Day 30: I have a PLN now what?

My Daily Blog Challenge: 30/365

Around this time last school year, I was sitting in a school in-service meeting. The presenter pitched his belief that all teachers should be on twitter and gave many examples as to why he believes it is a powerful tool. I didn't see the possibilities, but I decided to start an account in case I got bored and needed something to do. The presentation was great and I was not bored, so I had little time to explore Twitter.

I kept my account but didn't do a lot with it for a few months. After some peer pressure from one of my followers, I decided to try a chat in January. I have now surpassed 11.3 thousand tweets and I cannot even begin to describe all of the new information I have learned on Twitter. It has been an amazing experience!

Twitter also exposed me to the concept of a PLN-Personnel Learning Network. At first I thought it was all about following lots of people and having a large following. Just like life, a strong PLN is based on relationships. It took me a while, but I finally realized that the power of Twitter lies in my relationships with my PLN, not in how many people make up my PLN.

I can say without hesitation that I would not be the teacher I am (and the one I hope to become) without my PLN. Twitter shows me all the possibilities in education. I always tell my students, I may not come up with great ideas, but I know when I see one. Twitter exposes me to tons of fantastic ideas that I can use in my classroom. Twitter also surrounds me with passionate and creative teachers.

I am blessed to have a great PLN (both in person and online) and my focus now is to continue to build great relationships. We all have something to offer and share with each other and Twitter makes it easy to connect.  It's not about numbers, it's about relationships.

Thank you to my PLN!  Without you, my life with be much more stressful. You are a source of wonderful ideas and constant support.

Congrats to my Daily Blog Challenge Support Group for finishing one month of our blogging challenge (give or take a few days because we did not all start at the same time.)  Check out our Hashtag #EdBDaily to follow our blogging journey.

Day 29: Gotcha!

My Daily Blog Challenge: 29/365

I often tell my students that I feel like a Watch Dog waiting for someone to do something wrong.  I hate this feeling!  I see too much of this in schools.  Call it attention seeking, call it bad behavior, call it whatever you want; in my classroom I call it annoying.

We live in a Gotcha culture.
-I'm going to speed until the cops pull me over-Gotcha.
-I'm going to be late for work until someone notices-Gotcha.
-I'm going to prioritize other things above my family-Gotcha.
-I'm going to treat people disrespectfully, until someone calls me out-Gotcha.
-I'm going to go against a class expectation until the teacher notices-Gotcha.

The list goes on and on.

I am trying to break this habit with my students as much as I can. We review expectations daily and the first thing I ask them is if there behavior goes along with our expectations (I am still working on making this response automatic without becoming upset).

I strongly believe that our schools and world in general need to be places where we support and encourage each other.  Instead of writing people up and getting upset with them, we need to lead and show them better ways of doing things. I see adults afraid of a "gotcha" that they rarely try anything new and I see students who are testing boundaries, so they are not afraid of a "gotcha" moment.  Either issue limits the amount of energy that people can place on learning and getting better.

Do you feel like the watch dog of your classroom/school? How do you deal with this feeling?

Day 28: Progress Reports for Elementary Music

My Daily Blog Challenge: 28/365

As I have wrote about many times on this blog, I struggle with grading.  The band director I work with uses a progress report for her beginner band students.  I really like the idea and I would like to incorporate it into my elementary program.  My focus this year is less on grades (I don't believe they really show anything) and I am trying to get my students to reflect more on their learning journey.  I want them to focus less on the results and more on the journey, which is where all the fun happens anyways.  Our focus this year is on our Learning Journey Assessment Scale (I found this idea of Pinterest and I take no credit for its creation.)

I created this progress report and I would like to use it with my students in grades 2nd-4th.  I would like to do a similar report for my kindergarteners, but I have not worked out all the details yet.  I think it will include different standards (worded more kid friendly) and students will mark with smiley faces.  Here is the one I created for 2nd-4th.  I would appreciate any feedback/thoughts or comments.

Do you use a progress report in your class?  I would love to see other examples and ideas of what you are using in your classroom.

Day 27: Treating Teachers Like Students

Daily Blog Challenge: 27/365

Last night I joined an impromptu Twitter Chat with three other educators. I quickly realized after one of my tweets that my idea made far more sense in my head than it did in writting. It may have been due to the limit of 140 characters or it could be that it is just not a good idea.  I am hoping that this post enables me to more clearly explain my idea without being constrained to 140 characters.

This is my idea...

I believe that teachers should be treated more like students. I understand that I may be simplifying a complex issue too much, but I see a disconnect between how we want students to be treated and how we treat teachers/staff. 

Here is my rational...

1. Students and teachers are expected to both hold responsibility for student learning, yet when it comes to staff delevelpment; teachers are expected to pay attention simply because they are adults. (May be I need to get used to playing the game of school too.)

2. Teachers are expected to have explanations and possible solutions when students do poorly on assignments, yet teachers are not always given reasons for lower marks on evaluations. 

3. Teachers are expected to give feedback to students (more than good job, or well done), yet teachers often get this kind of feedback, if they get any at all. 

4. Teachers are expected to lead students, yet teachers are often managed and instead of helping them improve, they are fired. 

5. Teachers are expected to treat all students with respect and dignity, yet many teachers find themselves bullied or disrespected at school. 

