Prior to my big "mid-school year" reflection, my days were pretty "blahh" in terms of growth and excitement. I’m not going to lie…I started my new job and I got complacent. I literally fell into the comfort of being the new kid and left a lot of "me" out of the equation. In other words, I can and should be doing much more. I acknowledge that wholeheartedly. Every morning when I wake up, I have a bit of a natural reflection over the previous day. I reflect on these questions… What did I do yesterday that was different than the day before? What did I do to help make a difference for someone else? What can I do today to be a better me than yesterday? What did I do that far exceeded my own comfort zone? The other day, I volunteered to teach one of our "district branded" Google part 1 trainings. I’ve never taught the course and I had no idea that it was as scripted to the letter of the law that it was. I was asked if I wanted to watch someone else do the course first. Of course I said…HECK NO! I wanted to do it because I’ve never done it!!! I started the course and in all honesty only checked the "teacher’s guide" to make sure that I covered all basics. I let the teacher in me take over and I taught that course according to the needs of the room and my own natural flow…art of teaching. Not only did I hit all bullet points and beyond, I did it in a way that I knew good and darn well was the best that I have ever done. (yes it’s google drive….but when I tell you that it’s scripted…IT’S SCRIPTED) It was at that moment that I realized how much working outside of my comfort zone makes me feel more alive. It is also when I am best at what I do. The adrenaline from not knowing whether I would be great or fail is a rush that is completely indescribable because I know that at the end of the day, the outcome of the moment is minor compared to the journey itself. We learn and grow through allowing ourselves to leave the circle of comfort and in all honesty…isn’t that the only way to do it? I watch my nephew live his young life through trying new things daily and it’s inspiring because if he can continue to relish a life of learning in this way, the sky is the limit for him. Before he ever molded a single clown, made a claymation movie, drew an amazing picture, designed and created a puppet, made a puppet show or created a crazily crafty minecraft world…he was a kid sitting in his comfort zone. One of my fellow Texas educators, Chris Kessler, posted this image on twitter. I think that it speaks volumes on its own. Where the magic happens. pic.twitter.com/5B5TmLJQjD — Chris Kesler (@iamkesler) December 18, 2013  

The following deck is a part of a series of sessions that I’m working on highlighting personal branding for students and teachers. I created it using the Haiku Deck web version which I love because of the internal photo search and simple structure. I added comments and details on each slide which can be seen by going directly to site HERE. Tips: I used internal images from Haiku Deck as well as my own instagram uploads. As you create your own haiku decks, play around with themes, title placement and turning the "text place holder" on or off. Generally, if the text can stand out alone, I leave the text place holder off. If my background is too light, I leave the gray strip on. You can even add interactivity by creating custom slides including QR codes and even turning AR slides into triggers containing video and or other information.

A common misconception that seems to repeat itself amongst the digital community is that teachers are hesitant to use technology. Several have even excused this misconception by validating it as truth in response to the multitudes of campus/district requirements. While I cannot speak to the experiences of teachers holistically, I can speak to the teachers that I have encountered throughout my career. What I’ve learned, especially in the last few months, is that maybe the "perceived hesitance" is not the case at all but a cry out for learning opportunities that are more conducive to the individual teacher. In other words, maybe we need to take a harder look at what we offer teachers in terms of professional development as well as how we intentionally provide sustainable support. The subject of the next six postings will be a combination of findings and actions concerning designing and planning with the intention of supporting teachers. 1. Why Aren’t Teachers Attending Training? 2. Planning with the Teacher in Mind (Teacher Differentiation) 3. Supporting Teachers During PLC 4. Co-Teaching, Modeling and Technology Integration 5.  Meeting to Re-Evaluate 6. Moving Forward I most certainly do welcome your thoughts and ideas.  

