have gone for. I know it's very competitive, the odds are slim, and I don't like failure or rejection. Yet I also know that playing it safe and never taking risks is not the way I want to live! Working on the application has already forced me to reflect and grow, and no matter what happens, I am convinced I will be a better educator for it.

I'm sure there will be more posts coming on this blog as I further develop my ideas for #GoogleEI! For now, I will just leave you with this - if you have ever thought about going for any of these certifications, I'd encourage you to do it! They are well-done, applicable, and help you grow in your skills, no matter what your role is in education. Feel free to reach out if you want/need feedback and/or help - I am so appreciative for my #PLN & real-life friends who have helped me along the way!

Coding Fun!

Over spring break, I discovered a new educational website which totally has me hooked, and I wanted to share!

// Disclaimer: I am a total nerd!

codingbat.com

The backstory: 

I have an incredibly talented brother & sister who have been working on developing apps for both Apple & Android products. When I am at home with them, I always see them working and am intrigued, but my music education degree didn't exactly teach me enough to follow along with what they are doing. Naturally...I asked them if I could start to learn some coding basics (did I mention that my brother also teaches high school computer science?)!

I've worked on some high-level pseudo-coding with them in that past (basically figuring out the logic) and done some block-based coding, but what I really didn't have is any background writing actual code in text. I've been through some different tutorials, but they are so spoon-fed, I get frustrated with them and forget everything I've learned after a week.

In short, I wanted something that would:

1) Actually get me writing code, and

2) Gave me a bit of a challenge, so I could LEARN and not just regurgitate the information.

After talking with my brother, we decided it would be easier for me to learn just one language at first, and since I have an Android phone and a PC, it seemed logical for me to learn Java (Android) rather than Swift (iOS).

Enter codingbat.com!

Here's what I love:

1. This site doesn't look fancy, but it has both challenges and help articles/videos right there.

2. After you write some code and submit, it runs a series of tests, and tells you which ones pass/fail. This is very helpful for tracking down your errors!

3. For the most part, this site doesn't give you the answers! Some example problems provide answers, and sometimes hints are provided, but mostly, you have to figure it out yourself.

4. The challenges go in a logical order, so you are not asked to do ten new things at once, but they throw in new twists each time, so you are not just repeating the same thing over and over.

5. You can create an account to save your progress, and even link it to a teacher's account (or a brother's account...just saying...) so that they can see your progress as well.

6. This site is built for both Java & Python. I am learning Java, but you could use it for Python as well.

7. It's working! I'm getting more comfortable with writing with proper syntax, I'm completing some challenges, and I'm getting stuck and researching to work through my issues. All of this means I am learning!

App development, here I come...

//Just kidding. I'm just getting started. But it's a step in the right direction!

Are any of you interested in learning Java?
How do these types of learning opportunities impact our students?
How might we make use of them to model our own learning or to challenge our students?

Classroom Visits: Lessons Learned

This week, I've had the opportunity to visit the classrooms of two amazing teachers, which has left me reflecting on my own practice. The classes were totally different - elementary literacy and middle school math - but there were some common traits. Here are three quick takeaways from my visits.

Side note: I love getting out in other classrooms now, and it makes me wish I could have done this more when I was teaching kids everyday - it is so inspirational and pushes me to grow!

1. Be intentional

One trait that both of these teachers shared is that they were intentional in the way they planned and used their lesson time. It was evident that they had put a lot of thought into what they were going to do that day and that they had prepared all of the materials ahead of time. Equally as important, they were intentional in the time that the students were there, checking in with them, explaining and clarifying, and not letting a minute go to waste!

2. Don't aim for perfection, aim for growth

Another thing that impressed me about these teachers was their growth mindset. They were willing to try new things and didn't get discouraged when everything didn't go perfectly the first time. They were reflective and looking for ways to improve and grow, but fear did not hold them back from trying something new.

3. Collaborate

Both of these teachers are excellent collaborators, and it was clear that they had not developed their classrooms in isolation. They were open, looking for new ideas, and happy to share what they are using. They are much more concerned about student learning (everywhere, not just in their classroom) than they are about their own ego!

Do you ever get to observe others? What sticks out to you when you go into other classrooms?

One Last Hurdle

25 months ago, I applied for my educational leadership program.

21 months ago, I started classes for my Master's degree.

14 months ago, I applied to be a summer learning team lead (basically a summer learning principal).

13 months ago, I began my summer learning job in a position of actual leadership.

8 months ago, kids started in summer learning, and I got a taste of what being a principal is really like!

2 months ago, I finished my last class and officially graduated with a degree in Educational Leadership.

6 days ago, I completed my final hurdle to getting my Principal's License - passing the PRAXIS test!

As I finished the test, I progressed to the screen that said something like:

Do you want to submit your answers or cancel your scores?

