Taking My Classroom With Me

I said I’d never do it. I said I’d never leave the classroom. I’ve had feelings of doubt, anxiety, and even betrayal in coming to this decision. How could I leave when I knew that teaching was my calling, my passion, and something I loved more than words could describe? Teaching has been my oxygen for ten years, and I wasn’t sure I could even know how to breathe without it.

However, there’s also something to be said about wanting to reach more, do more, achieve more, and grow more. Though being highly involved in education has been and will continue to be important to me, no amount of committees, publications, projects, or fellowships could fulfill the desire I have to lead others to become great.

So, how did it all happen? In the blink of an eye. Last night, I was a teacher. Today, I am an assistant principal. Last night, I hung my posters in my classroom, and today I was given more keys than I can count.

To say that this was difficult would be a huge understatement. I choke up when I think about not teaching every day, and as I looked into my students eyes last night and introduced myself as their teacher, I knew there’d be a chance that I wouldn’t be, so I savored that moment. I also knew that I might be given the opportunity to not only impact that child, but other children in many different ways.

My faith is hugely important to me, and to most this might sound crazy, but there’s no question I was called to do this. It is an act of obedience on my part, though it’s bittersweet, to say the least.  It's challenging thinking of the transition of bringing in another teacher to take my place. For every child that’s been misunderstood and craves getting in trouble because they’ll get the only attention they know how to receive, for every child that’s brilliant but needs someone as quirky as them in which to relate, for every parent that feels like they’re not heard, and for every teacher that’s been blocked in some way when they’ve tried to do right by their kids; I stepped up and answered the call. Ever since I was little, I looked at organizations, and I looked at their leaders, and if they were good, I wanted to be like them. If they weren’t, I learned how not to be. Fortunately, I’ve worked with many great people, and I’ve been mentored and encouraged to step into a leadership role by those influential people, and I listened to them.

I’ve come to a place where I know that while my role has changed, the fact that I am a teacher will never change. It’s become part of my identity, and I don’t ever want to lose that. In the words of Sarah Wessling, “teachers only really leave their classrooms when they forget to take them with them” and I will never forget to take mine with me.

It’s my mission to still get up everyday and know I am going to serve our students, and in that process I hope I can support teachers, allowing them to reach students while also achieving their own goals. I think this is the greatest profession that exists, and I believe we need leaders in these positions that love teaching.  I’ve been honored to work for administrators that embody that philosophy. I dream of being like the role models I follow who ensure me that I’ll be able to form positive relationships with even more students if I choose to do so. I hope I never forget what it’s like to be in the trenches so that I can support the great work we do, and I hope I never lose the heart and passion for children who need a hero. I hope I can help parents see that the school their child is at is a good place that wants the best for them, can foster environments that do want the best for all kids. I hope to remind the community that we need them too.  I pray that all these stakeholders work together, not against each other. 

I hope I can be “one of the good ones,” and I hope I can still profess to love my job as much as I have the past ten years, but mostly, I hope I can find a way to impact more students, and build relationships with them like I have never before.

I can’t help but think that a little over a year ago, I was also answering a call, and relying on my faith to get me through the fact that I didn’t have a job at all. I walked away from one of the greatest districts in the state, incredible educators, and a program I literally built from the ground up. I was in search of growth and change and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind it was what I was supposed to do. My friends thought I was nuts. They thought I was even crazier when I passed up opportunities until I found what I was looking for. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but when I found it….. I knew. My faith matched my fear, but I persevered.

Fast-forward a year later, and now I didn’t even have to look. I am in a district that is also one of the best in the state, working with incredible educators, and again got to build innovative systems. God just gave it to me. I’ve got many fears, but also have a faith that leads me to believe that though this may be challenging, it’s right; and right is never easy.

It’s also really, really exciting, and I can’t believe it. I am sincerely humbled and honored by this appointment, and I can think of no better place to start the next chapter in my journey.

 Thank you to everyone who has followed my crazy adventures in pursuit of honoring The One who makes the way.

My answer to performance-based pay

     Recent news reports of pay tied to test scores has troubled me greatly. In my short career, I have had many opportunities to reflect upon the reasons why I am an educator, what makes me an effective educator, and how I go about doing what I do. When I write about these things, test scores are rarely mentioned. You know what is mentioned? The kids who give us that little smile a kid gives us when we make a connection with them, the excitement we infuse into our students with an excellent lesson, or the passion behind why we do what we do. Do I want my kids to do well on their tests? Absolutely. And, you bet that many do perform well. Some don’t, though. And some don’t even grow, unfortunately…some regress. I believe in accountability; we have to have it. People that aren’t in the trenches with us, pouring our hearts out, using all our mental energy until we are brain dead at the end of the day don’t understand this battle. But, they still try to find a way to measure our performance; with a score, of course. I get it. America is in trouble. Our educational system is in trouble. But, I have a secret for you...I am going to whisper this to you, because nobody knows this yet… society plays a part in that, too and parenting plays an even bigger part. Teachers are trying our best to compensate for those voids and flaws, in addition to the other duties we’re expected to fulfill. I have been asked many times about the best ways to measure a teacher’s performance, and I’ve given what I thought to be fair answers. But, tonight, I finally have the RIGHT answer.

