change.

Earlier this year, my heart began to beat for our youngest students at New Berlin West Middle and High School. I am always seeking growth, in myself and others, and I have no professional teaching experience at the middle school level. I have taught every level of high school at some point in my career.

In deliberate conversations, I mentioned this heart twinge and interest. But no change occurred. I was not disappointed, perhaps relieved. Embarking on something new brings uncertainty, fear. Last week, I learned my schedule will remain the exact same as this year! I can refine, improve, and improve! Safety from that ping! in my heart for those littles.

A phone call changed it all.

We are losing a wonderful middle school teacher this year due to a relocation. Interviews for her position were last week. My principal caught wind of my interest in tween-teaching. When offered the option of taking on this new task or remaining safe with what I know, trepidation paused me while I accepted the challenge. I will start the year foreign in a new land empowered with my deep-rooted philosophy of ed. and my love for English and more importantly. . . kids.

So I say good-bye, for now, to high school while I march into the land I avoided as a child, a place I begged to flee as a tween, a domicile where I struggled to feel connected, cared for, or loved, middle school. And I will continue to be the person I longed to find to these kids.

transcendence of moments

Summer break initiated last Friday upon the completion of cross-curricular reading standard alignment and writing K-12. No need to speak to this task; those involved in the journey know the challenges faced and overcome. But it was fascinating work to see what kids are learning at each grade level and what sorts of mastery can and will be expected at varied checkpoints. Likewise, it was inspiring to see the trajectory of skills started as early as Kindergarten and growing through grade 12.

Unable to (and who's kidding - unmotivated too) plan for next year without class assignments, I have been enjoying moments with my kids and often kids who are attached to my kids. Strawberry picking, jam & pie creation, swimming, shopping. Yesterday the kids finally signed up for the summer reading program at the library; Josh discovered Calvin and Hobbes this week, and Alayna is lost in Pretty Little Liars. Last night, as we awaited Josh and Dan's return from soccer, I watched the most recent episode with her. . . this is no Scooby Doo! I then was given the run-down of details I did not know along with Alayna's insights on the story line for nearly an hour. :) too sweet. I love these moments. Upon Josh and Dan's return, I acquired another little chatter-bug enthusiastically recounting the details of the scrimmage he played that ended in PKs. Guess who made his shots?

These seemingly trite moments of parenthood bear witness to why I love being a mom. Whether it was Winnie and Pooh or Wicked, Book 5; learning to walk or pounding a soccer ball into the top corner of the goal, I love interacting with my kids, talking to them, hearing them, spending moments with them, and reminding them that they are really important.

It's the same reason I love teaching.

So this time, these months, are Dan, Josh, Alayna, and whoever they bring home's moments. Mine too.

A Full Plate, A Rich Life.

Spring Break is here!! Who can even imagine a time when this now common momentary reprieve ceased to exist? Let's just say, students and teachers were ready ready for this break weeks ago. Ahhh. And here it is, and here I am ... at last.

Frenzied days and weeks have limited my posts and thoughts. But here is my meager update.

I imbedded my goal of Proposition 5 this week with my Honors Sophies amidst their Carpe Diem unit. Following memorized recitations of the Prologue from Act I Romeo and Juliet, they learned the detailed components of the Shakespearean/Elizabethan sonnet structure while reading, analyzing,and discussion 4 Shakespearean sonnets. Last weekend, they interviewed a family member about a moment in his/her life when s/he seized the day and did something that required courage. From the details of those interviews, they crafted original sonnets. Additionally, they played with point of view, masculine and feminine rhyme, figurative language, imagery, and onomatopoeia. The final results we incredible. The kids will be posting them soon; link to come. Stories from their loved-one touched their hearts and their classmates: war stories, love stories, life-changing foreseen and unforeseen moments. Many parents already copied, shared, and emailed these compilations inspired by Proposition 5. I suppose I can say, "It worked!"

