tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30883073930859149652024-02-18T20:37:44.849-08:00Teach 'n' LifeBecky (Bair) Reighard - teacher, learner, wonderer. This is my story of what is and isn't working in my classroom, my feelings about my job and education in general, and musings about my life.Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-36826879467211029852020-12-31T11:33:00.002-08:002020-12-31T11:33:23.220-08:00One Little Word 2021<p>It's ironic that the work I chose for 2020 was <b>control</b>. </p><p>I can't remember a time when I've felt like things were so out of control in so many ways. Professionally, personally, everything was just off it's ever-loving rocker. But as I sit here and think about all of the ways things were ridiculously out of control, I'm realizing how true this word ended up being.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>When thrust into the world of being an online teacher, I focused on what I could control and did the best I could. I 100% wasn't perfect, but I stayed connected with my kids and that's what's most important.</li><li>I took control of my physical health and exercised every day since March 14. </li><li>I also took control of my physical and spiritual health by trying <a href="https://etownacu.com/" target="_blank">acupuncture</a>! It's very fulfilling to be under the care of a former student - talk about full circle!</li><li>I took control of my emotional health by working with an <a href="https://www.coachhoneycutt.com/" target="_blank">AMAZING life coach</a> who has helped me grow so much. Seriously - if you are considering working with somebody, Laura is your person.</li><li>I took control of my intellectual health by starting courses towards by second masters.</li><li>I couldn't spend the time with friends and family like I wanted to, but I consider that taking control because I am choosing to do my part to try to limit the spread of this stupid virus.</li></ul><div>I'm pretty sure that there are more examples that I could list here, but I think they all fall under the umbrella of choosing to focus on my circle of control. Controlling what I can and just letting the rest go.</div><div><br /></div><div>I could certainly lament on all of the things I enjoy that I didn't get to do this year: see friends, see family, listen to live music, go to shows and concerts, go out in general. And yes, it was a bummer that I didn't get to do those things. There are some people I miss terribly.</div><div><br /></div><div>But instead I chose to be grateful for all of this things I have and could do: jobs for my husband and I that continued throughout the pandemic, a home to live in, utilities and food, the chance go on quiet walks with no technology, the opportunity to read more books (31.5 to be exact!), spend time with my puppies, and just slowing down.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a year that seemed to out of control, my little word actually ended up being perfect.</div><div><br /></div><div>What is to come in 2021?</div><div><br /></div><div>I always spend a lot of time thinking about my little word to see which one really speaks to me. I've been thinking about a lot of them this year. Believe, authentic, worthy, confident, positive, and power are a few of the ones I have kept coming back to as I've been thinking. But I decided to go with one that goes along with control and also fits with all of these other words. That word is</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Choose</h2><div>Even when things are out of control, we always get to choose our weather and what we want to focus on. I want to continue to remember that I have the power to choose. I have the power to choose my thoughts, my feelings, my reactions, my actions. I have the power to choose my weather.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm choosing to go into 2021 feeling hopeful that things will get better and choosing to do what I can to make it so. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-5581423083920679222020-07-29T11:27:00.001-07:002020-07-29T11:27:31.311-07:00The Cicadas' SongMother Nature has a pretty specific schedule for summer vacation. Long days filled with endless summer possibilities are ushered in by the lightning bugs in June, and then in late July and early August the cicadas begin singing their song.<br />
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The cicadas' song, which should be bittersweet because it's announcing the beginning of the end of those hazy, lazy summer days, is actually the exciting announcement about the potential of a new school year. It's like the best kind of New Year's Eve because you know that you have a hand in laying the foundation for an amazing school year.<br />
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The questions always fly through my head:<br />
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<ul>
<li>How will I change my room setup?</li>
<li>What will the new ideas I've learned mean for my students and their learning experiences?</li>
<li>What will my new students be like?</li>
<li>How can I use this new technology tool to engage my students and help them grow?</li>
</ul>
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I'm sure you could add 50 more to this list. Perhaps it would be better to compare it to Christmas - there are so many gifts waiting to be opened that you don't even know where to start.</div>
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Those cicadas. They don't just usher in the end of summer. They proudly announce a new beginning. </div>
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Never has THAT been more true than this summer. While I've started to hear the cicadas' sweet songs that signify the end of summer, I have no idea what beginning they are announcing. I suppose that is the beauty of Mother Nature. Time marches on. Her schedule stays the same. Summer must end. Temperatures will (eventually) begin to cool. The leaves will change. Whether we want it or not. Whether we are ready for it or not. Whether we LIKE it or not. Despite all of the craziness going on.</div>
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Time marches on.</div>
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I suppose my only choice is to go along for the ride and make the best of it.</div>
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And listen.</div>
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Because the cicadas are singing. </div>
