What is #EdBeat - Side 1

(This post is a continuation of Sean Gaillard’s post What is #EdBeat - An Overture https://t.co/VsJWFy6vpF )

That’s my cue!

#Wileychat was one of the first chats I set an actual alarm for on my phone. I didn’t know why it was called #Wileychat for the first few weeks, or that it was a “school chat.” All I knew was the host of it, Sean Gaillard, created a space that encouraged collaboration and transparency and celebrated the profession of teaching. It was my kind of scene. I dug it.

Fast forward a few months, and I get every fan’s worst news. The band is breaking up. It was a punch to the gut that left me bummed beyond belief, until I found out the band wasn’t going their separate ways.  Instead it was pulling a Led Zeppelin (originally called the New Yardbirds) and changing its name because Sean had signed with a new school (record label) and would be able to have a bit more artistic freedom under the chat's new designation. Plus, the new title of the chat, #EdBeat, spoke of Sean’s love of music and education. Again, I was hooked.

While all this was going on, I was getting my Twitter legs.  I was building my PLN, participating in other rocking chats like #4thchat, #leadupchat, #bfc530, and #aussieED, and discovering how much awesomeness exists outside the four walls of my classroom. 

I even went to ISTE in June because so many people had convinced me if I could go, I should go. And boy did it not disappoint! It was life changing - my educational version of Woodstock (minus naked people and hallucinogenic drugs). I met and heard amazing “artists” and was inspired to get more involved. I decided to start a blog, launch Passion Projects in the fall, and create digital writing portfolios for my students.  I still, however, did not have the guts to do something I had been wanting to do: host a chat...   

When I got back from ISTE, Sean, who had not been able to attend, wanted to hear all about it. He said that next year he would road trip to wherever ISTE was going to be held. 

I promised to make him a mix tape. 

Sean then did what Sean does, and told me, “Sounds like a great topic for an #EdBeat chat, you’re hosting!” 

I tried to inform him I had: 1. never hosted a chat before and 2. a bit of stage fright, but Sean’s enthusiasm, confidence, and assurance was steadfast.  A few tweets later, I said yes to his first proposal and our collaboration began. 

Our method of communication soon became Voxer, as we could not type fast enough, nor while we were driving.  Our voxes became more and more frequent, and we soon began to talk about all things education, music, movies, family, dreams, struggles...and a friendship began to develop quickly. I felt (like many people do) that Sean was someone I could be completely transparent with and share my ideas freely. 

The collaboration was empowering and energizing. I wanted to take risks and try new things.  I created S’mores (an interactive, online poster) that had embedded videos of the songs whose lyrics had inspired our questions for the chat.  People were going to be able to listen to and hopefully be inspired by music, while they discussed education. We had created our mix tape, and when that Wednesday rolled around (5 days later) I was ready to share it with Twitterverse.    

That night I had a life changing experience as I co-hosted my very first chat.  It gave me one of the biggest rushes of my life, but the next morning my hosting hangover took hold. I knew that this was a one-time gig, but Sean and my partnership, our daily talks, incredible collaboration was not something I was excited to say goodbye to.  I hinted at as much, and Sean voxed back saying, “There are no rules here, let’s co-host again next week! Whatcha got?!?” 

So we went back into the #EdBeat studios, and produced another musically inspired chat that was just as fun and exhilarating as the first. Through that second week of conversations and collaboration, I knew at that point that no matter what happened, I had a friend for life and was ready to turn in my backstage pass.      

That next day we chatted and talked about music, movies, and of course education.  We didn’t talk about #Edbeat. The following day, Friday, Sean voxed me. He sounded nervous as he said things like, “I have really enjoyed our collaboration,” “I have been thinking...,” “I was wondering…,” “You can totally say no…” When finally he came right out and asked, “Will you be the Stevie Nicks to my Lindsey Buckingham?  Will you be my permanent co-host for #EdBeat?” 

My reply was an unequivocal and super pumped, “Yes!” 

So on that Friday in July, we became permanent band mates.  Our journey as partners had begun.

Stayed tuned for Side 2!

Abandon Book: Full Read Ahead!

“Abandon book!” I call out.

“Abandon book!” my students echo without missing a beat.  

The student with whom I am conferencing, gives me a sheepish grin and says, “I know, I don’t like it all.” She puts the book another student recommended to her into the “To Be Read By Someone Else” bin and heads back to her book bin for her next choice.

