7. What if You only had 36 Weeks?

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practices.



Every morning I drive over the southern end of the Black Mountains and am treated to beautiful sunrises, as well as a 6% grade downhill. (This means that for every 100 feet, the mountain descends 6 feet) that opens to the east into a beautiful county. Our kids came Tuesday. I have known them as students for four days. They have already changed my life. They are our future and the future looks bright!

What if you only had 36 weeks?
I do wonder. What really matters?

I am thinking that there are two things that matter to me. First, students matter. I have taught them (the students) for four days. Yes, my feet are tired; yes, I did not sleep much the first week; and yes, I love them. They are magical, tireless, and willing; they are respectful, and silly, and make some fabulous and some poor decisions; they are gentle, and mean, and insightful, and worried; they are compassionate, and insensitive and then sensitive, and precious. They need teachers who care about them, as they are, and who want to help them be better people! There is a sense among the teachers at our school that this group should be designated as our "Students to Watch". Overall, they have come to us with a reputation of being a wonderful group of students!
Secondly, we must embrace those who make up our school community: children, teachers, administrators, support personnel, parents, and community partners. By embracing I mean get to know them, work with them, and honor the gifts they bring.

Advice

1) Structure. You will hear this in any and every education class. Structure is paramount and giving students clear expectations across every element of the class period is very important. We use the following format in our class:
*Practice
*Do
*Communicate
*Create
Our language function is ANALYZE.
I know, it is just another way to say warm-up, give notes, practice, and apply... but I like it.

The other structure I use is a modified CHAMP model of classroom management. It is part of the Safe and Civil Schools Network (safeandcivilschools.com). I use a quadrant approach to let students know if they are to work alone (quadrant 1), with a partner (quadrant 2), as a team (quadrant 3), or whole class (quadrant 4). For each of the categories associated with CHAMP, I let students know what my expectations are. If there is no conversation, I place a magnet on 1 next to Conversation; if they can communicate with a partner the magnet is on 2, if they can talk to anyone at their table, it is on 3, and if they can talk to anyone in the room, it is on 4. The same goes for asking for Help. Usually if there is a test, there is no talking; they are working alone, quadrant 1. The Activity indicates whether they are working alone (quadrant 1), with a partner (quadrant 2), as a team (quadrant 3), or as a whole class (quadrant 4). Pair and group activities give students opportunities to collaborate and communicate. Expectations related to Movement are always good to share. Quadrant 1 means, no movement; quadrant 2, only one of the members of the pair may move; quadrant 3, only one member of the team can move; and quadrant 4, the whole class can move. The last expectation I give has to do with the final Product. My approach differs from the actual CHAMP model. (CHAMP model explains the P as it relates to Participation.) I use product to indicate if they are turning in their own work (quadrant 1), work they have completed with a partner (quadrant 2), team work (quadrant 3), or whole class (quadrant 4).

 

So far all is good!!

2) Team Work! A second important thing you can do as a beginning teacher is to be a team player. I happen to be working with an amazing, caring, passionate team. Our personalities, to me, center on respect and trust for all members. We are all different and bring different, important elements to the team. In one week I have seen and been able to participate in collaboration, as well as the sharing of information about our students. (Today I did almost faint when the nurse was showing us how to use an Epi Pen and she shoved it into the leg of my team mate; it wasn't loaded; I didn't know that.) We have conversations before school, during lunch, and after school, conversations about our students that are constructive, that focus on their needs, that provide us with more insight in to how to help them be successful. My team mates have shared with me their knowledge, their tools, their insights that have made me feel welcome. I believe one of the most important things in teaming is valuing one another as individuals, as educators, whose focus is students.

3) Ask! The third piece of advice I have is to reach out. I have the gift of working with another math teacher who has shared her files with me. She is the vertical team leader. I have come with few resources. Her format and her approach to teaching math are proven to be successful. It is my hope to learn as much from her as I can so that all or students will be successful. To pre-service teachers, never think you know everything. There are those around you who are gifted educators; they are your resource... rely on them!

