April 30th: Make Time

One of my struggles as a "new" mom is balancing my time.  Reading, journaling, blogging, bible studying and running are all things that provide me time and allow me to find balance in life.  Since my daughter was born, I have struggled to find time for these things and this has brought frustration and stress to my life.

This weekend, as I was frustrated about the same things, I realized something important.  No one is going to make time for me to have my time.  I need to make time.  If I want to do something, I need to make time to do it.  If this means I need to ask my husband to take care of things around the house so I can have an hour for me, I need to do this (I can not wait or assume he will make this time for me.)

This was a powerful realization for me tonight and it helped me feel more balanced.  One step in the right direction was creating a running plan and picking out a race to run.  I am looking forward to running my second half marathon in September.  This race will give me something to work towards and training will help give my days a focus.

It is easy to fall into the trap that we do not have time, but at the end of the day we need to remember that we make time for what is important.  What is important to you?  What do you want to do?  How are you going to make time for that?  Who do you need help from?

Make a plan, ask for help, start working and enjoy the journey!

April 29th: Your History of Learning

Your History of Learning - What has been your greatest learning experiences?

Most of my memorable learning experiences come from a teacher or coach guiding me towards a specific goal.  The key in all of these experiences is that the goal is something I wanted to achieve (which makes me wonder how we help encourage students to want to learn, which I believe is a vital life skill.)  

Learning provides a positive memory when I am working towards something I truly want to learn/do.  Having someone to guide and help me through the process has always made the learning easier.  Sometimes the help comes in the form of 1:1 conversations, a book or a podcast.

We live in an era where we are surrounded by resources to learn and grown.  It is our decision to take advantage of these resources and to use them to the best of our ability.

Learning is a never ending journey and it leads us to everywhere we have ever wanted to go.

April 28th: The Worst Advice We've Ever Heard About Technology in the Classroom

Not all of these are pieces of advice, but they are comments I have often heard when it comes to using technology in the classroom.

1. Kids these days use technology all of the times, so they know how to use it.
2. I don't have time to learn how to use this new app/program.
3. I don't know how to do that.
4. Just play around with it.

Technology is a tool just like a video, dictionary, protractor or a book.  It may be "cooler" than those other resources, but it is still a tool.  Students and teachers need to learn how to use this tool in an educational setting.  We live in an era with great access to information through the use of technology.  We owe it to ourselves and our students to take advantage of these resources.

April 27th: How to Build a More Powerful Classroom by Letting Go

I struggle with the concept of letting go.  I know I cannot control everything, but I like to control what I can (even if it is something someone else can control for me.) Most students are used to teachers who are controlling so they are not always ready to handle this kind of freedom in the classroom.

The bottom line is that students need to learn how to work with other people, get along, stay focused, stay on task, work through distractions and work through frustrations.  These skills are vital for future success and we need to give students the opportunities to practice these skills.  This means giving up control.  When a teacher controls everything in the classroom, we are creating a monster of dependency.  In the short term it may make things easier, but in the long term it is not what is best for our students.

How do we let go?

We need to be intentional about the skills we are teaching students.  We need to focus on the "hidden" skills: staying focused, working with others, breaking down a large task and similar skills that are not the main focus of our curriculum.

April 26th: Engagement/Lesson/Tips/Tricks/Ideas for Spring Fever

I teach K-4 general music and I have found many of the same concepts help when it comes to spring fever.

1. Movement:  My students love Just Dance and GoNoodle.  Give brain breaks and challenge students to work through the lesson effectively so they have "extra" time at the end to dance.
2. Create:  Keeping students busy by doing something specific can help keep them out of trouble.  In music I rely on drum circles and small percussion to keep my students occupied.
3. Structure:  Students and teachers may be antsy this time of year, but keep your classroom structured and follow the setup you have had all year.

