11. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee

11. Wheeeeeeeee!

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all. School Environment

Several years ago, there was a commercial of a pig, with her arm hanging out the window of a car, her chin up, eyelashes blowing in the wind, singing, “wheeeeeeeeeee., wheeeeeeeeeee, wheeeeeeee.” The driver turns in her seat and says, “Hey, we are home. You can stop.” Today I felt like that pig. The car is stopped and yet, like the pig, I am still living the sensational joy of the “wheee, wheee, wheee, all the way home.”

Last night I shared, “I hope when I retire, I feel this way. I have lived the dream."

Many years ago, I was introduced to Margaret Mead. She was a cultural anthropologist who would live in cultures to study them. I was fascinated by the concept. In the 1980s, Paul George, one of the early middle school movers and shakers, worked closely with a middle school in Gainesville; and every year he spent two weeks teaching a unit in social studies. These two individuals, by living and writing about their experiences, inspired me to live what I believe.

The experience has been magical, challenging, inspiring, painful, worrisome, hopeful, passionate, disappointing, defeating, uplifting, and amazing.

Advice

1)   If you choose to teach, I hope you will always remember, teaching is not just a job. It involves a tremendous amount of time, energy, commitment, and advocacy for children, parents, colleagues, and administration.

2)   Learn as much as you can about young adolescents. Their world is bombarded with social media, where reality and fiction may not be easily distinguishable.

3)   Learn as much as you can about working collaboratively with others. Being a team player, in word and in action, takes on new meaning in a school.

4)   Make lessons that allow students to dig deeply into meaning and communication. Give all students (gifted and exceptional) opportunities to think critically and creatively.

5)   "Relationships matter; but relationships alone are not enough." My colleague, Nancy Mizelle shared this nugget of insight.

6)   When I was teaching at Shorter College, our middle school group had the following inscription on the back of our t-shirts, “If you can’t reach them, you can’t teach them.” Always reflect on who your students are and what they need.

I have loved this year!!! Yes, if I had it to do over again, I would do it over again. I am forever thankful for a district, a principal, a staff, who gave me a year to immerse myself in the culture of a middle school; a system of educators who believe, like I do, that going back into a classroom is a valuable experience. Thank you McDowell County Public School system!!!

11. Seize every opportunity to applaud and encourage

11. Seize every opportunity to applaud and encourage those around us who make things better for students.  

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all. School Environment

Yesterday ended Teacher Appreciation Week. The student council gave us a poem and chocolates. The librarian and assistants served breakfast to us. The PTO gave us Bob’s Donuts, a local business famous for yummy donuts; one student wrote a letter to us; and two others gave personal notes of appreciation.  To end the week, our teammate was named Secondary Teacher of the Year for our district, (Hooray for Jeremy) and our superintendent sent the following message.

Good Afternoon:

As I sit here at the end of Teacher Appreciation Week, I did not want to go home without letting each of you know how much I sincerely appreciate you.  You and your fellow educators do so much for the students of McDowell County that one day, one week, or even one month cannot possibly come close to thanking you enough.  In a world where most folks have to wonder what kind of difference they are making on their communities and beyond, educators like you know the impact you have.  I want to thank you for choosing McDowell County Schools as your home.  We are all better for it.

We had the annual Teacher of the Year banquet last evening.  This is one of my favorite nights of the year because we get to celebrate colleagues and brag on them out loud.  The shame is that we can only honor thirteen teachers at this one event when countless more could be right there with them.  As I was listening to all the glowing things being said, it occurred to me that we don't need to wait until an official event or dedicated week to let our fellow educators know how much we value them and their many contributions.  I challenge all to seize every opportunity we have to applaud and encourage those around us who make things better for students.  

As a final culmination of Teacher Appreciation Week, it is my pleasure to announce that Carrie Franklin (K,1,2 at Glenwood Elementary) is the 2016-17 McDowell County Schools Teacher of the Year.  Jeremy Gardin (8th-grade social studies at West McDowell Middle) has been selected as the Secondary Teacher of the Year.  Please join me in congratulating these two great teachers.  Now more importantly, please join me in celebrating all of our great McDowell County Schools educators for the passion and dedication they bring to our schools each and every day.  You change student lives for the better.  Know that I am humbled and honored to serve alongside you.

