Tell Your Story

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the current state of affairs in our society. These past two weeks we have been able to listen to both of our two main political parties lay out their plan for moving our country forward. Both parties have very different ideas of what that vision looks like though. Both parties have chosen candidates that for different reasons are more unpopular than any presidential candidates in recent history. This has definitely been an election season unlike any other I have seen in my 25 years of life. It will be interesting to see how this election plays out come November. 



The reason for my post today is to shed some light on a topic that I am very passionate about. We have heard throughout this election season a focus from both sides about inclusion and making sure that everyone in our society has a chance to do great things. It got me thinking about our education system and the idea that everyone has their own story to tell. Everyone has something good to contribute to our society. I believe it is important to recognize that this literally does mean everyone. Regardless of your own personal beliefs, people voices deserve to be heard. Whether you are black or white, gay or straight, latino or asian, man or woman, Christian or Muslim, you deserve to be heard. I think this is especially important to remember during this election cycle when SO much hatred is being spewed by both parties...conservative and liberal. 

When it comes to the classroom, the ability to tell your own story is incredibly important as well. We spend a lot of our time as educators letting students know what we expect of them, how they are meant to behave, as well as our expectations for them academically. We spend more of our time telling rather than listening to what students have to say. The same can be said for administrators who focus more of their time telling educators and staff members what to do rather than gathering input and listening to them. 

Everyone has their own story to tell. Everyone has something good to contribute.

During my first year of teaching (2014-15) I witnessed something that would forever harden my belief that everyone has a story to tell. I had a student in my class with a mental disability and throughout the year it was clear that it was a constant struggle for this student to learn the content of the course. Now as this was my first year teaching I was also learning how to best differentiate for all varieties of learners in my classroom. One day we were discussing the Industrial Revolution and all of the different inventions and innovations that were created to help America grow during the 1800s. One of the things we were discussing was the Mill System and how it operated. Every time I would ask a question about the Mill System this particular student would raise his hand and answer it. I was amazed but quickly realized that the student had a particular interest in all aspects of farming, including things like how mills work. I decided to let the student come up in front of the class and describe how the Mill System worked in his own words, as well as draw a diagram on the board. It was amazing for me to sit back and watch this student teach the class about something that he was extremely interested in. The rest of the kids really enjoyed it as well!

I also want to point out the fact that I did not mention the phrase "mentally disabled/handicapped student" but instead said "student in my class with a mental disability." We must define anyone by their physical or mental disability because that is not who they are. I decided that it was an important moment not only for this student but also for myself to realize that everyone has something good to contribute. He explained the Mill System better than I probably could have and made it much more relevant to his classmates. Bigger picture obviously is that this moment allowed the student to gain confidence in himself and the belief that he is able to do anything he sets his mind to. 

We must remember both in our schools and in our society that everyone has their own story to tell. Everyone has something good to contribute. We must have a growth mindset and break down barriers so that everyone has a chance to tell their story. You do not have to agree with every story nor do you have to follow their line of thinking but we must appreciate the fact that they were willing to share it. I still believe in the decency of our society and hope that in the coming weeks and years we continue to move our education system and our nation forward.

Until next time, Be A Light!

-Derek

#KidsDeserveIt Part 1

I recently started and finished the book titled "Kids Deserve It!: Pushing Boundaries and Challenging Conventional Thinking" by Todd Nesloney and Adam Welcome. This book is unlike any others that I have read, as it was first of all one of the first books that I was able to read front to back and be engaged in the entire time. It was jam packed with amazing ideas and stories from both authors schools and what they try to do each day as building principals. 

Over the next few blog posts, I am going to be highlighting some of the key important points of this book, one that I believe every educator should read at some point. It is a book that will get you jacked up for education as well as doing what is best for kids.

1. "What is we dedicated time each day to explore new ideas and took off our kids' training wheels to see how far they could go?!"

This first key point comes from the very beginning of the book in the chapter entitled "Go Big, Be Creative!" It focuses on the idea that learning does not always have to be planned or prepped out every minute of every day. There should be time in each day dedicated to learning something knew not only for ourselves but to help our kids. As someone who is planning on implementing a Genius Hour component in their classroom this coming year, I was especially interested in the idea of giving students time in the day to explore something new. Kids have big imaginations and the more we hinder that by planning every part of their school day the less creative and imaginative they become.

2. "When you are an educator, you have brilliant ideas. And when you are not sharing your brilliant ideas, you are doing a disservice to others in the field who could and want to learn from you."