American Litters are Into the Wild with Jack Kerouac and Christopher McCandless. Over Spring Break their project requires them to experience and document a transcendental adventure of their own. Our brainstorming today prompted great discussion of activities they will seek out: 2 of them are now committed to volunteering at a Soup Kitchen on Easter, a few of them are going to read and learn about cultures unknown to them and then hunt down a restaurant or recipes for food that they have never tried, others are planning to hike on trails never before explored, and yet others may find other places where they can bring a little bit of joy and hard work to people who need it. I cannot wait to hear and see their transcendental adventures and to read about their journeys. I know that I will document mine.

Two more exiting additions, I promise. Rather than serve on the curriculum revision and standard alignment team this summer, my path led me elsewhere. The Grading Coalition is my new professional team: examining changes in how our district grades and reports student learning. As this area is currently one of rich discussion and possible progression, I am excited to be part of it. I also committed to a conference on RTI: Response to Intervention in August, another one of my passions. So just a few more rambling from a full plate, a rich life.

Now I bit you a happy spring break as I shift fully from teacher to mommy and enjoy my kiddos for 10 days to come.

Breathing room

Is it a location or a vacancy in our personal capacity? Both. Though we can breathe in just any room, we simply breathe "better" in some environments over others. Do our schools afford children breathing rooms? Do our homes? Do our lives? The lack of breathing rooms in our lives leads us to the second perspective on this very term: breathing room. And my life, every now and again, does not contain that much needed room to think and prosper. I can only imagine you experience the same caveat in life. Though complaints arise that we live amongst the laziest generation in history, many of us are simply burdened by the "joys" of our lives entwined with too many other commitments.

Now that third quarter grades are closed, all 100 research papers are corrected, one of my graduate classes complete, and sports are in full sessions,believe it or not, I have a little more breathing room. This final quarter will be intriguing as the juniors explore transcendentalism with Whitman, Emerson, and young Christopher McCandless brought to live via Jon Krakauer followed by modernism amidst the words of Plath, Sexton, and Judith Guest. Sophies are delving from nonfiction malleable and non-malleable issues to Seize the Day poetry and drama with the timeless Dead Poet's Society's introduction to Whitman, Shakespeare,Thoreau, and Romeo and Juliet. I love my job!

Lastly, with room to breathe and a commitment to Proposition 5, I made an immediate inclusion of parental involvement and contact using the Infinite Campus messenger. I am composing weekly parent announcements indicating upcoming formative and summative assessments, titles of literature we are reading, and any pertinent additional information. My hope is that this information will extend conversation and connections at home.

Breathing room. We need it to function, to think, and to thrive. So do our kids. With all of the pressure and commitments of life, where is this esoteric room?

School for Mom and Dad

This concept was birthed upon continuing chapter 7 Teacher Leadership. Danielson indicates that “Many parents are genuinely baffled by what their children are learning in school and would like to understand it better themselves” (p. 109). In these outreach nights, parents can tackle activities similar to what the students will be accomplishing in the class that quarter. I can also establish a common language with the parents about basic skills like annotating, taking Cornell Notes, basic writing expectations, and so on.

I actually posed this concept on a senior who at first was defensive about the “parent night” framing that he likes that school is separate from his mom and dad, that he would not care to have them “nosing” into his schoolwork. I followed this reaction with a query about how parents can be more involved, explaining the objective: help connect school, student, parent relationship and common context. My student reflected for a moment and begrudgingly replied that this is a great option; and his mom would probably attend it.

I continue to breathe life into the parent/teacher/student emerging relationship as a teacher but also as a mother. I would love to have a better knowledge of what my children experience in the classroom. I would love to apply the common lingo my children hear from their teachers rather simply than asking, “How was school?” everyday. I am sending an email to my principal after I complete this assignment to extract feedback on such a relationship for next year, assuming my job remains.

The bees have infested American Lit.

If you have never read Sue Monk Kidd's novel, The Secret Life of Bees, you need to upload it to your i-pad or Kindle right now. Seriously, stop what you are doing and acquire the book.