4) Celebrate. Next is the importance and value of celebrating!!! Yesterday we were told that, Friday is "Spirit Day" and teachers are invited to wear jeans and the school t-shirts to show pride. My team leader sent an email to the staff to encourage us to bring gifts/treats to our administrators. What a great idea!!! Only I didn't bring anything. So, I allowed our students to participate in this Spirit Day event. At the beginning of each class I had small strips of paper 8 1/2 x 1/2 for them to write appreciation notes to our administrators and our team mates. (It took ten minutes and was part of the practice.) We made "Spirit Chains" for these leaders. What an easy way to allow students to say thank you. (: And now we each have appreciation chains so that if we forget; we have evidence that our students appreciate us.

5) Advocate. My fifth piece of advice is to be an advocate for all stakeholders. There are several people in any school who are 'behind the scenes', yet provide such a gift. They are the administrative assistants who greet and meet everyone. On the first day of school our administrator patiently helped about twenty students find out what bus they rode. The custodians in our school are amazing. I asked the head custodian what I could do to help his staff. He said, "Put the chairs on top of the tables." I asked the custodian in our wing on Friday afternoon how the kids were doing keeping the restrooms clean. She shared, "Well, the boys had paper towel wads that had been saturated and thrown and there was some graffiti on the walls."  The administrative assistants (we have two) keep up with everything: logistics, supplies, discipline, student-schedules and have shown more patience than you can even imagine!   The guidance counselors, nurse, assistant principals, and principal, as well as others are amazing people. Our principal took a child to her office to call the little girl's mom to find out where she should get off the bus on the first day of school. Both assistant principals have been in my room, connecting with the students. One AP shared a math puzzler with my students that captured their thinking and made them smile. (He faced away from the board, asked the student to write a 3-digit number on the board so all could see, then asked them to reverse the numbers - 256 to 652. He then asked for one of the digits (tens, ones or hundreds) and told them the original number.)  (:

What I see in this school is that everyone is working so that our students are successful. As beginning teachers, my advice is to find a way to let those people know they are valued and that you appreciate them! No one should feel that they do not matter. Verbal acknowledgements of appreciation to your students, your administrative team, the support personnel, and your team mates must be shared openly!

6) Do your paperwork! Okay, next piece of advice is to get organized!! You have to sign in everyday! You have to call roll every day and our team recommends calling roll every period. The newest technologies allow for you to set up online grade books, online correspondence, and many teachers have their own websites. Use them. It is expected; it is needed. Communication is your friend.
In order to get class lists, set up homework lines, and to access information about our students, we have to complete many modules (okay, only four). On Thursday afternoon, I finally finished the correct modules and voila, the system crashed. It came back on for us around 1:30 Friday afternoon. Thank goodness for good old fashion folders and paper. Your team mates will have systems for organizing. All that being said, have a backup plan, a backup system!

7) Live it wide open! My final piece of advice today is to take care of yourself. Every day I take my lunch: a sandwich and an apple. Every day I drink water. Drink lots of water. Every day I go for a walk. I have to say, it would be so easy to lie down and take a nap, or unfold my lessons and lesson plans and student papers onto the table to begin working on the next day, but i don't. I took time to breathe, to unwind. You have to take care of yourself!

What if I only have 36 weeks? I hope I will give 110% every day to try to make a difference in the lives of those who are in our school community: students, teachers, administrators, support personnel, parents, and community. I hope I will embrace the experience. Friends, we only have 36 weeks to make a difference in the lives of these children, these colleagues, this community.

15. Parents and Guardians: The most important part of a team

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* The school actively involves families in the education of their children. Family Involvement

I describe teaming as a triangle. I believe the best teams are made up of students, parents and guardians, and teachers. When a middle school team balances responsibility, care, and advocacy on all three elements of a team, great things can happen. We all have a role in helping middle school students be successful. Parents are particularly important.

Last night was 'Meet the Teacher Night'. Parents and caseworkers, guardians, and grandparents came to our school. In the cafeteria, parents met the PTO leaders and the school nurse. We are a full-service middle school. Guardians were given the cafeteria procedures, waivers to sign, and were greeted by guidance counselors and administration. Once they left the cafeteria, each team welcomed parents, gave them a "supply list" and common lists of rules and behaviors.