I realize I may be young and naive and maybe I don't truly understand how the system works in the real world. I see too many teachers dealing with avoidable problems due to people thinking the rules don't apply to adults.  Once again, I believe many of these problems come from lack of relationships (if there ever was a magic potion, strong relationship would be it,). I realize not all students are treated the way they should be. I strive to treat my students the right way and I would like to also be treated the right way. I guess in the end, that is all I ask. At times it seems to be asking too much. 

Does this make any sense? I am more than willing to accept the fact it may be an open mouth insert foot moment. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. 

Day 26: What If...

My Daily Blog Challenge: 26/365

It appears as though the honeymoon phase if over at my school (and from the sounds of it, it's over in many schools across the country.)  We are at the point were teachers are getting frustrated with misbehavior and I find myself at a loss on how to react and what to do in my classroom.  I am tired of neglecting the students who want to learn, so that I can focus on those few who choose to mess around or not pay attention.  Yesterday was a day of frustration, but it forced me to think about how I want the rest of the year to go.  I came up with a few ideas and I realize some of them (if not all of them) may not be good ideas.  There is clearly an issue in my classroom and I cannot continue on the current path.  I made a promise to myself at the beginning of the school year that I would not hold grades over students heads and I am trying very hard not to use grades as a punishment. I realize that it is often the "easy" way out.  As I ask my students, I am fixing my own problem.  Here are the possible solutions to my problem.  I find that through reflection, I find clarity.

1.  Build stronger relationships with my students.
2.  Give students the option to self teach.
3.  Allow students who do not want to participate the option to sit out (once they sit out, they are done for the rest of class and cannot join when they feel like it.)
4. Focus on students who want to be there.

Reflecting on yesterday has made me realize that my relationships with my students are not nearly as strong as they need to be.  Building relationships is hard work, but it is inside my control. Here is to a year of building relationships and learning with my students!

*Update:  I tried a few of these with my students the past two days and I have realized that students sometimes just need to be able to make a black and white choice, which requires them to know their options.  Sometimes what is very clear to me as a teacher, may not be clear to my students.

Day 25: Run Streak is Over

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 25/365

At the end of last school year, I challenged myself to complete the Runner's World Holiday Run Streak.  The goal was to run a minimum of one mile everyday from Labor Day until the Fourth of July.  The Fourth of July came and went and my Run Streak continued.  It became a habit and I enjoyed the journey.  It was supposed to last 40 days, but I kept it going until 110 (minor nagging injuries make me decide to give my body a rest.)

I kept a detailed spreadsheet with information about each run: distance, time, weekly mileage/time and overall mileage/time.  It may seem a little compulsive, but without this date, I would not have realized how much progress I made.  Overall it was a great challenge and I learned a lot about myself and the process of change in general.

Lessons Learned from 110 Days of Running...
1.  My mind is stronger than my body.
2.  I can do more than I think I can.
3.  The possibilities are endless.
4.  Many things in life are "long" term and we need to look at the big picture in order to see improvement.
5.  Goals are important.
6.  I often achieve success without ever knowing it.
7.  The "crazy" is possible.
8.  Do what I know I need to do even if I don't feel like it.
9.  Priorities get done first.  Make the important things in my life a priority.
10. Success is achieved through baby steps.

I believe these are all important lessons for our students to learn. It's hard work to stay focused on something long term, but it is very rewarding.

Day 24: The Positive Side of Life

My Daily Blog Challenge: 24/365

It is easy to get bogged down with frustrations and the negative aspects of being a teacher. After spending time reflecting on the beginning of this school year, I realized that I have many things to be thankful for. There are many positives about my current position. 

1. My administration is supportive.
2. I work with many talented and amazing people.
3. My students are great (I am not biased :).
4. I work close to home and enjoy a short commute.
4a. We live close to both sets of parents which makes visiting both families easier.
5. My husband and I both have jobs in our degree areas and we are able to pay our bills.
6. I am able to coach basketball and softball.
7. I am given great freedom in terms of curriculum and lesson plans.
8. The staff as a whole is supportive of the Arts.
9. I am allowed to try new things and think outside the box.
10. My room is full of instruments.
11. I am blessed to have many great mentors.
12. I am blessed to have an understanding husband who does not get upset when I stay late at school.
13. I get to teach music mostly full time.
14. I get to explore technology and teach a media class.
15. I have very few requirements in terms of performances.

16. My students (for the most part) enjoy music.
17. I have 40 students in 5/6 Chorus, which is almost twice the size of last year.
18. I have my own classroom and I do not have to worry about my classes making too much noise.
19. I have access to technology.

Day 23: My Reflection on the Bammy Awards

My Daily Blog Challenge: 23/365

Let me start by saying two things.
1. I didn't know what the Bammy's were until yesterday.
2. What I have learned about this year's awards is pieced together from Tweets I have read. I realize it is not the whole story and my intention is not to take sides or offend anyone.

Teaching is a profession that is often bashed and misunderstood. It is great that we have organizations that recognizes great educators. However, it is sad that most Americans and teachers in general have never heard of these awards. In my opinion, the purpose of these awards should be to share ideas and stories from teachers so that the profession as a whole can learn and grow. 

