This Isn't My Story

 English class in 7th grade is not about writing a five-paragraph essay or diagramming sentences (sorry ELA teacher friends, but it’s just not in 7th grade). It’s about communicating effectively, reading and thinking critically, finding your voice, and being able to tell your story. It’s a tough and awkward time for everyone.

I want to share one of my former student’s stories. It won’t ever be finished, and if it were a five-paragraph essay, it probably wouldn't be an "A" paper, and that’s why I’m sharing here.

I spent my lunch yesterday talking with three of my students from last school year. We were standing in my classroom talking about one of their former classmates. I could tell they were holding back and they were not sure what to say, so I said what do you remember about class last year? They began to talk and open up.

One of the kids pulls out their phone and shared a video from our class last year- they said they used to record and take pictures all the time because they wanted to remember this class. In my head I thought, maybe these kids are onto something with how they use their phones.

Then I heard his voice and his laugh, I had to turn around and compose myself. I turned back around and one of the kids hands me the tissue box and the other says, “You know what he told me Mr. Storm? That you changed his life. He really liked you.”

I have been thinking about that and trying to understand that. I knew Emmanuel for about four months. Is it possible to make an impact on a life in that short amount of time? I just don’t know.

When Emmanuel walked into our class of 20 or so - a class with amazingly strong “personalities” the dynamics immediately changed.

I was going over dedications and getting into poetry. I was sharing a story about Lauren Hill- a 19 year old college basketball player diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. We talked about being dedicated and what it means to do something for others and how life is so short, but we can accomplish a lot if we try. (ELA teacher friends, I'd call that "irony").

Our assignment was for each student to pick a moment that they would hopefully experience in their lives and dedicate it to someone else- to think beyond themselves.

Emmanuel looked at me and said, “I’m not doing that Mister”. I sat down and talked to him about the assignment, and he looked at me, one Air Pod in his ear, and just shook his head. I felt like he was thinking “Who is this guy?”- but probably not in those exact words lol.

I made a comment to him about his sneakers as we sat there, he smiled and laughed. I don't remember exactly what I said and was about to make a comment about my own sneakers and the bell rang and he left. I thought to myself, “This is going to be tough, but I like him- his smile and laugh certainly will take him far. The kids got a great personality.“

The day went on and about an hour later there was a knock on my door. I was in the middle of teaching, and I walked to the door and opened it. Emmanuel stood there, in his red sweatshirt hood up, both Air Pods in smiling- and said, “I did my assignment” I said to him aren’t you supposed to be in math class? He pulled his hood off, smiled and handed a folded paper to me. He told me to read it.

I stood in the hallway with him and read the letter below. It was his story to share but he’s no longer here to do that. When I finished reading it I just wanted to hug this tall, lanky teenager standing in front of me. But that would be awkward lol, so I stood there, put my hand out, dapped him up and put my hand on his shoulder and told him “Thanks for sharing this man…I’ve only known you a few hours, but I’m sure your brother would be proud. I can’t wait to see what you do while you’re here. Now get back to math.” He put his hood up, his Air Pods back in, cranked up his music, and I watched him walk down the hall.

We had many, many talks and moments over the course of his short time in our classroom.

And then came the day where I found out he would be leaving. He came into the classroom and told me he was heading to another foster family, I didn’t know what to say. I could tell he was upset, but still trying to act tough.

I asked him where and he said “Whitehall.”

I said “That’s awesome! You're lucky. My wife’s a teacher in the high school there. You look her up when you get there. She’ll take care of you- she’s not into sneakers like me, but she’s pretty cool. Not many people get to experience two "Storms" in their life!” He just looked at me with a smile and shook his head. He walked out my door and I would never see him again.

Yesterday, my former students and I talked about him and how life has no guarantees. It’s fleeting. They laughed at the videos from our classroom, they cried and so did I. I think my tears were for so much more than a tragic accident that took the life of a 15 year old boy.