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<br />Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-34440717158724918602020-06-07T12:21:00.001-07:002020-06-07T12:21:19.850-07:00It Still Isn't RightI had lots of high hopes for this school year. Two of the biggest were:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I really hoped to be blogging more consistently this school year to share the great things my teammates and I were doing.</li>
<li>I had really hoped to get back to my classroom before the end of the year.</li>
</ul>
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Neither one happened. </div>
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I was so SICK of being on the computer, I couldn't stand to be on it to type once my schoolwork was done for the day. While I was able to get back into my classroom, it was for a total of 3 hours and 20 minutes to get essentials and then to pack up for the summer. Definitely not what I had in mind.</div>
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People often say, "You teachers are so lucky because you have your summers off!" But what they don't realize is that while there is definitely some relief at the end of the school year, there is also grief. Saying goodbye to the kids, even the tough ones, is really hard. A little part of you goes with them, and that "family" that you had for the year is gone. And as silly as it seems, teachers lose part of their identity. So much of what we do during the school year is being a teacher, that it can be hard to remember who else you are and what else you need to or can do. I know I end up feeling lost the first few days of break. </div>
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Often times, this end of year grief and feeling lost is easier to deal with. Antsy kids who are just ready to be free brings on that sense of relief that lessens the grief. Fun events like Field Day, assemblies, science outside, signing yearbooks, end of year picnics and parties, and other traditions add the final notes to mark the official closing of the year. Each of these steps helps your heart hurt a little bit less. They help you grieve and close the book on what was.</div>
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This year we didn't have any of that.</div>
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Instead we had a "Zoom Celebration Lunch" where we talked about the year and played "Would You Rather" as a group. It was so nice to see my kids' faces, and we had a wonderful time.</div>
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As happy as I am to be done with online learning, these past two days I have been struggling with an ending that, while nice, just wasn't quite right. For now I'll work through this latest ending, I'll figure out a new routine, I'll wait patiently to move to the "green" phase, and I'll desperately hope that this is not what my teaching will look like in August. </div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-33292328524419881522020-03-31T12:25:00.000-07:002020-03-31T12:25:23.368-07:00This is So Hard<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">People who don’t teach probably think that teaching is terribly hard. Standing up in front of 26 fourth graders and trying to get them to do what you want or need them to do? It seems impossible, but it's my normal. There’s a schedule, a routine, a sense of comfort and safety within the walls of a school, and especially within the walls of a classroom.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Some days teaching is amazing, and then other days teaching is HARD. Really hard. You can’t make the kids do what you want them to. You can’t fix things for them or do things for them. But you can help them, and you can support them. You can let them know how much you care for and love them and want the best for them. You can have lunch with them, joke with them in the hallway, and share silly stories to help them forget the bad stuff for a few seconds.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Sure, teaching can be hard. But let me tell you what’s harder:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Not teaching.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Not being in school.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Sitting in front of a computer for hours. I honestly don’t know how people do it. I feel like I'm doing a million things but accomplishing nothing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Having to see your kids and your coworkers and dear friends through a computer screen.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Knowing that you have to pass more responsibilities on to parents when they already have a ton of responsibilities on their plates.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Not being able to help when somebody need it or trying to provide that help from a distance.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Getting bombarded with emails and not knowing where to start.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Hearing your kids say, “I just want to go back to school.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">I understand the importance of the stay at home order, and I am doing my part. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">I am staying home. I am social distancing when I need to go out. I am washing my hands. I am 1/3 of the way to my 2020 book goal. I’ve started playing the clarinet again. I'm working on a puzzle. I’m exercising. I’m cooking healthy meals and drinking my water. I am thankful for the essential employees in all fields who are trying so hard to keep our society moving while trying to stay safe. My family and friends are healthy. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">I know I have a tremendous amount of things to be grateful for.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">But that doesn’t make this situation any easier. My heart is still hurting for so many reasons.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">So I will figure out this new way of teaching.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">I will focus on what I can control.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">And I will look forward to the day when I can go back and do my hard job the way it was meant to be done.</span></span>Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-88496467535698525052020-01-01T09:33:00.002-08:002020-01-01T09:33:16.958-08:00One Little Word 2020While my blogging continues to be sporadic at best, I'm choosing to revisit something that I started many years ago - picking a word that will guide me through the upcoming year.<br />
