I Made it to the Weekend!

What a week it’s been! Monday professional development, Tuesday District math meeting, Thursday 54 students to the river for water monitoring, Friday 54 students into downtown Birmingham and in between all that two  class Skype sessions with our friends in Bear Creek Vancouver,  meetings with parents, a tutor session with another parent on the capabilities of Khan Academy and , oh yes, a smattering of teaching! Some of these things are unavoidable and some, no, many of these things are self-inflicted. I don’t know how I do it, but I do know why I do it.

The things that cause me the most stress in a week at school are oftentimes the things that I bring upon myself. Taking 54 students to the River Rouge requires extreme preparation and organization which happens before, during and after school. Physical testing bins have to be loaded with oranges, flags, tape measures, timers, thermometers, and meter sticks. Chemical testing bins have to be loaded with the correct testing tabs for phosphates, nitrates, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Fecal Coliform, and B.O.D. Color charts, timers, thermometers, goggles, vials, foil, gloves, and distilled water are all required to conduct the tests. Benthic testing bins need trays, tweezers, magnifying glasses, identification charts, spoons, gloves, ice cubes trays and nets. On top of that add 12 tarps and 15 pairs of waders , it makes for quite a haul .Not to mention organizing the 54 kids into groups, training them to conduct the tests and complete the paperwork, transporting them there and back, all the time ensuring they are safe both in and out of the water. Why do I do it? These photographs answer that question.

Taking students outside of the classroom brings joy to both me and the kids. I’ve never seen them happier than when they catch a crayfish or spot a snapping turtle. Chemical testing in the classroom is nowhere as much fun as it is on a riverbank when testing water you have just scooped straight out of the river yourself. And measuring the speed of an orange as it bobbles in the current towards you as you’re standing in the middle of a river -well you just can’t recreate that in a classroom can you?

And two field trips on consecutive days what was I thinking? Friday was the culminating field trip for a unit about sustainability. Students have been studying how local businesses fulfill the needs and wants of the community and how they can be more sustainable. On Friday afternoon we dressed up as eco-clowns and descended upon downtown Birmingham armed with brochures, flyers, cameras, Flipcams, clipboards  and Larry ( the Trash Free Friday mascot ) ready to educate and inform the local business community. As I walked into a local beauty salon cold, with five students with green hair and clown wigs I had a moment of complete confusion about what I was doing. As soon as my students began to speak it became clear. Despite their own nerves, they were so articulate about their learning and were true ambassadors for their school and class. When they were turned away they thanked people for their time, picked themselves up and headed into the next business with just as much enthusiasm as before. Fifty four students managed to hand out over one hundred brochures and post ninety flyers in windows about their project. By the time I got home I had already received an email from one of the businesses requesting a spot on our honor roll. Why do I do it? Because on Friday afternoon my kids made a real difference in their community and had a great time doing it.

At the beginning of this post I said I didn’t know how I do it. That’s not true. I manage to do these crazy wonderful things because I don’t do it alone. I am fortunate to be surrounded by people who are equally as passionate about kids having authentic learning experiences as I am. My amazing Skype partners in Vancouver, Monica Noakes and Natalia Russo, are patient and persistent as we struggle with technological issues. They are tolerant when I go missing in action for a few days and they understand that sometimes learning is messy. My science team mate , Tammy Brown, is an organizational whizz kid and is right there by my side before and after school loading bins, folding tarps, counting oranges and checking that I don’t forget anything , thereby ensuring the success of my Rouge trip. My partner in crime, Rick Joseph, is flexible and open to any outrageous suggestion I make. He is the yin to my yang and always has my back, covering my weaknesses and playing to my strengths. Most importantly I have a truly outstanding parent population. There is absolutely no way I could make these experiences happen for my kids without their support. They unfailingly volunteer to join us no matter what the request, taking time out of their busy schedules to support us, contributing immensely to their children’s education. Thank you all for not only helping me do my job, but for helping me love my job.