Maybe it’s not the teacher that can change a life? Maybe, just maybe, it’s the students that can change a teacher’s life?

Rest easy Emmanuel.

What They Don't Tell Us

There are things they don't tell us in our education courses.

"I want to tell you something...

   ...my best friend was raped.
   ...I might be pregnant.
   ...my dad kicked the **** out of me.
   ...I don't have food in my house.
   ...my parents are getting a divorce.
   ...I miss my dog.
   ...those aren't scratches, they're cuts.
   ...I just feel so sad all the time.
   ...my parents drink a lot.
   ...I'm getting new foster parents tomorrow.
   ...my dad's in jail.
   ...the police were at my house again last night
   ...I'm depressed.
   ...we don't have a house.
    ...I feel so alone."

"Let me tell you something...

   ...my door is always open.
   ...I care.
   ...we'll find a way to get through it.
   ...I am so sorry this is happening.
   ...there are many people here that care about you.
   ...I will always listen, but won't always have answers.
   ...education can help get you away from this.
   ...I will always stop when I see you upset.
   ...you are not alone.
   ...this sucks.
   ...I'm here if you need to talk.
   ...I will do my best to get help.
   ...you can do this.
   ...I don't know why.
   ...it may take time, but you will be okay.
   ...I promise.
   ...I believe in you."

"I want to tell you something...

   ...you make me smile.
   ...I wish I was your kid.
   ...you really get us.
   ...I miss your class.
   ...you are always there for us.
   ...I love coming to your class.
   ...you believe in me.
   ...I made this for you.
   ...you are going to be at graduation, right?
   ...I wish you were my teacher next year.
   ...you are my favorite teacher, ever.
   ...I'm going to come to visit!
   ...you believe in all of us.
   ...thank you."

There are things they don't tell us in our education courses.

It's Okay to Burn the Brownies

#FAIL

Learning really is about burning the brownies. It's about being short on ingredients and problem-solving. It's about realizing that maybe your problem solving didn't work, and that's okay. Ultimately, when those brownies don't come out the way you hoped, it's about putting on that apron and trying again...

For the last several months, my thirteen-year-old daughter has been watching cooking shows -- Chopped Junior, Cupcake Wars, Master Chef Junior...bascially anything involving cooking. She's even been practicing her British accent in case she's ever selected to go on an international cooking show. Clearly, she's begun to develop a very strong interest in the culinary arts. However, it wasn't until yesterday that she actually picked up the "apron" and put it on.

As I was sitting at my son's baseball game, my daughter and I shared a series of texts:

This conversation speaks volumes about learning. It's become a bit cliche, "FAIL" - "we need to let kids fail", and the list goes on. But it's true. The part we are missing from education really is that First Attempt In Learning. Kids need to be willing to take risks, not be afraid of failing and to try new things - - things that they are genuinely interested in.

 I've attempted this own kind of learning in my classroom - my students have been working on "Genius Hour" or passion-based projects (check out Joy Kirr's livebinder for more info) over the course of the year and cannot wait to see what my students' final work looks like. Will they all have amazing projects and presentations? Probably not...but they all have had the opportunity the successes and the failures, and have gone through the process of putting on that "apron".

By the way, here's the last few messages of our conversation. Next time I'll be sure to have eggs.

Positivity Challenge

Stay positive...and be kind to each other.

Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot

Hansa Proverb

Our school was inspired by Jamie McSparin of Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri  to take the Positivity Challenge and show just how awesome our school is! Teachers selected a few students to thank and we explained to them how much they mean to us. The hardest part for the teachers was picking a student - every teacher that responded to the challenge said they could have picked all of their students! We're blessed to teach such amazing students. Thank you to all of the amazing students we teach daily -- enjoy the video and see some of the amazing kids we teach.

We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.

Stay positive...and be kind to each other.

Out of All the Teachers...

