For Good - Wicked

 

 

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes a sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew youI have been changed for good

 

 It well may be

That we will never meet againIn this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made from what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend...

 

 

One of the things the STOYs did in NYC was go see Wicked.  I hadn't cried the whole weekend, which I considered miraculous, and then I went to this play.  It was the final song in the show and as I listened to the words tears streamed down my face.  I tried to keep it to a trickle, but the more I thought about it, the uglier the crying got and I couldn't stop.  By the time I got outside, the mascara was gone, but the sentiment remained. 

I ended my last blog posting reflecting on the journey of how I got here.  As a historian, I have a need to know why and the how of everything,  not just the what.  It's difficult when you feel like life is happening to you, to step beyond and begin to process the enormity of it all. I had to let go of a lot of the preconceived notions of what I thought my life would become, and I felt like a balloon floating aimlessly for a while.  The lesson I've learned is that I am a work in progress, and I hope to continue that growth in whatever direction it takes me.  I had not realized how stunted my growth had become. 

My STOY peeps have been instrumental in my growth in the last year, but they are not the only ones.  I can't tell you how many times my Mom has come over while I was out and about and I came home to find my cats fed, homemade cupcakes on the cupboard, or that the sink full of dirty dishes had been cleaned.  When I call, or come over for dinner, she just lets me ramble and get it all out of my system even if she doesn't know what the heck I am talking about.  My brother has been my date to events on several occasions and can speak truth to me like only a family member can do and get away with.

Jane, my humanities guru, keeps me grounded and always reminds me of the bigger issues in education including, social justice, civic engagement, and finding that which brings us together rather than tears us apart.  She has been instrumental in keeping me sane and helping me keep my eye on what is important.

Katherine, the unflappable matriarch of the NJSTOY program, whose patience and wisdom, not to mention excellent fashion sense, has provided guidance and a model to look up to.   I am in awe of her for many reasons, but most of all am inspired by her kindness. Without knowing me very well, she answered my distress call, reached down to offer a hand,  pulled me up and showed me a set of new possibilities I never thought possible.

Mary, my DKG Eta sister and friend, who listens and asks thoughtful questions.  Not only has her positive encouragement helped me to focus, but realizing this journey is more than mental growth, she likes to feed me and remind me to take off my roller skates every once in a while to enjoy the rest of life.

Lastly, I lost my last grandparent this past week to Alzheimers.  I got the news the night before the big Forum, but had to tuck it away until later so that I could deal with it.  Grandma Lola and I didn't become family until later in life, but our bond was instant.  She was thrilled she had grandchildren, even though my brother and I were grown, and I was happy to have such a wonderful lady as my Grandmother.  We climbed mountains together, talked about boys and life, and she made one mean pecan pie.  I used to visit often, and it was about six years ago that I noticed something was wrong and alerted the rest of the family.  She declined quickly.   Alzheimer's is a cruel disease to those that have it, but it is just as cruel to those who are the caregivers and love the victim as they are erased from memory.  I have been missing her for a while as she lost who she was, but death brings a new level of mourning.    







I could not be where I am without all the people who have supported me and fed me body, mind and soul.  I am eternally grateful and will do my best to pay it forward and help others like you have helped me.     

 

Now to continue with the news......

I returned from my last conference with my STOYs and hit the ground running, not that I ever really stopped.  The NJ Council for the Humanities was having its 40th anniversary and I got to introduce the new Humanities TOY.  I also got to talk to Assemblyman Troy Singleton, who not only grew up in Willingboro in the same park at the same time I did, but he also was at my high school!  Small world. 



That weekend I got to give the keynote address at the NJ School Counselors Conference.  It was a beautiful morning down the shore, and in the light of the current hurricane raging outside, may be a scene we don't see again.  My keynote for the conference was a little different from my usual talk.  I dove head first into brain research and hormone levels of adolescents in my keynote.  Not exactly a pithy title, but aren't you curious?  I had lots of positive feedback and several counselors I need to get back to.  One thing I noticed was although there are few teachers involved in task forces, advisory committees, and panels, there are NO school counselors.  This has to change.  They are such an integral part of the school climate and culture and often know more about our students lives than we do.  We need them involved in our discussions about education.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later that night, a tradition was upheld.  We veteran NJSTOYs had a dinner for Lauren Marrocco, the 2012-2013 NJSTOY.  It was time to welcome her to the family and give her some helpful hints to get through the year.  She is an excellent 4th grade teacher from Perth Amboy and I have the utmost faith that she will do an excellent job representing the teachers of NJ.  She has all of us behind her as a support network, and she will find that she can't fail with such a strong net ready to catch her.   

 

 

 

 

The rest of the week was filled with planning, meetings and preparing more speeches because the upcoming weeks would be crazed.

 

On the 22nd, I was asked to speak at the Delta Kappa Gamma dinner for Pi chapter down in Gloucester County.  The topic was Women Working in a Man's World.  I got an article from the Atlantic, called Why Women Still Can't Have It All and was both fascinated and  disturbed, by what I read. Kind of like when I watch Mad Men.   Of the 190 heads of state only 9 are women.  Of all the Parliaments in the world, only 13% are women.  Of all the Boards of Directors for corporations, only 15% are women.  Why such small numbers? Inflexible scheduling is part of the reason, but another has to do with what we value.  When women say that they are leaving their job to take care of their family, they are seen as failures.  This flies directly in the face of the family values that we seem to care so much about.  Why is it that when men sacrifice their family lives, they are hailed as heroes because they are working for the greater good?  Why do we applaud leaders who promote family values, but don't actually value them personally?  Seems a bit off. 