Thinking Inside The Box

I foolishly attempted to clean up my classroom during my lunch break last week and time ran away from me. I dug out five huge washing machines boxes that I had been hoarding  for months, sure they had some useful purpose .They were scattered around my room for me to ponder upon that purpose when my fifth grade math class arrived, and that’s when a possible purpose became apparent.

The students immediately asked what they were for, thinking I had some cool activity planned for them and rather than being disappointed when I explained I didn’t, several of them excitedly asked if they could work inside the boxes! Curious, I agreed and watched as the kids organized time allocations and order of rotation. Within minutes I had a room full of boxes of kids! Some students paired up while others climbed in alone with cushions and stools. Some boxes had legs hanging out, some had heads sticking out some were completely closed in. I was fascinated and interested to see whether kids would be productive or merely amused and distracted by the novelty of it. Sure enough, the majority of students who opted to work inside the boxes were highly productive.

Intrigued, I asked the kids why they liked being inside the boxes and answers included being able to close out distractions, getting comfortable and being in a darker environment. I thought for sure this must be a fifth grade thing but was amazed when my sixth grade math class did the exact same thing. I knew there was something more to this when a sixth grade student clambered out of the box to check if he had completed a problem correctly. I constantly have to remind this child to show his work and when I asked him where it was he told me it was in the box. I asked him to go get it and he explained that it was in and on the box. He had scribbled his work on the inside of the box!

I flattened the boxes when the kids went home but the next day they ran in asking if they could work in the “learning pods” and the “think tanks” again!!And it certainly made me stop and think. We increasingly ask our students to be creative and innovative, to dream, discover, and design. As I reflect on my own creative process the physical space I inhabit plays an important role. Here I am typing behind closed doors in a quiet space. I frequently get ideas when I’m walking or swinging on my patio chair or reading. I find I’m at my most creative when I’m alone, and once I’ve had time to formulate my own thoughts I feel confident to share them  articulately with colleagues to facilitate a more meaningful discussion.

As we rethink and redesign teaching and learning to meet the needs of the 21^st century student, we also need to rethink what a classroom looks like. Technology has enabled us to provide students many choices in how they learn and how they demonstrate their learning. Our classrooms also need to provide choices in terms of “learning spaces”. Sitting on stools under harsh fluorescent light may work sometimes for some kids but I’m now convinced that I need to provide some alternatives. I’ve always had floor cushions and carpet space but I’d like to provide more options to help create an environment where creative juices can flow freely. I asked the kids what environment they would like and it certainly got those juices moving. They dreamed of spaces that offer solitude and spaces that facilitate collaboration, indoors spaces, outdoor spaces, bright colorful spaces and darker muted spaces, quiet spaces, lively spaces; spaces that allow movement, spaces that allow stillness.

When we talk about 21^st century tools a big old empty box isn’t the first thing that comes to mind but the boxes themselves have inspired a torrent of creative thinking in my room. Students have asked to paint them and install them as permanent features. Who knows where this will take us, hopefully to the creation of a workplace that inspires imagination and the discovery of new ideas.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

Like Dorothy, I was ripped from my comfort zone today and transported to a strange and unfamiliar land. I left behind the safe bubble that is my classroom and entered the mysterious business world .My journey was not facilitated by a tornado, but by the Oakland Schools Education Foundation’s Teacher-Business Leader Exchange Program.

I am one of twelve lucky teachers invited to be a participant in this pilot program which matches teachers with business executives. The exchange involves two days total-one day during which the teacher joins a business leader in their day-to-day job activities, and another day where the business leader spends a day in the classroom with the teacher. As a committed lifelong learner I willingly accepted the invitation because I have absolutely no knowledge of the business world, and I hoped that the experience would somehow help me enhance the classroom experience for my students.

In January I met my match and I couldn’t have wished for a better partner. Dan Hunter is the Deputy Director of Oakland County Economic Development & Community Affairs. He bravely took the first step and spent a day at Birmingham Covington School last month. He joined me at a before school event hosted by our Proud Dads organization. We Skyped with award winning author Frank Cottrell Boyce as part of our Battle of the Books campaign to discuss his book Cosmic. Frank happens to be my cousin and I was excited to have my daughter with me to share in a wonderful family event.  I’m not sure I gave Dan the most attentive reception as a result!