I hear a great deal of chatter amongst other "edtechs" about sessions that they offer. Typically, GAFE districts offer tons of google trainings. Districts that cater to specific devices offer trainings on those devices. I hear a great deal about "appy hour" and "tech challenges" that are really focused on the platforms themselves. In some districts, trainings are determined entirely by those giving the trainings according to what they enjoy teaching as opposed to what actual needs exist. Those sessions are typically attended by the same teachers every time…the early adopters. Other teachers are showing up for the purpose of earning the credit…period. In those cases, going from training to classroom practice is rare. Everyone wants to know how to engage the reluctant teachers who are not buying in to learning about the latest greatest app or who are not invested in utilizing the devices on their campuses. Has anyone gone to those teachers and inquired about what they need? While there are quite a few teachers who are certainly unwilling to put in the effort, there are plenty who want more than a great app or website. Below are some of the sample questions that I’ve captured over time. How does one evaluate placement of technology within required curriculum? How is instruction designed to maximize learning? How can that teacher make sure that the tech isn’t a "thing" but a necessity? How will the assignments be graded? What does one do with 25-100 student projects? How much time is allotted during class to complete assignments? How do I plan when I have access to a cart once a week or every other week? How will I know if students have met standards? How am I supposed to plan for testing? Tech "projects" happen after testing. How am I supposed to manage/control the device? Talking to seemingly reluctant teachers from a place of pedagogy and curriculum as opposed to a place of "plug in" will get you much farther than waiting on warm bodies to show up to a training or appy hour. To them, what they have been doing is working and the technology poses a problem in that it is most certainly disruptive. Address their questions and help them to come up with solutions that work for their learners. I’ve been known to show up or volunteer in classrooms as support if needed which is encouraging, especially at the secondary level. More than likely, the "edtech" in you is just fine with the "just try it" mentality but understanding that not everyone functions in that same way is certainly a step in the right direction towards supporting teachers in technological change. With that said…please recognize when "the shiny" tools do not apply as some lessons are better left physically hands-on.

I’ve been known to delete people from facebook who tag me in those ridiculous "chain things" so when this "sunshine award" started, I will admit to some major eye rolls at the idea. However, I’ve had  fun learning more about each person as they posted their "11 things". I took some time to visit a familiar tool and try a newer one with doing these Q&As. I’ve mentioned each person that I could remember in the Haiku Deck Here are my 11 Visual Random Facts Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app for iPad For @Sarahdateechur I used Tapestry’s txt tool….LOVE this! (My first time using Tapestry) To Respond to Michelle Baldwin, I created a haiku deck powered movenote I’m working on the others in multiple formats. When I do tag, I’m adding a new rule…use some new tool to do so

For the past few days, I’ve taken a break from chats, blogs and constant connectivity to soak in the greatness of being a mother, daughter, aunt, sister and friend. While I am all of those things all of the time, there’s something inherently fulfilling about primarily basking in the glow of their collective auras. The balance of career and family is a necessary yet tough road to travel. To my family, my career has always been my priority. My actions definitely didn’t help those thoughts. At the same token, in my mind…the sacrifice was necessary. My education and career meant missing sporting events, cheer competitions, late night practices, choir concerts, speaking contest, homework help and even the "prep work" before senior prom. Lesson 1: If your own family feels secondary to your career goals…you’re doing it wrong.  My prioritizing has definitely improved…for sure! This semester was filled with many highs and lows with the lowest culminating just a few days ago. My daughter, a high school honor graduate, did not perform at the level of which she is capable during semester 1 of college. She will begin her spring semester on academic probation. I’ve gone back and forth trying to understand what she was thinking…beyond the typical "first time away from home" syndrome. Amidst angry tears, she said that college was a lot harder than she expected. She didn’t know how to study and as much as she studied, it seemed to never be enough. Each test score seemed to dip lower and lower. In one course, her assignment was literally to create a blog and write 5 postings which had to be written on varying days. She missed that assignment and after that, it was almost impossible to come back. Prioritizing?? That idea did not exist for her. Most assignments were started and completed at the very last minute. After hours of heated discussion, it became apparent that her approach to college was no different than her approach to HS. Even in her AP course, there was no additional prep or push required. She did the work as she entered the room and earned the grade as the handout was graded. I should’ve known what we were up against when on the first week of school she sat on a curb in tears because she couldn’t find the VA office to handle her school funding…a trip that she most certainly NEEDED to make. For the record, I found the office by googling its whereabouts on my phone from my office desk 3 hours away. She couldn’t even GOOGLE. (long sigh) One can talk about all of the wonders that the right technology could have provided her. However, without the skills to think critically, communicate (with professors and peers), problem solve and prioritize…she had zero chance. However, as Diana Laufenberg reminded me (I think of Diana in moments like this….so yes, she hypothetically reminded me)…  "Failure is instructional" (lesson 2)  As my kid blindly prepared for college, she didn’t consider that she would actually have to do "real" work nor did she realize the depth of her requirements. There has been talk of attending campus tutorials, scheduling "study time", prioritizing "common sense" ideas like attending ALL courses and seeking additional help when needed…early. She has even asked for technology support…because surely there has got to be an easier way to manage all of those due dates than no plan at all! She owned that her failure was in not committing. Even without the preparation, she could have done it and didn’t. Her lesson was that clearly she needed to work a lot harder. My lesson was that I needed to be more attentive and proactive. Lesson 3: When it matters, you do what’s needed to make it work. Lessons learned…    