I look out at the rest of my class and see a sea of scattered bodies.  They are in every imaginable place (lounging under a table, draped over an exercise ball, laying on the floor with their feet up in a chair, curled up in a bean bag). Some have their shoes off or are squeezing a stress ball. One student is wearing headphones, while another is throwing his head back and quietly laughing to himself.  Two have meandered out in the hallway to have a chat because they just have to talk about what just happened, but don’t want to disturb anyone else.

Teachers walk by our room. Some smile and nod, while others knit their brow and give us a quizzical look, unsure of what to make of us.  To the traditional eye, it may look like nothing is happening in here except a bunch of kids doing their own thing, but if you look a little closer, leave the “this is how we have always done it” mindset behind, you will understand. You will realize there is magic happening in our room.  

No, no one is walking through walls or levitating; it’s better than that! The magic I am witnessing is that of transformation. The transformation of readers.  You see, while everyone in our room is essentially doing their own thing, the common ground they share is they are all reading books. Every. Single. One.  And they are not just reading, they are reading. The kind of reading where I know I am am going to hear moaning again today when I tell them it’s time to stop.  And I can’t wait. Those grumbles and pleas for, “Just five more minutes!” are music to my ears.

What’s the Deal

So how did this happen?

Am I a teacher by day and a sorceress by night? Well, while at times I wish I could cast spells over my students, I do not have that kind of power.

Have I discovered a silver bullet book for reluctant readers?  No way.

Do I bribe them with extra recess and points if they read a certain number of books in a month/ year? Not on your life.

So then what book has my students so engrossed, you might be asking. Depends on the day and the student because I never decide on books for my students.

One of the reasons (I believe) my students can’t get enough books and reading is because in Mrs. K’s room, we don’t waste time on books we don’t at least like to read.  If you are a reader in our room, you only read books you choose and like, no love. 

 

But it wasn’t always like this…

How I Used to Do Things

I started teaching 5 years ago, and back then I told my students which books would be best for them. (I seriously just cringed as I wrote that.)

At the beginning of each year, I started off by assessing my students and assigning them a letter. This letter told them which books they could read and which books they couldn’t. This letter decided for them.  I allowed a letter, which was based off of reading one passage from a story they probably had no interest in, dictate what books were “right” for them.  

One time I actually sat there and told a student, “This book is an N, you can totally read this book!” and then told a parent, “They really should be reading books in this range. When you go to the bookstore or library, make sure you check the level of the book to make sure they can actually read it.”  

To my students I taught those first three years, I am so sorry.  I honestly sometimes stay awake at night hoping I didn’t kill the love of reading for you forever.

I pushed kids through book club books (that I picked from our grade’s shelf in the resource room) and made up handouts with questions for them to respond to, in complete sentences, borrowing from the question.  They could read their books at home, and you better believe I was keeping track of that reading log to determine if they had done their 20 minutes, and holding them accountable if they weren’t reading every night.

They all read aloud in a circle (this is like AA for teachers right now - taking a moral inventory of all my reading teacher wrong-doings) and could determine which part they were going to have to read.

And somehow with all this amazing teaching going on they weren’t thrilled about coming to literacy and reading?!?

I mean I was still passionate about books and talked all the time about how much I loved to read, and that there are so many amazing books out there to get lost in and explore!  

“Yeah, crazy lady,” my students must have been thinking, “Then why don’t you let us read some of them?!?”

Now I know how to take responsibility for my actions, but not all of this was “my fault.” I was merely teaching the way I was taught and the way I remembered learning.  Regardless, and thankfully, however, I finally realized I had it all wrong. 

When It All Changed

My epiphany happened when I read Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer, found Pernille Ripp pernillesripp.com and the Global Read Aloud http://theglobalreadaloud.com/ and began teaching with one of the most amazing teachers I know, Jennifer Priddy (@jnpriddy).  

These three amazing women helped me to see that the power of choice is the greatest gift we can give our readers.  They made me realize that just as I like choosing which books I read, so too, do my students and that they, like me, will make time to read if they love a book. They showed me that we have to stop teaching reading like a subject and start cultivating it like a passion.  

What I Abandoned

So I made the change.  I became a Reading Warrior.  My sole purpose was to put as many books in my students’ hands as possible and to encourage them to find the books that spoke to them, grabbed them, made them stop in their tracks and have to sit down and read right then and there.  I also taught them not worry about my feelings.

“I don’t care that I said, ‘I think you’ll like it,’ You don’t, so don’t waste your valuable reading time on a book you won’t beg me to let you read just 5 more minutes.  Abandon book!”