One of the first people I met when I started teaching was Ellen. Ellen was kind, considerate, and always asking how my day was. One of the best compliments I can give Ellen is that she reminded me of my grandmother.  For a rookie teacher, anyone who took an interest in how you were doing was a blessing. Just spending a minute talking with her and you knew she was genuine and really cared about you. Ellen was our building's janitor. I would get to know her very well over the next few years and would eventually have her grandson as one of my students.

Yesterday, I received a phone call from one of my former students. He sounded a bit down and told me what no teacher ever wants to hear, "Mr. Storm, I have some bad news." He went on to tell me that his grandmother had just passed away yesterday and asked if I would be able to attend the funeral. He told me out of all the teachers she worked with and got to know, you were the one she always talked about. She really cared about you.

As I write this I think about the many relationships I've developed over the years - from superintendents, to principals, to teachers, students, and janitors. These are what make teaching the most important job in the world. Every one of the people I've met over the years has left a mark on me. I only hope that I will be able to leave the same mark on people that Ellen left on me.

Teacher of the Game #MarchMadness

“Young men (and women) need more models, not critics” 

– John Wooden

Buzzer Beaters

I'm a huge fan of basketball - from the high school to college to  the pro level.  I've never played it, but when I was dating the woman I would eventually marry she was a member of a very good Division III team that competed in the Division III National Championship as a freshman. I have many fond memories of watching her play and compete throughout the majority of her college career  - and she even had her picture in Sports Illustrated as she so often points out. Sitting with her grandmother and parents watching her compete is where I began to truly appreciate the game of basketball and what it can offer to people outside of the sport.

My love for the sport continues to grow - watching all three of my kids play and compete I am always learning something new. I couldn't be more proud of what they accomplish on the courts and believe it helps shape how they are off the court. I'm honored to say my oldest son will be playing on an AAU team with ties to Detroit Piston Darrun Hilliard this summer as my daughter begins her AAU season and my youngest son picks up his bat.

My daughter's team (at the time of this post) has a 70-2 record over the last 4 years

My 8th grade son starting on the Freshman team this year.

My 10th grade son's last Varsity game of  the season...gearing up for a grueling AAU season.

Miraculous

I truly believe sports is a microcosm of the world in which we live in. My students know I love sports and it's not because of the valuable lessons learned- of the competitiveness, the teamwork, not quitting...yes, those are important, but what I love the most are the stories. I love sharing stories about athletes with my students and using them as jumping off points for lessons. This works even for the kids who don't like sports. They realize that these athletes are people just like them.

One of the first stories I shared with my classes was the story of Austin Hatch. We were setting goals and the idea of perseverance and achieving your goals was discussed. There weren't many dry eyes in my classroom after this one and I believe it set the tone for the high goals I want my student to achieve with a "no excuses" approach.  I believe this video may have also helped inspire a few kids to root for the Wolverines this season.

We can't control our circumstances, but we can control our reaction and responses to situations. Austin's story demonstrates this and a whole lot more...

Dedication

One of the latest videos I've shared with my students is the incredible story of two young boys. I will not spoil the story for you, but I will tell you this. If you don't think a video can keep a 7th graders attention for 15 minutes, you need to try this. It's the story of a dedication.

 My classes discussed what this meant and we read several from the beginnings of books trying to make sense of them and look for the deeper meanings. I then showed them the above video and we talked more about dedication. We then talked about what was important to them and they wanted to achieve those dreams. 

The "lesson" culminated with the kids writing a "dedication" letter. The parameters were a little vague (on purpose). They were to compose a letter, to be mailed, to someone special in their life and had to dedicate something special to them. They have the option of sharing with me or not. The letters are due tomorrow. I've seen a few already and I felt I couldn't wait to share this with others. 

My students are amazing. I'm touched by what they are writing and what they are willing to dedicate to others. When we're finished I will post updates about what they've written (with their permission as these are very personal letters). 

I am also going to be creating a dedication tile. I will be adding the names of students to a tile in the ceiling. Underneath their name will be the name of the person they are dedicating something to. This will serve as a reminder to me about my dedication to them and to my future students in helping their dreams come true.