My heart was pounding, my breathing shallow, and I started wondering: 

Was I good enough? Did I have what it takes? Was I crazy to even be trying this? What if I mess it all up? What made me think this was a good idea? 

At every point along this journey, I have had moments of struggling with those same questions, this familiar cycle of self-doubt. What's more, I know that I am not the only one who asks these questions - I believe we all do, children and adults alike. Why is it so easy for us to be hard on ourselves?

With a deep breath, I made my choice, and pressed Submit. Thinking that my mental torture was over, my anxiety was heightened when I came to another screen:

You have chosen to submit your scores. Are you sure?

In every journey, there are times of standing up and stepping out in faith. Sometimes these moments are big and momentous, but at other times, they consist of simply putting one foot in front of the other. Whether big or small, these moments take courage. And sometimes, the courage it takes is only known to the one who is in the moment. It may not look like much to the outside world, but that does not mean that it feels easy on the inside.

As soon as I clicked Yes, submit my scores, my unofficial score popped up - well into the passing range. I smiled through my still shaking hand and pounding heart and thought:

And I considered, even if only ever so briefly, not submitting my scores! Why do I worry so much?

Are our students going through these internal battles? Which moment are they at when they come into our rooms - the one there they are thinking, "Am I good enough?" The moment of decision, when they have to take a leap of faith? The moment of victory? How can we, as teachers, meet them where they are at and reassure their doubts, encourage their risk-taking, and celebrate their wins? Of course, there are many ways to think about where our students are at - academically, socially, and in life - but this experience added a new layer to my thinking about how to help my students take the next step.

After all, the best teachers are always learning, right?

Doing the Impossible

At one of our 21st Century Cohort (#bvsd21cc) meetings, a teacher shared a lesson plan idea that stopped me in my tracks. Seriously, it was that good.

Side note: This is why I love our PD opportunities - as a facilitator, I always learn so much from the amazing teachers that come!

It went something like this:

1. Ask the students to make a list of what a Sphero can't do (they had previously had an introduction to Spheros).

2. The teacher goes around and stars his/her favorite idea on the list.

3. Ask the students to figure out how to make Sphero do that "impossible" thing.

That's it. It's that simple. This teacher said that all of the students were able to complete the task, with her favorite being a contraption to help Sphero deliver McDonalds. I can only imagine the empowerment her students felt and how this helped them shift perspective about what they "can't" do.

This lesson was designed using Spheros, but it could really be replicated with many different materials. It's not about the tools, but the mindset, the creativity, the critical thinking, and moving past constraints. These are transferable life skills that our students must learn to be successful both in school and beyond!

My personal challenge: What do I think is impossible right now? How can I make it happen?

What's your "impossible" dream?

Flexibility

Recently, I have been thinking quite a bit about the characteristic of flexibility. My favorite definition comes from training I had before traveling overseas in college:

"A flexible person is capable and active in adapting to new situations."

As I think about teaching students and preparing them for a world that is ever-changing, growing the value of flexibility in them seems to be a pretty good idea!

My story: This week has been a great example of flexibility in my job. Due to some maintenance issues, I have not been able to be in my office all week. This means that I've been working from home or from conference rooms at various schools, doing meetings via Google Hangout, and communicating via email/text rather than in person. I'll be honest, while it's a nice change of pace in some ways, it's also been a little unsettling - I am so used to my routine! Along with all of this, some different topics have bubbled up in conversations, so our carefully planned agendas for meetings have been thrown out the window. None of this is bad - it's just life! But it has given me ample opportunity to exercise my own flexibility.

Now, with students: When I was teaching, as we prepared for concerts, I wanted to throw students into situations where they were a little uncomfortable. After all, we couldn't replicate the environment of being under the lights with hundreds of people staring at you, but I knew it would not go well if we were only used to our classroom in ideal conditions. We practiced in different places where everything sounded different, changed our seating, and played "previews" for smaller audiences. All of this was aimed at growing flexibility so whatever came in the concert would not throw them off too much.

Beyond concert preparation, there were other ways to teach flexibility in the classroom. Any interruption, alternate schedule, room change, or lesson that didn't go well became an opportunity to model my response in less-than-ideal circumstances and set expectations for my students to do the same. And they picked up on it! By the time I had students as 8th graders, I was confident that our group could be put into almost any situation and respond well (and that was proven time and time again). Bonus: in the moments where MY frustration got the best of me, my students modeled flexibility and reminded me to take a deep breath and move on.

And then there were the moments where I intentionally built my classroom & lesson plans to force students to be flexible. This is such a real life skill, we can't afford to miss out on it! How are we teaching our students to adapt? To go beyond making a change, but to actively engage in the process and actually improve their work as the result of a new situation? If we don't give students opportunities and safe spaces to practice flexibility, they are missing out. Routines and structures are important, to be sure. But nothing ever stays perfectly routine for long - we have to be prepared for change.

How do you teach & model flexibility in the classroom?