 

 

I was agitated after reading the article to I reached out for some other info and was directed to the book Tripping the Prom Queen; The Truth About Women and Rivalry.  It was brilliant, and explained what I have described in the past as Mean Girl Syndrome.  We know that women don't fight fair; it is never just about the job, but also how their kids are doing, what their man is like and how they look from hair to shoes.  We women have a problem with rivalry, and it needs to stop. Loving movies as I do, I immediately thought of one of my favorites, Working Girl with Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver.  Weaver has Queen Bee Syndrome, she is a woman that has made it through connections and privilege, and does not want to compete against other women.  She is content with being the only woman at the top.   If you haven't seen this oldie but goodie, do so immediately.  Not too much has changed since the 1980s.  It was a good speech, and I admit I laid into the ladies a bit, but much of the time we hold ourselves back.  Studies show that when women compete for a job, they don't compete against the men at the top of the profession, they compete against the other women for the few slots they believe are allotted to women in top echelons. 

 

 

 

Wednesday, I spoke at Rider University.  The president of the student teacher organization on campus asked me to address the students, my favorite group,  but she had already heard me twice!  I had to write a new speech for that one too, but it was received well. The more I talk to college preservice students, the more I want to work with them.  Hmm....

 



 

 

 The rest of the week deserves its own entry, so that will be forthcoming.  Let's just say that it was AMAZING!   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reach Out (I'll Be There)- The Four Tops

     Now if you feel that you can't go on
Because all your hope is gone
And your life is filled with confusion
And happiness is just an illusion
And your world around is tumblin' down
Darling, reach out
Reach out, for me.

  Einstein said that you always get your best ideas in the bed, the bath, or on the bus. 

 

      He was absolutely right; it is when you stop thinking about a problem that some subtle idea manifests itself in your brain.  I usually get my best ideas in the shower in the morning, which I am guessing is because it takes so much effort for me to wake up that focusing on something else helps you to process ideas about the day.   It also helps that I usually have a cup of coffee in me by then.  However, today the idea hit me as I was drifting in and out of sleep, as I have for these last few days in Princeton while at my final conference with all of my 2012 STOYs here at ETS.  It is bittersweet, because we have bonded so deeply these past nine months as we shared our ideas, joys, and pains and became a support system for each other, but the reality is that this is the last time many of us will ever see each other.  While difficult, the truth of the matter is that we needed this conference to begin to process the enormity of what has happened to us, as we begin to formulate our plans for the future. And yes, for many of us it feels like this year has happened to us rather than with us. 

 

With TOY besties Katie (NY) and Katy (MN) in the chapel at Princeton Univ.

 

     Michelle Obama said during the Democratic National Convention that, " A title doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are."   Never truer words were spoken.  Many of us TOYs have found that as you began to peel away our teacher layers, (much of them covered in whiteboard marker, chalk dust, and hand sanitizer) we had grown and evolved to the point where we didn't quite fit into our old habitat.  In my case, the Jeanne had been let out of the bottle, so how do you put her back in? Did I really want to?

  

   Who was that person last September who got that life changing phone call from the Commissioner?  I was a person who was a reluctant leader, didn't like public speaking, and was content to stay in my classroom with my door closed and do my thing, which I did very well by the way.  It was a way of maintaining the status quo in order to keep the peace among my colleagues and administrators back at school, but it meant that my growth had become stagnant.

 

 

     I was reminded of my journey when honored by Richard Stockton College, my alma mater, with a Professional Service Award this Saturday.  Strangely enough, it was not my education degree that they were celebrating, but my political science degree, earned in 1993.  I had a few free hours in the conference schedule and kidnapped STOY besties Katy and Katie to serve as my family and witnesses for this event.  As besties do, the Kat(y)ies scoped out the room looking for a potential mate for me, their socially awkward friend.  In the meantime, I asked the lady in charge if I needed to make any remarks.  I had been so concerned about the conference in Princeton, I hadn't even thought about whether or not I had to give a speech, and besides, there were several honorees so surely just a smile and a wave would do, right?  Wrong.

     

      I scratched out some ideas on a napkin and then found a piece of paper.  Of course with any speech you need to thank your hosts, open with a hook, tell a story and then close with a lesson or moral, often with something that everyone can do to make the world a better place, then close the deal. I had to talk about my time at Stockton and my political science degree, which I hadn't thought about for years, but considering the conference at ETS and the hard reflection I had been doing, I was able to come up with a few ideas. 

       After thanking my most gracious hosts for the honor, I began by saying that it was nice to be able to come home.  When I started my political science degree, I began to investigate how governments were designed, what their purpose was,  the role of democracy and security, and how civil rights and the real meaning of freedom changed the course of history.  The more I learned, the more I wanted to act on that knowledge.  I felt a calling to promote social justice, inform people of their civic responsibility and engage in something meaningful.  I wanted people to know they could make a difference and that they had choices, but my degree left me with a void.

 

      It wasn't until a few years later, after going down a few of the wrong paths, that I discovered the joys and exhaustion of teaching.   As a history teacher, I was able to deliver on the core values that had been driving me.  I loved it and I was very good at what I did, being named NJ Teacher of the Year, but my growth had stopped and it was beginning to burn me out.  I was running out of oxygen and one of two things would happen.  Either my flame would extinguish itself, or I would burn so bright I would consume myself in trying to light the way for others.  Neither was looking very appealing. 