A few years ago, I interviewed for my first job out of the classroom as a math specialist in my hometown. As qualified as I was, I didn’t get the job. That moment was one that I would consider a low point in my career because it seemed as if the job itself was crafted with me in mind…so much so that I had already mentally closed the door to my classroom with no plans to return. I was devastated for many reasons and it was difficult at first to move beyond this moment. I was stuck staring at a closed door, however to me…it was the wrong door. Eventually, I stopped sulking and started looking at my life from both sides. I loved teaching and I knew that part of my not getting that job was because of the classroom teacher that I was. At the same token, I felt myself moving in a direction of teacher support way more than my school wanted to allow. That closed door to the opportunity that I didn’t get, told me that I needed to continue to work towards getting there. Whatever it took, including moving, I was more than willing to do. Giving up was not an option…not by a long shot. A month later, I was offered a math strategist/department chair job in another school district. Without hesitation, I accepted the move and of course the rest is history. I’m sharing this story because of its connection to meeting closed doors and finding the open doors and windows that we often ignore. Looking back, I realize that had I NOT met that closed door, I would not have made the career moves that I did beyond that point. In other words, without that NO, I would not have encountered the plethora of Yeses. Perspective is amazing, isn’t it? Moving Beyond Closed Doors When you live long enough, you learn that not everything in life is a guarantee. This is one example of a closed door but I’ve definitely faced many more. You deal, decide what YOU want and move on. The door doesn’t determine your fate. YOU do. Do you meet the roadblocks and stand? No…you find another way. That’s what the "open doors" and "windows" are about. My mother used to say that God doesn’t close one door without leaving an open one in its place. I believe that wholeheartedly. When faced with missed opportunities, I am immediately inclined  to evaluate the situation and work towards the next goal because there will always be one. In my high school classroom, this is a lesson that I had to teach my students on multiple occasions. While their "doors" were different from mine, the reaction is still the same. You don’t focus on the non-success or failure…you focus on the journey to the next destination. I believe we call this grit.

A few years ago, one of my students started reading The Pact, the story about the three black doctors who made a commitment to change their lives by pushing each other towards their dream of becoming doctors. I connected with this story because it reminded me of my journey through college with my my friends Sonya and Sonja. We were the only three black students in our college program preparing to teach math. Prior to college, we didn’t know each other but our roads could not have crossed at a better time. We had the best of math professors in Dr. Vanesa Huse, who understood what we would encounter once we entered the classroom. She made sure that we knew, talked to and worked with Dr. Evelyn Granville, the 2nd black woman to hold a doctoral degree in math. Dr. Huse also made sure that we were equipped with not only the ability to develop innovative, rich instructional content but also the freedom to inject our own cultural experiences into our lessons. There were countless hours spent studying together and comparing our pre-service experiences.  We also held each other to such a high standard that no slack was given when one or all fell behind. Before taking over the college math tutor job, I watched Sonja do it with a grace that to this day leaves me speechless. She would have 6 different courses going on at once and would not miss a beat or a student. She tutored through questioning and I adored watching her work. Sonya had a fire about her that would make grown students shiver. She was not one to be messed with…not in a negative way…more in a "don’t you dare think that you will perform less than you are capable of" kind of way. I was more of the "I’m going to find 5 million ways to do this" kind of student. I was the inquisitive nerd who would get so excited about our work that they would have to muzzle me to make me shut up. I was also the "tech" person of the group…typical. We each had our strengths and each of us took a piece of the other into our own classrooms which I’m sure more than counted for our collective weaknesses. We called each other and collaborated over the years as often as we could. Even after our separation, we were better together. I’ve seen one or the other at times over the years but we haven’t been all together since graduation. Today, that changes as we will meet for lunch as we discuss possible projects to support others through their college/pre-service experiences. Before any of that takes place, our coming together again is another moment to reflect over where we’ve been, what we have done and what we plan to do as a result of our intertwining lives. I would not be the teacher that I am had it not been for these two ladies. This is a feeling that we all hold true. Stay tuned…

