You Will Be Loved

I was spending time with my 2 year old niece this summer and she started to get tired.  Sitting next to me, she reached up and grabbed my ear while she sucked her thumb.  I have watched her grab my sister's ear many times, as a self soothing technique.  This was the first time she had ever grabbed my ear and in that moment I felt so loved.  That one little moment was a message from my niece to me that I made her feel comfortable and I was loved.

Yep, I took a photo!  There she is holding on to my ear.

I felt that same love when my school held it's Meet the Teacher Night this week.  I stood in the hallway greeting new and returning students.  A student from last year's crew came tearing down the hall with a brightly colored box in her hand.  She threw her arms around me and told me that she had missed me so much this summer--she wouldn't let go!  She had made me a gift and card.  A bit later, another student came down the hall with his family and...then I was spotted and he ran down the hall yelling "MS.YOUNG!" and then there were more hugs.  These two sweet kids made me feel so loved in the span of a quick hug and those "I missed you" words.

I think about the feelings of care and comfort my niece and former students gave to me in these past few weeks. In preparation for this new school year, I am reflecting on those thoughts for my upcoming kinder crew:

What are the things I do (procedures, classroom setup, building in one-on-one time) to build comfort for students in my room?
What am I planning to do to make sure that I truly know each student and what they will need for encouragement when they need comfort?
Can my students make mistakes, academically and behaviorally, and know that their teacher has unconditional care and love for them?

While I won't be holding any ears this year, I hope to instill that same feeling in my students:  that they are loved and supported in celebrations and those hard stretchy moments that will happen in the classroom.  Is it time to start teaching yet?

Excuse Meme

Last week two friends sent me the same meme about a teacher not wanting to go back to school.  A man stands outside of a bedroom door, knocking on it saying "You have to go back, you're the teacher."

"Thought of you" my friends said as they sent me the meme.  They were thinking of me? I thought.  When people see a negative teaching meme, they associate it with me?

Summer break is a great benefit to being a teacher.  It's a great time to relax, to recharge and to dig into self care so you are at your best to come back and focus on the million of tasks at hand.  I slept in, spent time with my soon-to-be stepson, took a road trip, rode a bike in the middle of the day and watched too much Netflix. I also read professional books, watched professional development videos on YouTube and talked with my professional learning network (aka professional family).  I was brainstorming new ideas, thinking about ways to adjust my practice and coming up with my goals for the new year.  I am so excited to teach all the things.

Meme courtesy of my #4OCFPLN-I want to teach all the things

In my district, Kindergarten teachers get to participate in a half day week long program before school starts to meet our incoming kinders and show them what school is like (without any "big kids" there!).  At my school, we get the added benefit of an additional week for our English Language Learners to meet us, get comfortable and learn a few routines.  Yes, this means I "lose" two weeks of summer break to start programs early...but what do I gain?

I gain one-on-one time with the incoming kinders.  I get so much time to get to know them (aren't we always strapped for time?).  I get to play with them without the crush of assessment or extensive planning.  One day, last week, I played hopscotch with an incoming kinder who speaks limited English and we had so much fun.  We sang songs, we ran, we practiced using scissors. I laughed, I saw strengths, I saw friendships building and I smiled so much my face hurt.

So...I don't have time for those negative memes.  I've had my time for self care and now it's time to get back into the absolutely fulfilling work I get to do every single day.

If you are a teacher, I encourage you to spread those positive memes.  Talk about the amazing parts of our work.  Even if you are longing for sleeping in and days by the lake, pump yourself up and think about those things you can't wait to do in your classroom, those kids you can't wait to see again.  If you aren't a teacher, think about memes before you send them to your teacher friends--does this promote the amazing things teachers get to do every day to build the future leaders of the world?  Are you inspiring your friends, cheering them on and encouraging them to get excited about the year ahead?

Our work is so special.  Our kids are so important and they deserve memes that highlight how their teachers can't wait to see them.  Spread those positive messages and change the world.

My PLN loves a new school year

Somebody to Lean On

One of the most exciting moments of becoming a teacher is getting into the classroom.  When I received my student teaching placement, I had butterflies in my stomach.  I saw my desk and a pile of curriculum books, I couldn't wait to dig in.  I had wanted to be a teacher for so long and now I would get to put everything into action.