With sincerest appreciation and immense gratitude,

-Mark

My favorite line is, “I challenge all to seize every opportunity we have to applaud and encourage those around us who make things better for students.”

The year is coming to a close. In classes we are reviewing strategies and content; teams are taking field trips; our jazz band is performing at elementary schools, and the turn in the weather and the ending of the year is revealing new, sometimes challenging, behaviors in some students.

We, as teachers, are under much pressure. How our children perform on the exams in this state is the only measure of our worth. So, to hear appreciation from those we work with and for, and to hear celebrations of our colleague, reminds us that we, too, are more than a test score. Teaching is rich, powerful, and important. We are all contributing to the well-being and the futures of our children!

Here’s to us!

Advice

1)   At some point, you need to let a teacher know he/she made a difference in your life, for this is the essence of our passion. In fact, write lots of letters, not emails… well okay, send some emails. (:  (I have a letter that a student wrote me in the fall. She is thirteen. She wrote it on the back of her test. It is framed and on my desk to remind me that I made a difference to her that day or that week.)

2)   Celebrate your colleagues. When you hear good things, share them. Last week, two of my students said, ‘Do you think Mr. Gardin will win the district Teacher of the Year?” They paused and then said, ‘I hope so.” I shared this conversation with Mr. Gardin. And while he has been overwhelmed with accolades, plaques, flowers, balloons, and dinners… comments like this, from his kids, are gems. When we value one another and share in the good work we are doing, we cannot help but pass on our love of what we do to our students.

3)   Our administrators and support personnel, our PTO and our parents also need to feel valued. I visit with one of our custodial colleague every afternoon. She is the reason our building is so welcoming and fresh. Our front office administrator is the voice and spirit who welcomes and troubleshoots all day, our book keepers keep all of us in compliance and remind us, often, of what is missing, with open hearts. We all need to say 'thank you.' Schools do not run themselves. So Teacher Appreciation can be a time for teachers to share their appreciation for all who are committed to children as well.

11. Learn to forgive your kids and yourself

11. Forgiveness

This we believe (NMSA, 2010)

*The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all.

School Environment

There have been times during this experience that I have felt the pressure of 'not being on my game.' Anyone who has participated in athletics or performing musically or intellectually knows what it looks like when the team or person is not connected, when, even with preparation and commitment, shots don't fall, landings are missed, notes are skipped, or words are misspelled. I had one of those moments yesterday.

I sometimes think our expectations exceed our abilities, and I think the frustrations associated with a class or a student, and those moments crush our spirit. Yesterday, I found myself getting frustrated with a student who appeared, to me, to be waiting for me to leave his side so he wouldn't have to participate; another student, several actually, through the course of an exam, in another class we're talking, and others appeared to be so lost that I wonder if they had been in class at all. 'People,' I boomed, 'make a table...', and this was my advanced class. At the end of the day I was tired, and felt like I had not handled the day well. Do my children really deserve someone who gets frustrated with their lack of motivation or abilities, or decisions? ..."

When I finally took a breath It was twelve hours later. I worried all night, through the night, about the spirit of teaching and how our own frustrations de-energize a classroom. As I backed out of my driveway I noticed the azaleas in the final stages of their blooming; and on my way to work, a beautiful gold and gray morning unfolded above the mountains. And I thought, you know, life is very short and we only have this one chance to help these kids. We have to take them where they are every day and encourage them, lead them, never give up on them.

This morning we, as a faculty, received an email from our school counselor sharing the following:

"I am sure that many of you have seen it happening.  In the counseling office I have seen a huge increase in bullying over the last few days.  Yesterday alone I had 7 bully referrals before lunch!....  As I walked in today I have several students who are in severe emotional distress..."

With an enlightened spirit, I will address today with a different view; the view that I only have about 30 hours left, 1.25 days of their precious lives.

Advice

1)    One of the hardest things to do is to not take students' attitudes personally.  I am not saying there are not students who deliberately want to sabotage a class. But the days when you aren't on your game, try not to beat yourself up. Most students will leave your class and forget they were acting like a middle school student.