When I posted on twitter that my goal for 2014 was to be more fierce, I received many questions wanting an expansion of this idea. When we typically think of fierce, we think of the predatory version of the word. In a sense, that’s true but let’s focus on the underlying emotion behind fierceness for a moment. fierce fi(ə)rs/ (of a feeling, emotion, or action) showing a heartfelt and powerful intensity synonyms: aggressive, intense, strong, relentless, ass-kicking, powerful, passionate, impassioned I choose to define fierce by four terms…Purposeful, Fearless, Passionate and Confident  Owning Your Fierceness Being more fierce is not about fitting yourself into a mold of each world singularly…it’s about encompassing all that you are at once. It’s about owning who you are and your contribution to yourself and the success of others. It’s about defining your purpose and working towards that purpose with an intensity so passion filled that there is no way that failure is even within reach. In other words… Fierceness in the Classroom If you want to be more fierce, start it where it counts most…in your classroom. I’ve seen too many teachers succumbing to the "requirements" of school and not enough standing their ground and doing what they knew was best for their students. For example, last year there was a "norm" in my school that every teacher had to teach the exact same lesson to the script. It didn’t matter who the students were, every instructional piece had to be identical. They even had PLC where these lessons were planned out. What that meant was that the classes with instructional support received the exact same lesson as the classes with language support which were the same as the classes that needed "no additional support". Umm….NO! True learning comes through experience and not every child has the same one. Individualization is so important and if you do nothing else this year…fight for that. It doesn’t matter if your classroom is full of 5 year olds or 35 year olds, the same ideology applies… Stand up, be firm and demand that your classroom is a place where true magic happens. Then, take it out of your classroom and stand for the voice of the teacher. You have the power to do that but it means not allowing yourself to be walked over and stepped on in the process. On A Personal Note Being fierce for me is about owning who I am and my own success. You can be a classroom teacher, instructional support person or even an administrator and have your own goals. If you don’t…you should. One of the steps that I’ve made is to be fierce about taking care of my physical and emotional self just as much as my academic self. Taking a lesson from my friend Greg Garner (@classroom_tech) I schedule "me time" in my day to exercise, reflect and sometimes read. The funny part of this advice is that it came from a place of being more productive, but I heard him from a deeper perspective and in that moment I realized that I was selling myself short at not fully taking care of ME. As you move on with creating your resolutions and preparing to promise to follow them "this time"…consider how small everyday thoughts can influence you deep within. Be Fierce today, tomorrow, next week and this time next year. As you reflect on your day, think about the actions that you took to be more fierce than the previous. My goal is simple…Be More Fierce Today than Yesterday

Lately I’ve been struggling with my decision to move out of the classroom. I taught HS math and as many math lessons that I taught, I also taught a great deal about life. My kids needed it. I taught in a school sitting in the middle of a largely "czech" town with a student population that resembled anything but that, except for AP classes. Three years ago, I met a young boy with a glimmer in his eyes that was simply contagious. He was new to our town, kind, gentle and full of life as his laughter and excitement melted your soul. I secretly prayed that he would not lose that spark…that he would somehow avoid the same fateful blow that others before him suffered. We were losing our boys to our streets…a problem that to this day goes ignored. Towards the middle of the year, I started to notice changes in this student that didn’t sit well with me. He started hanging with kids who were members of one of our local gangs. He became aggressive and spent time in the office because of his misbehavior in other classes. I reached out to his mother and we had a meetings…several of them. I learned many things about him in those meetings with one point that stuck out big time. In his old school, he was a part of an engineering and robotics club. He had an interest and sadly, we had nothing like that at our school. He was bored out of his mind and the glimmer of the streets was just far too appealing. He is now 17 years old and a high school drop out. We failed him… We expect kids to walk into school and immediately conform with rules that are aimed to train them for a life with no choice. In some cases, kids required to sit all day in their nice desks in rows, were treated as if their "canned education" was  a privilege for the privileged and not for those who could not conform. Yes, we had a program for kids who needed a flexible schedule to graduate but with the wait list so unmanageably long(largely due to high rates of teen pregnancy)…kids like this student didn’t stand a chance. Prevention or Pro-Action I need to repeat again that we had no programs, other than athletic and UIL academic. We didn’t have a solid computer science program. We definitely didn’t have robotics. We did have home economics, wood shop, metal shop, and auto mechanics. We had an art program but not a real media program. Last year, I was in a high school that had an outreach program for young men which was amazing. We didn’t have that either. Would any of those things have helped this kid? Would any of these actions have made a difference? I have to believe that they would have as clearly inaction does nothing. School should be about challenging kids to imagine what is possible. Beyond standards, schools should be houses of innovation that encourage collaboration, emotional growth and maturity and embed a spirit of a love of learning. We didn’t do that either. We also have to embed a love of self in our kids. They have to learn that life isn’t always about getting exactly what you want but about making the choice to do what is necessary to make your goals come to life. I tweeted this earlier… Opening the doors of the school does nothing if you do nothing to make every kid that walks through those doors experience what is possible. I imagine that our conversation would have been vastly different if this student’s educational experience would have even been remotely close.