Ashton Gazette 2015: Week Three

The Lady Raiders played seven games during week three of their season.  On Monday, they hosted Pecatonica.  AFC was no hit by Pecatonica and were defeated 6 to 0.  LM and SM were the only base runners for AFC.  On Tuesday, AFC hosted Orangeville for a double header.  The Lady Raiders struggled defensively during game one and committed eight errors.  Addison Wetzel, BG and LM each had a hit for AFC.  Orangeville defeated the Lady Raiders 11 to 1 in six innings.  Orangeville completed the season sweep of AFC by winning game two with a final score of 13 to 2 in five innings.  LM led the Lady Raiders with two hits.  LM, SS and LM also had hits for AFC.  The Lady Raiders traveled to Earlville for their fourth game of the week.   AFC started the game with two runs and scored again in the third and fifth innings.  LM led the Lady Raiders with four hits.  AW added two hits and LM, BG and MP each added one.  Despite nine hits, the Lady Raiders fell short and were defeated 7 to 5.  On Friday, the Lady Raiders traveled to South Beloit and completed the season sweep by defeating the Sobos 10 to 6.  AFC busted out for fifteen hits.  All nine players contributed hits and AW, BG, LM, LM and CH all had multiple hits.  LM led the team with three hits and BG hit an in the park home run. The Lady Raiders finished the week with a double header against Indian Creek.  AFC out hit Indian Creek 12 to 2 during the first game, but struggle to get runners home and were defeated 4 to 3.  SM and LM both had multiple hit games.  During the second game, the bats stayed hot for AFC and they had 12 more hits.  This time they were able to get runners home and defeated Indian Creek 7 to 1.  BG, LM, CKand CH each contributed multiple hits.  The Lady Raiders finished the week 2 and 5 and moved to 6 and 6 on the season.

Ashton Gazette 2015: Week Two

The Lady Raiders opened the second week of games with their first loss of the season.  Pearl City defeated AFC 13-1.  The Lady Raiders committed eight errors and were limited to six hits.  LM led the team with two hits and scored the only run for AFC.  AW, LM , CK and LM also had hits.  AFC rebounded on Tuesday and picked up their fourth win of the season against South Beloit.  The Lady Raiders took a three run lead in the first inning.  South Beloit scored four in the second and AFC was able to tie the game at four in the bottom of the third. AFC led 9-6 going into the seventh inning when South Beloit rallied and scored five runs to go ahead 11-9.  SS led off the bottom of the seventh with her second hit of the game.  After a walk, BG hit a two run double to tie the game at 11-11.  CH reached on an error as BG scored the winning run.  AFC ended the game with a total of thirteen hits.  BG and LM led AFC with three hits each.  AW, LM, CK, SS and CH also had hits.  CH picked up her first win of the season and CK picked up her first save.  The Lady Raiders are now 4-1 and 3-0 in conference.

Ashton Gazette 2015: Week One

The Lady Raiders opened the 2015 season with a strong offensive performance against Hinkley-Big Rock.  AFC tallied sixteen hits, including a combined four home runs hit from LM, BG and a pair by CK.  AFC scored a minimum of three runs in each inning and defeated Hinkley-Big Rock 22-4 in five innings.  CK pitched one inning and picked up the win for the Lady Raiders.  LM and CH also saw time in the circle.  The AFC Pitching Staff combined for nine strikeouts, two walks and three earned runs.  The Lady Raiders hosted Durand for their home opener on Tuesday.  Similar to last year, it took AFC 10 innings to defeat Durand 3-2.  CH scored the winning run from second base on a single by CK.  Hits for AFC came from LM, LM, CK, LM and BG.  CK went the distance for the Lady Raiders and picked up her second win of the season.  On Thursday the Lady Raiders traveled to Durand for a rematch.  This time they out hit Durand 12-5.  They scored three in the third inning and two in the fourth inning.  Durand made a strong push in the seventh inning and was able to score three runs before AFC was able to pick up three outs.  LM, AW, LM and BG all had multiple hit games.  The Lady Raiders finished their opening week 3-0 overall and 2-0 in conference.

April 25th: Why Collaborate?

"The Smarted Person in the Room is the Room"

This is why we need to collaborate.  Why do I want to limit myself to what I know, what my department knows, what my school knows or what my district knows?  Collaboration allows us to learn from each other and grow as teachers and people.

We raise the bar and the possibilities when we work with others and allow their experiences and knowledge to influence our growth.

Teaching can be an isolating profession and sometimes working with others makes a job harder, but it is only through new ideas that we can learn and grow.

Collaboration can take on a few different forms.  You can collaborate on a lesson and teach it together, you can have a conversation about a student or strategy or collaborate on an idea.  The main point is that you are reaching out to someone else and gaining ideas in order to make your teaching better.

Collaborating is a necessary life skill, so we need to model it for our students.

April 24th: #ILoveMySchoolBecause

I love my school because my students are the best (yes, I know every teacher says that) and I have the freedom to try new things.