What we do is immeasurable.

You can’t measure care.

You can’t measure love.

You can’t measure passion.

You can attach scores to our names if it makes you feel better, but I will keep doing what I intended to do when I accepted my purpose, and that’s loving people through education. 

It's Ok to be Tired

     This week has been the first week of school, and I have to admit that I have been concerned about how exhausted I have been. "Shouldn't I be infused with energy in that it is only the first week," I always ask myself? So, I am writing this down so that I can see it for years to come.

     Tonight I remind myself that it is ok to be tired. As teachers, we have so many crucial roles and truly want to do our best fulfilling all of them. We often feel like we become increasingly behind versus ahead due to the pressure that is put on us, but mostly the pressure that we put on ourselves. We put this pressure on ourselves because we so greatly want to be effective. 

      Let us not forget that we have a huge job, one that no one will understand unless they've done it in the same year that we have. And let's remember that it is ok to be tired, because we get better at managing this workload throughout the year. I believe that the reason we are able to manage this is largely due to the relationships we form with the students. They give us the energy we need. They give us the desire to create the wonderful lessons. They give us the motivation to be excited about we teach. Most importantly, they increasingly become the REASON that we do this every single day.  

Some of my favorite photos

About to board, and oh so excited

When I fell in love...

Representing!

This is one of my favorites of Copacabana,  taken atop Sugarloaf mountain.

On top of Sugarloaf, Christo de Redentor directly behind me to the right.

Global Fellows 2013-Brazil: A Blending of Cultures with an Outcome of Appreciation

Global Fellows 2013-Brazil: A Blending of Cultures

Ótimo! This is the one word I would choose to describe my experience in Brasil. It is from the latin word optimus meaning best, or “the ultimate.” In Portuguese, it is used to describe something as being great or excellent. I used it everyday in Brazil, and the locals would giggle or smirk, respectfully, in a “that’s cute that she is trying so hard to use our language” sort of way. It didn’t stop me from using it, as it was really how I felt. I used it after a delicious meal, a beautiful performance, or an amazing sight, and there were many of those.

This trip changed my life. The experiences I was able to encounter in this beautiful country are deeper than I can explain in words.  Thankfully I have photos and art I brought back to help me tell the story.

What about Brasil was so great? Now that I have had the time to reflect on my experiences, I can tell you that it was the people. It wasn’t only the people of Brasil that were brilliant; it was the people with which I traveled.

It isn’t everyday that you get to discover another country with nearly 50 people that feel as passionate about education as you do, so I made a point to sit by someone different at every meal, every presentation, and every bus ride. Knowing that we all had something unique to offer one another, I became my goal to make as many life-long friends as possible, all the while reflecting on our experiences together. In every conversation, I always found some connection that we shared. I think if we try hard enough, we will find that true in any meeting.

So how is it that nearly 50 people from all over the nation can travel together as one in search of understanding a new country? It is simple, really. We experienced Brasil with people that value the same things that we do. Together, we appreciated the same things, but from a different perspective. It was through these different perspectives that the tour was made so much richer, and for that I am so thankful.

We travel to discover ourselves. On this trip, we helped each other discover themselves, and in this process we discovered each other. 

Here is a video I put together that highlights some of our experiences together.
http://video214.com/play/JytAvq2GYg1Myep7Ozeh2Q/s/dark

Not just an American Educator

Prior to traveling out of America, I understood that global learning was important and relevant in today’s society and educational system. After recently traveling to Brasil, I learned that it was much more than that. Global education has to be a necessary and purposeful integration into our perspective and curriculum of which we share with our students and peers. I entered Brasil as an American Educator, and I returned home an inspired Global Educator- one who seeks to educate and learn from people of all ages in all parts of the world. I seek to understand people by working with them; I strive to teach others by empowering them to collaborate and strengthen each other's gifts. It is crucial that we not only realize the power that lies in understanding other cultures, systems, resources, and arts all over the globe, but it is more important that we share this understanding with others. When we gain an understanding of others’ values, beliefs, and culture, we are able to make a true connection. It is in this connection that education takes place.

In the coming days, I will share stories and photos from this incredible trip with you. I have processed, I have reflected, and I have recharged. For days, I tried to find a way to share each day with you by using words and photos. I finally realized why it wasn't working. This experience had nothing to do with an agenda of events and the details that went along with it. It had to do with the people I met, the things I learned, and the things I want to share with others. 

I invite you to follow me on this new journey in my career: being an educator that desires to better the education of not only America, but the entire globe.