2)    Evidently, I am reliving the stress of the end of a year. We are in the home stretch, literally. Three of my team mates are coaches and spending time after school, driving to pick up a bus during lunch, spending hours preparing for games, and working with about 25 students each every day after school and on game days trying to get everything ready for the kids. We are all tired. Recognize that your patience my falter, but these kids need us on their side every day. It is important to find coping skills and implement them...diet, exercise, hobbies, good books, movies, and bubble baths are good strategies.

3)    Mr. Childers (see 'It is about the journey, not the destination') says, 'Kids want to be accepted. If you make a mistake, ask for forgiveness.' I have found this to be true rough out this year. I also accept my students' apologies without hesitation. Forgiveness of your students and yourself is a key characteristic of a mindful teacher.

4)    Find someone whom you trust to share your disappointments. A good friend will let you vent for a little while, but will then, hopefully, remind you that you are human.

5)    Take time for yourself. Engage in a hobby, or craft, or activity that is healthy for your spirit.

6)    Talk to your school counselors when you see a change in your students' behaviors. 

11. Dealing with stress: It is real

11. Dealing with stress: It is real

Spring break just ended. I was surprised to realize how much I needed some "down time." By "down time," I mean time to play, socialize, stay up late, cook out, spend time with family, paint, walk on the beach, visit with my sister. As teachers, we spend a lot of time planning, a lot of time reflecting, and during school days, are solving problems, helping students, intervening, calling parents, diffusing behaviors, creating experiences, challenging our students academically, and communicating with multiple colleagues and staff. It is no wonder that when we finally get to spring break, we are surprised how tired we are. However, we are not the only ones who are dealing with stress.

On the first day back from spring break, half of our students went on an eighth-grade field trip to Atlanta. Those left behind participated in a local field trip, a movie, and an afternoon at our local Greenway for fishing and a time to enjoy our community. The latter events were planned by the teachers who stayed behind. All students were back by Thursday. Those who had attended the Atlanta trip were happy, but very tired. 

.....

There are eight weeks left in this school year. It is hard to believe. In the last eight weeks of school, there are field trips, assemblies, testing, sports seasons ending, and celebrations. I hear that the weeks will fly. I am concerned about how to close out the year emotionally with my students. We are gearing up for the end of grade/end of course testing, benchmark testing, and final nine-weeks of grading. Students have signed up for high school classes. It is spring; and with spring there is the possibility of a lack of focus with some students. I will let you know how we do. (:

Tuckman (1965) identified stages of group development. The last stage is "adjourning." At this stage there can be a sense of loss, a sense of 'what could we have done differently?' My hope for our students is that it will be a time of reflection towards their future. My hope for all of us is that we recognize the stress associated with closing out a school year, and looking to the future with hope and anticipation, and direction. And in the meantime, my hope is that we take care of one another and ourselves.

Advice

1) Your students experience stress. Their stressors are different than ours; however, the impact of stress is real. We must be aware of this, talk about it, and plan strategies for helping our students recognize and deal with stress. 

2) Your students' parents experience stress. I have watched our students grow taller, and I am hearing conversations that suggest they are more "aware" of who they are, who others are, and are listening to and participating in social media much more than they were in August. We must work with our PTA organizations to support parents as they navigate their role in helping their children be successful consumers of information.

3) Your colleagues and administrators experience stress. Trying to maintain "calm seas" in a middle school is always at the forefront of administrators. Now, more than ever, our administrators need to see we support them. 

4) Finally, each of us needs to take a look within our own spirits, seek ways to connect with our own inner-peace, and seek ways to support those we are working with. We must balance our commitment to our job, to our families, to our students, and to ourselves.

11. Security over break

11.  Security over break

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all. School Environment

When we go on break, our central administration sends out a reminder to take the time to secure our building and prepare equipment in order to conserve power. One of the things we can do, as consumers of energy, is to close our blinds and make sure all equipment is powered down. If we each do our part, our districts can conserve power and save money. We are all responsible for helping. I like his spirit of encouragement for members of our educational community to consider these recommendations on a daily basis. The following is a list of recommendations from our Energy Manager!

First of all, Thanks to all of you that are taking our energy savings program seriously. I have been getting more feedback, which is a tell-tell sign that many are in the game and not just onlookers! Again, I cannot express enough that it is you that makes the real difference in this effort!