 

This past year has found me in a strange place, as I became an expert overnight on a vast series of topics.  I spoke to student teachers at many of the universities around the state, and I liked it, but I also found myself working with policy makers.  I was able to teach policy makers about the realities of what was going on in classrooms all over NJ, and I was good at it.  I have ideas, and this past year I have found a sense of confidence I never had before and I am not afraid to advocate for educators and students.  I stand straighter, act with more certainty, and I am no longer afraid of public speaking.  I have met an echelon of people who learn, evolve, have a deep sense of social justice and a desire to make the world a better place for students through education. 

      When you do the same thing for 16 years, it is hard getting used to a new routine.  Growth is difficult and I have been in a dark place these last few months.  At times I thought the deafening silence that entered my life would drive me insane, and I was somewhere between sadness and anger as I mourned the loss of my students from my life.  I even yelled at my cat for no logical reason (darned hair balls).  After working for years and constantly evolving, I didn't feel worthy to be standing among the people I had worked so hard to be in the presence of, and truthfully I was scared.  I was scared that I would fall flat on my face and really suck at anything outside of the classroom.  I had grown up as an average student that people didn't expect very much of, and I suppose that we always hold on to those insecurities.  Emotionally, I had curled up in the fetal position and couldn't get out of it because I was afraid that people would look at me and realize I wasn't as smart or confident as they thought I was.  In short, I felt like I was a fraud.  This fear and doubt took over my life as I have been trying to adjust to a new normal.  It was not going well, but I still had those big ideas, and I still had that desire for social justice and civic responsibility.

 

        My brother called me and as only a family member can, helped me climb out of the deep end of the pity pool, pull my head out of my ass and see reality.  Yes, my new path is scary, but there is such incredible potential that I know if I continued to remain an emotional blob, the opportunity to really help students and teachers would pass me by.  Inactivity is a decision too.  Those questions that had guided my year once again resurfaced and bit me in the ass.  If not me, who?  If not now, when?  Thanks to my brother, and the people who have loved me and see in me the potential for great things, I emerged from my pity party and my true self was revealed.  I am going to kick ass, take names, and I am not going to stop until teachers have a say in what happens them and students are shown that they have choices in life and are held to high standards so that they can do great things. Anything less is unworthy and betrays the ideals that form the core of my being.   

 

      I realized by the time I arrived at the conference that I had come full circle and have been able to put both of my degrees to use as I continue to strive for social justice and engage people in helping to understand their civic responsibility and the value of good education.   It was truly a revelation, thanks to a little help from my friends. 

   

I'll be there to love and confort you...(tell me baby)
I'll be there with the love I'll see you through
Now when you're lost and about to give up
'cause your best just ain't good enough
And you feel the world has grown cold
And you're driftin' on your own
When you need a hand to hold
Darling, reach out
Reach out, for me.
I'll be there to love and confort you
I'll be there with the love I'll see you through
I'll be there to love and confort you
I'll be there to with the love I'll see you through
I can tell you the way I hang your head
Now with out of love , now you're afraid
And through your tears you look around
But there's no peace of mind to be found
I know what you're thinking
Witout love, now you're alone
Baby, reach out
Reach out for me
I'll be there to love and confort you
I'll be there with the Love I'll see you through
I'll be there to love and confort you ...(tell me baby)
I'll be there to always see you through...(i'll be there)
I'll be there to love and confort you
I'll be there with the love I'll see you through.

Viva la Vida- Coldplay

I am supremely uncomfortable.

It has been a rough week, full of reflection, that has left me feeling a bit fragile. 

First of all, let me say THANK YOU to all the people who have made this last year one of the most amazing of my life.  My family and friends, you have been there through the highs and lows and have supported me as I started to grow wings and step outside of my comfort zone.  It has been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions and I have always known that no matter how scary the drop, you were going to be there cheering me on. I could not have done this without you.

 

 

   

Growth does not come without growing pains.  All of a sudden, or so it felt, a series of things hit me at once and I'm just not sure how to handle it.  The end of my reign as Teacher of the Year is this week, Wednesday in fact (The Queen is dead, long live the Queen.), and I am just exhausted.  I have done my best to represent NJ education and put over 17,000 miles on the car as I have travelled all over NJ to talk to students, teachers, parents, politicians and anyone else who will listen.   

 

 



 My magic coach turned back into a pumpkin and I had to give back the teachermobile this week. I have been able to put off buying a new car for a year, but the time came last week to face the music.  It took six guys to sell me my new car and although I like my new ride, I am not looking forward to a car payment for the next five years.   

 

I am also in the middle of planning a Forum for award winning educators and their administrators.  It is looking like registration will hit 150 people and most of all, I want these educators to feel like the rock stars they are.  I don't want to lecture at them, I want them to be able to network, share best practices, and show their administrators what can happen when you put a group of dynamic educators in a room together.  Of course, I am trying to do this while I will be at a conference.  Yikes! 

 

I had dinner with the 2013 Teacher of the Year this week, who is just wonderful and a real dynamo that will represent NJ education well.   However, it is all still top secret until Wednesday, so you will have to wait for details.  One tradition I can tell you about that I worked on this week is that we NJTOYs get together and take the newest member of our family out for dinner so we get the chance to meet and share some words of wisdom. 