My baby just-a wrote me a letter...

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. 

Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” 

– Scott Adams

Love letter left in a book for a random stranger.

That's Amore

There are a few things 7th graders do not want to hear a few days before Valentine's Day. This may be near the top of a 13 year old's list... "Tomorrow we will be writing love letters and I'm picking who you're writing to."

More Than Words

My daily warm-ups come from an awesome resource created by Luke Neff. I use his writing prompts, or variation of them, each day as my students enter the room. The prompts are very engaging and often very thought-provoking. As students entered my room I had Love Letters in The Sand by Pat Boone playing and this prompt on the board:

I started with this idea and looked into it a bit further. I discovered this awesome TED talk by Hannah Brencher and this site detailing how to write love letters to strangers.

That's The Way Love Goes

As a college student in the '90s I used to check my mailbox weekly looking for a letter from home. I recently came across letters that my grandmother had written me and it was amazing the flood of emotions that came back to me after reading her letters written in a beautiful cursive writing. It was as if I could hear her talking to me. I shared this with my class as I told them they would be writing their letters by hand. 

I gave the class somewhat vague directions in hopes that I would get some really creative and clever approaches to this task. They were to write about a struggle that they've gone through and to explain how they overcame it and got through it. They were to offer words of encouragement. They were also to remain completely anonymous.When they finished writing, they were to address the envelope and seal it. I told my class they could share their responses with me if they chose. Kids were excited by this and some even asked if they could write for the person reading their letter to write a letter to someone (aka. Pay It Forward). Some of my students chose to share what they wrote with me and I was beyond words when I read their letters. My kids never cease to amaze me - I was humbled and inspired by my kids.

February Love

Early in the morning I posted a message to my classroom Facebook page looking for parent volunteers and the response was overwhelming. 

The parents who volunteered, along with their child, would be secretly leaving the letters at various locations around town over the Valentine's Day Weekend. I asked them to be sure to leave the letters in locations that people would find them - supermarkets, coffee-shops, library, car windshields, etc.

One of my students leaving a "love letter" in the bean section of the supermarket.

Ain't Got Time to Take a Fast Train...

It's a fast paced world with instant connections and contact with our friends and loved ones anytime we want it. This may sound odd coming from a teacher who loves social media and instant feedback, but some days I want things to just slow down. I want my kids to realize it's good to do this. That's why we took a day in February, slowed down, and wrote love letters to strangers.

Our fast paced world needs more small acts of kindness like this. My kids will never know who they helped or how they helped them, but I hope that their letters will make others feel like their "lonely days are gone".

Rainy Days

Looking for that Umbrella

As I sit here looking at the once dust-covered box (had to wipe it off; the dust was making me sneeze), I struggle to find the words to explain the emotions going through me...happiness, sadness, fear, regret...I'm not really sure how I should feel. The box contains artifacts from my first two or so years of teaching. I know there's cards from kids and parents in there, and lots of photographs, there may even be a copy of the VHS video yearbook I made for every student I taught my first two years.

I'm not sure what possessed me to crawl up into my steamy attic today to retrieve it - maybe the rain outside on this humid summer day giving me more computer time causing me to look at posts on Facebook from former students who are now, dare I say, "young" adults. Maybe it's the realization that I will be moving to a new subject and grade level after sixteen years, basically starting over. Believe me, the stresses feel like year one, the only saving grace is I have an amazing "bag of tricks" and stories to share that can engage a class at any moment. My emotions are a continuous roller coaster - happiness for the opportunity to start over, sadness at the realization that I won't be watching kids grow over the next three years, excitement over the amazing things I have planned for my kids.

I'm going to open the box in a few minutes and I'm not sure where my thoughts will go, or what I will post. Whatever I share, I know the emotions I feel from the items in that box are going to be powerful.