My American Lit class is a "unique class" (deemed by our guidance department) in that the needs of each child are vast: a large majority of the kids are kids with special needs, many others are at-risk, some "mainstream" kids, and a few with Honors potential. In an attempt to afford students an inclusive education, this class was crafted. I love the kids. Yet it has been a challenge to learn how to best meet all of their diverse needs. Finally, I am making strides.

Within the current unit: one nation, many voices and rejuvenation of the human spirit, the Civil Rights movement became a focus of the literature; The Secret Life of Bees, the novel for the unit.
With a lexile level of 840 or a grade 7.2 reading level, reading was a possibility for all of the kids. And Lily pricked the hearts of each of them as she narrated her internal conflict during the summer of 1964, a conflict by the way that each and every student could and did relate in bi-chapter response BLOGS/journals.

A few goals led the trek through the novel. I wanted to kids to read the novel and annotate it in preparation for a new critical analysis. Don't think for a moment that I led with this expectation! They would have never opened the book! They simply had to sticky-note annotate each chapter for direct and indirect characterization, figurative language (we identified which to focus), and motifs. I find theme particularly intriguing because there is such diversity in it. I am teaching the kids that the theme is the author's message on the motif, as that is in the curriculum.

This week we honed in to the motif-theme analysis. I crafted a Prezi on motif and theme and re-identified the motifs from their reader bookmarks. Each of their pods picked one of the motifs out of a box; they completed a web where they identified 4 literary techniques Kidd used to communicate this motif. They then identified themes or messages Kidd's language expressed on the motifs. Once refined, each pod created a Prezi to report their analysis. On a map I made for them, they took notes on each presentation. They are now ready to write a new critical analysis of The Secret Life of Bees.

On a side note, in a class that has seen quite low grades this year, I administered a rigorous test on the novel yesterday. They all passed with flying colors using only their annotations as a help. The kids read the book, they understood the book, they buzzed. Sue Monk Kidd stung them and elicited a reaction.

feverish

No one is ill. Skin is flushed and emitting heat from concentrated effort in my classroom. Research is heading to close next week, and nearly every student has committed his and her efforts in accomplishing this task. Piles of outlines and rough draft has followed closely beside me everywhere I trek. More important than the basic writing and grammar skills is the level of thinking that's taking place. The students are learning, reading, analyzing, and challenging obstacles and issues that surround them. They are bringing those thoughts and discussions to the classroom, home, and even on Facebook! Initial goal - met.

What new task did I seek and apply this week in my classroom? A task that made sense, that stemmed from a morning conversation with one of our most impressive English teachers in the department: when reading rough drafts (after they have been self-proofread, peer-edited, and proofread with another adult), read and offer feedback on only introduction, one body paragraph of student's choice, and conclusion. The feedback will most likely resonate to the unread paragraphs as well, and this allows students to learn how to apply the feedback and make additional corrections. It also offers a more manageable task when reading 105 essays.

Extra credit points for early submissions brought approximately 15 research papers and packets to my desk yesterday. This allows me the weekend to assess this set before the official due date and minimizing the upcoming tower by just a bit.

What did they research? a malleable or non-malleable obstacle in one or more of the communities surrounding them. They researched the obstacle of their choice, its effects on a thriving community, steps taken to tend to this obstacle, and propositions for reform. Specifically, they examined stem cell research, corporal punishment and discipline, texting and driving, prescription drug abuse, cultures' roles on women's rights, eating disorders, boyfriend/girlfriend abuse, loss of basic skills with evolution of technology, Walker Bill, effects of protesting, effects of sound pollution on our environment, overpopulation, psychological and biological effects of drug abuse on teens, ADHD, and more.

How do these issues change for the better? Education. Presentations start on Tuesday using Glogster, Prezi, Capzles, videos, or Power Points. Hopefully, the fever will spread.

lucky thirteen

Thirteen years ago I was in labor delivering my first baby. We were sure the baby was a boy; that's what everyone told us. We chose for the doctor to withhold the gender, so we could be surprised. My pregnancy was amazing and completely uncomplicated other than determining the safest asthma meds. March 3 was the due date for our first baby, but nothing happened other than a false alarm that sent me back home. I remained at work, teaching at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, up to that day. Nothing. the old wives tales elicited unsuccessful results as I walked for miles, scrubbed the kitchen floor a few times, administered reflexology, and even drank Metamucil. I just wanted to meet my baby. Well, the Metamucil harbored an unexpected response in my body while I became violently ill: fever, vomiting, everything. I was whisked immediately from a check up to the hospital; neither baby nor I were handling the illness well.

