Day 15: 3 Strengths I Have as a Teacher

Peers and administrators tell me my classroom seems like a happy place to be, and that my students seem to know I honestly care about their learning. I think that's true, and I'm happy to call the ability to create a safe and happy classroom my strength. 

One area I'd like TO strengthen, is class dialogue. I've always been weak on managing whole class conversations, and I believe they're an intrugal part of establishing foundation essential question answers. 

Day 14: Feedback for Learning

What is it? How do I give it to my students? This is the most important part of my day, providing quality feedback that inspires experimentation, diligence, and improvement. I give my students three kinds of feedback.

Self-assessment feedback. "You know you're on the right track if you see...." Or, "Great projects feature these three things..." Or, "Here's some examples of other student's projects. What did they do right? What went wrong?" I want them developing a critical eye for their own creative process, they need to hear themselves long after my voice has faded from their days.

Coaching feedback. After highlighting an aspect of the project that many are grappling with, a little shoulder surfing for in-the-moment guidance seems to build confidence. I do it myself, but also have students  follow me, then break off and coach their peers.

In both cases, I try to only work on part of the skill they're building, and tie it to the big picture.

The last piece of feedback is a cumulative assessment of their project and all of its facets. They get that from their peers, and also from me (final rubric).

Day 13: Favorite Edtech Tools

Aside from Google Docs, my favorite ed tech tools are mostly apps. I teach multimedia--think video, audio, podcasting, animation--in a classroom that doesn't have the very best of computers or applications. We deal with computer crashing, Movie Maker skipping and choking, and recording audio  on the pc an impossibility. The great news is that just about every student carries an Apple or Android phone with terrific free photo/video editing apps! In particular, I like: iMovie and iMotion HD.

While I do teach the Adobe suite of software, having free or inexpensive student access to technology is also very important. Buying PhototShop for at-home use is too much for most students, but GIMP is free! While it's not as comprehensive, it does offer a great deal and, did I mention? It's free! I also love Audacity for audio. Not mobile, but it it cross platform and free!

Day 12: Envisioning Change over Next 5 Years

Personally, I envision improvement. I'm still new enough in my career that I struggle to plan, assess, and research in time to teach effectively. Lots of late nights, hence the spill-able coffee. I envision becoming more adept at diversifying instruction, and supporting the low and high ends of the class better.

Professionally, I envision changes to the profession itself: strict assessments for student; metrics for educators; union strength wavering (but hopefully regaining strength!); and continued turmoil for urban schools. The political and economic realities of this country have become very stark and separatist, leaving the middle class unsupported and vulnerable. Unionized professions like teaching form the backbone of a strong middle class. If  unions loose strength, the middle class will suffer. I think we'll know that the country's dire economic situation has turned around when we see strong support for professions that embrace union culture. I hope we'll come out of  the scrutiny and forced changes as better educators, and profession will be stronger as a whole. If the PARCC and Union-busting Governors don't kill us.

Day 11: Favorite Part of the School Day

My favorite part of the school day comes at different times every day, sometimes more than once a day, sometimes not at all. I LOVE the moment in class when the students are really engaged and having fun with what's being taught. Sometimes that is quiet, "lost in the art." Sometimes that is loud, "Woo Whoo! I got this!!!" Sometimes it's collaborative, dynamic-creative-mayhem. It's always awesome!

Day 10: Random Lists

5 Random Facts

1. I love cooking, gardening, creating things!
2. I'm trying to overcome my asthma.
3. I'm not religious, but I pray almost constantly about almost everything.
4. I LOVE to read, but I didn't as a kid.
5. I'm a die-hard Mac user.

4 Things from my Bucket List

1. Take my kids to the Redwoods of California
2. Visit and explore icebergs with my family
3. Learn to speak Spanish fluently
4. Visit countries on every continent

3 Things I Hope for as a "Person"
(I find it hysterical that "person" was in quotes on the prompt page)

1. Hope I can loose weight and build aerobic stamina
2. Hope my kids grow up to be well-balanced, happy, and creative in whatever they do
3. Hope my family enjoys good health

2 Things that Made Me Laugh or Cry
(I remember the things that made me cry better than the things that made me laugh. I'll do my best...)

1. The current struggle urban teachers have getting support from their school districts and communities gets me red-faced and angry enough to cry.
2. Many of the projects my Multimedia kids create make me and the rest of the class laugh.

1 Thing I Wish More People Knew About Me

1. I'm selling candy bars for my son's school play -- just a buck a bar! Come & get 'em!

Day 9: Biggest Accomplishment in Teaching

The day I learned that my contract was being renewed signified my biggest accomplishment so far. This is the very first year I've returned to the same district, same school, same classes, even the same classroom!

For lateral entry teachers, getting that first contact renewal is like reaching the peak of a mountain. On average, it takes 5 years to get through a teacher program, internship, student teaching, and into a full-time job. Then you bounce from long-term substitute position to leave replacement position, until you land your first real job.

I started the process in 2008, it is 2014 now. That's six year worth of support from my family, six years of "maybe they'll find another position for you when this runs out," six years of good observations but no renewed contracts.

That's why this year is such an accomplishment for me! I know this mountain is only a small hill in a long chain of peaks, but from where I stand, I feel like I'm on Everest. Now I just have to try not to spill my coffee as I scramble up the next slope!

Day 8: What's in my Desk Drawer?

My desk drawer is a collection of things to help me in "an emergency." I have the typical office supplies: pens, paper clips, tape, etc. The important stuff is the "emergency" supplies: extra batteries for my mouse; basic first aid supplies; a wide assortment of camera / phone cables to kids who forgot their cord; a bag of Hershey's kisses (always handy); and a few sets of flashcards for the rare days when the lesson runs short.

I guess this tells you I worry a lot about "emergencies" that disrupt the lesson plan. What I fear most is sitting in a room with 24 teenagers and not knowing what to do in the face of a lesson-plan-halting problem.

Day Seven: Who was/is My Most Inspirational Colleague?

The kids called him Mr. L, we all called him Mark. He was the in-class support teacher in an inclusion Language Arts class I co-taught in Philadelphia.

Dynamic, energetic, grounded, adaptable, warm, and organized, Mark was like the eye of the hurricane. That classroom was crowded--33 8th graders in a room that was meant for 24. We had daily facilities issues: mice, cockroaches, extreme temperature issues, and an old radiator that would hiss and bang like Beowulf's Grendel. Our students struggled with emotional issues, hunger issues, and the normal teenage drama. Yet through it all, Mark was positive, calm, and able to steer the whole flying circus in a productive direction.

And he NEVER... spilled his coffee.

Day 6: What Does a Good Mentor Do?

A good mentor is both a beacon and a guardrail. They should model the behaviors & qualities they are trying to nurture in their protégé. Since mistakes are inevitable when starting any new endeavor, the mentor should also oversee the protégé enough to warn when the mistake might be a big one.

To do this well, a mentor needs: patience, organizational skills, and forethought. An encouraging smile wouldn't hurt either!

Day 5: A Sketch of My Classroom

My classroom is long. The walls are plain white and I have very few posters or images up. I've been in it for two years, but it looks like I just moved in. I've been blaming it on my lack of bulletin boards, but I'm  creative enough to overcome that obstacle. I thinks it's just being a little overwhelmed! I've been too busy to keep up. 

Time to plan.... Perhaps a string and some clothes pins to hang student work along the walls? The Digital Design classes are just finishing their self portraits, those would look great up there! Perhaps a board with 5 or 6 pioneers of computing? Buzz feed had a great article about female pioneers. I could mine that for info and pictures.

Hopefully I won't spill my coffee as I'm hanging and stringing!