Heartstrings

I can't explain the emotions. What I do know is this little box is invaluable. What has made these contents even more valuable is the connections on social media. I've connected with so many former students and I am watching them grow up before my eyes - raising their own kids and starting families, traveling, dealing with the ongoing struggles of life, and making moments in their lives. Some of my former students are no longer with us, and as I look at their pictures my heart breaks. Man, I miss some of these kids.

 Being a teacher and developing relationships is the most important thing we can do.  I often wonder the impact we have on our students, and what's crazy, is we'll never know. What I also know is that they may never know the impact they've had on me. With so much negativity and "rain" in our profession, we often lose sight of why we do what we do...why we teach.

I could post hundreds of pictures, not sure why I chose the ones I did, they just pulled at my heart or they showed things I was doing fourteen, fifteen or so years ago that are still essential in today's classroom, and I wanted to share with other teachers in the hope that they could learn a little something from them.

What I learned looking back is that relationships are what matter most in the classroom. Kids are people too and we must never forget that. I also noticed one thing in almost every one of the 400 plus pictures I looked at - smiles. We must never forget to have fun. The kids in front of us will never forget how we made them feel. I challenge you as educators to look at the pictures from almost two decades ago and see what else you can learn.

 
 

 

Sixteen years in and I have lots of boxes, a shelf in my classroom closet, and two bulletin boards devoted to the keepsakes from my students. I remember as an undergraduate student one of my professors encouraging us to keep a box with the things kids give you, from cards, to letters, photos, and all kinds of little odds and ends - to save it for the rainy days in the classroom. Believe me, you can never have enough of those umbrellas as a teacher.

Seeing Doors, Not Walls...

Key takeaways from Digital Learning Day 2015

Seeing Doors, Not Walls...

Friday, March 13th 2015 will go down as a key day of learning in my educational book of moments. I was lucky enough to be invited to Washington D.C. for Digital Learning Day. It was a day of learning highlighted by the "world premiere" of the PBS and Learning Matters Documentary entitled The School Sleuth, which my students and I were featured in.

I wanted to share some of the key takeaways I had from an amazing day of learning. Here they are (in no particular order):

Kids are amazing and no one in education should ever forget why we do what we do. Every decision needs to be made for the kids. Period. In the morning I was able to watch a group of students from @Bec_Chirps class discuss and present ideas related to the maker movement. One student, Oliver, was featured in the live event and had profound words for all educators when asked what students want from teachers - "allow us to fail". Powerful words Oliver.

If you haven't heard former Principal of New Milford High School,  Eric Sheninger speak, you should.  His presentation centered on being able to make a change and do what's best for kids. He talked about his own journey from teaching and enforcing the idea of compliance and rules to creating a school where kids wanted to be. Eric made me think about what we need to do to get what's best for all kids -even our own. I'm still trying to figure out how I will take back the ideas from his presentation to my class - how can we make the library the hub for all learning in our building, how will I convince others in my building that cell phones and devices should not be banned, how will I not only "dwell in possibility", but make it a reality.

"Never take no for an answer''. We must always be an advocate for our kids, no matter what and we should never take no for an answer when trying to do what's best for them. Daisy Duerr, principal of Saint Paul Schools in Saint Paul, Arkansas made it very clear that getting devices and technology in our kids' hands can be a reality if we do not take no for an answer. We all may not have the "southern charm" that Daisy has, but we do all have some type of "charm" in us as educators. We need to find and use that charm to get what's best for kids. 

Many of the ideas I heard from Digital Learning Day are still resonating in my head and I plan on writing about them a bit more. 

• I heard amazing ways that districts are handling the lack of technology at home by providing wifi hotspots on the school buses and parking them in the neighborhoods so the kids and families who cannot afford it have access.
• Public libraries are providing students and families with devices and hot spot hubs they can sign out by just using their library cards!
• Administrators need to identify the teachers who are willing to take risks and empower them to lead, not back them into a corner and label them as a "lone wolf".
• Professional development is necessary for teachers, but what is not necessary is one size fits all professional development.
• The power of a PLN (Personal Learning Network) is essential in a teacher and educator's life. With social media tools like Twitter, it is easier than ever before.
• We need to tell our stories and be proud to tell those stories.

