A Little Reminder Goes a Long Way

It feels like I'm blogging a lot about my personal journey at work these days (as opposed to students/teachers), but that's where I'm at - and I know I'm not the only one who has ever dealt with a reorganization or job change!

My new role has been full of a lot of learning, which is GOOD. I love learning new things! At the same time, it can be hard on my confidence. Impostor Syndrome is a real thing, and I have found myself wondering how I can effectively support teachers whose jobs look very different than mine looked when I was teaching.

It's with this mix of overwhelmed learning + "Am I really the right person for this?" that I approached the Colorado EdTechTeam Summit this year.

The day started off with a good reminder from keynote speaker Rushton Hurley

"The only person to whom you ever need to compare yourself is the you who you were yesterday."

Are you looking in the mirror to compare, or looking out the window at everyone else?

After that, I had the opportunity to present on fun stuff: GSuite in the Arts, Spreadsheet AutoMagic, and some Google Experiment play at the playground. It reminded me (as always) that I really enjoy presenting! All of those little moments - the exclamations of "Oh, that's awesome!", "I am doing this with my kids on Monday!", and "That's so cool!" - filled my bucket. I always appreciate positive feedback (who doesn't?), but even more this year when I have felt like such a novice in my day-to-day job.

I think God knew I needed this reminder - despite all of the new, I still have strengths to bring to the table. I have a renewed sense of efficacy in being able to serve and help teachers & students. I have so much to learn, but I also have some good background to draw on.

Passing It On

Which, of course brings me to students. How often do we focus on their weaknesses, instead of their strengths? Do we recognize the background that they bring to the table as a source of learning? Do we make them feel like they are a beginner at everything, or do we value and build on their prior knowledge? These questions are especially relevant for our students who come with different cultural backgrounds that we do.

A little reminder goes a long way. Which student needs a little reminder from you today?

2018 Reflection | #OneWord2018 | INTEGRITY

As 2018 comes to a close, I am sitting in a warm house, looking out at the sparkling snow, with much to be grateful for. A new job (which I love!), new experiences (best of all, #DEN18), and so much growth, both personal and professional. I want to look back on my #OneWord2018 to guide my reflections.
*Fair warning: This post is about me, and I feel a bit selfish writing it. But isn't that what personal reflections are?

This year, I wanted to focus on integrity, with three components being engage(ing), courage, and initiative. This played out in many ways as through the year!

In January, I was able to be spontaneous and engage with new friends as I took a trip to California to meet #PLN buddies in person! I also enjoyed a trip to string camp, in which I found & had the integrity to admit, for the first time, that I was happy to be in ed tech and moving on from my time teaching in the classroom.

In February, I celebrated the culmination of my #OneWord2017 (LEAD) journey by summoning the courage to press "submit" on my PRAXIS (spoiler: I passed)!

In March, I did a lot of reflecting, and took the initiative to really think about #selfcare as a part of being a healthy educator.

In April, I earned my #GoogleET certification and blogged publicly, for the first time, about my desire to apply for the #GoogleEI program - it took courage to put it out there for accountability!

In May, I wrote about continuing to learn and grow as an ed tech leader and engaged in "real talk" as I shared my first #GoogleEI application and thoughts along the way.

In June, I wrote with integrity about my honest feelings about not getting into #LAX18, enjoyed seeing ways that music teachers were taking initiative to take ideas even further, and met SO MANY friends IRL at #ISTE2018! What a highlight that was, and a reminder of how special it is when we are ourselves - both online and in person - rather than wearing a mask or putting on a persona!

In July, I engaged in some more honest sharing as I wrote about changes (having no idea what was coming in my own life) and took the initiative to not only attend another #EdTechTeam summit but convince my brother to present with me (which was amazing)!

In August, I learned about taking a step back and allowing others to find the courage to lead and published one of my more popular posts of the year with the results of a survey about what people were looking for from ed tech specialists in schools that I took the initiative to put together.

In September, a lot happened as I had the courage to put myself out there! I moderated my first Twitter chat, applied for #GoogleEI again (and got accepted this time!), and started a new job. Talk about a big month!

In October, I thought a lot about leading with integrity and what that meant in my new position - from the messages I was sending to the struggle with balance to the need for courageous choices & conversations.

November wins the award for the most blogs written in a month, because I was at #DEN18 and blogged my way through! I made the decision after the first day of the academy to write vulnerably and engage in a real, raw way, which took courage and initiative. It ended up being a great experience that further fueled my desire to live with integrity and walk my talk of what I think is important!

Which brings us to December, where I exercised that integrity by making sure I was living a life that demonstrated #selfcare, took the initiative to bring some fun to the office, and wrote about my struggles and lessons learned with listening to others.

It's been a great year, and I truly see how my #OneWord2018 was woven in and out of my experiences! What will 2019 bring? Check back next week to see my #OneWord2019 and let's find out! Happy New Year, 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?

String Camp & The Unexpected

This past week, I had the pleasure of accompanying almost 100 middle school students to String Camp, an overnight field trip in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. It was a great trip! However, driving down the mountain, I realized that it was not what I had expected.

I had expected to be hit with a pang of missing music, of missing teaching.
I had expected to be overjoyed to be jumping back into my old "music teacher" world again.
I had expected to savor and treasure those little "kid moments" - the little comments and thoughts that aren't really that important, but mean so much.

But that didn't happen. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, and really engaged while I was up there! But, if I'm 100% honest, I missed focusing on my ed tech work. It was the first time that I was in a "music" situation and felt more like an ed tech specialist than a music teacher. Not because I didn't like it, not because I didn't feel confident, but mostly because I am excited about the work I am doing now!