And, I, too, abandoned things.  I abandoned passages with comprehension questions.  I abandoned the letters on my book bins.  I abandoned anything that did not feel authentic or seemed to have the opposite effect of cultivating a passion for reading in my readers.

I also abandoned the notion of pleasing everyone, well everyone who is an adult.  Change is hard and some people fight it tooth and nail.  I do my best to be respectful of other’s opinions and just continue to share the positive and amazing changes I am seeing in my readers. I hold onto the hope that one day they will have the realization I did two years ago.

What I Kept, But Improved

Books. I bought/got books. Lots and lots and lots of books.  I bought books with the gift cards I asked for for Christmas. I cut back on my clothing budget and bought a few series I had heard my readers talking about. I signed up for Scholastic Reading Club and essentially begged my parents to help us earn points to buy books for our classroom library. I got seriously lucky and scored a major haul from my generous mother-in-law who had just retired after 30+ years of teaching. I went to bargain book dealers and looked up ads on Craigslist.  I developed a book addiction, and my readers have benefitted tremendously.

As you can imagine, with the expansion of our book collection and my new philosophy on how I was going to do my best to instill a love of reading in my readers, came the need to rethink and transform our classroom library.

So my students arrived one early September morning, to find our floor was no longer covered by our rug, but instead by towering piles of books.  There was a small path to walk, but other than that, everywhere you turned was another cover looking up at you.  Their task was to organize the library in a way that made sense to them and would make it easier to find their next great literary love.  It took them awhile, and we are now experts on genres, but our library is certainly our own and they treat it with care and respect.  

Surprisingly, I do still use those reading logs, but now in a totally different way.  I no longer wield them as a means to punish, but instead to teach (go figure) my readers how to analyze them for their benefit.

Here is an example of conversation I had with one of my readers last week:

“I see you are reading an hour every night, and have read one book this month. What does this information tell you?”

“It’s a lot longer book than I usually read, so it’s taking me longer. I know I’m not reading as many books this month, but I’m growing and am really proud of that Mrs. K.”

Now compare that to:  “Did you read?” “Yes.” “Great!”

No contest.

As a result of this change, we (me and my readers) have a better understanding of who they are as readers, are able to set goals, and continue to grow.

Another aspect of my previous life as “reading” teacher I hung on to, but totally revamped, is books clubs. I hung onto those because readers HAVE to talk about what they are reading to others.  They HAVE to express their thoughts and hear others’ perspectives. But again, I no longer choose the books, the readers do.  

The way it works (the quick version) is I have a book screening and play book trailers for each of the options.  My readers then have a day to read the first 1-2 chapters of the books they are interested in reading.  At the end of the day, they write their top three choices on a slip of paper and I try to give each student their first choice.  I put no more than four readers in a book club. Once I know which books have been selected, I borrow/buy the remaining books needed.  The next day (as they await the arrival of any books being shipped) each group sets up their book club expectations and a reading goal for the first week.  Once all the books are in my readers’ hands, they start reading. At the end of the week, or before if they think it is necessary, they meet and talk about their books. I’m not joking when I say their conversations put the book clubs I have been a part of as an adult to shame.

Where I am Today

With all the amazing transformations that have taken place the past year and half, I know four things for certain.  

The first is that I will never go back to “teaching reading.”  I will even go so far right now to say that I will quit teaching (in the traditional sense) if I was told I had to.

The second is I have so much to learn. The amazing Reading Warriors out there like Donalyn Miller, Pernille Ripp, Kylene Beers and Bob Probst, and my amazing teammates Diana Koska and Jennifer Priddy have shown me that while it is wonderful I have made the initial transformation, my journey is far from over. These incredible reading renegades are constantly and tirelessly fighting for our young readers and for you. They are writing blog posts, articles, and books for me and you to read, learn, and grow from, so that we can help transform our reluctant readers into lifelong readers.  

   

Third, I am extremely lucky and grateful to have an amazing team and an incredibly supportive principal.  I don’t know if I would be writing this now, if that was not the case.

Fourth and finally, I will continue to educate my readers’ parents as to why I let my readers READ in order to become better readers.  Some get it right away, some not yet.  

I have conferences coming up this week.  I am excited to share with them what I have been witnessing and hear what they are noticing at home.  I am hopeful, no confident, we will have some new Reading Warriors join our ranks by the end of the day, but am also prepared for the fact that some may not be sold this first time around.  Regardless of what happens though, I can promise you I will not abandon my readers.  