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I've picked a lot of important words since I stumbled upon this tradition: growth, opportunity, self, believe, and courage to name a few. They have helped me through some tough times, and they have helped me learn more about myself.<br />
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As I was thinking about this year's word, I recognize that, especially in my personal life, I am still struggling with feeling as though I am not good enough and that I am always making mistakes. I pondered making my word enough or confident to help me remember that I am good enough just the way I am and to help me remember that I should be confident with my decisions and my actions because nobody is perfect.<br />
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Those words spoke to me, but they didn't really hit the nail on the head for what I was feeling. I thought more about it, and I came up with the words accept and content. Maybe I should focus on accepting myself and things for how they are. Or maybe I should be content with who I am. Those two words kinda hit on feelings I was having, but they still didn't give me that, "Yes! That's the word!" feeling that I was looking for.<br />
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I let things simmer for a few more days, and I finally came up with my word for 2020:<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Control</h2>
Now, that might sound a little bit weird, but here's my thinking. In the past, I have tried to control EVERYTHING, and if I can't control something then I try to interpret the whys behind people's words and actions. I tend to "figure things out" (not really - but figured things out in my own, weird perspective that makes me appear to have messed up in some huge way), blow things way out of proportion, and cause myself all sorts of anxiety instead of just letting things be. Thanks to our 7 Habits training, I already know that the only thing that I'm in charge of is my own personal circle of control, so why not start back at the beginning with Habit 1: Be Proactive and focus on what I can control.<br />
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I choose control to help me remember to focus on what I can control, my thoughts and my actions, to remember that others should not have control over me - only I can control myself, and to remember that it's okay if I'm not in control of every situation. It's okay to just let things happen and see where this crazy ride takes me.<br />
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So, here's to you, 2020 - the year of focusing on the things I can control and not worrying myself about the rest.Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-50997523098991550462019-09-21T11:48:00.002-07:002019-09-21T11:48:17.289-07:00The Power of YouI'm sure you all get it when I say that some days are just hard. Especially afternoons, after recess, at the end of the week -- it just gets hard for everybody. We're tired. We've been working hard. We just need a break. How do we help those hard times get a little bit easier?<br />
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I did a little lesson with my classes that I like to call Problem Makers, Problem Solvers. First we sit down and brainstorm all of the different ways that kids can be problem makers at school, and then we brainstorm all the ways that we can think of that kids can be problem solvers. I'm not sure if I have helped more in the past or planted more ideas, but this year I had a startling realization. While both of my classes could come up with 50-60 different ways that kids could be problem makers, the problem solving list topped out at 17 for one class, and less than that for the other. How in the world can my kids be problem solvers, if they don't even realize what that looks like?<br />
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So I decided to spend more time on Habit 1: Be Proactive.<br />
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The first thing we talked about is our brains. Our brains don't want to be proactive. Our brains are naturally wired to be reactive: to fight, to run, or to hide. It takes a LOT of effort, even for adults, to be proactive, so we need to talk about it and practice it often and use reactive times as learning opportunities, not punishment opportunities.<br />
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After we talked about our brains, we talked about the messages we send to others. I have been interrupting class as we've worked on establishing our routines to say things like, "I'm getting the message that my words don't matter, and that's making me feel frustrated. Is that the message you want to send?" Almost always the kids say no (there is one who says yes, which is a challenge in and of itself), so we talk about what's going on and how we can improve.<br />
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The latest activity we did was called The Power of You. First, I had them share the things that teachers have done to them that they don't like. Their list included:<br />
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<ul>
<li>yelling at us</li>
<li>blaming us for something we didn't do</li>
<li>taking recess</li>
<li>giving me a checkmark</li>
<li>taking away Free Bear (our Day 6 free choice time)</li>
</ul>
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We talked about how some of the items on the list, like yelling, are things that are in my control; if I'm yelling that means I'm being reactive, so that's something that is out of their circle of control - it's mine. I have to think about how I respond. Then we talked about the others. Many of them, like some on the list above, are consequences assigned to student misbehavior. We talked about the fact that every single student has the power, in themselves, to keep all of these things from happening by being proactive. By stopping, thinking, and making the right choice. By walking away. By asking for help instead of refusing to do work. By trying their best. The list went on and on.<br />