So with that said, I just wanted to send this quick reminder to take advantage of this next week in regard to energy savings. During Spring Break we can potentially save up to 20% of monthly energy consumption if we plan accordingly. The savings is certainly worth the effort!! Please take the time to read and implement our normal drill at this time of year. At the end of today, please take ownership of your particular workspace and kindly apply these simple steps which hopefully have become healthy daily habits;

·       lower and close window blinds at exterior walls

·       power down electronic devices, fans, and personal lamps

·       power down (not just sleep mode) computers, printers, work-stations, monitors, speakers, etc.

·       turn off all lights including storage closets

·       (where applicable) set manually controlled thermostats to 74 degree

·       cafeteria workers to power down dishwasher boosters

·       respectfully hold each other accountable-if a co-worker is non-compliant, kindly remind them, we accomplish much more if we work as a team

·       where possible, start shutting down early- for instance you don't necessarily have to wait until dismissal time to power down computers if you're done working with computers earlier

·       Stop and think before you leave your work space. Rooms should be dark and quiet! Remember, buildings don't use energy, people do!

Thank you again for your attention to these matters. Have a safe and Blessed Spring Break!!

11 A Middle School Dance Story by John Swaim

A Middle School Dance Memory by John Swaim

This we believe. (2010). NMSA

*The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all. School Environment

This we believe (NMSA, 2010) provides sixteen characteristics of exemplary middle schools. This is the eleventh characteristic and falls under the category of Culture and Community. Supporting the environment means looking for ways to create experiences for young adolescents that meet their social and emotional needs. In addition, we as educators and administrators must be present and willing to participate in their experiences.  We must listen with our eyes, our ears, our feet, and our hearts. The following is a memory shared by John Swaim of his experience as a middle school principal.

One of your blogs reminded me of a memorable moment of an interaction with a middle school student when I was a principal. It taught me a valuable lesson about how sensitive and vulnerable young adolescents are at this age. This indeed is a critical and unique time in their lives and we cannot lose sight of who they are. 

We were having our annual, end of the year, middle school dance.  All seventh and eighth graders were invited, and sixth graders could attend with parent permission.  It had come down to the last dance, and of course, it was a slow dance.  As I looked out on the dance floor the students were entwined in each other’s arms. 

I turned to see a young seventh-grade girl, who was dressed fit to kill, with make-up that was close to being excessive, walking toward me.  She stopped right in front of me, looked up, and ask, “Mr. Swaim will you dance with me?”

I didn’t hesitate and said, “Sure I would be glad to”. 

As we walked out to the dance floor we stopped and she started to put her arms around me like every body else on the dance floor.  I quickly told her that I was not taught to dance like that, and I was afraid if I tried to dance that way I would probably step on her feet.  I showed her the old traditional stand, and she seemed to be okay with it; it was as if she was just glad to be on the dance floor.

When the music stopped she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said,  “Thanks, you were the only one I danced with tonight.” 

I said,” Wait a minute. I saw several boys who also didn’t dance; and I think they, or at least some of them, were afraid to ask you to dance because they thought you would turn them down.” 

She sighed and responded, “You really think so?” 

I said, “I think that it is absolutely the reason!” 

She then rationalized that she was sure that Jimmy, her best friend, would have asked her to dance; and she would have danced with him if he would have only asked. 

Her tender tears were not completely gone, but at least they were not washing away her make-up.  Then, as we were walking off the dance floor she made a comment that only a seventh grade, early adolescent girl, could make in this situation, “You know I don’t understand boys sometime.”

Lesson Learned

Too often when young adolescents approach either a parent or a teacher, with what they consider a serious problem, we tend to put it into the same category as what would be considered to be a serious problem for an adult.  Not being asked to dance is just as serious to a young adolescent girl as losing a job is to an adult, at that moment.  The immediate feeling is the same. 

The difference is, adults have the ability, in most cases, to put the problem in perceptive; and adults have strategies to deal with problems; whereas the young adolescent has not developed these coping skills. It is important that we look at the problems our young adolescent face through their lens, the lens of young adolescents, and then find ways to help them cope with their problems.