Books that changed my life:

The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller http://www.amazon.com/dp/0470372273/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=31920211050&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16699658435569986658&hvpone=17.21&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7h5jmqtch9_b

Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller

http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Wild-Whisperers-Cultivating-Lifelong/dp/047090030X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446993201&sr=1-1&keywords=reading+in+the+wild

Notice and Note Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst

http://www.amazon.com/Notice-Note-Strategies-Close-Reading/dp/032504693X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446993246&sr=1-2&keywords=notice+and+note

Reading Nonfiction: Notice and Note Stances, Signposts and Strategies by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst

http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Nonfiction-Stances-Signposts-Strategies/dp/0325050805/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446993246&sr=1-1&keywords=notice+and+note

Trust at the Starting Gate: Our Call to Tune in and Listen

I cried Thursday morning. I cried because one of my students shared something with me.  He did not share that he goes home to a house without electricity (that was another student), or that his father scares him when he drinks and drives (been there too).  Instead Nate* shared with me he had written a song. He had written a song about what it feels like to think like you are not good enough, but what happens when you have someone in your life that makes you feel like you you can be more because “they see the amazingness in you.”

I asked him if he would sing it for me, or just read it, if that would be more comfortable. He told me, “I normally feel more comfortable reading them because some people think it’s funny to make fun of me when I sing my songs.”  

I opened my mouth to say I was sorry to hear anyone ever made fun of his singing or songs, but before I could, Nate began to tap his little leg (he had the beat and notes written in his notebook under the words). Tap, tap, tap, tap...1, 2, 3, 4, emotion began to rise up from somewhere deep inside his 10 year-old body, he closed his big brown eyes, and sang the first 2 lines. 

It was in this moment I realized I was witnessing something that was indescribable, but something I could identify instantly.  I was witnessing greatness.  And that was when I first started to cry, as Nate continued to sing...

But let me back up a bit.

Nate is a young man we all know.  Oh-so-very bright, high-energy, IMPULSIVE, a bit of a smart aleck (but only due to the fact that he is not the same age as his teachers...if that were the case, and you met him at a party, you would leave saying, “Oh man, did you meet that Nate guy?!? He was the life of the party!”), and struggles to meet the common expectations of a stereotypical classroom environment.

If you have taught for a few years, or maybe even just a few months, you are thinking of your Nate right now.

(Now I must confess, before we continue, that I have always loved the “Nate’s” of the edu-universe and always will.  Where one teacher may see a disruptive student who upsets the balance, I see an explorer who provides the class with a fresh perspective and reminds me that I am not a coach of push-button learners.  And to quote a dear friend, “Perfection is boring.”)

Sadly as a result of his “Nate-ness,” I bemoan to tell you that my young friend’s experiences with school have not always been positive.  He has heard his name a lot over the past few years, and not always with an encouraging message attached. 

His song sang to that, but it also sang to something else.  It sang to the idea that someone may not think they are worth anything, but another person can help them change that.  

In Nate’s amazing song that person was a girl. In a student’s song, that person is a teacher.  

We, as educators, need to be the people in our students’ lives who inspire them. The people who make them feel like they can do and be anything. It is our job, no calling, to make them see, know, and truly believe in the "amazingness" that is inside every one of them. But this doesn't just happen, first you need to be given a gift.  

The moment Nate sang his song to me, he gave me the gift I needed.  He gave me the gift of his trust. 

He trusted me not to laugh. That’s why he sang the song instead of reading it like he normally does.  

He trusted me to provide feedback and guidance.  Authentic and useful feedback and guidance that shows I take him and his dreams seriously. Nate trusted that I can point him in the direction of his next step and be there to take it with him. 

He trusted me to see him not as ten-year old boy who still is learning his multiplication tables, but as an artist who thinks and feels deeply.  He trusted me to look at him and know that here before me stands a young man who sits in his room at night and in a corner of our classroom during the day putting his heart and soul down on paper. 

He trusted me to encourage him to spend his time doing what he loves and makes him feel alive.

And even if he didn’t realize it, Nate trusted me to help him continue to pursue his dreams, embolden him to take risks, and know what it is like to ride with unbridled passion because I am a teacher, and that is what teachers do. We teach students to ride. 

We get our students up in the saddle and ride by their side for a while. Soon we hand the reins over to them, as we continue to encourage them to go from a trot, to a canter, to a gallop. We are there to dust them off when they fall and give them a leg back up. We raise the bar and tell them they can and will clear it. We provide them with opportunities to ride fast and far and to know what it means to feel free, as the wind rushes through their hair and the blood pumps through their veins.    