As educators we face many obstacles, but each of these walls provides us an opportunity. We need to see the obstacles not as walls, but as doors...doors that can open endless possibilities to what matters most - our kids.

Learn The Future - videos to inspire

“I go to school the youth to learn the future” 

-Robert Frost

Changing History

Videos to Inspire Part 1:

What Will YOUR History Be?

The definition I provide my students with for the word “history” is “history is just the stories of people”. This may be a bit off for the teachers who passionately love history, but I’m not one of those. My true passion is in reading and writing, and when asked to teach social studies this year, having to give up something I was truly passionate about, I had to consider how I could make this subject meaningful to my students and meaningful to me. It’s been quite an interesting journey and I’ve learned a lot – but there’s much more to learn.

I decided to start the year off with that definition of history and what history meant to my students. After some discussion, I told my students they will be changing history this year by writing their own stories (Yes, dear reader, there were many confused faces).  

Along with that, I asked my students what their legacy will be and how will they be remembered? Pretty daunting questions for anyone, let alone an 11 or 12 year old. As I get older, I wish that a teacher, parent, or someone in my life had asked me those questions. I don’t think we’re ever too young to consider the impact we can have on others – or too old for that matter. As a teacher, one of the most important things I can do for my students is to give them opportunities to understand the impact they can have on each other, their school, and even the world.

We Are All Clark Kents…

My inspiration for this was a series of TED talks by Brad Meltzer.

The first video we watch very early in the year is Write your story, change history - Brad Meltzer’s engaging TED talk about encouraging us to dream big, work hard, and stay humble. I provide the students with key excerpts from the video and stop frequently to discuss these key points. We then create a product to show what their dreams, goals, and aspirations are and what they will do this year to achieve them…my students are beginning to write their history.

Shutruk-Nakhkhunte

To keep the idea of history as stories going, we watch this video from The Emperor’s Club found at www.wingclips.com ( A great resource for video clips in the classroom).  The clip makes the students think about how will history remember them?  At this point in the year I introduce them to blogging as a tool to reflect and inspire others. I also ask my students to list 101 goals that they have to help them think about what’s out there in the world for them.

What do you want to be forever?

One of the final videos we watched, during Black History Month, related to the subject of Legacy and Our Histories, is another great Tedx Talk by Brad Meltzer called How To Write Your Own Obituary. Despite the “interesting” title, the content of this is extremely powerful- it hits the idea that ordinary people, like you and me, can change the world.  I show the first 11 minutes or so and stop it when Brad asks the audience “How do you want to be remembered?” Can you imagine being told as an eleven year old that you can make an impact on the world?

Footprints

Students have taken this idea to heart. I want my students to realize that what they do now will affect them later. I couldn't be more proud of what my students are achieving this year and I think one of my students says it best in her recent blog post

Success 

Over the last 15 years, I have had the opportunity to watch my students create amazing histories. At the time, I just didn't realize. When we as educators stop to consider the impact we are having on others we can really appreciate our successes.  It’s one of the major reasons I love teaching and helps me to feel the real “success” of teaching. Who knows what history will be written by the 150 awesome kids sitting in front of me this year?

Dream Things that Never Were And Say Why Not?

I asked my students to explain this quote as our warm-up and discussion into the 50^th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.  One student’s words stuck with me – “Learning is the most important thing we can do to achieve our dreams – if I learn, it’s going to help my dreams come true. If my dreams come true, I’m going to be helping our country and the world be a better place. The cool thing is Mr. Storm, we may not even know how we are affecting the other people around us and making it better.” Isn’t that the truth?