We moved on to my classroom, which was in complete disarray from the previous day’s Valentine’s party. After rebuilding the room and taking attendance I originally intended to introduce Dan and let him sit back and watch the show, but I couldn’t let the opportunity to have an expert in my classroom slip by. Dan was put to work and spent the next two hours talking to two classes about his job and answering questions from his avid audience. He was amazing and brought wonderful posters and flyers to share with the kids. After a team meeting with administration, we ate lunch in my room and Dan was able to observe two math lessons in the afternoon. I totally got the better part of the deal!!

My day began with a tour of the Raleigh Michigan studios in Pontiac, less than a year after the filming of the Disney prequel “Oz: The Great and Powerful.” Accompanied by various members of the business community I sat through a presentation in one of two screening rooms at the facility .I immediately saw authentic connections that could be made with my math classes to teach concepts like ratios, rates, percent, area, conversions and problem solving, but I had a nagging sensation that something was different and I couldn’t put my finger on it until we continued the tour. I was in awe as we walked through the 440,000 sq. foot facility and delighted at the possibilities it afforded to teach science concepts like energy, conduction, insulation and sustainability. Ironically, it was on one of the vast sound stages that I realized what was missing from my day-sound! My days are filled with the sounds of children talking, laughing, playing, shouting, vying for attention, running, moving, jostling, huddling, yelping, debating, creating…learning. This enormous place was hollow, empty, and strange to me. It also saddened me because such a wonderful facility should be filled with similar sounds, activity and creative energy.More details about the story of the studio and why it is so eerily quiet can be found here.

The only thing that filled the void was the huge passion displayed by my guide, Raleigh Studios investor Linden Nelson. As a key architect in the project, he engaged us with the stories of his vision and dreams for the future of the studio and his commitment to investing in Michigan. Three times in the course of the morning he referred to the most valued asset and treasure in our community, our children. The connection between the business world and the education world suddenly became apparent to me. We have a common goal: the health and growth of a community, and that begins with education.

If we are to achieve both high quality education and a diverse and vibrant local economy, business and education partnerships are essential. Making connections beyond the classroom is critical for students to achieve success in the 21st century and the business leaders within our community can help schools make those connections.

Abraham Lincoln stated:

“A Child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started.  He is going to sit where you are sitting and, when you are gone, attend to those things which you think are important.  You may adopt all the policies you please, but how they are carried out depends on him.  He will assume control of your cities, states, and nation.  He is going to take over your churches, schools, communities, and corporations.  The fate of humanity is in his hands!”

The fate of our community is in the hands of our children.I spend my days with companions like Dorothy-kids who are full of heart, courage and wisdom. It’s time we started hooking them up with the “wizards” of the business world who can share with them their talents and expertize to create a healthy, vibrant community. I want to take this opportunity to thank Dan and his colleagues who took time out of their busy day to help me identify the connections that can be made between my classroom and their offices. I hope that this program is the spark that inspires business and education leaders to find innovative ways to make connections that help us utilize the vast amount of talent in the business community to strengthen, enhance and enrich the quality of education and grow the leaders of tomorrow.

I Know I'm Teaching When...

I know I’m teaching when

A student has that crumpled up facial expression that says “This assignment is challenging.”

Students won’t leave at recess time.

Students create their own assignments and lesson plans.

I get unsolicited emails from students sharing something interesting they found online.

Students are completely oblivious to the fact that I am even in the room.

I overhear a group of students debating about who has the “correct” answer.

I don’t know the answer to a question but can get a student to answer it themselves.

Students are teaching me.

Students can articulate a problem they are having and develop their own strategies to solve it.

Students can tell me what they are most proud of.

Students can identify the next steps on their learning journey.

Nobody asks to go to the bathroom for an entire class.

I’m late to class and the lesson has already started.

I’m utterly exhausted and couldn’t be happier about it.