Anyway, the ceremony (Coronation Day) is on Wednesday is followed by my last National TOY conference on Thursday.  As usual, it is just in time and I can't wait to see these people who have become my extended family.  But this time, the joy that I get in seeing them will also be tinged with sorrow because this is our last official gathering.  It is a sad truth that I will never see some of these people again.  

 

I am currently on loan to the Dept of Education and it is difficult adjusting to the quiet life of a pink cubicle.  I am having issues because unlike a classroom where you have extreme highs and lows every day, sometimes in the same class period, a cubicle is remarkably calm.  There is no routine or structure to my day, no chaos, no group of people all demanding your attention at the same time, and most of all, no way to know if you are making a difference in the world. Silence can be deafening sometimes and I miss the noise.  I know I made the right choice to work with the DOE, but it is an adjustment I am making one small step at a time. I wish I could do both teach and work with the DOE, that would be a dream job. 

 

One of the things that got me thinking was an assignment for the upcoming conference where they want us to share best practices from our classroom. It has been hard enough adjusting to life without students, I am afraid this reminder of how much I miss them will leave me an emotional wreck. 

 

This gathering of TOYs and the arranging of the NJTOY dinner to welcome our newest family member got me thinking.  I began to reflect on what I have accomplished this past year and thinking about what other NJ TOYs have done.  In just the last 12 years of TOYS we have an Executive Director of a national organization, someone who created their own successful math and physics program that is now being used around the world, prestigious national and state award winners, teaching ambassador fellows, Smart board experts, administrators, NBCTs, leaders of major educational groups and a whole host of other things too long for me to mention.  Then there is me feeling woefully inadequate in relation to this pantheon of giants in education.  I feel unworthy to be counted among them because I don't feel like I have accomplished anything of substance.  I give a great motivational speech, but that only gets you so far.  I am hoping my best and most lasting work is yet to come as I transition from my year of recognition to my years of service.

 

All these things began to manifest themselves in me by the end of the week.  It was not about handing over the title, like I said, I am very happy for the new TOY and couldn't be prouder.  I was tired, and the person staring back at me when I saw my reflection in the mirror looked old.  I became easily agitated and snapped at a friend and I even yelled at my cat.  I felt like I was fraying at the edges and set adrift without direction.  I knew that this was not normal for me, but was this normal for a TOY?  Only one group of people could tell me.

 

It turns out I am normal (debatable, but thank goodness!) but growing does not come without considerable frustration and discomfort.  I'll be fine, it is just going to take some time. 

 

Just as I was trying to wrap my head around all of this, I came down with a cold that knocked me out all weekend.  All of this stress to deal with combined with an illness means that I am one big emotional blob.  Not a pretty sight.         

 

 

     I ended up at my Mom's on Sunday for some much needed TLC.  My family is not very demonstrative when it comes to emotions, but I know they are always there to support me.  Mom asked if I had read an article in the paper that morning, which I hadn't yet, because it reminded her of me.  Curious, I checked it out.

 

The piece, written by Lisa Scottoline for the Philadelphia Inquirer, finally made me smile this week. Lisa was talking about watching her daughter give a speech and said this,

Someone said to me, "She's her mother's daughter."
And I said, "Thanks, but she's herself, and she's amazing."....

It was that kind of weekend.
Stars collided, then aligned. And I got to see my own special star shine, bathing me in her light, leaving me blissful and blessed.
There can be no greater pleasure, as a parent, than watching your child come fully into her own, taking all of her God-given talents and putting them to their most perfect use.
That feeling?
It's Mom Heaven.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20120930_Chick_Wit__The_stars_align_in_Mom_Heaven.html#ixzz2865ndifC
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else


  
I realized after reading it that someone had been paying attention this year and she is very proud of me.

I love you too, Mom

 

Please Don't Go- KWS

You are a valuable part of this school community.

Who would have thought that such a simple statement, uttered by an administrator, could make such a difference in the life of a teacher? Too often, it is something teachers never hear, even the really good ones. Is it that administration doesn't know who the really good teachers are, or even worse, that they don't care? Is this The Widget Effect at its worst? Do principals actually believe that all teachers, as long as they are certified, are interchangeable and expendable?

I know I am a little behind, but I was finally able to sit down and read The Irreplaceables, a study by TNTP about how great teachers are leaving at an alarming rate because administrators are not enforcing high expectations or telling educators that they are valued, appreciated, or giving them meaningful feedback on what they do. These Irreplaceable teachers often love teaching, and the students who have them are more likely to say that their teacher cares, doesn't let them give up when things get tough, and makes learning enjoyable. Those teachers that can make this connection with their students leave lasting effects for a lifetime.  Think about who your favorite teacher was and why.  I am willing to bet that not only were they passionate about what they did and the subject they taught, but they were able to see you as a person and not just another student to give a grade to.  Students know who the great teachers are and tell them often. These are the priceless gems that sparkle brilliantly when things in classroom life seem stressful and bleak.  So if kids can tell teachers that they make a difference, why don’t adults do it too?

So, what causes this phenomenon? According to Retaining Teacher Talent: The View From Generation Y, by Learning Point Associates and Public Agenda, a study done in the 1960s claims that teachers have remained largely egalitarian for decades because teaching is seen a service career and in order to prove you are dedicated to the greater good, you should give more than you receive. To show ambition, or have a desire to be acknowledged or rewarded, was considered suspect. While this theory may still hold some water, times have changed.  New Generation Y teachers are not content with education as a static profession with little feedback and no career continuum available if you want to remain in the classroom.  Call me crazy, but I would venture to guess that those members of Gen X and Baby Boomers who are in that top 20% are disgruntled too.  Everyone wants to know that the work they do is valued and that they make a difference. We may be on a mission, but we are not missionaries. 