Our technology guidelines are pretty relaxed which allows me to incorporate different apps and programs into my teaching. Currently, we use Edmodo, Classroom, Google Apps, Skype, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram in our classroom.

I love the flexibility to try new things without being worried about messing things up.

Day 23: How Transparent Should Our Profession Be?

I struggle with the idea of transparency.  I believe parents and the community have a right to know what is going on inside their public schools and their children's classrooms.  I also believe that teachers are professionals and they need to be treated as such.  This is where the line gets cloudy.

Teachers endure ridicule and negative comments more than many professions.  Part of this is because choice is limited.  If I am unhappy with my doctor, I simple stop going to them and I find a new one.  Same goes for pretty much every company and item I own (car, phone, computer and insurance.)  Parents do not have this choice when it comes to their child's teacher.

Our profession should be transparent, but please remember that you are dealing with people.  People who sacrifice a lot of time and energy to create lessons that students will find engaging.  People who have to manage 20+ students at one time, who all come with their own unique needs.  People who give up time with their own families in order to fulfill their professional responsibilities.

We need transparency in education but we also need humility.  We need to treat each other kindly. Imagine the impact on student learning if teachers and parents worked together instead of against each other?  Students cannot have too many allies looking out for their best interest.  There is power in numbers and amazing things can happen when teachers and parents work together. 

Day 22: 5 Things We Must Stop Pretending

5 Things We Music Stop Pretending in Education from Scott McCleod's Blog

We must stop pretending that...

1. Our decisions are truly based on what is best for students.
2. School is not a game that students must play.
3. Testing is the answer
4. Lawmakers know best.
5. Education is a priority. 

Day 21: Mennonite Axiom

Mennonite Axiom:  We must raise the generation 100 years before it's born.  How does education play a role?

In my opinion, education plays a huge role.  Education tends to be a reflection on a community and shows what they view as important.  Most people would agree that a well-rounded education lays the foundation for a successful life.  We need to continue to ensure that every generation has access to quality education.

We need to decide as a society which skills/characteristics and traits we want people to have and we need to ensure that we are teaching these in our families and in our schools.  I am a firm believer that if we encourage/support well rounded, strong character and hard working people; we will find success individually and as a community.

Day 20: What are you working on NOW?

What are you working on NOW? What are you trying to get better at?

Right now I am trying to getting better at student engagement and assessment (using this information to improve my instruction.)

I like to meet my students at the door, but in the past this has led to a bit of "free" time.  I recently started having a video playing while my students walked in the door and this has helped a lot.  Students immediately have something to do and know what is expected of them.  At the same time, it allows me to quickly meet with my students 1:1.  Right now my students love Lindsey Stirling music videos.

I use Class Dojo off and on and I really like the concept of the program.  I have changed what I give points for a few times and right now I am sticking with working hard, persistence and attitude.  My biggest struggle with Class Dojo is giving points throughout class without it interfering with my ability to teach.  I recently saw on Twitter how teachers have special privileges for when students reach certain point levels and I really like how this could work.

In music, one of the struggles of student engagement is making the students believe that what they are learning is possible.  Some students hear the music we are going to play and immediately believe it is too complicated for them.  This belief usually results in students not participating or they make poor decisions.

I don't believe I will ever master student engagement or assessment.  Each student is different and has different needs, but I can continue to grow in this area and get better each day.

Student Objectives 4/20/2015

Day 19: Tech in the classroom - How? Why? Should we?

Technology in the classroom is a complicated issue.  My main belief is that technology should only be used to enhance a lesson.  1:1 is great, but it should not be used to make a school look better.  How a school uses technology is more important to me than what technology they actually have.  I have known many schools that are 1:1, that do not use their technology effectively.  

I believe technology enables us to do so many things that are either more difficult or impossible otherwise.  Social Media opens up a whole new world that allows us to learn and communicate with others all over the globe.

Technology is an important part of our society and its influence is only going to grow.  It is vital that our students learn how to properly use social media and technology in general.

Technology in the classroom is important, but it is important that students learn how to use technology responsibly and that technology is use for beneficial reasons.  Technology for technology sake in my opinion is a waste of money.

Day 18: What Small Step are You Willing to Take to Elevate the Profession?

Doing "big" things to elevate my profession are things that are very outside of my comfort zone.  I know I need to push myself and each year I look for new ways to advocate for music and move my profession forward.