I have no doubt Nate will become a songwriter, if he so chooses, but regardless of where Nate’s life takes him, I am forever grateful for being a part of this ride on his journey through life.   

Wanna Take A Look...

into my classroom last week? 

It's Sunday night and I just finished writing my weekly Week in Review to my students' parents.  On one hand I am proud of what we were able to accomplish last week, and I love sharing the goods with the parents and keeping them in the loop, but on the other hand I am kicking myself because I have not blogged since August and I want to change that...When all of a sudden....I realized...my Week in Review has all the stuff I would want to include in a blog post! 

It's got:

• A lesson on Fairness (complete with YouTube link if you cannot get your hands on the book)
• A plug for a great assessment tool (Kahoot!) - again includes a link
• An example of how we used Skype 
• Getting feedback from students
• A snippet about ditching the desks
• Using Periscope in the classroom - Link!
• Info about a PD opportunity complete with...you guessed it! A link! 
• A new, creative presentation tool: Buncee
• An idea for doing public speaking
• AND highlights something that is incredibly important: Parent Communication

So, in order to break my blogging slump, and more importantly, hopefully provide you with at least one takeaway, here is a look into what Mrs. Krayenvenger's Kids did last week via my email to parents':

Good evening!

I’m not going to lie, this one is a long one… but only because there was so much good stuff!

Here is the breakdown:

·         Fairness Assembly

·         Kahoot!

·         Skyping w/ Mrs. K’s Sister

·         Feedback on the Classroom/Periscope

·         Buncee

·         Speeches

·         Upcoming Dates

Let’s get reviewin’!

Fairness

In a few weeks (Nov. 6^th), the 4^th grade will be presenting about fairness during Assembly.  This past Tuesday we started getting ready by reading the book It’s Not Fair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoSUnJqJ7Yw to the whole 4^th grade class.  

By the end of the story your astute children shared the following thoughts:

·         Fair isn’t always about getting the same things, but about getting what you need. 

·         It’s not unfair if your sister or brother wears bigger shoes, they have bigger feet!

·         We shouldn’t say it’s unfair if someone is better at football and can score a touchdown.  Maybe they practice more than you do.

·         What if someone is confused and you’re not? It’s not unfair for the teacher to talk to them a little longer.  

·         Don’t say something is unfair until you look at from different sides.

·         Sometimes things don’t seem fair, but it’s how you handle it.

Umm…WOW.

After the 4^th grade teachers picked their bottom jaws up off the ground, we then asked the 4^th grade to draw upon our previous discussions regarding patterns in writing and explained we wanted them to continue writing the book using the same rhyming pattern.  

In groups of three, they wrote three sentences that displayed a satirical “It’s not fair!” concept and decided who would illustrate each sentence.  They will continue polishing their final draft this week between 8:15 and 8:30.

We hope you will join us November 6^th when we present the final product!

Kahoot!

So last year I discovered this amazing game (it’s really an assessment tool shhhh) called Kahoot! (check it out here at https://getkahoot.com/ ) and my students LOVED IT! 

Naturally I have been champing at the bit to use it this year with this rock star bunch… and this week we finally did…and IT WAS AWESOME! The class was jumping up and down, cheering, high-fiving, and receiving immediate feedback regarding the concepts they understand as well as the ones they need to continue to  work on (and why).  They even begged to take the quiz…I mean play the game again!

Needless to say, it was one of the first times I have seen a group of people, besides my sister and her Legal Aid friends, jump up and down when talking about the Bill of Rights.  It was just wicked cool.

Kahoot! will frequently be used to assess your child’s understanding, so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask, or come in for a demonstration!  You can even create your own account and Kahoots for the family! J

Skype

Speaking of my sister… My younger sister, whose name is Laura, is a Legal Aid lawyer in Manhattan, and she took the time this past week to Skype with us and answer questions our class had about the Bill of Rights.  It was great for them to be able to ask specific questions, listen to someone whose job it is to fight for people’s rights, and discuss which amendments they would keep, if they could only keep two, and why. (They had a little prep time with this earlier in the week when they wrote a persuasive piece in their Writer’s Notebook about which two amendments they thought were the most important.)

The experience definitely made the Bill of Rights more accessible, applicable, and authentic, rather than just a list on a sheet of paper or document on the internet.

Again if you, or anyone you know would be interested in sharing their expertise or interests with the class, please let me know and we will set up a Skype, Google Hangout, or Blab.