The Irreplaceables talks about that top 20% of teachers considered to be the very best, not just in regard to test scores, but also in providing an engaging learning experience for their students.  I would argue that most award winning teachers, whether local, county, state or national fall into this category.  Yet, I have heard horror stories from these same award winning teachers, after being recognized by external organizations, about how they are ridiculed and shunned by their colleagues and administration simply because they have been singled out and recognized.  Others think these award winners believe themselves “too good” to work amongst their mere mortal colleagues.  Haven’t they actually disproven this theory by being great teachers in the first place?  The great ones I know don’t teach for themselves.  I have even heard administrators tell me they would not nominate educators for awards because they don’t want to create tension in the department or school.  So people go on being unrecognized, the Widget Effect continues, and the profession suffers because no one will speak up to recognize excellence for fear of showing favoritism by administrators and ostracism by staff. And we wonder why we are not treated like professionals? Some teachers give up because they realize working your tail off is futile and they become burned out.   The worst effect of this neglect is that great teachers leave schools that desperately need them, or worse yet, leave the profession all together.  According to Leading Gen Y Teachers: Emerging Strategies for School Leaders, by the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, when teachers leave, there are additional costs in the form of lowered morale and loss of institutional memory.  The negative effects discussed in The Widget Effect and The Irreplaceables trickle down from administration until the ideas permeate the staff as well, who police themselves.  It has created a climate and culture which feeds upon itself, discourages excellence, and urges a mediocre status quo.      

What is it going to take to keep you here?

          A question with immeasurable value.  Teachers, especially the new Generation Y, want to see that there is room for growth and that they are recognized for their accomplishments.  In the world outside of education, these factors rate even more highly than salary when it comes to motivation.  Education is no different.  Why should you have to be an administrator in order to be a leader?  In many districts there is no career continuum for those teachers with excellent skills in research, peer coaching, or understanding of policy to actually make a difference.  Leading GenY Teachers says that the positive effects of school leadership are greater when leadership is widely distributed among staff members.  So why haven't we done it?  Is it a matter of those that have control who are not willing to relinquish it, or do our colleagues create a climate that makes it impossible?  I have seem collaborative environments work in many schools, elementary schools in particular, but high schools seem less willing to share.  When I am talking about leadership roles, I am not talking about uncompensated ones where responsibilities are heaped on an already full course load, that does not show respect, and I am not talking about merit pay either.  There are plenty of hybrid roles that can be created, or honoraria that can be paid.  Much of leadership is coaching, just not on an athletic field.  Soemthing needs to be done in order to attract and retain great teachers, no matter what their age, because the students suffer when they leave.  Retaining Teacher Talent notes that the research suggests that many young teachers leave the profession not because they are ineffective, it is because they feel stifled. This can be fixed.

I would argue that the effects of The Irreplaceables trickle down to our students too.

Just as teachers need be recognized for what they do, our students need to hear it even more. While some may believe students already feel entitled and have too much confidence, there are many who fall through the cracks every day because no one ever took the time to get to know them, find out what their gifts were, and provide some guidance to help them achieve their hopes and dreams. Everyone wants to be acknowledged when they do something well, and everyone deserves constructive feedback.  Imagine handing back class assignments and they have no grades and no comments because everyone will receive the same average grade.  How would the students know how to improve?  Why should they bother?  We would not do this to our students, so why do we allow it to happen to us?  Have the conditions in Widget Effect and Irreplaceables not only permeated faculty, but also effected our students?  If a climate of high expectations and acknowledgement does not exist among the administration and faculty, how likely is it that there will be high expectations for the students?  I see it in those teachers who maintain absolute control of their classes where students will never be smarter than the teacher and are bullied or ridiculed when they ask questions.  This has got to stop.
 

To you top 20%, please don’t go because your students need you.  Perhaps it is time that we learn a lesson from the kids.  You are valued.  What do we have to do to keep you?

 

 

---

          Weisberg, Daniel, Sexton, Susan, Mulhern, Jennifer, & Keeling, David (2009)The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act Upon Teacher Effectiveness   http://widgeteffect.org/

 

         TNTP (2012)  The Irreplaceables: Understanding the Real Retention Crisis in America’s Urban Schools    http://tntp.org/irreplaceables

 

         Coggshall, J. G., Ott, A., Behrstock, E. & Lasagna, M., (2010). Retaining Teacher Talent: The View from Generation Y.   http://www.learningpt.org/expertise/educatorquality/genY/Gen%20Y%20report.pdf

 

       Behrstock, E., & Clifford, M. (2009). Leading Gen Y: Emerging Strategies for School Leaders. Washington, DC: National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality  http://www.tqsource.org/publications/gen_y.php

 

To Sir, With Love - Lulu

Among other things this week, I got an email from a second year history teacher.  He saw that I won a few awards and wanted to know if I could offer any wisdom.  He wanted the secret to how I did it. Feeling the loss of my students rather acutely at the moment, I began crafting a response which, in slightly edited form, you see below. I consider it my love letter to education.  Play the tune and enjoy.
 

 

 

Hi Frank,

This is going to be lengthy. Best to settle in.