I believe that we need to start in our classrooms.  One of the best ways to advocate for music is to have a school full of students and parents who will stand up for music and the arts.  I do this by creating engaging lessons and organizing performances that are fun and educational.  Along with my students, it is important to get the school on board.  These conversations are not always easy.  Especially when it comes to budget cuts and stereotypes about the arts.

There are many levels when it comes to elevating our profession.  We need to start at "home" and continue the move outwards.  

Ways to Impact our Profession
Classroom
School
District
Community
State
National

I am willing to do more for our profession and I need to find ways to use my strengths while also supporting music and education.

April 17: TGIF - What Are You Thankful For On This Friday?

I have many things to be thankful for, but right now I am most thankful for my students.

My students remind me to smile, they give me hugs and they remind to focus on what is really important (relationships).  My students are the best (yes, I know every teacher says this :). 

Some days it is hard to find motivation.  The extra parts of education can add stress that overshadows all of the positive things that are happening, but my students help limit this from occurring. 

At the end of the day I teach because and for them and I feel fortunate to be able to teach them music. They keep me focused on the right prize.

Day 16: Why are PLCs and PLNs Important?

Why are PLCs and PLNs Important? Different? Contribute to school success?


I see PLCs and PLNs as a matter of semantics.  Regardless of what you call it, educators need a professional group to help them stay encouraged, directed, motivated and growing.

Being connected with the coworkers in your building and district is important.  Our schools are stronger when the staff works together and is connected towards a common goal of student learning.  In order for student learning to increase, staff learning needs to increase too.

Social Media allows teachers to connect globally.  As the only music teacher in my district, I find social media to be vital for my growth as a teacher.  On Twitter, I can connect with music teachers all over the globe who are using methods that I want to use in my classroom.  I can learn about new ideas, techniques, methods and resources.

Educators need to continue to grow and PLCs/PLNs help this growth.

Day 15: How Has Social Media Impacted Your Classroom?

Social Media has had a great impact on my classroom.  Personally, it has connected me with other teachers.  Through these connections I have learned about new programs, new materials and gained numerous ideas.

Professionally, it has connected my classroom with others.  It is opened the door of my small, rural Illinois classroom to those around the country and the globe.

My students have Skyped with a famous author and performed for other students.  Through these experiences they were able to learn from students outside of their immediate area.

I constantly tell my students that they need to thank Twitter for the lesson we about to begin.  Without Twitter I would not be the teacher that I am today.  The connections I have build on Twitter help me stay motivated, encourage me and help me learn new things.  Social Media has become an important tool in my classroom and for me as an educator.  

Day 14: Why I Teach....

I recently read a blog post that said your WHY has to be big enough to get you out of bed each morning.

Why do I teach?

It may have taken me a few years to figure out, but my why has always been for my students.  I was fortunate to have a few great teachers and I am the product of their dedication.  I hope to repay this influence on my students. 

The extra parts of being an educator tend to add stress to my life, but my students are the entire reason why I continue to work hard and why I show up each morning.

I teach for Mallory, Lane, Michael and all students who have entered my room.

Student Objectives 4/13/2015

Day 13: How is Literacy Critical to the Advancement of Society Today?

I see literacy as being vital to the advancement of our society and individuals.  Reading unlocks an unlimited amount of resources and information.  Through reading you can learn about people, skills, places and different times.  I may not be able to have a 1:1 meeting with a past President, Mother Teresa, Bill Gates or Michael Jordan, but I can learn about their life and choices they made through reading books by and about them.

I have heard it said many times that reading is a great indicator of future success.  Many (if not all) successful CEOs read everyday.

It breaks my heart when one of my students say they hate to read.  Reading is so powerful! You can read for fun and you can read to better yourself.  The opportunities have no limits.  

Reading has great impact and is vital for success.

Day 12: What's Your Passion Project?

My passion is making music and getting my students to make music.  The concept is easy, but making sure I create an environment for my students to complete this task is not always something I do well.  I find it a lot easier to do this in a the older grades, but I want to start adding more opportunities at the primary level too.  The moments when we jam and things groove are amazing! I don't think there is anything better that can happen in the course of my day.

As we reach the end of the school year I am focused on giving my students as many opportunities to create music (more than just playing bourduns and glissandos.)