There is never a shortage of bad press about educators. We need to make sure we are letting the public know about all the great things that are ocurring in our schools. Awards like the Bammy's are a great opportunity to share the great things about education with people outside the field. It is the perfect example of positive press.

Teachers need to express the positives about our field. I know there are many frustrations and we can discuss those in the comforts of our home or teacher's lounge. These frusterations should not be aired in public.  Too many people are willing to give teachers bad press, we do not need to help them.

Awards should not be about being the best, but they should be about sharing ideas so we can all grow. With recognition comes a platform to share ideas. Twitter and social media are great tools to connect educators and I know that I would be a very different teacher without my PLN. Teachers need to stick together, work together and grow with each other. We can do far more as a group than any of us can as individuals.

Day 22 : Our Kids

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 22/365

I work in a small rural school. There are roughly two hundred students and twenty-five staff members (including faculty, staff, aides and specialists).  Often I see schools and teachers that focus on their class only and although I see he power of controlling what is inside your control (as I have blogged about before.). Imagine the power (using my school's numbers as an example) if twenty-five teachers were working towards the same goals with two hundred students... 

I believe we can achieve far more as a staff than we can as individual teachers. It seems easy, but viewing all students as our kids has great implications.  It may be easier to only focus on the students in our classroom, but we raise the opportunity for success when we all work together.  I believe we need to shift back to focusing on"soft skills."  Life skills are a necessity for success in life. I also believe we could enforce these life skills more effectively if they were focused on by the whole school. 

The focus on our kids was something I learned from my amazing principal in Alaska. That school was even smaller and more rural than the school I currently work in. As a staff we focused on behaviors that we expected to see from all of our students and we worked as a staff to ensure our student exhibited these behaviors.  It was beneficial for the students and the staff members did not feel like a Lone Ranger. 

Are kids at your school your kids or our kids?  There is power in numbers and at the end of the day, a student can never have too many supporters.

Day 21: Books Challenge

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 21/365

I am a self professed book worm and I spent much of my summer off reading (Books I Finished). I recently came across an article listing thirty books they believe you should read before you are thirty. I was surprised to notice that I have not read any of the books on the list. I am always up for a challenge and this book list is a perfect endeavor. The article also mentioned "Catcher in the Rye." I have never read that book either, so I am adding it to my reading list.

How many of these books have you read? Any books you suggest?

I have just under two years to accomplish this mission. Happy Reading!

Day 20 : Five Week Reflection

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 20/365

Monday will begin my six week of school for the 2013-2014 school year. I believe it is important to reflect on my teaching as the days, weeks and month go by.  It is easier for me to see progress if I reflect after shorter amounts of time. Things come and go, so I may do something well for a week or so and struggle with it later.  I am trying to build in self reflection time for my students and myself this year. 

Positives after five weeks

1. Meeting me students at the door and welcoming them to music class with a high five and smile. 

2. Including 1:1 assessment time. 

3. Allowing redos. 

4. Assessing based on where they are on their mastery journey. 

5. Including a variety of activities. 

Things I need to work on1. Giving clear directions during work time. 

2. Getting frustrated with my students. 

3. Walking around more during chorus (not being tied to the piano). 

4. Dealing with student refusal in a better way. 

5. Explaining our self assessment tool better. 

6. Including more student reflection and including mental training.

What positives have you experienced so far this year? What areas do you feel you need to work on? 

Day 19 : Mental Training

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 19/365

This summer I had the opportunity to coach a 7th/8th grade summer softball team.  During this time I was also training for a half-marathon and was very curious about mental training, both for myself as a runner and as a coach.  I started using it a little with my players this summer and it is something I want to incorporate more into my coaching.  My players thought I was crazy when we used imagery exercises, but we did see results. More importantly, it helped us focus on the process instead of the outcome. 

I follow experts in the field of Mental Training on Twitter and read blogs in order to learn how to implement these ideas into my life.  One tip that I often hear is to have players focus on one thing they want to work on during practice. After seeing this advice a few times I started wondering how I can implement this in my class room.  Why is school something forced on students and not something students are taught to strive towards each day? Now, I can easily see some of my students saying "nothing" when I ask them what they are going to focus on during class.  At the same time, I can also see some of my students thinking very hard about it.  Imagine the power if students were focused more on learning than just getting thru the day. 

This week I had a third grader refuse to play guitar (I play the chords and they strum) and his first question was would he get a zero. If I would have said yes, he would have agreed to play the guitar (I am working very hard not to use grades as a punishment, so I said he would miss a cool opportunity). It is heartbreaking to me that a student this young is already focused on the grade. All he is thinking about is the outcome. Now, in terms of behavior, this is what we want. We want our students to think about the possible outcomes of their choices. As a learner, we should be focused on the process of learning.  This may be why this is a hard skill for students and people in general. In one situation we ask them to think about the result (behavior) and in the other we ask them to focus on the process (learning). 

I want my students to be excited about learning and I want them to focus on the process, not the results. I know I cannot instill this philosophy in one day, but I can continually use the language of mental training to teach these new behaviors.  My students should be working hard and reflecting on their learning. Learning is an active process it is not something that happens to you.  As a teacher, it is also important to use the concepts of mental training.  I need to make sure I am focused on the process of teaching and do not get bogged down with just the results.  