Dehydrated and running a fever, I was induced. Several hours later with my mom and Dan by my side the whole day, a baby girl entered the world. A girl. But I didn't hold her that night. The nurses took her from me immediately: she was not breathing properly. The angels who tended to me that night wheeled me to the NI CU to see her and brought Polaroid photos of little Alayna all night long.

Alayna recovered and is now thirteen years old. Breathing continued to plague her health throughout the first few years, something passed down to her from me. A few close calls brought paramedics to her rescue, and hospitals stays healed the viruses that plagued her lungs, anaphylactic reactions that swelled her mouth, or stomach flus that dehydrated her beyond simple courses of IVs. But here she is. . . a beautiful, healthy, teenage girl. Still little to me as she continues to grow past my height.

Being Alayna's mom has changed me. I am a better person with her in this world. And the world is a better place with her in it. I can't wait to see the continued unveiling of her spirit in this world.

I don't believe in unlucky thirteen; I don't believe in luck at all. There are blessings, and Alayna is one; being her mom is another.

why aren't they learning?!

It's March; school continues to accelerate forward. I have some students who seem to be stuck, at an impass, no matter what I do. Why aren't they learning?! A few weeks ago I met a teacher from Arrowhead who sang the praises of Achieve 3000: a reading differentiated computer program. He mentioned the benefits of using it for the sake of research. Research?! We had just begun a non-fiction unit based on research, leading to a research paper. Hmm. We have some access to this program in our school. I wonder. I have the perfect class to test in this program, for this purpose. The following day, I seeked out the necessary requests, inputted the names, and signed up for the soonest available computer time. You see, if I didn't, I would have continued to do what I was doing . . . the same thing I did before. Few glitches met us as we completed the reading skill test to determine levels of reading in this class. Wait for the results. With help, I was finally able to read the results and made a shocking discovery. Why aren't they learning?? I am speaking and teaching at a completely elevated reading level to almost all of them. They are struggling readers. I did not know exactly how much they struggled. You see, kids don't tell us; they don't tell anyone. And when they do, we often mistake their grievance for a lack of hard work or effort. We are now committed to practicing reading in class and within the Achieve 3000 program. I met with one of our two reading interventionists to pilfer ideas to embark on this trek to helping each and every one of my students learn in a language they understand while pushing them to elevate their skills and knowledge. Practice makes perfect, but not when the practice is beyond one's ability. They will practice, refine, and build their comprehension with my help and the help of a district that is committed to teaching each and every one of them. Upward and outward.

fearful flight

OK. As part of my Master's program, I find myself within a class aimed at making me a "Teacher Leader." I am not going to lie. I never saw myself as a teacher leader and certainly fear the role a modicum. The shelled component of who I am prefers to focus on my students and my acquaintanced colleagues and to wall some of the teachers who often bring conflict and judgment. I never said my shelter was right or fair or accurate. It just was. Over the past week, I have been reminded that teachers have the opportunity to impact hundreds of other students by sharing, by reporting, by collaborating with everyone. . . even though my mind wants to tell me danger may lurch ahead. Additionally, this course has challenged me to reflect on what I do well and well, what I do not. So I pledged myself to become a better teacher by continually researching my practice and reporting on it here, for all the world, and other teachers, to see. Who knows, you might be inspired to glean all that I share and relate it to your classroom, your home, your place of work. So here goes.

Meaningful work

As a teacher, I strive to use the district curriculum as a springboard for assessments and assignments that may resonate into meaningful assignments. Students need to learn to think, to challenge, to apply their learning beyond the moment and the classroom to the world in which they live. They need opportunities to connect to this world.