This quote is actually from Angela Maiers in a discussion she had with Todd. It is has been about two years since I have been "active" on twitter and social media but feel as though my capacity for sharing and growing has really taken off over these last several months. I have been active in several ed chats on twitter including #iaedchat and #aledchat and I have also been introduced to Voxer as a way to communicate. I have been able to connect with educators such as Jennifer Hogan and A.J. Juliani through twitter/voxer and even got a shoutout from Todd Nesloney himself last Sunday on the live #iaedchat blab. That was an amazing thing to hear and really demonstrates the power of connectivity and being a connected educator. I have tried to model this by sharing out things on my blog as well as on twitter and voxer. I don't have all the answers and never will but I feel as though I have a PLN that I can always go to when I have questions.

3. "We have to view every child as a seed waiting to bloom. We may be the teacher who plants the seed, we may be the one to water it, or we may be the one who actually gets to watch it grow."

This is one of many favorite quotes from the book as it focuses on something I am deeply passionate about...reaching every kid. Todd and Adam discuss in their chapter "Never Slam the Door" that we should always be trying new ways to reach kids and help them get to where they need to be. The minute we shut down and give up on kids is the minute that those same kids feel as though they have been given up on. If a coach on a basketball team were to come to you and say "Derek, I know you are our worst free throw shooter so we will never have you shoot them in a game...ever" there would be no reason to practice right? If you knew your coach had no faith or belief in your abilities why should you? Every needs someone in their corner, someone fighting for them every step of the way. "Kids want to know they matter to you. They want to know you see them, hear them, and believe in them - unconditionally."

4. Hats Off to You

I was such a fan of this idea of Todd's that he started at his school. The idea between "Hats Off to You" was to recognize students making good choices in turn possibly limiting the amount of referrals and incorrect choices made. Staff members would get encouragement cards every week to hand out to kids making good choices. If a student received one of these cards they were able to go into the office and one of the administrators gets to call the students parents to explain to them why their child is being rewarded/celebrated. It was such an amazing idea and one that I feel could work at every age group, students and adults. He even mentions doing this with his staff members and calling home to their parents celebrating their successes. As a future admin and even teacher leader, I would love to be able to implement something similar to this in my building. What a great to build capacity, relationships, and culture all at the same time.

For those of you that have not read the book, I would highly recommend picking it up from Amazon, borrowing from a friend or colleague, or whatever other means of gathering the book there are because it is worth it. Listening to Todd talk about the book on Sunday it was interesting listening to him discuss the reasoning behind the book. He basically stated that you can't really come up with an argument against "Kids Deserve It" because how can you go against what is best for kids? I would have to agree that is a pretty sound argument...but one that has been developed over time and put to the test on numerous occasions. These are just snapshots of some of the amazing things discussed in this book and I will write about more reflections in the coming posts.

Until next time...Be A Light!

-Derek

"Walking" the Walk

"I will never try that." 

"Don't ask me to step outside of my comfort zone."

"They aren't capable of _________."

"We have never done that before."

"I don't have time for _________."




I'm sure all of you at some time or another have heard some of the phrases that are listed above. A great mentor and friend Jimmy Casas would refer to the people who repeatedly use this type of language as the B3's or bottom thirds. These are people that choose to continuously try to poke holes in ideas and tear others down. Many leaders in education and other professions spend a majority of their time trying to bring up the B3's usually resulting in many frustrating days and nights.

I have recently made a personal commitment to spend more of my time focusing on my own health. For the past week or so I have been trying to walk every day as well as eat better. Now this may seem like a common sense type of decision but for me it was not. I have always put others ahead of myself, including my own personal well-being. I would much rather spend time working with students, other adults, attending conferences, etc... than work out or "eat healthily." I feel as though for the past 2 years I have been stuck somewhere between the first and third steps in the picture above. Maybe every once in a while I may get to the fourth and even possibly the fifth but never to the final three steps. I firmly believed I wasn't capable of it nor did I believe I had the time to focus on me. I felt like in my personal life I was becoming a B3...something I most certainly did not want to become.

I think it's important to realize that all of us start at the bottom step in different situations throughout our lives. What we can't allow ourselves to do is remain in these bottom three steps. The moment you move from "wanting" to asking how is the moment that your mindset begins to shift. Those with a fixed mindset are squarely content on remaining in the bottom two steps. The more steps you take the more you will grow. We have to stop spending so much of our time and energy trying to change the B3's and spend more time building capacity around us with those that are willing to take steps alongside you.

As for me, I will continue to try to "walk" the walk not only professionally but more importantly in my personal life as well. I will not be satisfied until I can stand at the top and say "Yes, I did it!"

Until next time, Be A Light!
-Derek

Change

Change is everywhere. Merriam-Webster's definition of change is "to become different." We choose on a daily basis to either remain the same and stay the course or make a change. It is not always easy to make a change and after the change is made you envision your life being better for it. Change is progress. Change is growth. Change is something that happens when you want to move forward from where you are right now.