Do you use mental training as a coach, teacher or person?  I would love to hear from you!

Day 18: My Philosophy

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 18/365

I see and hear about many practices in education.  In the end, I cannot fix the world, but I can fix my classroom.  I am going to try to live the words I often tell my students and worry about myself, for that is the one thing I have control over.  I am five weeks into the 2013-2014 school year and here is the philosophy I hope to live everyday as a teacher. 

1.  I will expect great things from my students.
2.  I will set high expectations for my students.
3.  I will build positive relationships with my students.
4.  I will use kinds words and a gentle tone.
5.  I will be organized and ready to go.
6.  I will not use grades or prizes to bribe my students for proper behavior.
7.  I will take the time to talk and interact with all of my students.
8.  I will focus on 1:1 time with my students, so I can really see how they are doing.
9.  I will give self reflection time using our chart:  Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner and Expert.
10.  I will assess my students based on where they are on their learning journey for specific standards using our chart: Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner and Expert.
11.  I will stay positive and have fun!
12.  I will greet my students at the door with a smile/a high five/kind word.
13.  I will not let the frustrations of a previous class impact my ability to teach the class that is in my room.
14.  I will continue to look for ideas that will help me be a better teacher.
15.  I get the honor and privilege to be a teacher and I will not take this responsibility lightly!

Day 17: The Ball is Rolling Away

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 17/365

One thing I have learned about myself in that past few years is that I need routine and structure.  I started this blog challenge 20 days ago with the goal of writing everyday and I already find myself four days behind schedule.  My routine has been off this week and I find myself consistently feeling behind. I use my mornings as my time to get stuff done: blog, read, exercise, dishes and pack lunches.  My day seems chaotic when I miss this time in the morning (which happens when I stay up too late the night before.)  Without this routine, the days seem to fly by and everything seems like a mess.

As an adult, I have control over my schedule, yet it amazes me how easy it is for it to get messed up.  One missed day quickly turns into two or three and so on.  This makes me think of my students, who have very little control over their schedule.  They are at the mercy of their family.  I know that lack of structure adds stress to my life, but what about them?  I can't control my student's schedule, but I can make sure that I am at my best so that I am able to teach at a high level.  I was not at the level that I would like to be at this week.  Lack of structure made me feel out of sorts and lack of sleep made me cranky and although I try very hard, sometimes it impacts those around me (sorry to my husband.)

Some days I feel like I am chasing a ball down a hill.  Just when I think I have caught it, something happens.  I am more motivated after this week to make sure that my routine is where it needs to be.  My students deserve my best and I am committed to making sure I take care of myself so that I can do my job (that includes being a good wife, daughter, sister and friend.)  In the end it is not about me; it is about my students and they deserve the best regardless of external situations.

Day 16: Remembering a Friend

My 365 Blog Challenge: Day 16/365

I spent the summers when I was in college working at a dude ranch in Wisconsin. Even after I graduated I would go back and work when I was available. The summer of 2012 was my eighth and final summer there. I started on waitstaff and eventually moved to activities director. Over the course of my eight years I helped fill in in almost every position, which was fun for me and prevented boredom.

During my second summer Virginia became the new manager. She was old enough to be my grandmother, but our love of books started many conversations. For me it is hard to describe her as a friend (due to the age different), but she was a friend, a grandma figure and a mentor all rolled into one. We did not always see eye to eye, but we respected each other. During my eight years at the ranch our relationship transitioned from a boss/employee to "friends".

It was with great pride that in 2011 I was able to introduce Virginia to my now husband. After that meeting she gave me a big hug and told me she was so glad I met a great guy who treated me well and made me happy. She was excited when I told her we were engaged and was saddened that she could not make our wedding. All my of grandparents live in Minnesota, so in many ways, she filled in for my them.

Life is busy and so many things have gone unsaid, but the lessons are left behind. She taught me to be proud of your work (and that your work speaks volumes about your character), she reminded me how simple and important it is to listen/ give them your time and to let people know you care about them. In this life, relationships are what matter and I have been blessed to have had one with her.

Yesterday, September 19th, would have been her 73rd birthday. She passed away in May after a battle with cancer.

Happy Birthday Virginia! I love and miss you.

Day 15: Social Media In the Music Room Part 2

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 15/365

I began this school year filled with excitement about using Social Media in my classroom.  I was all set to use Facebook and Twitter as a way to communicate with parents.  Recently I have been hearing about classes tweeting about what they are learning.  This sounded like a great opportunity for my students, but I was not sure how to make it work in my music room.  After seeing a few examples, I felt confident about trying it.  

We started today and I am excited about all the possibilities!  My third graders encouraged me to make a bulletin board so we could keep track of where our contacts our from.  Right now we are connected with three other classes and we have already had our first question (interaction).  I think this will be a great way for students to interact with other classes and for them to make connections with topics we are learning about in music.

I teach at an Elementary School and a Middle School.  I created the bulletin board for the Elementary, but I share classrooms at the Middle School, so I created a Google Map.