Ever since I can remember I have loved to learn.  As a small child it was a sense of curiosity and yearning to know as much as I could. I would read anything I could get my hands on, and I remember at the age of 8 going on weekly trips to the grocery store with my grandmother convincing her to stop at the local five and dime and purchase a book for me. Often these books were in the clearance or discount section, but it didn’t matter – I knew I was going to find something new out.

The other part of learning that I loved was hearing from other people – I loved hearing their stories. It always fascinated me that people had these amazing experiences, and thinking back now, I believe that all of these stories, more importantly listening to all of these stories has helped to define (and continue to define) me as the teacher I am in my classroom today.

On a brisk Saturday in November, I had the opportunity to get some learning a majorly discounted price – FREE and even more importantly, I had the opportunity to experience, share, and listen to stories from amazing educators. I attended Edcamp New Jersey 2013 alongside 296 other educators – including superintendents, principals, teachers, and even students. The people that I interacted and shared with exhibited passion, enthusiasm, and excitement for learning.

This was my first experience with an edcamp and I didn’t know what to expect. Believe it or not, I was a bit nervous and was up before my alarm to read over my Twitter feed and read blogs about other’s experiences with edcamps. I was not disappointed. Even twenty-four hours later the passion for learning I felt from others is still reverberating around inside of me. I’m re-energized to head back to my classroom on Monday.

Many of the pressures of education these days, has taken a toll on some amazing teachers and created a major tone and sense of negativity. Roughly 46% of new teachers leave the profession within the first five years, but what happens to those teachers who can’t or don’t leave? Negativity, pessimism, low morale, disinterest, not wanting to try “new” things, complaining –these things begin to permeate the “veteran” teacher’s life. Two years ago I was one of those teachers. Despite my passion for learning and teaching my students, I was feeling isolated and alone and beginning to think of alternatives to teaching – despite the numerous kudos from parents and students. 

Then I became re-engaged on Twitter and met teachers just like me – passionate, but dealing with almost all of the same concerns and issues I was.  Through “edchats” and conversation in 140 characters, I was able to feel energized again and refocused on what really matters…my students. I came back to school with the attitude that my decisions were always going to be made, not for me, not for a new “initiative”, but for those smiling faces sitting in front of me on that first day of school. Those kids who were starting school with dreams and hopes, just like I was, only my hopes and dreams were for them to achieve theirs.

 I shared my experiences throughout the day via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and I am excited to share with my students that I spent a whole Saturday learning in a middle school with 296 other people. And when they ask, “Why?” – my answer will be the response,which, knowing my students will lead to amazing discussion.  I will share with them the words President Kennedy's brother, Robert, often used to end many of his speeches (based on the words of the author Shaw) “Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say, why not?” 

So Many Colors In The Rainbow

Join the Parade

“Your son marches to the beat of a different drummer, but don’t worry, we’ll have him joining the parade by the end of the term.” These are the opening sentiments to Harry Chapin’s 1978 folk song Flowers Are Red.

Here’s the video of him performing in 1981. I like this version because he offers the background to why he wrote the song. (The actual song begins at 1:51)

Here is a link to the lyrics as well.

What Does Our Palette Look Like?

Teaching is an art (and yes, a science). In the world of high-stakes testing, does it make sense to continue to tell experienced teachers how to teach? There are schools where teachers are told "these are the most effective strategies you must use with kids", "these are the programs that you must do with your students", without ever seeing them in action, or seeing them in action only through compliance, rather than real engagement. Does a one size fit all program work? What is the cost of this to our kids? Do we do this to our students? Do principals do this to teachers?

 A Blank Canvas

As each new school year starts, I tell my students this is a new year – the past doesn't matter. You start today to make this year a memorable one, to create moments that you will never forget. I get to do sixth grade again next year, you don’t. This is the time you can start to paint the portrait of an amazing sixth grade year. As an educator, what do we want our students’ portraits to look like?

Painting is fun – shouldn’t teaching be fun? Learning be fun? There must still be a way for us to see:

There are so many colors in the rainbow

So many colors in the morning sun

So many colors in the flower and I see every one