I recently was hired on at South Tama Middle School to become their 7th grade Social Studies for the 2016-17 school year. I am very excited for the opportunity to teach a group of students that I am very passionate about and feel as though my best work is done with the middle school age students. South Tama is a bigger district where I will only be responsible for teaching 7th grade students, a big difference from having three different grade levels as well as some elective courses at English Valleys. I hope to also be able to do some coaching once the dust settles and I begin my new position.

Many people, especially students, have asked why I am making this change from EV to South Tama and the truth is that there is no simple answer as to why. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at EV but I also realize that going to school that is bigger allows me to focus my time and energy on one subject and grade level instead of three or four. As it is a bigger school there may be more opportunities both in the community and in the school district. I have also decided to make this change as I believe it to be the best for me and my family. 

I picked the Merriam-Webster definition of change because I believe it to be a unique way to define it. When I see "to become different" I view it as something that is changing the way I am. In that regard, I do not see this move as a change because I will still be the same teacher with the same views and expectations. I will continue to be passionate and excited about education. I will continue to do goofy things like #CelebrateMonday as well as fun projects and culture-building activities in my classroom. Really the noticeable change will be in the location as it will be in South Tama instead of North English. 

Finally, the greatest change I believe will be the people that I am surrounded by on a daily basis. I have met some incredible students, colleagues, and community members over these last two years that have made my time here very enjoyable. Just yesterday my Junior High students threw a going away party of sorts where they brought a cake and drinks to celebrate these last two years. I have been given notes written by students as well as numerous thank you's and high-fives. You never realize how much of a difference you have made until after something like this happens. 

I am proud of everything I was able to accomplish over these past two years but also realize that I have plenty more growing and learning left to do. Change, to me, is the idea of never settling for anything other than excellence. I will continue to do that at my next stop in South Tama. 

Until next time...be a light!

-Derek

Appreciation

This last week was the annual Teacher Appreciation Week across the nation. Facebook and Twitter were filled with posts about how appreciative we are about the work that teachers, paraeducators, etc... do for the children in our society. Treats were given by PTOs, local businesses/organizations, and lunches were even provided by our JR/SR High principal on Friday. All in all a successful week of appreciating what educators do for kids. 

The idea of appreciation is an interesting one. Appreciation can be defined as "the recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something." We have many "appreciation" or "recognition" days throughout the year for different professions, jobs, etc... around the world including ones for the health fields, administrative professions, and the list goes on. 

What struck me as odd is that in all of the appreciation days that we celebrate throughout the year there is really nothing designated to celebrating those that we as educators serve on a daily basis, our students. Sure districts, buildings, teachers, and so on can choose to recognize and appreciate those students on a regular basis but how consistent is that really in our schools today. Are we recognizing and appreciating our students like we should for all of the wonderful things they do on a daily basis? This whole idea of appreciation allowed me time to reflect on my own practices of student appreciation and I have come to the conclusion that is an area I see that I need to grow in. 

With that being said I have decided to make it a personal goal of mine to personally recognize 1-2 students every day for something positive they have done to influence me. Wait...students can influence us as educators? The answer is most definitely yes. I've always known that my students have an impact on my life but never really have taken the time up until now to make it a priority to recognize it. Below I have taken the time to recognize a few students that have really impacted my life in a positive way over the past several weeks.

1. An 8th-grade boy in my US History class is typically a struggling learner and this year has been no different. We have been working on a Leadership project by looking at US Presidents and defining their leadership ability and students have had the choice to create a website to demonstrate their learning or they could create a 3D memorial using the 123D Design iPad app. This particular student decided to make a 3D memorial and while I was hesitant at first I have been amazed at his ability to really make the project his own. He has done so well that he has actually been asked by other classmates to help them with their 3D project. It is truly remarkable to see the light shine so bright on this student and it has been a humbling experience.

2. This week with my Guided Study group (GS is another term for our MTSS/RtI time) decided that we were going to do something special for our Spirit Assembly, a Teacher Appreciation awards ceremony. The students spearheaded the idea and made certificates as well as handed out 100 grand candy bars with a note that read "you work so hard every day, you deserve 100K." Probably the most humbling aspect of the experience was the fact that we sent out a survey at the beginning of the week through Google Forms asking students to nominate a teacher that had positively impacted their lives while here at EV and explain why. We were able to get 135 responses in this survey and some of the answers were truly amazing. During the ceremony, as teachers were called to the stage, my Guided Study group read some of the responses that students had posted about each teacher. I don't know about other teachers but it got me jacked up and reenergized to finish out the year strong.