Google Map of our Twitter Contacts.
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zoRcmbNQ27jg.kvxTpCQyxJeQ

Do you use Twitter in your classroom?  My K-4 music students would love to connect with you! @MrsWrensClass

Day 14: Books in the Music Room

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 14/365

This year I am on a mission to incorporate books into my lessons.  I have two pianos in my room and last year I decided to turn one into a book display area. This year I want to take the next step and include the books display into more of my lessons. We set a school wide reading goal each year and classroom read aloud books count towards this total.  Last year I read maybe five books to my students. This year I want that number to be much higher.

                       

Yesterday I finally went to our library and checked out a few picture books. I picked ones that I felt we could add small percussion to. I set them up on display, but I was not planning on using them yet. Right now my classes (minus kindergarten) are working on composition projects.  I want to make sure my students are able to play what they wrote, so I have each student clap their composition for me.  While I was working with individual students, I had the rest of the class practice their composition and switch compositions with classmates. I said nothing about the new books, but an amazing thing happened (I have taught general classroom before and I always used books as an activity when they were done working, but I never thought to do that in a music class.) One by one, after students had played their composition and compositions from other classmates, they asked me if they could pick a book to read. This started in second grade and I figured it was because second graders still like picture books, but then it happened in third grade and again in fourth grade. To be honest, I was surprised. What started as something for me to use with my primary classes turned into something all of my classes enjoyed!  The best part as a teacher is that having books gives my students something to do when they are done with their work and it also allows me the 1:1 time to help and work with my students. It's a win, win situation! Books are not just for the core subjects anymore. 

Day 13 Masters Programs

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 13/365

I am entering my sixth year of teacher (if I include all the random parts of my teaching career.)  I always thought I would start working on my masters after I had taught for a few years and I find myself at that point in my career, but there are so many choices.  I am very torn on the whole idea.  Other than the long term financial benefits, is it even worth it? Is it better to get a general education, music specific or a technology emphasis masters? Is it better to go online or through a local university?

1.  Is it worth it?
Positive:  Financially, a masters degree would pay for itself within a few years.  Plus, more education would make me a better teacher (in theory.)

Negative:  I never felt like I gained a lot from my general education classes, so I dread the idea of taking similar classes.  The best learning experiences come through experience in a classroom.  Plus, there are so many opportunities for development outside of just a masters degree (EdCamps, Twitter, etc.)

Outcome:  I am leaning towards a masters degree being worth the time and money.

2.  What should I get a masters degree in?
General Positive:  Budgets are tight and it is difficult to know if the arts will continue to be a part of the curriculum.  Therefore, earning a general masters degree will make me more marketable if the arts are cut. 
As I mentioned early, I disliked many of my general education classes in college.  The idea of spending more money on similar classes does not fill me with excitement.

Music:  Taking more music related classes would help me be a better teacher.  I would learn ideas and concepts that relate to my field. 

Technology:  Technology is becoming a focus point in our schools and having more education in this area could help my career and it would help improve my teaching.

Outcome:  I am leaning towards a masters degree in music or technology.

3.  School Location
Online:  It would be more convenient, but they often cost a bit more.  Also, it would allow me to go through a program that is not local, which gives me more options.

Local University:  I live near many schools that offer a masters in education and the ROE does Cohorts.

Outcome:  I am leaning towards an online program because they are more flexible.

I would love to hear about your continuing education journey and the questions/answers you came up with.

Day 12: Dah!

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 12/365

Part of my routine this school year is to get up early, so I have time to read:  Bible Study, Twitter, blogs and books for fun.  I recently read a blog post by Tiffany Freeman (@TiffanyFreeman) about assessment.  I have been struggling with grading in general (http://mwren13.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-internal-battle.html).  I have been so focused on assessment for the purpose of grading that I forgot that the goal of assessment shoukd be to improve my teaching. Dah!

I am planning on giving more tests this year: playing tests and projects.  I want my students to be able to show mastery and originally I thought these would help me justify grades.  The point of playing tests is to see where my students are on their learning journey, but most importantly, it is so I can see which areas are weak in my teaching.  All assessments loose their power if they are just graded and filed away.  When students struggle in a particular area, we need to first look at ourselves and see what we can do better.  Our job is to teach students, therefore when students do not learn, we need to first look at what we did/did not do.  As an expert in our subjects it can sometimes be hard to make sure we are explaining things well enough.  

After my Dah moment, I am now viewing assessment as a test on me, not a test on my students.  I want them to succeed and enjoy music, so it is vital that I take these moments to improve my teaching.

Thank you Tiffany Freeman for the great reminder on the power of assessments!

Day 11: Silent Messages

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 11/365

"Children will learn in your room because children learn involuntarily. What they learn depends on you."

("To Teach" by William Ayers. Pg 41).

People often focus on their language.  We are taught as children not to swear and we learn in school the expected way to talk.  Most people realize how important their body language is and how many messages they send out without speaking.  How we react to stressful situations in front of students are silent messages that help reinforce behavior.  My hope as a teacher is that I am modeling positive ways to deal with frustration (this is important as a coach too).  The more students see behavior, the more likely they are to imitate it.  I do not want to be the model of negative behavior.

A Good Behavior Model...
1. Speaks calmly:  It is human nature to get upset about things.  Frustration is a fact of life, but speaking to my students with anger is unexceptionable.  If I am too upset to speak calmly, I am too upset to speak at all.  I am on a mission this year to give myself a timeout if I find myself in need of a break from a situation.  It is better to deal with a situation at a later time while I am under control than when I am filled with frustration.

