You are more than just a teacher... (33)

Here is your lifelong learner hit list for the week:

1). 5 point plan for a great day

2). 3 rubric makers that will save you time and stress

3). Leading to change / effective grading practices

4). Digital assignments: How shall we grade them?

5). Your one stop shop for web 2.0 tools

You are more than just a teacher...

Everyone knows that child who doesn't have someone advocating for them. As an educator, you are in a position to advocate for and fight for what is best for that child. Wow... what an awesome responsibility.

Where else in the world do you get to work with so many different personalities, egos, and varied life experiences all in the course of one day? If as an educator you can't find something to learn from your students, then you aren't looking hard enough.

In what other profession can you literally witness the growth and development of a child on a daily basis? You are in a position to see first-hand the progress and growth that takes place every single day in your classroom. You are able to take a student who possibly knows very little about his/her interests, and then help them discover and explore those interests while simultaneously watching them change before your eyes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ksten/

How many other professions can say they are a punching bag for the media and the sole reason for all the problems in society? (joking here) Educators seem to be getting all the attention... how cool is that to always be in the limelight! On a serious note, if what you were doing wasn't important, then people wouldn't notice.

Some of your students will get to know you better than anyone else in their lives. You will spend more time with some of your students than even their own family members. You will get to experience all the highs and the lows right alongside your students. Being this much a part of the lives of your students definitely makes this an awesome job.

In what other profession can you continue to learn and grow in the areas you are passionate about and say that it's a part of your job? Then on top of that, you get to share your passion and interests with others while getting paid to do it. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Research is quite clear in that a great teacher has a tremendous impact on the life of a child. This is not just related to academic achievement, but to all facets of their life. When you think something you might do or might not do doesn't matter, remember this research and keep it fresh in your mind.

You get to be an entertainer, actor/actress, and a Gumby-like person almost every day! I know the 'edutainment' mindset is not the most popular at times, but aren't you first trying to sell yourself? If the kids aren't buying into 'you,' then they will never buy into what you are trying to accomplish in the classroom. Take full advantage of this wonderful opportunity!

Why do you believe you are more than just a teacher? Leave your comment below.

A new beginning... (32)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/madison_guy/

A new year is upon us. A new group of kids are in front of us. A new set of challenges will surely arise. A new set of opportunities will join those challenges.

There is something rejuvenating about new and there is something pure about starting fresh.

We all start the new year with a blank canvas. A canvas with endless opportunity and possibility. This canvas also happens to be waiting for our best masterpiece yet...

Make no mistake, this canvas won't complete itself. Likewise, this new opportunity won't fulfill its own dreams. The seeds of possibility won't sow themselves...

New Beginnings

by Gertrude B. McClain

It's only the beginning now ...a pathway yet unknown At times the sound of other steps ...sometimes we walk alone The best beginnings of our lives May sometimes end in sorrow But even on our darkest days The sun will shine tomorrow. So we must do our very best Whatever life may bring And look beyond the winter chill To smell the breath of spring. Into each life will always come A time to start anew A new beginning for each heart As fresh as morning dew. Although the cares of life are great And hands are bowed so low The storms of life will leave behind The wonder of a rainbow. The years will never take away Our chance to start anew It's only the beginning now So dreams can still come true.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/madison_guy/

Remember, it's the small things we do now that lead up to the big things later in life. The quality of the seeds we sow now might not be apparent for years to come, but when these seeds fully develop and we reap what we've sown, the results will be hard to miss... 

Have a great 2013/2014 school year Union R-XI!

The Monday morning memo ~ 31

As the end of the year nears and our last ounces of energy are exhausted, a few images with words can be more powerful and impactful than any well-written statement could ever be...

The Monday morning memo ~ 30

What do you see?

So often our eyes and mind play tricks on us... they distort and manipulate what we see, or at least, what we think we see. It's all about our perspective, and what we ultimately end up seeing can be easily influenced by our attitude and our willingness to see either the positive, or the negative...

If you have hall duty or bus duty in the morning do you see it as an opportunity to greet each and every student with a smile to ensure their day at school starts off right, or do you see it as just another short straw that you have drawn...?

If you know a colleague who is struggling do you see it as a chance to help him/her with their struggles because we work as a team, or do you turn your back on them and ignore their struggles while being thankful it's not your problem...?

If you have a conversation with a colleague and you disagree, do you see it as an opportunity to learn about another perspective or do you concentrate all your energy on proving that your perspective is correct...?

If you make a mistake do you see your failure as a chance to learn and grow or do you see your failure as a defining characteristic that will always follow and haunt you...?

If you experience success in your classroom with a particular activity do you see it as your professional responsibility to share it with your colleagues or do you see the activity as something you must protect and hide from others...?

If you get stuck doing something that isn't your job, do you see it as an opportunity to learn about another role in education or do you see it as a burden that shouldn't fall on your shoulders...?

If you are selected to do lunch supervision do you see it as an opportunity to build and strengthen student relationships or do you see it as wasted time that comes with the job...?

If you have a student who is unmotivated in your class do you see it as a chance to help the student find the root cause of the issue or do you see the student as another lazy and unmotivated kid...? 

If you are assigning work to be completed outside of school, do you see the other time commitments and constraints your students may have or do you see homework as more important than family and/or interests and hobbies...?

If you discover that a student is passionate about something that is not related to your content, do you see it as an opportunity to connect and relate your content to his/her passion or do you see his/her passion as something that is getting in the way of his/her learning...? 

Does what you really see match up with what you 

really want to see? Does what you really see match up with what's best for our students?

Every day before you go to work think about what set of lenses you are wearing, and remember that from time to time it's not necessarily a bad idea to throw out your old lenses for a set of new ones...

The Monday morning memo ~ 29

Stop trying to figure out how to punish students into compliance & spend your energy on figuring out how to engage them with purpose...

The more the student becomes the teacher and the more the teacher becomes the learner, the more successful the outcomes are...

True leaders know leadership is not about them but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up...

When we block everything & try to control every aspect of schooling, we are sending a very loud "trust issue" message to our students...

Nothing stops an organization faster than people who believe the way you worked yesterday is the best way to work tomorrow...

You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there...

Don't fear the unknown & don't fear standing out... it's those who stand out who ultimately stand up...

Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can do what others can't...

Young kids love school... they smile down the halls... they run to class & hug their teachers. Then they stop... they stop it all... 

Want to keep most people happy, then do nothing & avoid change. Want to make your best people upset, follow the same rule.

No matter how many mistakes you make, or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying... 

Technology won't replace teachers...but teachers who use technology will probably replace teachers who do not...

It's not what kids "know" that's important, it's how they can apply, demonstrate, explain and transfer the "known" that's important...

An assessment is supposed to give info, to be used like a thermometer, NOT a hammer. It's a tool for the teacher & kid for teaching...

The only two people you should ever compare yourself with is the person you used to be & the person you want to be...

The most important information & "data" you will get from a student won't come from a worksheet or a test, it will come from a relationship...

If you aren't excited about the activities & instructional units you are doing in your class, then your students won't get excited either...

Forget STEM... start talking about STEAM... science, technology, engineering, ARTS, & math...