Self-Care, Amazing Teachers, & the Roller Coaster of 2020

My mind is scattered today, which is no surprise. It seems to be a way of life lately! I found myself wanting to blog, but having a lot of half-formed ideas, so I figured I would just start writing and see what came out.

Self-Care

I think it's important to start with a bit of self-reflection. The past couple of weeks have been hard, as cases continue to rise and restrictions tighten in my area. I don't think I realized until now how much I don't want to go back to that isolation again. I know that it is important for us to protect each other, and I will do my part, but the tightened restrictions has made me feel more anxious (and I'm sure the election didn't help). Along with that, my workload has increased really significantly over the past several weeks (more on that below), leaving me feeling more and more overwhelmed.

Reaching out for help isn't always easy, but I decided I needed to do two concrete things to try to help myself. The first was expressing to my leaders how overwhelmed I was feeling with work. Even if nothing can be done about it, I still think it was important for me to share my thoughts rather than continuing on and pretending that all was fine. The second thing I decided to do was text a friend to ask if she had an idea of someone I could talk to for some mentoring about some specific situations I am facing at work. She responded with a suggestion, and I had a phone conversation with this person this week. It was so helpful to hear my own words and thoughts reflected back to me in different words, to have someone asking reflective questions, and to help me think through some concrete next steps. All of this has to do with my #oneword2020, value, in valuing myself enough to prioritize finding ways to help myself in a time when it feels like there are so many competing priorities!

Amazing Teachers

I don't even know where to start on this one...I have had the pleasure of subbing in several classrooms while teachers are out on quarantine, and I am constantly amazed by my colleagues. Sometimes when I am watching them teach virtually or experiencing their classroom routines, I feel like I am getting a masterclass in good instruction! All of this fills my teaching heart up, and it challenges me to be a better teacher every day.

I also am leading a task force which started this week, where we are trying to figure out how to solve some complex scheduling situations for next semester (traveling teachers + COVID guidelines + changed school schedules = chaos). I was so encouraged by the collaboration and creative thinking of our teachers and administrators on this committee. The focus on the common good and what is best for the kids is amazing! I was so nervous for this committee, but after our first meeting, I feel full of hope!

Roller Coaster

Although I am focusing on the positives here, I would be lying if I said that life didn't feel like a roller coaster at times. I have so many competing emotions: I love subbing in schools, but I get overwhelmed by the work that builds up when I am in schools all day; I get nervous about these complex issues to solve, but am encouraged by the collaboration and work of our educators; I want to keep everyone safe, but don't want to go back to a "Stay at Home" state. I think that we will continue to live through this, and I just keep reminding myself to give extra grace -- to others and myself -- during this time. Most of us are probably not at our best right now. The more we can move toward each other with compassion and grace, the better off we will be. I'm trying to remember that every day!

And thus concludes a snippet into my life and mind in this year of 2020!

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!

Passing the Torch

It's been a year since I taught orchestra in schools as my full-time job. While I am happy to be where I'm at, I've also struggled with missing being in the classroom. One of the coolest things, though, has been watching a friend really pick up the torch of mashing music + technology together. It is a joy to watch!

Robots + Composition

A few weeks ago, I received this text:

"I assume you've played with the Edison robots? I think it would be really neat to do a composition project with them where the objects/surfaces around it trigger the different notes/phrases...I programmed mine to play the next phrase of Twinkle when it changed to a different surface when driving."

Prior to this, I hadn't heard about these particular robots, but wow, mind blown! I think that coding any robot to respond to outside stimuli differently is an authentic way to mix composition & computer science in a music class. This would make a great #HourofCode project someday!

Video Perspective

A few summers ago, I recorded lots, and I mean LOTS of instructional videos to help my 5th & 6th graders learn their songs. I found that it had several benefits - it helped my students learn their music, but also how to practice, because I talked them through the tricky spots in the video. It also really gave them a multi-sensory way to learn, by listening, looking at my fingers in the video, and looking at their music. Finally, it was a great way for parents to know what their kids were learning and how to help them or for kids to catch up after being absent. It is so common to get an email that says, "I don't know how to help my kid in music," and this game me a great resource to point them to! I even sent them occupational therapist at my school, who was working with one of my students, and she came back knowing how to hold the cello & play our first few songs, making it much easier for her to help this student!