Music my students are creating right now...
4th Grade - Crazy Train:  Xylophones, Boomwhackers, Hand Drums and Drum Set.

4th Grade - Happy: Recorder, Shaker and Xylophones.

2nd Grade - Great Big House: Xylophones and Hand Drums

April 11th: What Are You Reading?

What Are You Reading, Either Professionally or Personally? Why?

Professionally
Drive by Daniel Pink

• Understanding what motivates students is vital as a teacher and a coach.

Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller

• Reading is a skill that leads to lifelong success.  The ability to read and the desire to learn create an unstoppable ability to grow and adapt.

Servant Leader by Ken Blanchard

•  I am the leader of my classroom and my teams, so I am always looking for ways to improve and strengthen my skills.

THE Teacher Text by David Robertson

•  Reading books by great teachers is one way to grow and learn as a teacher.

Personally
The Bible 

•  As a Christian, The Bible is a cornerstone for daily growth and direction.

Call the Midwife (Facebook Group Book Chat)

•  Being part of a Book Group gives me the opportunity to read a book for fun and to discuss the book with other people.

Day 10: What Have You NOT Tried This School Year That You WANT TO?

One thing that I want to do more of this year is communicate more with parents.  We use Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud in our classroom, but the engagement level with families is not as high as I would like it to be.  I would also like to communicate with parents more.  I love the idea of phone calls home, but it is not something I have attempted yet.

I would like to send more positive notes and call parents about the great things their students are doing.  It is a step far out from my comfort zone, but I believe it would be a positive step.

How do you communicate with parents?

2 Miles

Tonight I am sitting in the comfort of my own home as I watch videos and pictures of the damage and lives changed by a tornado. A tornado that missed my community and home by less than two miles. A tornado that damaged property and homes of friends and people I know.  A tornado that came too close.

I have lived in the Midwest my whole life (minus a two year adventure in Alaska) and I have never experienced a storm like this. My husband was outside picking up hail and I was on my phone when the sirens went off. We knew there was a possibility of bad weather but we had no idea it was that close. 

For one reason or another I have been annoyed and stressed lately.  School is busy, softball is in full swing and lots of changes will be happening soon.  I have been cranky with my husband and after tonight none of my (great) reasons for being annoyed or irritated matter. 

Tonight I am letting my little girl sleep in my bed and I am not at all concerned if she sleeps a second in her crib. Tonight I want to be close to my family. Tonight I want to hold them close and remember what and who are really important. We can live our lives assuming people are out to get us or we can love the people in our life and accept that sometimes they will not think of us first. People matter, relationships matter.

Tonight I am safe in my house while others only a 15-25 minutes away have had their lives changed forever.  Tonight I am praying for all those impacted. 

Love the people in your life. Forgive those around you. Make the choice to be happy. Take time for hugs and cuddles. Tonight, hold your family close. Tomorrow, hold your students close.

April 9th: What Would You Say To Your Beginning Teacher-Self?

I have two pieces of advice for my 23 year old, first year teacher self.

Number One:  Fake it till you make it. 

Regardless of what you see there are no teachers who know everything. You will learn from each day of teaching if you allow yourself. Great teachers use their experience and bag of tricks to find solutions to issues.  There is no such thing as a perfect teacher and all teachers have rough days. 

Number Two:  Relationships are the MOST IMPORTANT thing!

Communicate with parents.  Send home notes, send emails and make phone calls.  It may not be your favorite things, but you need to create relationships with parents (even if they don't seem to care about music class.)  Let parents know when their kids have a great day (not just the days that little Johnny made a bad choice.) 

Parents will come up with their own picture about what is going on in your classroom unless you let them know exactly what is actually going on.  Music class in 2015 is not the same as music class in 1980.

 

No News is Good News

Lately I have been very frustrated.  I realized over spring break that a lot of this frustration stems from not feeling appreciated.  One quote that I grew up with was the idea that "No News is Good News."  If they are not telling you things you are doing wrong, than you must be doing things right.

I understand the purpose behind this quote, but is it really what is best for humans?  I asked my students today (3rd graders) how many of them ever felt unappreciated and I was saddened by how many raised their hands.

People want to know they are doing the right thing, they want to know people are noticing their actions.

I recently read about a study that found that 5:1 is the perfect ratio for positives to negatives when it comes to performance.  I read somewhere else that when you get to a 2:1 (it might have been 3:1, I can't remember exactly) is a state of clinical depression.