When do you know you are teaching?

Personalized Professional Development

My teaching partner and I launched the 2010-2011 school year by showing our students the movie Blindsight. The film documents the efforts of six blind Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb the 23,000 foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest. The journey was different for each child as they each faced different challenges but their determination, courage and the help and support of their Sherpas and guides resulted in a successful journey for each of them.

The movie inspired us to begin our own learning journeys together. The school year was the mountain we had to climb. Each of us would face different challenges but by helping and supporting each other we would be successful. We wanted to make the journey as personal as possible for each student so for one hour each week we set aside time for students to explore their own learning paths. The aim was to empower our students to formulate and answer their own questions, to pursue their passions, to take more ownership of their learning. When experts were needed to help them on their journeys we looked first within our own classroom for student Sherpas, then within the school, then the wider community and, with the use of technology, the global community. As the students became more and more comfortable with autonomy they started to develop more sense of when, where and how to dip into the collective wisdom to consume, connect and create. No two sessions looked the same as students worked individually, in pairs, in groups or with adult experts they had invited into the classroom. The one common element was that learning was taking place. Learning about poetry, film making, lego, art, algebra, chemistry, history, biology, bullying, community service… whatever floated each kid’s boat.

Sadly, the schedule for this school year was different and we were unable to offer these types of sessions in the same way as we did last year.  I‘d almost forgotten about them until this weekend when my district administration sent out a survey about professional development and what we would like it to look like. My dream version of P.D. would be just like the sessions we offered our students. There would creativity and innovation in its design and teachers, as learners, would be empowered to follow their passions and natural curiosity. There would be flexibility about how and when they learn, and as autonomy grows so would the teacher’s ability to determine when and how to use collective wisdom. There would be less focus on P.D. delivering something, and more focus on P.D being used to help teachers develop into expert practitioners.

I feel fortunate to work in a district that has invited teachers to take part in a discussion about Professional Development. Is the type of personalized professional development I described even possible? I’m not sure, but then again I never thought it was possible for six blind teenagers to climb Mount Everest!

Know Your Audience!

I have a pretty open door policy in my classroom. Any visitors are welcome to swing by and observe, participate and contribute to the activities that my students are engaged in. When somebody of the caliber of Ewan McIntosh walks in however I would hope to be found teaching my students in some profound way. When Ewan McIntosh himself did in fact walk into my room unannounced last week I was not teaching my students, I was learning about them.

It was Valentine’s day and the schedule had been altered to accommodate a party during the last hour of the day. The 5/6 teachers host a talent show during this party and my teaching partner, Rick Joseph, and I strive to get 100% participation from our students. While some kids love the opportunity to perform, others find it can be a bit of an ordeal. Rick and I constantly ask our students to go beyond their comfort zone and take risks so that they can explore the barriers to their own learning and discover strategies to overcome them.

After lunch recess my students asked if they could have some time to rehearse for the show to overcome nerves and to problem solve with their classmates. Respecting their wish to prepare and figuring my shortened lesson on weathering and erosion would be soon forgotten in the ensuing sugar rush, I consented. Within minutes the room was filled with the sound of violins, keyboards, drums, singing and laughter. I floated around to see what my students had planned and I was amazed by their creativity and willingness to collaborate. Merrill had used You Tube to learn how to play a Cold Play song while David was figuring out his dance moves to accompany her. Ethan and Andrew, as M.C’s, were busy creating the running order and staging requirements. A group of girls were putting the final touches to a skit they had written while another group went outside to perfect their violin quartet. The confident were supporting and encouraging the not so confident and together they were pulling together as a team. Enter Ewan McIntosh!