Last semester, my American Litters learned about the history of America and its infant stages of government and politics; they questioned our current systems and issues within them while being exposed to timeless literature that paved the way. They read about war and the realities of it . . . then and now. The semester closed with a guest Marine Sgt visit to answer their questions about what we read and examined, their questions about their futures and our future as a nation.

My honors Sophies tread a different path within their short story unit last quarter. While learning detailed terms and techniques, they read a myriad of stories the raised questions about concepts they felt so certain: equality, trust, love, and more. They wrote editorials that revealed alterations in their perspectives on these issues. Real life applications occurred in their original short story compositions for a targeted audience: second grade readers within our district. After gathering data on their intended reader, researching second grade sight words and refining many drafts, my sophies tackled illustrations and bound their original work to present in person to their preassigned readers. The children's book assignment afforded my sophies an opportinity to think beyond themselves while practicing the terms and techniques we analyzed for weeks. It also expanded their world for a moment spreading a morsel of joy in this harsh world for a moment.

Currently, all of my Sophies are amidst a non-fiction unit themes malleable and non-malleable obstacles within the communities that surround us. They have spent weeks examining the issues that often inhibit functionality in this world while reading, analyzing, and discussing articles from the news in print and online. They are learning about this world, this nation, this region, city, and school. More importantly, for their research paper, they are analyzing one of these obstacles, what's been done within communities to resolve or adapt to it, and what must be done now or in the near future. They are becoming reformers: learning about issues, posing referendum to reduce them in their world. The final civic addendum to this project is a required letter to an individual in a position of power posing each student's very recommendations for change. What is the worst that could happen? A reduction in racism in schools? A new community initiative to offer crisis intervention to parents? Who knows? But why hide the creative ideas insighted by data collection from the world? My students have a voice, and they need opportunities to use it.

Today was a challenging day in my teaching world. I experience an occasional sense of burden and weight while I struggle to maintain my workload for the classes I teach and the classes I take. I am earning my Master's degree in Teacher Leadership. Contrary to vocalized beliefs, I am not solely buried in this program for the thousands and thousands of dollars I will earn with it. The cost currently outweighs the financial gains and will for many years to come. I am in the program because teacher leaders are a priority in my district, and honestly I did not see myself as one until recent days. How can I offer more opportunities for learning to affect our future generations? By sharing what I do with other teachers . . . perhaps you.

Choices surround us everywhere we turn. Rather than complain about the complacent attitudes of society, I choose to act, to educate, to teach both students and teachers. I choose meaningful work.

the work of my heart

bleeding comments.

When I was learning to be a human being, I was taught the golden rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. I was raised to seek out the best in others, to peer beyond the mere surface, and to patiently await the beauty in everyone. The teachers of these moments, these frameworks of human kindness multi-faceted: my parents, elementary teachers, grandparents, neighbors, middle and high school teachers, coaches, friends, and pastors.

Here I sit wondering where these lessons fell along the way with the people, the present, who condemn me in my profession with harsh jabs directed toward all in my vocation. Political prowess stabs me, and so many attack with their horrific words, fingers, and daggers. And yet, they don't even know me. None of them have ever stepped foot in my place of work. They have never seen my transcripts, my lesson plans, my philosophy of education. And yet they seethe their venomous words into the heart of who I am, a teacher.

Do you know what I do? Do you know why I do what I do? Do you know who I am? Do you know the training I hold? The hearts I touch? The faces I see? Could you do it? Have you tried? Do you understand the consequences of what you are doing. . . and saying. . . and proposing?

Though you claim that the future is the center of your allegations and decisions, you are dismissing the faces of those who beard it. Your children. Our children.

With all that beats within me, I seek to reject your words, to continue to peer beyond the hideousness of your words, for they speak not of me. But they affect so much more. My opus is not yet complete while I live the rules that shaped me into the teacher I am today and teach the future while I persevere to my commitment and my passion in spite of you. With my chin up, my head held high, with both feet on the ground, I march not at the capitol but into my classroom to continue the work of my heart.