My student teaching experience was rough.  I was not a natural and teaching didn't come easy.  I struggled and often felt those who were guiding me weren't really sure how to help me through my problems of practice.   If I had just asked questions (but I had no idea what questions I needed to ask).  I felt the label of "bad teacher" hanging over me. I felt like I just couldn't get it right...and maybe never would.  My mistakes and failures weren't learning opportunities, they felt like points being docked from a grade or a risk of not passing. It was high pressure all of the time.

That's me, one stressed out and overwhelmed student teacher.

If you are taking on a student teacher in this new school year, I'm going to ask you...why are you taking on a student teacher?

Many teachers take on a student teacher to lighten their workload.  If you've got someone else teaching most of the time, it frees you up to work one-on-one with other students, to get more done, to work on National Boards.  Maybe your class is really big and a student teacher will lower your ratio.  Others benefit from a small stipend and that extra bit of money makes life a little easier.  I might be pushing your thinking when I say that these reasons are not good enough reasons to have a student teacher.

Taking on a student teacher is not about getting another body in your classroom and making your teaching life easier.  Mentoring a student teacher involves pouring your time and your support into someone else.  Your energy goes into building a strong, future educator.  If your student teacher is failing and struggling, you get to be that person they lean on.  You get to help put them back into the driver's seat and maybe even sit with them when they jump back onto the freeway.  You are the best resource your student teacher has, every day you get to model, guide, inspire and help someone become their best teaching self.  Instead of just committing to the growth of your amazing students, you are also committing to the growth of another adult--it's important and powerful work.

If you are taking on a student teacher (or thinking about it) I encourage you to be the person I needed as a student teacher.  Be the mentor teacher that helps the "not a natural" student teacher find their way.  Help student teachers navigate through the murky transition into being a "real" teacher.  Teach student teachers how we hit the speed bumps, reflect, patch up that car and keep moving with that learning experience in our review mirror.

You have the power to help others become amazing educators who change the world.  You also have the ability to end a career before it even begins.  Be that amazing mentor teacher that impacts a wide range of kids by helping build strong teachers in your community.

Wonder on the Road

The Great Road Trip
My little family spent last week on a road trip, starting in our suburb of Seattle and spanning over 1,200 miles.  We spent time at the beach in Seaside, Oregon, drove down Highway 101 and hiked among giant redwoods in northern California.  We stopped to check out the Oregon Vortex and then admired the (smoky) blue waters of Crater Lake.

Along the Oregon Coast off of Highway 101 (I was the passenger, I promise!)

Google That!
As we rolled along, and spent a great many hours in the car (some of it listening to The Warriors series by Erin Hunter), a topic would come up and shouts of "you should Google that!" would ring through the car.  Some of the questions were:

How long is the Astoria bridge?
What is a haystack rock?
Was Cannon Beach a location for the movie The Goonies?
Which Jurassic Park movie was filmed where we were?
How close are we to the wildfires?  How close are the wildfires to where we are going?  
What do other people think about the Oregon Vortex?
What's the air quality like? Will we be able to see Crater Lake?

Fern Canyon, a location filming site for the second Jurassic Park movie

While these questions might not address deep learning, they were questions that we tried to solve as we were adventuring on our road trip.  From the trivia type movie questions to the questions that could have implications on our travel, I needed to know!

I've Got Questions for Me...
You might be wondering, what does this road trip and these questions have to do with my classroom (or your classroom)?

I want my teaching to spark questions for my kids, questions that they NEED to find the answers to. 

When my kid start the day do they see things that make them wonder, like I did when I looked out into the Pacific Ocean and saw those big rocks?  When my kids listen to the read alouds I have carefully selected, do they question how realistic that character is, like I questioned the experiments at the Oregon Vortex?  When my kids play in my classroom, is it inspiring the same kind of amazement I had when I hugged a giant tree in the redwood forest?  Do my activities engage students to learn more, like when I looked up at the walls of Fern Canyon and wondered where the water was coming from that dripped down the canyon walls?

That's me, loving on a giant redwood tree

I want to keep those questions coming in my classroom.

As we sped down highways and freeways, no one in the car yelled out "well, that's a dumb question".  We looked the questions up, we talked about what we discovered (or confirmed who might have had a correct answer!).  No one told me to come up with these questions, it wasn't an assignment--they just happened naturally.  

In my classroom, how do I scaffold these questions to just happen? Do I embrace all of the questions my students ask?  Do I teach them where to find their answers?  Do I unintentionally brush their questions off and kill the desire to wonder?

I've Got Some Questions for You...