2.  Smiles:  I firmly believe people do not see smiles enough during a day.  I am on a mission to smile at my students as much as possible (learning/school should be fun.)

3.  High 5's/Hugs: I realize hugs are a bit controversial, but as an elementary teacher they are more acceptable.  Physical contact (high 5's, knuckles, hugs etc.) are a way of showing people we care about them.  My hope is that my students get hundreds of high 5's and hugs a day, but sadly this may not happen in all homes.  I cannot reach a hundred, but I can make sure my class starts with a high five as they enter my room and ends with a high five as they leave my room.

My goals are to model self-control, excitement and kindness.  These are important life skills, plus they make life much more enjoyable.

Day 10: Great Moments

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 10/365

I received an e-mail one night from the Early Childhood (ECE) teacher at my school asking if anyone was able to cover her class during two times the following day because she had IEP meetings.  I was not able to help during the morning time, but after checking my schedule, I realized that I had fourth grade during the afternoon time that she needed help.  I decided to step out on a limb and offer to take her seven students (on top of my seventeen fourth graders.)

I have never taught pre-school music, so I was not exactly sure what to do during a forty minute class period (with students who have never had a music class before).  I talked to a few music teachers and came up with a plan: a short video clip, echo activities, African Drums, a singing game and movement.  I trust the class of fourth graders that was going to be helping and I was confident that they would do a great job.  They exceeded my expectations!  I was impressed with their patience, kindness and their willingness to help.  They did not complain about having to miss their normal music activities or about having a combined class.  They were excited at the opportunity to help and many of them saw it as a chance to practice their babysitting skills.  The ECE students, who do no go to specials, were so excited to have music.  It was a fun class!

My Takeaways from this Experience...
1. Students will (typically) rise to the occasion if you give them clear expectations.
2. Music (specials in general) are a great outlet for all students.
3. Music (specials in general) are important because they allow another area for students to be successful.
4. Helping younger students is a great experience for all students.  It helps them feel responsible and important.  It was exciting to see my fourth graders, who are shy, working with the ECE students.
5.  Don't be afraid to try new things.  Amazing things can happen!

Day 9: Beat the Stress

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 9/365

My softball coach in college used to always say "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results." As I enter another school year, I am trying hard to not be insane. Through teaching, I have learned that I become stressed out when I do not feel my life is balanced. For me, this includes spending time with my husband, feeling good about my progress on school responsibilities, spending quiet time alone, spending time reading (Bible Study is part of this) and working out. All of these aspects of my life cannot receive equal time, but in the big picture of life, they need to feel balanced in order for me to feel relaxed. With social media and technology it is easy to always be busy and always learning. I love this aspect of the world we live in, but at times learning and school work needs to take a back seat to other parts of my life.

I am a big believer that it is vital to set goals so I know which direction I am going. If my goal is to live this school year with less insanity, there are simple steps I can make to ensure this happens. In the end, I am the one who has to live my life and I am the one who needs to be happy with it.  My husband and I both coach basketball at our respective schools. I coach boy's and girl's basketball in the same amount of time that he coaches girl's basketball, so starting in November we will both be very busy.  I am not coaching volleyball this year, so August, September and October are my "free" months. These are the months where I need to focus on my family and build up investments of time because I know time will be limited in the future. 

We all have busy lives and it is important that we each stay focused on what is important for us individually. I have learned over the past three years that I start feeling overwhelmed when I do not have me time or time to talk with my husband. I am in control of how I spend my time, so I am very focused on making better decisions this year.  So far this school year I am mostly happy with the routines I have set for myself.  Getting up early allows me time and it also allows time to read and exercise (I am also a bit of a neat freak so it allows me time to pick up around my house).  I have started riding my bike to school and that is a great way to get my exercise and my quiet time at the same time.  

I am already noticing that I struggle making sure I have time to talk with my husband.  There are endless ideas and I feel like I could spend all my waking hours at school and still have more work to do.  I am still working on finding balance in this aspect of my life.  This week I strive to spend more time with my husband.  October and basketball season will be here before we know it :)

From experience, I know that I feel overwhelmed when I do not have time to read, time alone or time to talk with my husband.  This school year I am not going to live my life insanely.  The choices I make need to align with these three needs so that I can feel relaxed and at peace with my life.

What aspects of your life cause you the most stress?  How are you trying to prevent this from happening this year?

Day 8: Internal Battle

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 8/365

I am struggling with the role of participation in my classroom.  Part of me believes that students should participate. My rationale is that as adults, they will be expected to participate in meetings and other job related duties that they may not want to do.  The other part of me believes that students should practice as much as is necessary for them to master a concept or skill.  My rationale, is that it's not worth the fight to get a student, who can already play the piece, to participate.  Should I focus on my students learning or worry about how much they participate?

Right now in fourth grade we are working on the cup rhythm (made famous in the movie Pitch Perfect). We learn the rhythm as a class, we play it along with different songs and we finish by with students composing their own cup rhythm. We talk about form and use the original cup rhythm for the A section and their composition becomes the B section.  In the past, I would down grade student's daily points if they refused to participate during class. Now I am leaning towards having my students complete a playing test: playing the cup rhythm alone and then playing it along with music. 

