Who has the time to reflect?

We are almost done with our first marking period. That means report cards, parent teacher conferences, data meetings, professional development days and Halloween. So in the midst of all of this, who has the time to REFLECT?? 

We ALL need to make that time. This is my 3rd year in 3rd grade and I'm finally feeling like I have a clue about what 3rd graders 'look' like. I love them. They are curious, engaged, exuberant and chatty. They can also be challenging. Very challenging. 

So Reflection. Words that come to mind so far.

Thankful. My class has come together as a team very well this year. It's not because I have perfect kids or I'm a perfect teacher. The combination of my comfort and their desire is good this year. It's a blessing I count every day.

Appreciative. I have a fairly new team in 3rd this year and for the most part we are working well together. More on the "for the most part" later.

Blessed. With a good student teacher who is teaching me as much as she is learning, I think.

Frustrated. With a colleague who is very difficult to work with and makes things 1o times harder than they need to be. ALL.THE. TIME.

Angry. With a system that insists on overtaxing teachers (especially new ones) with kids who need more support than can possibly be given in a classroom with 20+ more kids.

Relieved. That the Michigan legislature has passed a bill to reduce the percentage of my evaluation based on student achievement from 50% down to 25%. Thank you.

Tired. There is never enough time to get it all done.

Grateful. That I am able to work in a building where risk taking is encouraged and the staff is the most supportive I've ever worked with.

Privileged. That so many parents trust me with their children and allow me to help guide their educational journey.

Proud. We are getting it done. Everyday. We are working within the tremendous amount of pressure and still enjoying our days together. That is an accomplishment.

So there it is. I need to reflect more often, but I will not beat myself up about it. That is a waste of my time and I am, like so many others, doing the best that I can. Every. Day.

Class Dojo just keeps getting better and better!

My love for Class Dojo is no secret. I am proud to work with and represent such an awesome, responsive company and to share that passion with anyone who will listen to me. They have been working tirelessly over the summer to roll out new features that will be of great use to teachers all over the world. In particular, this includes the ability to group students and award points to the groups as a whole quickly and efficiently. I haven't started the year yet, but I am looking forward to all the ways this feature will help me encourage positive behaviors.

Just in time for the start of our school year, the next new feature is ready to roll. It's called Class Story and is described as "a private Instagram for the classroom." This component will allow teachers to quickly post pictures and text to let families know, well, what the story is in the classroom! Imagine, being able to send permission slips and links to other important documents in an instant! Run to classdojo.com/classstory to check out more info.

Seriously? Imagine how cool it will be for parents to actually SEE what is going on in their child's classroom! Talk about changing that normal discussion: Parent: "What did you do in school today?"

Child: "Nothing"

SO much more powerful for the parent to be able to say "I saw a picture of a cool project you worked on today, tell me about it." 

Game Changer. Again. Thanks Class Dojo. You rock!

How Class Dojo saved my career.

Ok, I know that sounds dramatic. But it's true. If you haven't heard of or tried Class Dojo, I'm telling you it will change the way you interact with your students and their families. I found it at a time when I was feeling ineffective, having been moved around regularly and never feeling like I was very secure anywhere. One image on Pinterest caught my eye and BOOM! I was energized, involved, even innovative again!

Now I have the privilege to work with the CD team as an ambassador, which means I present about this awesome program when I can, get early info about new updates, participate in and moderate twitter chats and generally get to hang out (virtually) with an awesome group of people who believe in this product.

The Dojo team has released two cool new updates this summer. The first came out a few weeks ago & allows the teacher to organize students in groups! 

One of the things I love about CD is that the team really LISTENS to teacher feedback. This update is one I personally have been asking for, so I'm thrilled and excited with the possibilities for implementing it. If you want to find out more about how this update works, click here.

The newest update is being released today and is another one that brings much excitement and great implications. It's called "Class Story" and is a way for teachers to post pictures, messages, resources...you get the idea =) Again, this came as a result of many teachers asking for a way to make families feel more connected to the classroom activities. 

Class Story will be in beta testing for a while, but I'm hopeful that it will be up and running soon, as it will be an excellent, simple and comprehensive way to share our story with our families.

Oh, did I mention that Class Dojo is totally free, customizable to your needs and collects & displays all the data in easy to use reports? It is truly the tech that saved me from being that 'I'll just keep showing up" teacher. I'm proud to represent this product and hope that you'll check it out if you haven't already.

Happy Dojoing!

So very blessed

Sunset off Pentwater, MI. 

Yesterday we had the awesome opportunity to spend the day with some dear friends. You know, the ones you've known for more than 40 years? Wow.

I was lucky enough to grow up seeing this sort of scene on a regular basis. About a mile from beautiful Lake Michigan, the most troublesome thoughts being whether sailing all day would be an option. Blessed, though I wouldn't have called it that then.

My mom got sick and my folks sold that property so she could be closer to medical facilities, but we still lost her much too soon. So returning to this paradise can be bittersweet for me. 

When my long time friend sent me a message asking us to come up for a boat ride, we jumped at the chance, wondering how my emotions would handle it.

The sights, smells and textures of this place where I spent my adolescent years came rushing back as soon as we pulled down the driveway. It felt so very good to be back. We talked, laughed, ate and drifted up and down the coastline to our hearts content. Reminiscing about places we hung out, the things we did & our fortune at having this place to call home. 

Yet it was hard, too. I wish I had made a point of making sure my girls had the chance to experience this place like I did. It would have shaped them differently, I think. Don't get me wrong. I love my kids & they are strong, independent, wonderful people. But I'm not sure they have memories as deep as mine are from here. 

So here we are, 40 years later, laughing about the crushes we had and the rowing trips into town for our favorite treats. How could we have known that this ride into the sunset could have been so healing and renewing. Thanks Betsy, Al & my faithful Lou for helping me over the bitter to just make it sweet again. 

A mile wide and an inch deep

Does anyone besides me remember when this was how we were supposed to deliver curriculum? Expose them to everything, teach them not much. 

That is how I feel this summer. I have been to 5 tech conferences in 6 weeks. I have participated in numerous twitter chats, google hangouts and communities for conferences I could not attend. 

And now my head spins.

I know about GAFE & Periscope & twitter in the classroom & goformative & PBS learning media & &&.... I know about all these great tools, but I DON'T know how to use them. Much.

So as much as I love the learning. I have to stop. I need to focus. But how do I decide what to use? I have to figure out what I think will work best for me & my kids. So, here goes.

2 Focus areas (ok, maybe 3)
First, Class Dojo is my go-to for all things class management. Parent communication made easy. Documentation and data collection in a snap. Kids love it, I love it and I know this one pretty well. That's a comfort.

Next, GAFE. I have been working hard to get Chromebook funding for my students. I don't have enough (do we ever?) but I have some so I will concentrate on using the many fine apps to transform the way I deliver content and kids show mastery of that content. No small task.

Last, SMALL bits of screencasting, locating already produced content and student apps/tools for them to use as they dive into this digitized third-grade classroom. 

All the while knowing that what really matters is that they know I love them & believe they can do anything.