These are just two examples of many ways that my students influence me on a daily basis. I challenge everyone who reads this blog to take time out of your next school day to reflect on how the students you are inspiring are also positively impacting you. I also challenge you to let those students know how they have impacted you and how much they matter to you. I think it will be a truly amazing experience.

I hope everyone has a great week and as the late, great Rita Pierson stated..."every child deserves a champion."

Until next time...be a light!
Derek

Why do you want to be a leader?

I have made it a personal goal to blog about my experiences in the classroom, Ed leadership program, etc... at least once a week and so far I'm 2 for 2 in the last two weeks! 

It was another refreshing and inspiring weekend of learning and growing with my fellow cohort members at Grant Wood AEA. I think one of the things I have noticed in the 4 short months we have been together is how amazing it is to get together and discuss the positive and challenging aspects of our daily lives. The 13 other members of my cohort are truly amazing people and have all inspired me to continue trying to be the best version of myself that I can be. 

Throughout the weekend, we discussed a lot about leadership and during an online interview with Joe Mazza (University of Penn Graduate Program) he challenged us to answer the question "why do you want to be a leader?" It donned on me a little bit that while I feel as though I have attempted to answer this I really haven't answered it to its fullest extent at least at this point in my career. I am going to attempt to do that in the lines below.

I really truly believe that I can make a difference in the lives of everyone I come in contact with. I have never been one to settle and instead always constantly challenging the status quo, even when the status quo is working. While interviewing an administrator and friend who works at Central Intermediate School in Monmouth, IL she discussed the concept of continuous improvement that while we should celebrate the small successes "there is always something that we can get better at." This is really where my personal and professional philosophy exists on a daily basis. How can I continue to reflect and grow myself and my knowledge on a daily basis?

I was able to read a blog today where the post was titled "Why Would Anyone Want to be a School Leader" and it really put it into perspective some reasons why we are doing what we are doing. A couple of takeaways that I got from the post was that you must be willing to have tough conversations with your students and faculty but you also must be willing to fill your day with laughter. You need to be able to surround yourself with good people, those that will challenge you to continue to grow. 

As we move forward to another week of school I continue to challenge myself to seek new ways to reach and impact the students I am surrounded with on a daily basis. I also hope to continue to impact and inspire the faculty and staff around me to build a capacity for having a students-first mentality. A wise man once said that without students we would all be out of a job so doesn't it make sense to base all of our decisions around what is best for them? I also hope to be a light for our students even in their darkest times because everyone needs someone in their corner being their biggest cheerleader!

Thank you for all that you do to better yourself and the profession by reading blogs, actively engaging on twitter or any social media platform, and by growing your PLN. I have realized quickly in the two years I have been teaching that it is truly important to be the "lead learner" in my classroom and model to my students that learning and growing are important regardless the age or skill level you are. I hope to be able to model effectively as a future leader and admin in the future.

Until next time...Be A Light!

Refill Your Cup

It has definitely been a while since I lasted posted on this website. Sometimes even the best intentions go awry when life gets in the way. Since I last blogged September 2014 I have become engaged to my best friend Kristie and are getting married July 2016. The closer the day comes the more I feel how real all of it is becoming. 

The reason for the title of my blog post relates to a blog post I read today in my Ed Leadership class on Leadership & the Profession. The class is taught by Bettendorf HS Principal Jimmy Casas and I'm pretty sure our cohort could not be any more blessed to have such a passionate and inspiring educational leader to learn and grow from. The blog post was about the "4 Ways to Refill Your Cup" and it talked about how it's easy to get sucked into the daily grind of day to day things throughout the school day. Instead of getting stuck in a rut he said that you should "empty your cup, shift your focus, and dedicate your time and energy to filling the cup of those who you were relegated to serve- your students, your staff, and your community. When you fill the cup of others, your cup is filled."

This last statement is really the one that struck me throughout the entire post. Many of the things we talked about this weekend, our first of a three-weekend course, was about modeling excellence and I believe that when you fill the cup of others that is modeling excellence. If I am striving every day to serve those around me, my students, colleagues, admins, etc... then my cup will be overflowing with positives rather than the negative, pessimistic mindset that comes with only focusing on "the daily grind." Since starting my Master's Program through Drake University in ED Leadership in January I have become much more of a reflective learner and really believe that this program will set me up to having a mindset of always being the lead learner. It is my responsibility to model excellence in my classroom so that way my students clearly know the expectations I have for them.

I am going to make it a personal goal to blog once a week, either about something happening in my classroom, in our building, or just something that I read or heard in the education world throughout the week. It's been said that we are all geniuses, and the world needs our contribution. I wouldn't say I'm a genius in anything yet but I will continue to strive to contribute as much as I can.

Until next time,

Derek