About one-third of my parents showed up. I gave their child a math book to take home and shared procedures for homework and quizzes. However, my focus was to establish a connection with each parent and the families of these students. I spoke individually with about 35 parents. Parents want the following:
1) They want to know that you as their teacher want to work with them and their child;
2) They want to know there is a chance for their child to be successful and to know what you as a team will do to ensure their child has opportunities for remediation and/or enrichment; and
3) They want to know how they will know how their child is doing

Based on last night's conversations, I believe we need to think about how we can capitalize on this "event." The draw for this was that students received their schedules and supplies lists. I would recommend the following:

1) Make Meet the Teacher a spaghetti dinner. Highlight activities and events students can participate in. Treat it as a celebration of the school community. 4:45 - 5:30.
2) Have a speaker who encourages parent/student relationships and student motivation 5:30 - 5:42 - someone from the community or district or the Teacher of the Year from the school.
3) Give parents "tips for middle school success" 5:42 - 5:50.
4) Send parents to children's homeroom for an orientation to what students' days will be like, how the team will contact parents, and fill out forms. 5:50 - 6:15.
5) Rotate the parents, with their child through the child's schedule (5 minutes per period - including the change of class, ring the bell) 6:15, 6:20, 6:25, 6:30, 6:35 - 6:40.
6) At 6:40 come over the intercom, tell them about Spartan Time (advisory, remediation/enrichment, club time), they should be back at their homeroom; thank them for coming.

Advice

1) For open house or any time a parent comes by: Create a form that has a place for child's name, parent/guardian, phone, email. (My team leader shared a copy of this with me.)

2) As a team, create a welcome newsletter complete with your email information. (We sat down as a team and updated last year's.)

3) Determine structures that will be consistent across team members (scheduled tests, read thirty minutes every night, homework expectations).

4) Provide a supply list (we asked students to bring in a ream of paper as part of supplies) and don't be afraid to have a wish list (Our chorus teacher asked for a keyboard and has been given two!!).

5) Think about how you will communicate regularly with parents. With email it is possible to keep in touch with a percentage of parents. In addition, there are "Parent Portals" that provide parents with students' grades and behavior information. Think about how to ensure all parents receive information. I gave students weekly progress reports when I was teaching. Consider your non-English speaking parents and how you and your team will communicate with them.

16. The Essence of a Strong "Community" starts with Relationship

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*The school includes community and business partners. Community & Business

I have participated in three days of orientation at my new district. I was struck by the consistency with which we heard how deeply committed the district educational leaders, school board members, and community partners are to the children in this system. Even today when the research analyst was giving an overview of EVAAS (Educational Value-Added Assessment System), his first words were 'our children are more than a test score'. The spirit and energy and sheer joy and pleasure to be "in this together" permeated every speaker, every event, every exercise we participated in. I am reminded of the importance of starting the year in celebration and anticipation, in advocacy and joy, under the umbrella that teachers are valued at all levels. 

Superintendent Garrett welcoming the new teachers to the County.

I was also struck by how the district appears to not only "grow their own" teachers (about half of the new teachers grew up in this district), but also how open the entire community has been to welcoming new members, from outside the district, to their system. I was further inspired by the efforts taken by this district and their partners to ensure that their children's health and nutritional needs are taken care of. This full-service school system is truly addressing the needs of the whole child. And while we often hear people complaining about government cutbacks, the needs of these children, in this district, are being taken care of.

It appears that this system also takes their role of nurturing and advocating for new teachers very seriously. Every day we heard stories of how teachers make a difference. We heard from multiple stakeholders: The superintendent, instructional coaches, the president of the school board, the mayor, and the head of the Chamber of Commerce. Every one of them talked about the importance and value of relationships. Everyone spoke from the heart and inspired us to build relationships.

We rode on a school bus through the entire district taking in the diverse communities we serve; we participated in exercises to learn more about the demographics of this district, state laws, how community partners assist in supporting the children, and we learned ways to engage all learners.

The plethora of instructional coaches, who will look after us, are the former and current movers and shakers of the district. Their experiences are wide and deep; and their expertise collectively expands over a century of innovation, passion, and reflection on what it takes to meet the needs of the children in this district. Their enthusiasm and expertise were presented openly and held a "we can do this" spirit of support and dedication to helping new teachers be successful personally and professionally. One new teacher shared, "I feel like this district has a plan and I feel good about working with them." One of the coaches shared, "The leadership in this district is ripe to make a difference." You could feel the electricity of "we can do this; and we want you to help us" throughout the three days.