I am starting to think that I need to include more playing tests and focusing more on the skills and concepts. I strongly believe that students need to participate in order to learn, but at times I focus more on the participation and less on the mastery of skills. 

How do you balance grading, testing and making sure your students are actually learning? I would love to hear how to acomplish these goals in your classroom. 

Day 7: The Point Is...

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 7/365

It seems as though almost every conversation on Twitter leads to talk about Education Reform, which never fails to bring up many passionate arguments.  I am becoming confused with what the real purpose of education is; what are our goals?  I believe these are two questions that must be answered before we can truly "fix" education.

In my opinion, the goal of education is to teach our children to be productive members of society.  On a basic level, that includes the ability to read, write, communicate with others properly, basic math skills and social skills (we often focus on tested subjects; but recess, lunch, physical education and preschool/kindergarten are great areas for children to learn and practice these skills.)  Computer skills can now be added to this list because there are few jobs that don't require proficiency in this area.  Once, basic skills are taught, it all comes down to the ability and the desire to learn.  In the end, the ability to learn is what separates successful people from others is the ability and desire to learn new skills and concepts.

On a high level, school exposes and teaches students life skills: recovering from mistakes, responsibility, respect, time management, work ethic and team work.  These skills are learned inside the classroom, but they are also learned through sports, student organizations and the fine arts.  Our focus should be on teaching these skills and values.  The championships, awards and banners are icing on the cake.  In the end, winning a state championship in high school or winning awards at Solo and Ensemble is not in itself going to help you be successful in life.  On the other hand, the skills and knowledge mastered, will lead to success.

Once we know our goals, we can determine the path we need to take to reach them.  Standardized tests and work sheet packets make me question the end goal.  They do not match up with the goals I believe education should have.  I realize I am only one teacher in the world of thousands and I have no control over the path of education as a whole, but I do have control (mostly) over my classroom.  I can make sure that my classroom is aligned with my goals: exposing students to different styles/types of music, teaching life skills through music (sports), teaching the skills of reflection, giving my students a creative outlet and an area to find success.

What do you see as our educational goals?  What should our goals for education be?  Do our actions lead to our goals?  I would love to hear about your individual classroom reform.

Day 6: Band Camp

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 6/365

This summer I had the privilege to help coach the percussion section at a local High School Marching Band Camp. I teach elementary music, so this was an opportunity to fill my need for marching band.  The director is a thirty year veteran in education and he has build a solid instrumental music program, along with a successful marching program. As an elementary teacher, it was amazing to see how much responsibility drum majors and section leaders were given. Even more amazing, was the quality of leadership that those in these roles showed. It was a great experience to see students leading students and working together towards a common goal. I also saw the power of expectations. The director has high expectations and they are drilled into band members as freshman. Students hold each other accountable for the success of the band.

The whole experience of seeing students learn and use leadership skills reminded me that this is why we must include music programs in our school curriculum. Just like sports, the aim of the arts is not to produce professionals (I coach youth sports to teach valuable life skills, not so I can coach the next superstar). The arts and sports teach many life skills that are vital for success in life: time management, goal setting, team work, responsibility, self respect, work ethic and perseverance.  Not all students are athletic, just like not all students are artistic. This is why we need to provide both opportunities for our students.  Cutting one, limits the chance for all students to learn important skills.  Our focus should be on the purpose behind the activity. I know athletics are more glamorous than the arts, but they both teach similar skills that are important for our students to learn. For the non-athletic person, the arts may be the only opportunity for them to learn life skills. 

Do you believe the arts and athletics should be on the same level?  I would love to hear about your philosophy on the place of the arts and athletics in our education system. 

Day 5: Thinking Outside the Box...

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 5/365

I am entering my 6th year of teaching and I am pushing myself more than ever to try new things in my classroom.  A summer of learning on Twitter has filled me with many new ideas and connections with other music teachers.  I would like to take advantage of these amazing resources.

This is my Outside the Box List.
1.  Use Skype to connect with other music classes.  Perform music for them and discuss what we are learning.
2.  Use a class Twitter account to share our learning with other classrooms and to follow along with their learning journey.
3.  Be a teacher leader and help lead the introduction of our new typing program.
4.  Use a website, Twitter and Facebook to connect with parents and to keep them up to date on what is going on in music class.
5.  Continue the use of digital portfolios and record class progress through different projects.
6.  Use Edmodo in my 5th grade Media Class.  Learn more about the apps available.
7.  Create a classroom atmosphere where students are performers and creators.
8.  Find a better grading system.  Letter grades are not the only way.
9.  Explore the possibility of using digital portfolios in choir and band lessons.
10.  Expose my students to more performances.
11.  Include parents in the musical education of their child.


Have you tried any of the things on my list? Any words of encouragement of advice?  What things are on your Outside the Box list?

Day 4: I'm Done!

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 4/365

I'm Done!  This year, I refuse to be a watch dog.  I refuse to wait for students to "mess up" and then get upset because of their misbehavior.  I refuse to expect my students to be perfect and to never make mess up, even if it is something "we have talked about a hundred times."  I cannot control how students act in my classroom, but I can control how I respond.

