I see you...

 I See You....

We have been back in the building a month now. The students are doing well, teachers are “killin it”, and our new normal is settling in to a routine. I am not going to sit here and say everything is sunshine and lollipops, because it is not. It is great being back with the kids, but it is really hard. 

I have gained such a new found respect for teachers; I have always respected you and have always been impressed with how amazing you are, but this year….you have raised the bar. You are all doing all the “regular” teacher stuff, the planning great lessons, differentiating for all your students, loving on your sweet kids, adding the “extra” to your class- because the kids love it; but this year… WOW!

I watch you talk to parents who are struggling with what school looks like this year. They can’t come into the building to drop their kids to the classroom, no lunch visitors, no family events; however, you are still working to help them see their kids in class and around the building so they can still feel a part of their child’s learning.

I see you working with that struggling student, who needs extra time with you to work on their skills. You work to arrange your room in order for students to social distance and still have reading spots, work with you in a small group (safely), and have flexibility in their seating.

I see you rewarding kids for going that extra mile, walking in line with social distancing, remembering that they can’t touch each other at recess, and for problem solving to a solution in class.

I see you exhausted at the end of the day. You have taught the core content, you have “policed” social distancing, gotten the kids to all the places they needed to be, helped friends through disagreements, went to planning or PLC and been an active participant, got your personal child to school/daycare, and all with a smile on your face.

I see you; so do others!

Educators are essential, not because the world is seeing all the hats we wear, but because we work with kids. We love what we do, as tired as it can make us, we are passionate about what we do, and we are proud of the work we do.

The First Day of School 2020

 

The First Day of School 2020

I walked the halls this morning at 5am, delivering my first day of school teacher notes, and the thought about how different today is than any other start of school hit me like a ton of bricks. It feels like the air has been let out of the building. This is typically the time of day I have butterflies- anticipating the best day of the year. It is the same feeling I get on Christmas morning- sitting, drinking coffee, waiting for kids to wake up excited. Usually I am running around excited, trying to get last minute things done before the quiet halls fill up with giggly sweet voices. Not today. These halls will remain quiet. The building is not open, school is, but the building is not. We in NISD believe that  “Learning is influenced by environment.” I truly believe this! We create inviting intentional spaces for students that cultivate learning; what happens when you cannot use the inviting intentional physical spaces you have created for your kids? You have to create that space digitally.

Teachers have been “punting” for years. Everyday issues arise that we had not expected or planned on happening- no one saw this coming. Even when we finished last year in May, everyone said it is fine, we will be back in August and it will be good. But it is not. We are not good; however, it will be fine. I have watched educators work to create learning experiences for students all summer. We have planned, tested, re-planned, tested, and planned again. We did not “sign up” for virtual teaching, there are teachers that do this- many are amazing at it! Most teachers love teaching for the interaction and relationships they build with students and families. We are huggers, we love deep and forever. Once you are in our heart, you stay. This is more difficult to develop through a computer screen.  This is a new rulebook we are playing by and unfortunately, it is constantly changing. I have never been more proud to be an educator than I am right now. The teachers I am working with are not complaining about their circumstances, they are working to ensure they can meet the needs of their kids virtually. They are not complaining that they are not experts in online tools, they are practicing the tools to make sure they know how to use them with their kids. They are doing what it takes to be the best teacher they can be for each student in their classroom.

There have been remarks made about the opening of schools being “unorganized” and “they have had all summer to make plans.” Please give teachers and educators some Grace, the rules change daily, we test out ideas to see if they will be good for kids, and we have to go with the information we have at that time- also a factor that constantly changes. We are determined to be the BEST we can for our students.

Have we done everything perfect? No. Have we done a few things very well? Yes. Will things change again? Yes. Do I know what the changes will be? No. I know everyone has questions and concerns about school opening and school not opening- that is not what today is about. Today is about the excitement of starting a new school year- regardless of what it looks like. School starts today, teachers have worked more hours than they typically do at this time of year (and that is A LOT) and students are excited to meet their classmates, so parents post those 1^st day of school pictures because today is going to be a great day!

 Amy

Creating Magic: What experiences are you creating for your students?

“Creating Magic”

        What makes experiences magical? Is it the place it occurs? Is it the person’s attitude that makes it happen? Is it the people you are with? What makes experiences magical is how they make you feel in the moment. When a magician amazes people with an illusion that the audience cannot figure out how it was done; people question whether magic is real or not, it might only be for a moment- but the doubt is there. When a Cast Member at Disneyland wishes you a Happy Birthday, by name; even though you have a button on sharing the information, it is still pretty exciting. When a student moves to a new level in reading or has an “ah ha” moment during a math lesson with a difficult concept; the teacher celebrates and makes the student feel special, feel smart, feel empowered to learn!

   How do we make magic for our students? We build relationships and celebrate their successes! But what about on a daily basis? How do we consistently make learning magical or special? Putting our students first is what makes learning magical and special. Not just saying, “Kids come first,” but actually putting them first. What does this mean?

Planning:

    When planning it is vital to think of your students’ needs: their data, their interests, and their social needs. How do you intentionally plan for magic? Do you look for ways to include your students’ interest within your lessons? It is not about watering down the curriculum to make it fun for your student. It is definitely not about making it easier for the students; they need to struggle to learn deeply. It is not about adding hours to every planning session to decorate your classroom (although I do enjoy doing this for large units). It is about knowing your kids and incorporating topics they are interested in when possible. For example, I have seen teachers change math problems from a generic 3 digit math problem to students using a copy of an Amazon cart to compare items that her students would like as a gift. The students were engaged in the assignment more because the topic was more attractive to them. Comparing Video Game Console prices was more interesting to them than comparing the drawn TVs on the original assignment.

Instruction:
    Teachers that use their instruction as a way to connect with their students are going to show their students that they listen to them. The teacher that uses a dog example for a student that had gotten  a dog for Christmas and written a story about that dog to reteach that student a concept is helping make an emotional connection for the student to the concept. The teacher that allows the students to create a Rainforest in the hall to help them connect to the content they are reading in their non-fiction study or the teacher that invites a student to join their club because they see potential in that student, these are the teachers that are being intentional and innovative in meeting their students’ needs.

Culture:

    We are not perfect. We all make mistakes. How we handle our mistakes is what shows our true character. This does not just go for us; it is especially true for our students. We want our students to learn from their mistakes and know that it is ok to struggle. How do we get students to see that both of these concepts are a part of life? We need to show them that when we make a mistake we correct it, we apologize if necessary, and we learn from it. We want students to know that everything is not easy for us, that we struggle as well. Show students times that you struggled; show them how to persevere. Saying and doing are very different. Students need to see models of these. 

When you work at a school that seems like Disneyland, it is easy to think about what we do as magical. However, how are you intentionally creating magic in your classroom? Is it happening by accident or are you planning the magical experiences that have them knocking on the doors to get into school every morning? Think about the magical experiences you have had in your life; they left an impression, they meant something to you, they were fun. Be that teacher for your students. Be the teacher that makes magic with your kids. Be the best you!