Disclaimer: I totally stole copied this idea from another orchestra teacher in the district...good ideas just get passed around!

My friend shared that she wanted to make her own set of videos this summer, but instead of setting up the camera in front of her, she was going to take it from a forehead mount, showing the exact perspective of the students. This way, they don't have to see what it looks like from the outside and try to make their fingers match that from their angle. How come I never thought of that?!? It shows such a great focus on thinking about the user first, and what their needs are.  I was blown away!

Individualized, Self-Paced Learning

Orchestra Karate has been around for awhile, and is actually something the two of us implemented when we team-taught together. Once again, my friend is finding ways to expand ideas to make them even better! She shared that instead of just doing our "regular" songs for Orchestra Karate, she had made two extra packets - a holiday packet & a challenge packet - that students could work on & earn belts for. This is such a great way to combat the fact that the beginning class has students moving at a variety of paces, and allows all students to be challenged at their own level!

Spreadsheets

Okay, this last one is just because I'm a nerd and I love organizing my life with spreadsheets. I love finding others who do the same! She was telling me how she had one spreadsheet per school, but IMPORTRANGEd them all into one master spreadsheet, had different tabs to sort by different reasons (like who had district instruments, etc), and used conditional formatting to mark who had turned paperwork in. She also talked about using autoCrat to create nametags (to hang on stands) from these spreadsheets, rather than our usual practice of having students write their own nametags, which often results in small, light handwriting that is impossible to read from the podium :-). These little hacks make life so much easier, and I love seeing others use them in a way that works for them!

Passing the Torch

When I decided to move into this district position, one of the hard things was feeling like I was just scratching the surface of what could be done in a music classroom, and I didn't have time to explore everything I wanted to! These interactions with my friend have been incredibly encouraging in remembering that I am not the only one who is exploring. As obvious (and self-centered) as that sounds, it has been so cool to see her not only embrace new ideas, but take them even further to create the best educational environment for kids!

My recommendation? Find "your people" and keep building on each others' ideas. Continue to push further and deeper. Collaborate & share. Together, we can create amazing educational environments for students!

Days in Schools are the Best Days

As an ed tech specialist, I truly feel that the days I spend in schools are the best days. There's just nothing like the energy of a school building!

But what do I do in schools?

That's a great question. It looks very different based on my purpose for visiting, and sometimes, what I have planned and what ends up happening are two completely different things! Here are some examples of what I do:

Classroom Observations

Since I'm not directly teaching students anymore, I really appreciate the time I can just sit in classrooms and watch what is going on. It helps keep me connected to the day-to-day life of teachers and students and informs my ideas for the future.

Co-Planning

Trying something new in your classroom is intimidating! Sometimes, it helps to plan with another person to talk it through and think of all of the angles. I really enjoy planning with teachers and seeing the ways they are thoughtfully encouraging their students to grow.

Co-Teaching

In the same way, there are times when it just helps to have another adult in the classroom! I love the days when I am co-teaching, whether that looks like switching off in whole-class instruction, splitting the class up into small groups, or allowing students independent "work time" while both teachers wander and conference with groups.

Planning Meetings

Aside from lesson planning, sometimes there are other planning meetings that need to occur. Meeting with technology committees/teams, working on both the logistics of the tools and the vision of instruction in the building, and/or planning with administrators are all part of my job in schools.

Professional Development

Over the course of the year, I have been a part of many staff meetings where I have either facilitated or been an observer in different types of professional development. Because I am not actually working with the kids most days, the most "bang for our buck" comes when teachers feel more comfortable and confident with technology and instructional practices!

Parent Meetings

As technology takes over our world, parents are interested in finding out both how this impacts the school and how it can impact their parenting. There is definitely an element of community outreach at the school level that is present in my job.

Informal Conversations

This is one of my favorite things to do in schools, yet it can't be measured. Often, you can get a good feel for the culture of a building just by being there. I love chatting with teachers in the copy room, saying hi to kids in the lunchroom, or seeing how the day is going in the office. Many times, this will lead to questions or requests that I can help with - those things that are not burning enough to actually call IT, but that could really help make others' lives better! I'm not talking about fixing broken technology (my department deals more with instruction than hardware), but things like, "Is there any way to do THIS?" or, "I was trying to figure out how to do THAT..."