There's a kind of a sort of cost

There's a couple of things get lost

There are bridges you cross

You didn't know you crossed

Until you've crossed

~"Thank Goodness" from Wicked (the musical)

I've blogged about my transition from teaching to being in ed tech - the ups and the downs - but somehow, this felt like a big step. I know that I will always be a music teacher, but I am in a different place now. And I have mixed feelings about that! Primarily, I'm happy to (finally) be so content in my job, but it is tinged with a feeling of loss.

As I continue to cross bridges, I hope that I will always be able to look back with fond memories and look ahead with excitement to the future!

*These are the full lyrics that have been running through my mind -
the section above is just an excerpt*

That's why I couldn't be happier

No, I couldn't be happier

Though it is, I admit

The tiniest bit

Unlike I anticipated

But I couldn't be happier

Simply couldn't be happier

Well—not "simply":

Cause getting your dreams

It's strange, but it seems

A little—well—complicated

There's a kind of a sort of cost

There's a couple of things get lost

There are bridges you cross

You didn't know you crossed

Until you've crossed

And if that joy, that thrill

Doesn't thrill you like you think it will

Still—

With this perfect finale

The cheers and the ballyhoo

Who?

Wouldn't be happier?

So I couldn't be happier

Because happy is what happens

When all your dreams come true

Well, isn't it?

Happy is what happens

When all your dreams come true!

Gratitude: How #Edtechteam Summits & #BreakoutEDU Changed My Life!

As we prepare for the #edtechteam summit this weekend, I've found myself reflecting on the path that has brought me to my position as an ed tech specialist. In many ways, my journey started two years ago with a summit that I didn't attend.

Wait, what?

Two years ago, my brother, who is a math/computer science teacher, attended a GAFE (Google Apps for Education) Summit hosted by my district. Here I was, barely even aware that it was happening, yet my brother drove an hour and a half to attend. We met up for breakfast one day because he was in the area, but that was about the extent of that.

A few weeks later, we were both home for Thanksgiving break, and he set up this cool thing that he had heard about at the summit: a BreakoutEDU box. My sister, dad, & I all played Time Warp, and we had a blast! I liked the idea of using it in the classroom, but didn't really see it as realistic for music...or for the number of students I had in each class. It became a fun idea, tucked away in the back of my mind, that maybe I could pull out if I ever found myself in a situation that would fit.

Fast forward two years. 

My mind continued to stew on the idea of BreakoutEDU, and that summer, seeing the digital versions really drew me in. Creating my own games led me to get on Twitter, to develop a PLN, to begin this blog, and to dive into the ed tech world. From there, I started gamifying my classes, implementing genius hour projects, experiencing a pseudo-1:1 environment by hogging regularly checking out a Chromebook cart, getting more involved in my district's ed tech initiatives through applying for a cohort, and eventually landing in my current job as an ed tech specialist.

As I reflect, I can't help but feel grateful to so many people who influenced my journey without even knowing it. I'm thankful for the Ed Tech Team & the people in my district who brought the summit to Boulder, CO. I'm thankful to the BreakoutEDU folks for creating an engaging opportunity that was my first glimpse of why I should attend conferences like this. I'm thankful to my brother for sharing his learning! I'm thankful to the people who started BreakoutEDU Digital, which was my gateway drug to the world of PLNs & connecting with a global community. And I'm thankful for all of those who encouraged me along the way and let me step out, explore, and grow, even when that included some wins and some failures.

"Big things often have small beginnings."

The Start of Something New

For the first time in five years, I will be in a different position to start the school year. I am stepping out of music teaching (for now), and taking on a new role as an ed tech specialist for the district. Starting this new adventure has seen me going through the usual waves of trying something new...from excitement to insecurity...from feeling overwhelmed at the amount of learning that needs to happen to feeling comfortable in my new role...and from being hyper-observant and sensitive to just enjoying myself!

As I have been experiencing this, it's been a great reminder that every year, we have hundreds of students who are starting at a new school, in a new grade, and sometimes even in a new city or state (or country!). Transition can be challenging - how can we help our students with this change? Here are three things, based on my experience, that can make a huge difference!

1. Ask questions!

Asking questions can really go both ways. On one hand, it is obviously important to give new students the chance to ask their questions! Some of this can occur during regular classtime, but especially for those who are more introverted, it is invaluable to have a backchannel as well. This might look like notecards to write questions on, an invitation to email or leave a private comment on a learning management system, or even just a quick individual check-in. Giving them the opportunity to ask questions will help ease their concerns and build their confidence as they learn the ropes.

On the other hand, it is also important to ask them questions and give them the chance to share! Since they are probably spending lots of energy fitting into their new environment, it can be refreshing for them to get to share a bit of their background and experience, and you might just learn something from them as well!

2. A little encouragement goes a long way!

New students are confronted with uncertainty all day long. Encouragement is important for all students, but a little affirmation can make a huge difference for those who are wondering how they fit in. Be on the lookout to give these students a little extra boost to let them know they are welcome and valued. It doesn't cost you anything!

3. Trust.

Everybody likes to be treated with trust. Some people feel like you must earn it first. I would rather go with the philosophy that you have my trust, until you give me a reason to not trust you any longer. There is a certain security that comes with knowing you don't have to try to prove yourself. Sometimes, our new students come with a long file behind them that can affect how we view them. Make an effort to give them a fresh start - you never know, if you treat them with trust, they may just rise to the occasion!

What classroom practices do you employ to welcome new students? How can you help them feel at ease right away in this new school year?