Many educators are fortunate to have some kind of adventure during their summer months. Did you have one?  Think about what inspired you when you were exploring, what questions did you Google?  How can you bring your own wonder and excitement into creating "Fern Canyons" of your own in your classroom?  How do you inspire your kids so the questions just keep coming?  How do you inspire your kids so that they just HAVE to find the answer?

My "family" at Crater Lake

As we pulled up into the driveway at the end of the trip, I came home exhausted and knowing a little bit more about the world than I did before I left.  Exactly what I want my kids to feel when they leave school every day.

"Let's See Your Teacher Get Wobbly"

It Started With A Bike

I grew up flying around my dead end street with my neighborhood friends on my bike, riding
until my mom was yelling at me from the front door to come in for bed.  Hours upon hours
were spent on my bike. Then I grew up, I grew out of my bike and traded two wheels for
four and never rode a bike again.

My first biking adventures

A few weeks ago, I decided to get a bike so I could ride with my fiancee, Nick, and
my soon to be stepson.

“Can I get a bike with brakes on the pedals? I can't do those hand brakes!” I asked Nick.  

“You don’t really want those kind of brakes, you want gears and handbrakes,” he replied.
I felt the nerves, could I handle gears and handbrakes?

Nick brought me to a bike store and employee pulled a bike down from a rack. She
handed me the bike to me to test ride.  “There’s a great trail just across the street!” she
cheerily informed us. I would not be going to the trail, I would be riding just right there
in the safety of the parking lot.  

I threw my leg over the bike and sat on the seat.  Nick looked at me and I nervously
laughed. “Alright, go,” he said.  I tried to balance myself and felt the overwhelming
fear of falling on the concrete, in shorts.  I thought of bloody knees, I couldn’t do this.
My 36 year old body definitely could not recreate the magic of my 8 year old body.

Nick walked over and put his hand on the seat of the bike.  “Okay, try now.” I wobbled
and slowly pedaled the bike, still very sure that I was going to fall over and require a
great many band aids.  

“It’s good!  It’s good!” I yelled and got off the bike.  “I like this one.” I walked the bike
back to the door of the shop.  

“Are you sure?” Nick asked, “you hardly rode it?” I nodded enthusiastically and
promptly owed a bike.  Last weekend I rode about 5 miles...and didn't wobble.

Getting Wobbly in my Practice

Going into my 12th year of teaching, there are still wobbly moments.  Those wobbly
feelings that make me doubt myself. That great idea? No way, it's going to make me
pull out the band aids to put on my pride.  Instead of trying that again, maybe I should
just hang that idea back up on that shelf in the garage of my mind...it will be much
safer there.

If I want my students to grow, to innovate, to try new things, I can’t be safe.
I have to get wobbly.

So who is the hand on my wobbly teacher seat?   My #4OCFPLN. It began with a book
study on Voxer and turned into a network of supportive educators in all areas of teaching.  
This group of educators from across the US (and a few in other parts of the world) has
made me feel okay about being wobbly in my practice.  They put their hand on the seat
of my educational bike and push it, until I’m taking all the new ideas, new books, new
technology and riding with it down my own path.

While I love the impact on me and feel their cheers from the sidelines, more importantly
they are impacting my kids.  A friend in Virginia Beach, 2,995 miles away from my
classroom, has a bit of a hand in the smiles and excitement of my kids.  Their hand on
my seat allows me to better scaffold the learning in my classroom, to try new things and
to see different perspectives.

I urge you to find your cheering squad, your pushers, your encouragers.  Not only will
they support you in educational endeavors, open your world up to new authors, studies
or books, but they will become your friends.  You will know who is trying out gamification
next year, who is moving from elementary to high school, who just had surgery or who
is celebrating an anniversary.

As Koo Koo Kangra Roo says, "Let's see your teacher get wobbly" because that wobble
makes us grow.

Meeting one of my #4OCFPLN friends (Jamie Leach) in person for the first time.

Wait, How Did You Do That?
Want to find your very own group of people who will hold the wobbly seat for you?  Here
are some tips:

-Get started on Twitter!  Check out some Twitter chats that align with your
educational philosophy.  Some great tags to check out are #tlap (Teach Like a Pirate),
#tellyourstory, #ditchtheclipschat, #teachermyth.  There are so many Twitter chats,
find what moves you!

-Join a Voxer Book Study.  A great place to start is #2menandabook !

-Follow teachers and authors who inspire you, don’t be afraid to reply, share your
ideas and talk.  

Title of this blog comes from the Koo Koo Kangra Roo Song "Wobbly Man" (a fixture in my
Kindergarten classroom)