Fellow coaches/TOSAs/district leaders...what do YOU do in schools?

Teachers...what do you WISH we would do in schools?

I'm always looking for new ideas to collaborate - feel free to chime in below!

What are they REALLY saying?

We, as people, say things all of the time. But do we always say what we mean? Often, we have to look beyond the words and interpret what is really going on, even if it is not exactly what is being said.

I often have to do this with myself as well. When I am feeling grumpy, stressed, frustrated, or upset, it's easy for me to focus on the immediate thing going on, rather than the underlying issue. Whether conscious or subconscious, I'm not always honest with myself at first...and I am always grateful for friends who ask me the right questions to tease out my deeper thoughts and motivations.

"I don't want to do this!"

Is there something you don't understand about it? Is there something else going on that is stressing you out? Has something happened in the past that makes you feel like this won't be a good experience? What is the part that you are dreading the most? Why?

"I'm so stressed out."

What is stressing you out? What parts of it are under your control? What parts are not under your control? Do you need to take a quick break to refresh your mind? Are you getting enough sleep? Eating well? Is there something else going on in the background that is increasing your stress level? What would help you feel better? Can you do anything small right now to feel like you are moving forward?

My natural instinct is to want to focus on the specific issue, to give advice, or share a related story from my own life, but I am trying to become more of a question-asker (both in my own thought life and with others). Along with helping figure out what's really going on, it communicates to people that they are heard and valued. It suspends judgment and seeks more information, honoring the fact the people usually have a reason for their actions/feelings.

As a person who is in a coaching role now, it is so important for me to help others discover their own answers instead of "being an expert". I want to help us focus on the bigger issues, not just the symptoms that bubble up from day to day.

"What if students use technology for bad things?"
"It's just all too much, too overwhelming."
"We need to be more aligned in our vision."

What are people really saying?

Changing MY Mindset

I am lucky enough to be hosting practicum students - future music educators - in my classroom right now!  Having people in my classroom always makes me think twice about what I am doing.

On Thursday, we were doing a very flexible activity in 6th grade.  For the majority of the class, students were given the freedom to work on what they needed to while I worked individually with a few students.  Some were marking their music, some were practicing scales, some were practicing their actual music, and some were focusing on flash cards (to work on note-reading).  Some students worked by themselves, and some worked with partners or in small groups.  The class was flexible, so students came in and out of different groups and focused on different things.  This type of free-flowing learning is not unusual in my classroom - it looks like (mostly organized) chaos, but I'm used to it.

Fast forward to debriefing with my practicum students.  They mentioned how they were impressed that the students were all focused the whole time, even in a fairly unstructured environment.  Immediately, I went to being apologetic, both in my mind and out loud.  "I'm sorry, you probably want to see more of a traditional rehearsal environment.  It's true, I run a very flexible classroom, this isn't very typical.  Soon, we will get on to more rehearsal, so you can see what music classrooms really are like."

It wasn't until I was reflecting later that I realized how the negativity and pushback that sometimes accompanies innovation had leaked into my own mindset.  Why was I apologizing for the way I run my classroom?  I fully believe in what I do - I always try to design my room in a way that is best for kids!  I don't wish it was different or have any plans to change.  So where did the need to apologize come from?

Pre-conceived expectations.  Comparison.  That is the answer.  I was comparing myself to the imaginary teacher that I thought these students wanted to see.  To what I thought they expected.  Not because they had said anything - but because I still have this picture of a traditional music classroom in my head that I was holding up as the ideal, and in the process, discounting the different forms of learning that occur in my room.

As I reflected, I came to realize that they had actually paid me a great compliment.  Students directing their own learning and being fully engaged for the whole class period?  That's what I want!  In many ways, that is BETTER than the traditional environment I picture where the teacher leads and students respond.  Sometimes I think I am moving more toward innovative, student-led teaching/learning methods, but then I have a moment like this to show me how much I still hold onto my old notions of what teaching is.

So I'm choosing to take that as a positive comment.  I'm choosing to reject the thinking that says it has to be done the way we've always done it.  I'm choosing to move forward and be proud of the environment I create in my classroom.  And I'm choosing to not compare myself or my class with others! 

*Note: There is definitely a place for traditional teaching methods, and I do not think they are all bad - I just do not want to limit myself or my students when designing instruction!