If I asked you to remember events from last week/last month/last year, what would you remember first?  The good memories or the bad ones?  Our brains are wired to remember the negative.  We remember when we felt embarrassed, hurt, sad or when things went badly.  This does not mean that bad things happen more than the good, it simply means that we are focusing more of our energy on these times.

The study on the ratio of positive to negative interactions really struck me as a teacher an a person.  Think about one of your classes.  Now, think about "that kid."  You know the one I mean.  The one who can't sit still, can't raise their hand before speaking out, the one who has to constantly be reminded of something.  Now, think about list from their perspective.  How many times a day is their behavior corrected (this is a negative interaction)?  How many times are they told something positive?

I see my students for 40 minutes two times a week and I can tell you right now I know there are students who hear way too many negatives from me compared to positives.  It makes me sad to even consider what the ratio may be.  It is not even close to 5 positives to ever negative.

We need to stop living in a world where no news is good news.  We need to share with our students and our communities about the positive things that are happening.  It is better for our students and it is the only way the community will hear about the great things going on in our schools.

Thank you for reading!

Day 8: How Should We Foster Question Asking Instead of Answer Getting?

I believe we need to give students the opportunity to think for themselves.  More and more I see students who want to be told exactly what to do, how to do and when to do it.  This is a factory mindset and although it may make life easier as a teacher, it will limit future success for our students.

As an adult in the working world, I am given a task to complete.  Sometimes I am given more details and sometimes it is left to me to figure out how to execute the required project.  Thinking for oneself is a vital skill for most jobs.

The challenge is making students do something they struggle with.  As a teacher, it may be easier for me to give a worksheet or another project, but requiring students to read and think for themselves is vital.  It may not be the easy way, but our students need to learn and practice these skills. 

Day 7: Has Anyone Ever Helped You In Your Career?

Has anyone ever helped you in your career? Been your champion? How will you become someone else's champion?

I have been blessed throughout my career to be surrounded by fantastic educators (who just so happened to be great people too.)  My two years in Alaska have had the most influence on me and led to tremendous growth as a teacher and a person.

Personally, living alone in a place where I did not know anyone and was three time zones away from my family, gave me the opportunity to grow and become confident in my identity.

Professionally, I was able to call some fantastic teachers coworkers.  I was the young one on staff and many of the experienced teachers took my under their wing.  One of the greatest gifts these teachers gave me was telling me that I had a gift as a teacher.  I tend to question myself a lot, so having a great teacher tell me that I was doing a good job was helpful for my growth.

I think it is hard to tell in the moment who we might be a champion for, but I think it is important to remember that these moments can happen at any time.  A champion is someone who encourages and supports someone.  As an educator I can do this for my students and I can help encourage and support my coworkers.  Everyone needs a champion!    

April 6th: What Was Your Most Recent "Awe-Inspiring" Moment In The Classroom Today?

I love making music with my students.  There is nothing better than that moment when students find the groove on a new piece of music and are jamming together.

Grandparent's Day is quickly approaching and I decided to go a different direction and have my fourth graders play Crazy Train.  I was not sure if we would be able to pull it off in only six rehearsals, but I decided to give it a try anyways.

Today was our fourth rehearsal and our first time trying to put it all together.  We don't have enough xylophones for everyone so we had to be creative.  I have three students playing the bass part on xylophones and six more playing this part on boomwhackers.  One student is playing a rock beat on drum set (he came in after school last year to play drums), three students playing beats two and four on hand drums and five students playing the melody on xylophones.

We put it all together today and it was AWESOME!  This moment reminded me why I teach music and why I love music in general.  Most of my students don't realize how challenging what they accomplished is or how many different skills are involved, but they did it!

I can't wait for them to perform for the school.  Just another example why music is AWESOME!

April 5th: What Practice, Tradition, Instructional Strategy or Anything Else "Must Die".

What practice, tradition, instructional strategy or anything else "must die." What needs to stop in order for Education to move forward. 

We need to stop any practice, tradition or strategy that lacks logic.  We are a society that is obsessed with concrete data, but the truth is learning is not black and white.  In my opinion, if standardized tests are a true reflection of learning than students who earn A's on classwork should do well on the tests and students who earn C's or lower should struggle on the tests.  If this is the case, why do we need to waste weeks testing students to see results we expect to see?