This year, I am going to meet my students at the door and welcome them into our music classroom.  Once they have all found there spots, I am going to begin with a quick review of what I expect from them (walk in quietly, sit in assigned spot, participate, treat others with respect, take care of our equipment and help keep our room clean) and then we will move on to our daily routine.  When students "mess up" (which they will because they are human), I will calmly ask them if their behavior matches up with our class expectations. I will then ask them to fix it.  All of this will be done with empathy and in a manner which builds up my individual relationships with my students.  My focus is on positive relationships and to control what I can control! 

What things are you "done with" this school year?  I would love to hear how you are changing your classroom this school year. 

Day 3: Something's Just Suck!

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 3/365

Let me start by saying this post is therapeutic for me (at least that is my hope). It is my attempt at organizing my thoughts and working through the many emotions I find myself with tonight.  I apologize if it is random or confusing.

Tonight as I was checking Facebook, I noticed a few of my friends had changed their profile picture to a cancer ribbon. After looking at a few status updates, I relalized it had to do with a parent from my school. I asked one of my coworkers what was going on and she told me that the mom of one of our students has cancer and the outcome has taken a turn for the worse. This particular student is the sweetest kid ever and a joy to have in class. I realize that this does not matter, no child (even if they drive me crazy in class) deserves to suffer through something like this when they are in elementary school.  Even as I write this, I can hear my students yelling at me for swearing, somethings just suck. 

Looking at pictures of this student on Facebook brought up many emotions and I will admit it made me cry. I am very close with my family and I can't imagine life without one of them. I can't imagine what I would so in a similar situation and I am an adult. 

As a teacher I spend hours preparing for lessons and organizing materials, but moments like this make me question the purpose of these endeavors. This student is going thru a worst case scenario at a young age. Does it really matter what we are doing in music class or in school in general? Now I realize, school is important and the ability to read/write are necessary life skills and I don't mean to debate that now, but there is so much more to life than school.  I have many students who have struggles at home and I am concerned about them learning rhythm patterns and singing songs. It all seems so trivial. 

Knowing what I now know about this student, all I want to do tomorrow is give him a big hug and tell him everything is going to be all right, but I know that I cannot promise him that. I will have to settle for praying for him and his family as they endure this challenging time.  

School should be a support system for students (and staff for that matter).  This situation reaffirms my belief that educators should focus on relationships. We never know how many people show a particular student that they are cared for and honestly, students cannot have too many supporters.  We need to love our students. Once basic skills are mastered, students can learn anything they set their mind to. Schools give us many years to model and teach our students caring and empathy. I will gladly take those skills over musical mastery. 

By the way, I will still give him that big hug.  Even though I can't make it all better, I can make sure he knows he is surrounded by people who care about him. 

Day 2: Social Media in Elementary Music Part 1

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 2/365

Last year I started a class website and digital portfolios using Google Sites.  I spend a lot of time updating information and adding projects to our portfolios and to be honest, I became frustrated with the amount of people who actually checked the website.  I realized over the summer that I rarely check websites daily or weekly, unless I am prodded.  I decided I needed a way to send updates to my parents about what was happening in Music Class.

I decided to start a classroom Twitter account and a Facebook Group.  My hope is to reach parents using the platform that they prefer.  Both accounts are private, so parents have to ask to join the group.  I do not include student names, but having a protected account limits who sees the videos and pictures.  I use my iPad to record projects or songs and I upload them to a private YouTube play list.  Social Media allows me to send updates when new projects are added to our website.  I am also able to link the YouTube videos so parents can watch what their child is working on in music.  I take video or audio during many different points of the learning journey, so students and parents can see the growth that occurs during the course of a project.

I have not used it yet, but we also have a class Twitter that is open to the public.  This account is for my students to share what they are learning.  No student pictures or videos will be posted on this account.  Eventually, I would like to collaborate with other classrooms.

We are starting our third week of school tomorrow and I am excited about the possibilities that including social media in my classroom can bring.  Do you use social media in your classroom?  How do you use it in your classroom?  Has it been a positive experience?

Day 1: Let The Blogging Begin!

My 365 Blog Challenge:  Day 1/365

What began as a random conversation ended up creating a blogging support group for educators. We have all committed to slightly different lengths of time, but we all aim to write one blog everyday. Originally, I was only going to commit to one month; but I have decided to challenge myself to writing every for a year.  I have never been very good at handling peer pressure.  I also realized that the expectation of blogging everyday does not mean that every post is going to be award winning (honestly, it is crazy to have that goal to begin with).  I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I am trying to focus on being process driven, instead of worrying about the outcome.  The goals are to write everyday, reflect on my experiences as a teacher/person and to grow from these experiences.

I have kept a journal off and on for three years and I started blogging a year ago.  I have not been very consistent with either venture and I hope that this challenge will push me to write everyday.  Writing forces me to put my feelings into coherent thoughts.  I have found it to be a great way to deal with stress and frustration.

Through this journey, I am going to focus on the process of writing and not the possible outcomes.  I invite you to follow along with our challenge.  Our Twitter hash tag is #EdBDaily.  I would also invite you to think about joining our Blogging Support Group for Educators.  If a year seems too daunting, you can commit to any length of time.

In the end, it is the process of writing that produces results.  The amount of readers and tweets may make us feel good, but that in itself does not impact how much we learn from the experience of writing and reflecting.

Happy Blogging!