     The secret to great teaching? I hate to tell you this but there is no secret; it is really hard work. There will never be a profession that leaves you more mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted at the end of the week. If you do not feel like you have hit a brick wall by the time Friday night rolls around, you are doing something wrong. In my 17 years of teaching I have seen people and initiatives come and go, but I have also learned a few things to be absolute truths. I hope you find them helpful. 

      First, you must love your students. I don’t mean like, I mean love them like they are your own kids. Love, because sometimes they will work your last nerve and push you away with every fiber of their being. In many cases, this is because the adults in their lives have given up on them time and time again and the students know it is easier to keep you at a distance than actually care about you. You may be the adult that a student spends the most time with in the course of a day. Kids can smell insincerity at 50 paces, and if they think you are just showing up to collect a paycheck or until something better comes along, they will treat you accordingly.

      Second, you must have a tremendous amount of energy. Teaching is not something that ends at 3:00 Monday through Friday. Education is something that happens 24/7, 365 days a year. Teaching is a marathon, not a sprint, and you will have days with soaring highs and soul searching lows. You will hit some brick walls with students, colleagues, administration and bureaucracy. You can’t let it stop you, you have to figure out how to get around the obstacle and keep moving. It doesn’t just involve you either, your whole family is drawn in as you collect objects for lessons, drag them to museums and historic sites for a dry run, and force them to buy all the fundraisers that come along. I cannot tell you how many times my mom has helped me grade papers, put up bulletin boards, or work in the snack shack at football games. She has even brought my lunch to school when I forgot it and was broke, and I am a grown woman.

      Third, when it comes to students, you can’t teach them until you reach them. That means that you need to know how they learn best, what their cultural influences are, their biases, their socioeconomic status and how it affects them. By the way, you need to know all this about yourself too. What are your biases, how do you learn best, and where do your influences come from? If you are an auditory learner and your students are visual, you may explain something to them and they don’t get it. It doesn’t mean they are dumb, it means you are not communicating effectively. Every child acts the way they do for a reason and your job is not to judge them, but to dig and find out why.

      In this same area, in order to get to know your students, you have to let them get to know you, as a person. I don’t mean in a creepy way, but they need to see that you are human. You can’t expect them to share if you are unwilling to do it yourself. I show them my baby and high school pictures, pictures of my family and my cat, and explain where I have learning difficulties. Find out what their hopes and dreams are and where their gifts and talents lie. You may recognize their potential for greatness long before anyone else does.   Everyone is good at something.  Help them cultivate their gifts and express the importance of paying it forward to help others. Show them humanity and they will show it to others.

      Fourth, you never stop learning until the day you die. You must constantly seek new knowledge and experiences, and find ways to bring them into the classroom that are meaningful. Life doesn’t happen in textbooks, get them out and experiencing the world. Take them to museums, historic sites, the theater and anywhere else where their imagination can be stimulated. Learning is an adventure of discovery that you ask your students to join you on. Learning is complex and everything is inter-related. Your job is to help them find the connections, and by extension, realize that they have choices available to them they may not have realized. In order to do this, students have to feel comfortable trying new things, even if it means they are going to fail, but you need to protect them from ridicule so they can try. This means that you have to be willing to try new things too, and also admit to them and yourself that there are some things you don’t know.

      Are you tired and overwhelmed yet? Your job is not nearly over. You need to find yourself a mentor. A Yoda, or Zen Master if you will. I don’t care how many years you have been teaching,  you always need a mentor. Wander the halls and find the person that you think is a great teacher, even if they are not in your subject area. Bribe them into talking to you with coffee, chocolate, or offer to take them out for something stronger if it is a Friday. If you don’t know who the great ones are, ask the kids. After you find them, listen, learn, and ask questions. After that you have to be willing to share with your colleagues even if they don’t want to know. Some people are very set in their ways, CAVE dwellers (Consistently Against Virtually Everything), but don’t give up. Once again, listen learn and value everyone’s ideas even if you don’t agree with them. There are reasons that they act the way they do, too.

I would suggest getting involved as an advisor or coach for an extra-curricular activity. Nothing will bond you to the kids like working with them outside of class.

If you don’t know who the people are that run the school, it is the secretaries and custodial staff. Be exceedingly kind to these people, they can save your life sometimes.

      Notice that none of this is about metrics, or the science, of teaching. It is the art of teaching, and without it, all the science in the form of pedagogy and assessment will fail. Your job is to cultivate a love of learning and a curiosity in your students and to help them see their role in the bigger picture of life. Great teachers have passion, dedication, and are expert communicators who can build relationships.

      At the end of the day, you don’t teach because you may win an award. There are tons of great teachers who never win an award; I was simply lucky. I am not the best teacher in NJ,. Heck, I am not even the best teacher I can be because I still have lots to learn and  I am evolving every day, but I am proud to represent the 110,000+ teachers in NJ and the great work that they do. Sadly, it is often the case that your administration may be indifferent to what you do. I have been in 3 schools in my 17 years of education and not once have any of them told me that I was a valuable asset to the school or attempted to convince me to stay. This phenomenon, discussed in the TNTP study The Irreplaceables, needs to change and we need to help shift that climate by celebrating what we do.  Your colleagues may also try to take you down a peg because they are jealous or have their own insecurities.  The people who will notice what you do are your students.  You may not know it now, but even if they are the biggest pain in the class, you will have an effect on them.  Some will come back years later to say thank you, some will come into your class hating history but love it by the time they leave, and some students will keep you as a part of their lives long after they graduate and have lives of their own.  You will be invited to their weddings and meet their children.  Some will even want to become a teacher because of you.  The kids are the ones that really mater.   