I see far more negatives to testing than any positives.  We are spending valuable class time on test prep and test taking.  This takes away from specials time, recess and instructional time.  My other issue with standardized testing is that results from these tests do not come back until the following semester.

In order to move education forward, we need to focus on creating life long learners and not test takers.  Learning should be fun, school should be fun.  The ability to learn and the motivation to learn is vital to future success. 

April 4th: A Moment of Humanity in the Classroom:

April 4th:  A Moment of Humanity in the Classroom:  Think about a moment in your teaching experience where there was a "connection" between you and a student or a group of students that resonated beyond content.

It has been a challenging last few months for my district.  Like many schools we are experiencing budget cuts and seven teaching positions have been cut.  My position is among those on the chopping block.

The Tuesday morning after the decision became official was difficult.  The morning started with me receiving a phone call and being reprimanded for doing something as a coach that I thought was right and positive.  Between that and the stress of my position being cut led me to tears.  I hate crying in front of people, but sometimes it cannot be helped (not one of my brighter moments). 

The tears continued to fall regardless of what I tried to do, so I sat at my desk trying to hide the fact I was crying from my students.  My fifth graders were wonderful!  A few of them saw through my lies that everything was alright.  All they knew was that I was sad about something.  They worked on their iPad coding projects.  They were worried about me and a few of them came and gave me hugs.  Their showing of empathy was amazing.  They also made me this sweet card (which of course made me cry again.) 

I want to show my students strength, but sometimes we have to admit that we are not unshakable.  My students showed great empathy and reacted so well to a strange situation.  The lesson plans did not go exactly as I wrote them, but sometimes a lesson in humanity is more important. 

#AprilBlogADay

I Have Questions...

Questions can be powerful and I believe true reflection holds even more powerful.  These reflections can lead to life changes, class changes and behavior changes.  As I sit and relax this Saturday morning, I am filled with a few questions.

• What is the point of education?
• What is the role of a parent/teacher/coach/principal/superintendent?
• What is the true purpose of standardized testing?
• What is the actual purpose of standardized testing?
• Are we fulfilling our responsibilities as teachers/schools to your students and community?

What do you question?

Swaying

I have been focusing on ways to get my students to internalize the beat.  One activity that I have started using and have seen success with is having my students sway from right to left keeping a steady beat.  While we sway I have them clap different rhythms.

This activity started as a way to help my students get their wiggles out while we practiced rhythm, but I quickly realized how helpful it was for my students.  It is also a great way to assess their understanding and to give them extra practice at enhancing their gross motor skills.

Activity

• Start by having students sway from right to left (I have them mirror me.)  Depending on the class, I act a bit goofy and exaggerate the movements.  Feet shoulder width apart and sway with my arms above me head.
• Once most students have this down I start with clapping and chanting quarter notes (ta, ta, ta ta).
• I ask them if they can feel the beat and we work on this for a while.  I want them to feel and hear the beat.
• Once they have this much down, we start clapping different rhythms.  I start with simple ta and ti-ti rhythms.  I clap/chant them first and they echo them back.
• Eventually we add half notes and whole notes.  With my younger students we start with walk-ing (ta, ta), runn-ing (ti-ti) and slid-ing (ta-a).

We Are Not Peers

I recently read "He's the Weird Teacher" by Doug Robertson. (Yes, this is my second blog post related to this book and no I am not receiving and money for publicizing his book :)

Part of me has always struggled with coworkers.  I am almost always the youngest on staff (or one of the youngest) and I have a hard time relating myself as an equal to those who are old enough to be my parents.  I also have a hard time relating to my principals and those in administration.  As much as I would like to be "friends" with those I work with, those in administration are the ones who sign the dotted line that allows me to have a job the following year.  For this reason alone, I will always be guarded when speaking to them.

I have worked in schools that had a traditional principal and one that had more of a head teacher.  I felt more comfortable with this setup because that "head teacher" was still teaching daily.  I was also confident they were an amazing teacher and I did my best to learn from her everyday.

After reading "He's the Weird Teacher" I started wondering if I have been thinking about this all wrong.

Is it possible to be "friends" with your principal/administration?  Is it necessary?  Should we think of principals as former teachers or is it a whole different position and therefore we should not relate as peers?  Is it like relating to upperclassman when you are a freshman or relating to college students (who you are not peers with)?