Learning Spaces/Periscope

On Thursday the class provided me with feedback regarding how the year is going without desks and in our new learning space.  To really up the stakes I told them to be completely honest and broadcasted their thoughts on Periscope https://www.periscope.tv/ . (These videos are posted for 24 hours and then taken down.)

Not only did I receive invaluable information (mostly positive – one child thinks there should be exercise balls for everyone and another thinks we should have pedals under the tables to help get rid of excess energy…I told them I will work on that!) regarding how these changes have impacted your children, BUT their thoughts also helped other teachers who are wrestling with the idea of creating learning spaces that are more user friendly and create a space where learners feel “free to find what works best,” “trusted to make decisions,” “like what they need and want matters.”

Your children’s perspectives are helping not only me as their teacher, but also teachers and learners all over the world.  They rock!

Buncee

This past Monday, while your child was using his/her day off to read and practice math facts (can’t a teacher dream?!?), the 4^th grade teachers were up in Port Jefferson, NY at the Talk with Teachers Summit http://talkswithteachers.com/summit/ .

It was an incredible day that left us chatting and brainstorming the whole 6 ½ hour ride home!  We wanted to implement everything we learned about immediately, but once the oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins started to chill out a bit and we realized that we might make our students’ heads explode (and no one wants that), we decided on implementing one new piece of tech this week and slowly implement others when and where we could.

The tech we decided on this past week was Buncee https://www.edu.buncee.com/about . This is an online presentation/creation website and app that allows teachers to create assignments and students to create and demonstrate their learning.  Attached is a picture of us getting our Buncee on!

On Friday all the 4^th graders, who were not giving tours, were mixed together and told, “This is Buncee. Tell us what you discover!”  We shouldn’t have been shocked when they discovered some bells, whistles and tricks that we hadn’t known about. Always incredible when they take over the role of teacher. 

They shared their findings by creating a list of things you can do with Buncee on the board, and then started a list of ways they can use Buncee to demonstrate their leaning. We were pumped when we saw Passion Projects and Book Buzzes at the top of their list!

Buncee was a definite hit and we are excited to see what we will create!

*Students who were giving tours during this exploration will be partnered up with a student who was present and given a tutorial.

Speeches

This past Friday during assembly, two brave 4^th graders did what no 4^th grader has done before.  They stood up in front of the entire Lower School and gave a speech on the topic of their choice.  They were incredible. Kindergarteners are a tough audience, let me tell you, but Quinn and Ire looked like they had been doing it for years!  I am so excited for each of your children to have this same opportunity and experience.  As I mentioned previously, when it is your child’s turn to give his/her speech you will be notified at least a week prior.  We hope that you will allow your child to write and create everything on their own.  They may even choose to use Buncee…just sayin… J

A huge thank you to Ire and Quinn for being the first to go, and a gigantic “can’t wait to see you up there” to the rest of our amazing 4^th grade speakers!

That does it for this past week; don’t forget to look below for upcoming events and dates to remember!

Have a great evening and let’s get excited for our next adventure!

Best,

Natalie 

So that's what our week looked like in homeroom.  I hope you were able to come away with at least one new idea, even if that idea is not one of "my" ideas per se.  

I also hope that if you have any questions, or want to know more, you will email or tweet me (@nkrayenvenger).  This calling is not one to be done in isolation, we have to be there to support and encourage one another.  

Wishing you all a week to remember!

I Can't Work With My PLN!

It happened again! I was in the middle of an amazing chat (this time it was #nctechat), talking to incredible educators, when suddenly I was overcome by the urge to throw my head back and groan loudly enough for my husband in the other room to hear me, “Why can’t I work with my PLN?!?”

I know, I am not the first person to feel this way. I am definitely not the first person to say it, and I am probably not even the first person to consider opening up my own school so I can make this dream become a reality... I can see it now…But enough of daydreams, back to the purpose of this blog.

As fate would have it, the topic for the #nctechat was, you guessed it, PLN!

People were sharing what a PLN is to them, the benefits, whether or not Ss should have a PLN (or SLN), and some ways they have continued to build their PLNs over the summer. 

About half way through the chat, the amazing Kristin Ziemke (@KristinZiemke) shared her thoughts about the fact that faculty meetings are often left out when discussing PLN.  She also suggested that this omission was due to the lack of choice with regard to who we actually work with day to day.

This was when I initially howled and said to myself, “See this is why I should work with my PLN!” 

But then I started thinking and came to a different conclusion: I can’t work with my PLN, I shouldn’t work with my PLN, it is a good thing I don’t work directly with my PLN.