      I wish you the best for a happy and healthy school year. Remember, you don’t do what you do for a paycheck, you have to teach from the soul. It is more than what you do, it should be who you are. You should do this job because maybe, just maybe, you make the difference in a student’s life that can put them on the path to success. Don’t fill the bucket, light the fire.

 

Good Teaching,

Jeanne

Shout- The Isley Brothers



 

Now wai-a-ait a minute!
I feel aaaaaaallllllright!

 

 

Perceptions can be very powerful.  However, it is important to remember when you have perception but no evidence, those perceptions can be wrong and should not be used as the basis of judgement.  One of the first rules I ever learned in education was, don't judge...dig.  I am ever grateful to master teacher Mrs. Thoren for showing me the power of that lesson.  More on that later. 

 

Perceptions formed the basis for my week which was full of new beginnings, convention politics, and illumination as I visited four different schools.  While these items might appear personal, perhaps too personal to matter to others, my humanities training tells me that the choices I make connect me to the rest of the world because there are common ideas and values that we share as part of our human experience. I see the power of education everywhere, and if you believe that teaching makes all other occupations possible, then you need to pay attention to the big picture and how we fit into it.

 

Any teacher will tell you that although it was a short week, it certainly did not feel that way.  That first week back at school brings sleepless nights, anxiety, sore feet, a reminder to take your vitamins, exhaustion, and for me a sore throat.  Invariably, this happens as I emerge from my hermit-like state of quiet during the summer and my students and I are introduced, get to know each other, and begin the great adventure of learning.   Typically, by the time that first Friday night comes around I feel like a big blob of jello and sound like a cross between Kathleen Turner and a frog.  You see, teaching is not for the faint of heart.  A typical day, if there is such a thing, can have soaring highs and soul-searching lows, and it requires you to be physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually aware and engaged at all times.  In short, it is organized chaos and by far the most exhausting thing I have ever done.

 

My first day was different this year, as I was on the road at 6am to speak at the convocation at Hillside HS.  The temps were in the mid-80s but the humidity was at 98% and it had been like this for a few days.  I knew my hair was looking like something out of the Bride of Frankenstein, but after speaking at dozens of  colleges, universities, and conference centers over the last year, I figured the climate in the auditorium where I would be speaking would be carefully climate controlled and my hair would behave.  As I pulled up to the school, I noticed that all the doors and windows were open.  No air conditioning.  Did I mention there was 98% humidity? 

 

 

 

 

The staff and administration graciously sat through my presentation fanning themselves like they were at a church revival, and I gave it everything I had as I quickly developed a sheen of perspiration that turned into rivulets that ran in places I will not mention.  So glad I had on waterproof mascara.   I talked about the realities of the art and science of teaching versus what those perceptions were by policy makers and the public.  The speech continued with the importance of knowing our own culture and biases and those of our students so that we can meet them where they are and form a relationship of educational trust where students feel that they can make mistakes without being ridiculed/  This is encompassed in the idea that you can't teach them until you reach them.  I talked about the importance of teacher leadership, the importance of vision and action, and warned them to stay away from the C.A.V.E. dwellers (Consistently Against Virtually Everything). Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I "keep it real" (hence the nickname Jersey) when talking about education, so I wrapped things up by warning them against negativity in schools, the dangers of gossip, and showed them my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quote.  

 

    

 

Ok, I admit it, I laid into them probably a little more than I needed to,but it resonated as people clapped and nodded their heads.  The message was to open up their classrooms to the public and each other to share the great things going on in education every day.  There are fabulous educators throughout the state who do an amazing job every day and it is time the public, and their colleagues, knew about it.  The talk must have worked, or then again they might have just felt bad for me as I stood before them a melted and frizzy mess, because I got a standing ovation and many people thanking me for the inspiration and honesty in my talk.  Thanks Hillside, YOU ROCK! 

 

Leaving the school, I thought about the teachers and the challenges they would face in their first few weeks of school having to deal with the climate on top of all the other challenges educators face.  Having taught in schools without air conditioning myself, I know that nothing sticks on the walls when the humidity is that bad, and the kids are lethargic at best.  Open windows also lead to bees buzzing in, and we all know how kids react to that.  How can you learn when you are that uncomfortable and struggling to breathe, particularly if you have asthma or allergies to things like mold which grow in those conditions?   How can you have technology in the classrooms when it would be damaged because of the heat and humidity?  How can you be expected to dress as a professional when it is so hot your sweat leaves embarrassing marks on your clothes?  As I grew up, my own schools had no air conditioning and I remember how the temperatures put a damper on learning.  Two of the four schools I visited this week had no air conditioning.  If we are going to seriously address learning, then the physical buildings must be a part of the conversation because the physical structure causes us to lose valuable learning time and it sends a message.  We have a problem.  How do you reach 21st Century students with teachers who have 20th Century training  and technology in schools whose physical buildings and schedules were designed for the 19th Century?  Someone once told me that if I wanted to know who the important people were in a school, all I needed to do was see which rooms and offices were air conditioned.  What kind of message does it send when the adults are given better conditions than the kids in the same building?  How many people outside the world of education today would be willing to put up with such conditions?   