The orientation followed guidelines from the state and laid a foundation for beginning teachers.
I hope that all beginning teachers are given the support and inspiration that this district has given to us.

Advice

1) Start every year, regardless of whether it is your first or 30th year, whether you are a principal, assistant, custodian, administrative assistant, media specialist, guidance counselor, or teacher, in celebration and anticipation, in advocacy and joy, under the umbrella that together we can make a difference.

2) Nurture and advocate for beginning teachers. It cannot be a once and done experience. Support must be sustained, ongoing, intentional, and differentiated.

3) We must never forget that we truly do make a difference in the lives of children.

4) School districts must dig deeply into the depth veteran teachers bring and veteran teachers must dig deeply into the importance of advocating for and supporting those who are beginning their journey.

5) It's all about relationships to improve morale, take on challenges, risks, and make a difference.

10. Nesting in your classroom/your home

10. Nesting in your classroom

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships.

When you walk into your classroom, what does it feel like?

This week I walk into my classroom for the first time. Wonderful windows, lots of light, funky new desks that can tessellate, lots of board space, and tall ceilings welcome me. Stationary objects include a pencil sharpener, computer outlet, document camera, an overhead LCD projector, whiteboards, windows, and a door. I spend six hours moving furniture around, hanging curtains, unpacking boxes and materials, and seeking to create a space that is welcoming and functional. I focus on visual space, work space, and movement. It is the beginning.

Advice 

1) When setting up the environment, start with the shell, the nest. Think about how students need their own personal space, need to have access to materials, and how you need access to them. 

2) Start by peeking in teammates' classes to see how they configured their rooms. Are you a person who uses more direct instruction? If so, set your class in a matrix (rows x columns). Or do you see the classroom as a community with spaces for small group, individual and/or pair groupings? What does the environment feel like? Does it feel safe? When you enter the room, does it feel like you can be productive? Think about what inspires you, what you need. Include your needs in the design.

3) Think about color, plants, lighting, books, materials, photographs, quotes that inspire you, and music. Your environment actually sets the tone for the classroom. Invest in elements of Feng Shui. Your classroom should bring you energy and peace. Your classroom environment should say, 'Welcome! I am glad you are here. We are going to do great things together.'

4) Right now there is no art work, no music, no photographs or quotes on the walls; but it feels peaceful; it feels welcoming. It feels like a nest of support.

1. & 7. Going back: One Teacher's Journey

1. & 7. Going Back

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Educators value young adolescents and are prepared to teach them. Value Young Adolescents
* Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practices. Committed Leaders

It is a new year. All across the country middle school students, guardians of middle school children, and teachers are preparing. Some children are like horses in the gate; others are oblivious; still others are anxious, nervous, and afraid. Children are preparing to step further into the world of young adolescence and that world is sometimes filled with uncertainty and opportunity, disappointment, and new challenges. Parents are possibly capturing, reigning in, the last-minute memories of their children growing up right before their eyes. They too may be anxious, nervous, and hopeful. In some cases they may be preparing to sail into uncharted waters. But teachers are preparing to change the world. Some are in workshops; some are packing or unpacking books, artifacts, resources; some are spending the last days of summer finishing a novel, walking along the beach with friends and/or family, imagining the freshness, the newness, capturing the spirit of 'the new year.' Some are organizing their educational world and some are collaborating with colleagues around the globe.

I have always wished to be able to bottle the spirit of 'the new year.' It is hope. It is a blank canvas as big as the sky. It is uncharted waters that will see sunny days as well as storms, glorious starry nights, spectacular sunrises, dangers, and amazing possibilities. It is the belief that through it all, together, we can make a difference in the lives of young people. When children, their parents, and teachers build a commitment to making a difference it can happen. Let's prepare to change the world together. It is a new year, let's make it our year! I am in. Are you?

Advice

1) Think about how to get to know 'your team.' (If you are an elective teacher, and are not part of a team, find a team to join.) Team is the most important organizational structure In a middle school.

2) Who are the teachers with whom you work; who are the guardians of the children; who are the children?

3) What are their strengths, their interests? What makes them laugh? What do they love? What do they hope for? What are they good at? Relationships matter; build them.