Ewan McIntosh is the founding CEO of NoTosh Limited, and he works with schools and universities in the Middle East, Australasia, Africa, North America and Europe to apply the ways of working in  creative industries to the world of schooling. He is one of my educational gurus and I can’t really remember what we talked about for the brief time he was in the middle of my classroom chaos, but I do remember what I learned about my kids that day.I learned what motivates them, what interests them, how they learn, how they come together and how they face their fears.There is a performer lurking in every teacher and we also need to know our audience, know the whole child in order to meet their learning needs more effectively. Being a math and science teacher I’m frequently sad that I don’t get to share books with kids or read their stories and essays. These can often provide great insight into who our students are and in the hurly-burly race to leave no child behind, opportunities to really listen to and learn about our students can often be missed.

Later on that day lots more visitors arrived in my classroom as parents poured in to enjoy the talent show. We marveled together at the courage, flexibility, ingenuity, and levels of trust and camaraderie displayed by our kids. One of my first teaching mentors told me that education is like a three legged stool: parents, children and teachers. While classroom parties can often be messy, loud and seen as a distraction from the curriculum, they can also be seen as a rare opportunity for the three legs of the stool to come together to enjoy, celebrate and appreciate each other.

I spent the rest of the week collating and analyzing mid-year assessment data about my students. This data will be helpful in making instructional decisions but no more so than the knowledge I gained about my students by taking forty minutes to let them teach me about who they are as people.

It Takes a Village

I recently “found” my cousin via Facebook. Over twenty years ago she moved to Ireland and we just kind of drifted apart. It has been so wonderful to reconnect and we’ve had fun Skyping and sharing memories of growing up as cousins. Our mothers were two of the eight sisters and one brother raised by my Grandma Grimes, which meant we had a whole lot of cousins and a whole lot of fun times to remember. While it has been lovely to reminisce, it’s also made me think about about what my own children are missing out on because of our decision to come and live in the U.S. I’m reminded of the ancient African proverb: It takes a village to raise a child.

 I know my husband and I have often missed the support and comfort of close family members to help us weather the storms life brings, and I began to panic at the thought of the eternal damage we must have done to our children by denying them the opportunity to grow up surrounded by their extended family. How much will our decision to emigrate cost us in therapy in the future? My panic subsides as I realize that they do, in fact, have a village. An adopted village that has grown around all of us as we have made friends and acquaintances that have sustained and nurtured us during the ten years we have lived here. It then occurred to me that it also takes a village to raise a teacher.

The first decade of my teaching career was spent in a small elementary school in a leafy suburb of Liverpool. I was fortunate to work with and learn from an amazing group of teachers whose combined teaching experience totaled close to one hundred years. Like a sponge I soaked up every tip, technique and strategy they employed to help students reach their full potential and they fostered in me a true passion for my job. Here in the U.S I have been equally fortunate to work with dedicated professionals at Birmingham Covington School and I have been able to connect, collaborate and create with my peers like never before. My lust for learning is fed by my personal learning network which I have been able to cultivate with the use of technology. Twitter, Partners in Learning Network, MoodelMeets, and Blogs are just a few of the tools I use to create the global village that is guiding and supporting me on my learning journey.

One of my goals in the last few years has been to help my students learn how to use social media to create their own global village and in the last few weeks I’ve discovered that we don’t have to look too far. For the second year my class is participating in Cyberfair, an international program that encourages students to use technology to research and share their learning about a particular aspect of their community. The topic we chose this year is local businesses, how they meet the needs and wants of the community and how sustainable they are. My students have connected with local experts who have embraced their pursuit of knowledge with a level of enthusiasm I never expected. Bradley MCallum thrilled a group with a tour of the basement of the famous Westin Book Cadillac Hotel. Ruth Kremer gave my students the royal treatment at the Detroit Receiving Hospital and Michael Hauser shared his extensive knowledge of the history of American theater while allowing three of my girls to do cartwheels across the stage of the famous Detroit Opera House .All of my students returned from their visits gushing about what they had learned and how exciting it was to learn beyond the classroom. These are the days they will remember. I sincerely appreciate the time our local experts took out of their working days to help me educate my students about their community in a memorable and authentic way.

We are lucky to be living in an age when technology allows us to reach out and make connections with people who can help us learn and grow. My own kids may well need therapy for something in the future, but it certainly won’t be for lack of a village to cherish, support and encourage them.