 

My day was far from over as I drove to Trenton to settle into the cubicle I will call home for the next year.  I got the layout of the land and began to unpack, nest a little, and try to figure out how my new BlackBerry works. (I apologize if I have butt-dialed you this week.)  I am sitting in the early childhood education department (real estate is scarce on the floor), and they are wonderful people who have been very friendly, inclusive, and made me feel most welcome 

 

Remember my lost keys?

 

Perhaps the most amazing thing about my first day was an email from the teacher who is currently using my old classroom.  I left her a message about the fact that I couldn't find my keys and she emailed to let me know that she had them! They had been left in the room when I was showing her the hidden latch to unlock the drawers of the teacher desk.  As I was unpacking at the DOE and received the email, I had Pandora playing on my computer and what song comes on?  Over the Rainbow by Iz, the song I put with my blog post about the lost keys.  Really, I can't make this stuff up.  I took it as a sign that everything was going to be alright.  Along with the wonderful morning with the staff of Hillside, I knew I had made the right decision to come to the DOE.  It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and an enormous smile emerged.  

 

Remember that talk about perception in the beginning?  While my year has had some amazing highs, it has also brought some perception problems by those who are happy to pass judgement, but have never taken the time to find out the facts.  When you walk into a room and hear someone sarcastically refer to you as the "Teacher of the Universe" or you are greeted with "Well, if it isn't Miss America", it doesn't take you long to figure out where you stand.  The truth is, I am a teacher trying to make a difference, just like so many fabulous teachers across the state every day, but unlike many others I have the good fortune to have a platform to speak from.  Anyone who has heard me or visited my classroom to watch me teach knows my love of teaching and how willing I am to put other people, especially my students, ahead of myself.   I have done my best and worked tirelessly to promote Career and Technical Education, my school, my students, my colleagues, and the profession to anyone willing to listen and want nothing more than to take what I have learned in this last year to help move education forward.  Am I more confident than I was a year ago?  Certainly.  It takes some guts to get up on a stage in front of 600+ people and talk to them about education in an environment that is hostile, especially when you have been terrified of public speaking your whole life.  Do I know everything?  Not even close.  Am I the best teacher in the state?  Not a chance, although I am honored to represent all 110,000+ of us.  I am not even the best teacher I can be yet because I am constantly learning and evolving.  Do I have a passion for what I do?  Absolutely, and I am not afraid to share that, nor the insights I have gained in my 16 years in a classroom if it can help someone else.  Would you want a teacher of the year who simply maintained the status quo and didn't defend education or talk about the great things going on all over the state?  It certainly would have been easier for me to take it easy, smile, and wave than put 16,000 miles on the car and maintain an insane schedule to listen and learn from people around the state.  Do we really need more negativity or people who are unwilling to speak up?  Michelle Obama said of the President this week at the convention, " A title doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are."  I agree, but that revelation also comes from listening to a person's message and examining the ethics and values in their work which gives insight into their sense of civic responsibility and humanity.  If you haven't the evidence to back up your claim, don't judge.  When it comes to education, we are all in this together.            

Thursday morning found me on my way to Middletown HS South to speak to their combined staff.   I met the superintendent, a man with a vision who is willing to take action, while speaking at beautiful Monmouth University to their student teachers a few weeks before. His enthusiasm was infectious as he spoke about his wonderful staff and gave me a tour of Wilson Hall, the mansion from the movie Annie that served as the home of Daddy Warbucks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  He asked me to speak about my usual motivational stuff as well as block scheduling. Hmmm....a tricky topic to make exciting, but not impossible.  Like education in any subject, it is all about making connections.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What made me even more motivated was an exchange I had with one of my former students via Twitter. She had tweeted to say that she couldn't wait to come to my class and have breakfast on her first day. I didn't know how to tell her that I wouldn't be there, but I did and waited for the reaction hoping it was not anger and a feeling of abandonment. What I got instead that morning before I left was affirmation. Her reaction was this, " Ms. D, it is an awesome opportunity and I am happy you took it. Yes, we are all gonna miss your sunshine sweaters but this thing is bigger than us. Congratulations!!!! You are going to make a great difference in education, and touch more students lives than you ever could at one school."   The tears just started flowing.  I thought about what she said later while delivering the message at Middletown about how important the work of educators is and the importance of positive communication and building relationships of trust and learning with our students. The talk then took a segue to our 21st Century students and four C's of learning (Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving) , the new Common Core standards, and the ways that block scheduling can allow teachers to be creative in the way we teach our students so that we reach all learners.  The message resonated with the staff and once again, I was honored with a standing ovation, which the superintendent said never happened before.  It was all caught on video, since they were taping me that morning, so now I will actually have a copy of one of my speeches.  After lunch, I spent the afternoon going from room to room visiting the break out sessions to answer questions and help where I could.  It felt like I had grown wings.  Thank you Middltown High Schools, YOU ROCK!

 



My week ended back at the DOE working on some projects to help ease the journey of the next NJSTOY, but my own journey is not yet complete.  Reminded again of what a public figure you become with this position, I received a copy of my first PSA for Jumpstart's Read for the Record.  Clearly, I am not designed for TV, and I wish I knew why half my face did something different than the other side, but the message is a worthy one.  On October 4th Jumpstart is trying to get everyone to read the book Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad.  It, and many other books are free at www.wegivebooks.org.  Read on! 

 

 

 

 

By the end of the week, I had the affirmation I needed and was feeling pretty good about the direction I have chosen. The song Shout seemed to say it all.