Here are my reasons why:

Fantasy Football 

In professional sports like football, baseball, soccer, basketball, coaching staffs try to put together the best possible team to win a championship every year. In fantasy football and baseball you the fan get to put together your “perfect” team, and based on the points earned and lost by players, someone wins “the pot.” Now I may be biased, but I have to say that when I first thought about getting to teach with my Fantasy PLN Team, my reaction was, “We would smoke everyone!”  (Just kidding, but seriously…)

And then as I thought more about the whole What If Teachers Were Treated Like Professional Athletes scenario, I didn’t like how things were playing out in my mind.  I mean, yes, I love the idea of getting paid like a professional athlete (think of all the books I could buy for my students and the conferences I could go to without batting an eye!), but who would truly win here? Me? The teachers? The students at my championship school only? No, I’m not ok with that!  In order for all of us to “win,” every child should receive the best education possible, and that means that we have spread ourselves out and not become a clique that only helps our own.

Isolationism  

Countries have tried it in the past. They say to themselves, “We don’t need anyone else, we have everything we need right here! Our scholars are the best and the brightest and everyone is like-minded and wants the same things. Let’s just close our ports and gates and do our own thing!”

Yeah, that has never really worked out…to my knowledge. 

And no, I do not think that if I got to work with my PLN that we would shut out the rest of the world, but there is something to be said about only being surrounded by people who think like you vs. having dissenters in your midst from time to time.  People who challenge you make you fight harder for what you want and believe.  They also (should) force you to continue to check your thinking and make sure you still agree with yourself (yes I have conversations with myself about my thinking, don’t you?)

Fantasy vs. Reality 

We all have them. Fantasies are what keep us going or allow us to escape from a bad moment or day, but sometimes getting what you wished for isn’t as good as it was when you were only imagining it.  I remember when I was in middle school and Leonardo DiCaprio was my end all, be all (don’t judge). What if that fantasy had come true? I would have had to deal with paparazzi, no privacy, and girls throwing themselves all over MY boyfriend, no thank you! Plus, I had no idea who this person was in real life, only his public persona and that tells you SO much about a person! 

So how does this relate to teaching with my PLN? On Twitter and Voxer and Blogs and Periscope I get to interact with my PLN when it is best for me.  I typically get the best version of other people because they are interacting when it is the best for them also.  They have time to think about their answers, polish their responses, and aren’t having a conversation with me moments after a parent wrote them a nasty email, a child called them something they have to look up on Urban Dictionary, and they have not been able to go to the bathroom since 7 am and it is now 2:38 pm.  And what if I find out that my most favorite tweep habitually forgets to refill the copier with paper?!?

Some things are just better left as a fantasy.

Share the Wealth 

I think the biggest reason I can’t work with my PLN is that I believe it is our responsibility to spread out and share the wealth of knowledge and positivity we receive from one another to others who are not connected…yet.  If we were all at the same school, who would infect the rest of the education community with the Twitter Bug, or Voxer Virus, or Periscope Parasite (ok these sound bad, but I hope you get my point.)?   

By not working directly with each other, we are also exposing ourselves to other ideas and ways of doing things that we can bring back to our PLN like hunters and gatherers.  There is always a new idea out there (even unconnected educators have them (THAT IS A JOKE)). And even if all you bring back one day is what not to do, it’s a learning experience!

Lastly, by teaching in different schools and different districts, states, and countries, we provide our students with other classes and schools to connect with around the globe! It would be a pretty sad Mystery Skype if your only options were the students down the hall…but a pretty funny Mystery Vox (hmm may have to try that one…)

So while there is a part of me that will always fantasize about opening a school where my dream team PLN can teach in positive (if there is such a thing) isolation and not have to deal with the negative naysayers and the dreaded Ttwwadi Monster, I know deep down I can't work with my PLN in the same building... but thanks to social media and being connected, I also know we never have to work apart. 

Disclaimer: This post was written using hyperbole, sarcasm and humor. 

We Must...

Three weeks ago our 1-year-old Olde English Bulldogge, Copper, could not get up.  He wanted to, but he simply couldn’t without our help.  So after we got him upstairs, my husband and I immediately called the vet and took him in to be seen. 

The vet took a look at Copper and said he thought it had something to do with either his back or hips, and after getting x-rays taken the following day, it was confirmed that Copper was born with a genetic defect that had caused bone-on-bone rubbing when he walked, ran, sat, played…did anything a dog enjoys (besides sleeping) and deserves to be able to do pain free. 