At the end of the day, the principal is the one who evaluates me and signs my contract, so I have a hard time considering myself a peer.  Maybe this feeling will change after I am in the classroom longer.

April Blog Challenge

Last year I attempted (and failed) to blog every day.  I learned a lot from just attempting this challenge and it was a great opportunity to work on my writing skills.  During the month of April, Chris Crouch @the_explicator is hosting a blog challenge.  He will be using the hashtag #AprilBlogADay.  Each day he has a writing prompt to direct your blogging. 

Have you ever attempted a blogging challenge?  I encourage you to try one for 30 days.  We focus on what we continually do and think.  Blogging and reading puts our focus on positives and reflections which enable us to grow.

Happy Blogging!

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I Am the Drummer of a Never Ending Jazz Ensemble

I recently read the book "He's the Weird Teacher" by Doug Robertson.  During one of the first chapters, he talks about his philosophy as a teacher.  I don't want to give away his "secret" and I encourage you to read the book.  Great investment or time and money!

I did take his idea and adjusted it for my own situation.  What I really liked about his philosophy is that it is simple and not a cliche.

I Am the Drummer of a Never Ending Jazz Ensemble

Being part of a Jazz Ensemble is something special.  Music has its own language and being part of an ensemble takes cooperation, listening and improvisation.  Improvisation is a great philosophy for learning.  A joke in college when I was just learning how to play Jazz was that you are only a half step away from the right note.  Learning is the same way.  We try things and mess up and although we feel we are far from being "right," we are only a half step from figuring it out.

I am the drummer.  I am the leader.  I set the tone.  I set the tempo.  I set the mood.  All of these characteristics are true for the drummer in a band and the teacher.  

Learning is a never ending journey.  This is the greatest gift we can give students and people in general.  Learning has no finish line. 

Music Madness

I am a big basketball fan and I love this time of year.  There are so many great basketball games on TV during March.  Completing brackets is a popular activity during this time of year and this year I decided to add a basketball themed activity to my elementary music classes.  My middle school students helped me create a list of songs. 

I tried to create a "region" that has a theme. Pop songs, Movie songs, Country songs and classroom songs.  During class I have each class vote.  Votes from round one have been counted and I was all of the winners won by at least 50 votes.

Round of 8

  Uptown Funk, Blank Spaces, You've Got a Friend, Hakuna Matata, Dirt, Take Me To Church, Chicken Dance and Favorite Things. 

Round of 4

Uptown Funk, Life is a Highway, Take Me to Church and Favorite Things

April 3rd: What's Our Most Important Professional Responsibility Outside the Classroom?

April 3rd:  What's Our Most Important Professional Responsibility Outside the Classroom?

I think reading is the most important professional responsibility outside of the classroom.  Reading gives me access to ideas and pushes me to reflect and grow.  Through books, I am able to learn from great teachers, learn from experts, learn from people who are doing activities and implementing programs that I want to be doing in my classroom.

Regardless of my location or financial situation, books open a whole world to me.  I am not limited by the resources surrounding me or by the people I know face to face.

Reading is powerful! 

#AprilBlogADay

April 2nd: One Thing You Did Today That Will Impact Someone Else's Tomorrow

Tonight I read to my daughter.  Bedtime is usually one of my favorite times with my daughter.  I love our bedtime routine.  We don't do it every night, but I enjoy the nights when we do.  I read her a story, we say our prayers and I sing to her.  Cuddles are the best way to end a day!

I love reading and I hope that this time will help my daughter enjoy reading.  It is never too early to become a book worm. 

It will be years before I know the true impact of this but I hope that these nights will help my daughter's vocabulary, her ability to sit and focus and building the foundation of reading.

April 1st: Are You Where You Thought You Would Be?

April 1st:  Are You Where You Thought You Would Be?

This question is complicated...

As a high school student it is common to imagine what your future will be and at which ages you will accomplish difference things.  

Personally
I am right where I always thought I would be in terms of being married and having a child.  As a high school student I always envisioned this happening earlier than it did, but it has all worked out in time.  The road to getting here took me on detours I would not have expected, but I am thankful for all of those experiences.

Professionally
As a college student I dreamed about being a band director and I said on many occasions that I would never teach elementary music.  I have come to love elementary students and I cannot imagine only teaching the older kids.

Ever since I was in college, I knew I wanted to teach and coach.  The timeline has been different than I visioned, but where I am at is the best place ever.

#AprilBlogADay