This grinding of bones, as you can imagine, and as we witnessed, resulted in a great deal of pain for Copper, and as I watched our “baby” (Jeff and I do not have children yet) struggle, I hurt for him.  What was even worse than knowing he was in pain, however, was the fact that we had never even known he was suffering until he couldn’t “fake it” anymore.

That’s right, our playful, wiggly, never-met-someone-he-did-not-like puppy had been finding ways to cope, or get by, for a while it seemed.  The x-rays showed enough muscle atrophy in his left leg to support the theory this was not a sudden occurrence, but something that he had been going for quite some time. 

Now I have to say at this moment that I am what we teachers would call a helicopter parent when it comes to my pooch.  He gets nightly tick checks, daily walks, weekly baths, and I would be probably 50 pounds lighter if I paid as much attention to my own diet as I do to Copper’s.  My point being, we are vigilant pet owners, but we missed this.

Copper didn’t want to complain or be a bother.  Instead he learned to tuck his leg up when he wanted to lay down, to barely put any weight on his left leg when he went for a quick jog with me (he usually pulled me along), sit with his legs out to the side... It was all so obvious once we were made aware of the situation.

And then the questions started pouring out. What do we do about it?  How do we fix the problem? How do we help Copper?

We got our answers from the first orthopedic surgeon we saw.  He told me we had three options:

1. Manage his pain with medication until it was no longer feasible and then we could put him down
2. FHO (the removal of the part of the femur that was rubbing against the hip), but he warned us that often that did not work
3. A full hip replacement to the tune of $6,000

We went for a second opinion.

This next surgeon educated us on what was happening with Copper by bringing out models of hips and showing us other x-rays.  He discussed our options and asked us questions to determine what we were capable and comfortable doing. 

He then told us that he felt the hip replacement surgery was completely unnecessary, that we could try physical therapy with pain medication for a little while, but that it was not a long-term solution, and finally that he had had great success with FHO in situations like Copper’s and when the owners were diligent in the recovery process. 

After this interaction, we scheduled the FHO right then and there, and Copper had surgery this past Monday.  He is doing incredibly well so far and we are hopeful he will make a full recovery.

I share our experience with you because a new school year is upon us (or is already under way) and we will be opening our doors, hearts, and minds to learners who may have something they are struggling with in silence.  They may be suffering while still putting on a smile and “wagging their tails.”

He or she might not want to be a bother or admit they cannot do something (YET!) for a wide variety of reasons, or worst of all might not think anyone cares, but we as teachers must show our students that above all else WE CARE. 

We also must be vigilant and take the time to understand who our students are, why they do what they do, and say what they say.  We have an amazing opportunity every year to be welcomed into the minds and hearts of incredible individuals and must do everything we can to make ourselves worthy of that privilege.

We must build relationships with our students and their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, or sisters so they trust us and know we are fighting for them.  In doing so, we create a team that is working together for the same cause.

We must educate not dictate.  Provide people with correct and accurate information in way that is approachable and shows how it will benefit them, and you will have won half the battle. Tell people what they should do and scare them by telling them what will happen if they don’t, and you have just made it even more of an uphill battle.  Be the person your students’ caretakers seek out not hide from.

We must not beat ourselves up if we miss something at first.  We are human and not mind readers.  When we are finally made aware, we have to move forward from that moment.  Try not to waste time living in the past.  If you must go back there, go for a quick vacation and make sure you are going to be bringing back a souvenir that will be helpful to your cause.  

We must collaborate and seek out second and third opinions.  I know I have not even scratched the surface of what I still have to learn, so I better be willing to seek out advice and listen to others.  We are better together and can offer one another our experiences, perspectives, understanding and support. Cultivate and grow your PLN so that your students can reap the benefits. It’s also OK to ask someone else if you are not satisfied with an answer or suggestion you get, and what’s so horrible about hearing 5 people all agree that option z is the one they would pick?

Final Thought:

We must remain positive warriors.  Just because we look on the bright side doesn’t mean we are wimps and aren’t willing to fight for what we believe. I will use my rainbows and unicorns to throw down (you know what I mean) with anyone who tries to rain on my parade, and I get loud about what I believe in and am passionate about, but I do my best to remain positive and respectful (it’s not always easy…).  Eventually I plan to win those negative naysayers over and ticking them off just makes my job that much harder.

I hope you all have a wonderful start to the year, or continue to rock it out like you have been. I just know this is going to be a year of epic proportions!