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We watched the clip from old school He-Man cartoons. You know, "I HAVE THE POWER!!!" and each student added, "I Have the Power" statements to their superhero pictures. They are hanging in the room as a reminder that we all have the power in us. Sometimes it's hard, and none of us are going to be perfect. But this is a great reminder that we can do it!Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-23986479227200335982019-09-03T17:11:00.003-07:002019-09-03T17:11:55.011-07:00Round Peg Square HoleI've talked at length about the great start to my school year last year, and I was truly excited to repeat the practice this year.<br />
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This. Year.<br />
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Last year, I took everything I wanted to accomplish in terms of routines, technology, and culture and scheduled them out so I could make a little progress in each area, each day. This year, with the expanded implementation of our Leader in Me program, we were asked to participate in something called The First 8 Days. This intensive introduction to the 8 habits of the Leader in Me program helps everybody in the school have a common language and sets the foundation for all of our kids having the opportunity to be leaders.<br />
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Don't get me wrong - I LOVE..... and I mean L-O-V-E this program. The 7 habits have absolutely helped me become a better teacher and, more importantly, a better person. But my awesome plan to start the year and the many different activities included in The First 8 Days just were not jiving.<br />
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It was like trying to put a round peg in a square hole.<br />
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As I was trying to do my weekly planning on Sunday I started to feel anxious and frustrated. There was so much that I had already done last year that I hadn't gotten to this year. There were so many things for the First 8 Days that I just hadn't covered. There was an email that a diagnostic test may have to be completed by 9/13. There was another email reminding us that homeroom teachers were to be giving our district benchmark. A pit was forming in my stomach. My amazing plan - my great start - it was crumbling before my eyes, and it felt awful.<br />
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And then I had another one of those a-ha moments. I'm sure it's nothing new to you.<br />
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<i>Anything worth doing is worth doing well.</i></div>
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This Leader in Me kickoff? It was definitely worth doing well. And I KNOW how important my tech boot camps and routine building were last year. </div>
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I don't need to cram them all together. </div>
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I just need to take the time to do them well. </div>
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I made the decision to simply do the First 8 Days, and if something else fits, great. If not, I'll start with my plan next week. The diagnostic? It'll get done. So will the benchmark. </div>
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I only get one chance to really establish the culture and routines in my classroom. So I need to do it right. The round peg, it's going in the round hole. And the square peg is going in the square hole. And when I do finally get to start my curriculum, it's going to be another successful year thanks to all of the time we take to set up the expectations for working in our classroom.</div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-78215553468190255542019-08-27T16:08:00.002-07:002019-08-27T16:08:38.689-07:00Love Them Where They're AtIt's been another great start to the school year. By following my plan from last year with just a few tweaks for The First 8 Days of our Leader in Me program, I have been able to touch on school rules, the 7 Habits, community building, classroom routines, and tech bootcamps each day. The two days were a blur; I just can't believe how fast the time went!<br />
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I enjoyed getting to know my morning group throughout the day yesterday, and today I enjoyed getting to learn about my afternoon friends for the first time.<br />
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And it was really hard.<br />
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But it's still great.<br />
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Thanks, 7 Habits and the trauma informed instruction I received.<br />
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I know in the past I would have been angry and reactive. I would have been complaining about the kids. I would have been shaking my head wondering how in the world I was going to make it through the year. I would have been exhausted.<br />
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Today, my actions were a little different:<br />
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I chose to pick my battles which meant not picking to battle at all and just seeing what happened.<br />
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Today, my thoughts were a little different:<br />
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I wonder what's causing this.<br />
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How can I make school work for this child?<br />
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Since I can only control myself, what can I do differently?<br />
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Maybe this child is nervous, scared, tired, angry, happy, confused, <insert your favorite feeling word here>, that's why I'm seeing this.<br />
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What can I do?<br />
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I'm not going to lie; I'm a little bit nervous. I'm not necessarily sure where to go next. I'm hopeful that the systems in place will be able to support me and the students I met today, but there's never any guarantee. I just hope that I can continue to remember to pause and think, and in that tiny pause I'll be able to be proactive and be the person these kids need in their lives right now.<br />
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<br />Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-63878399655493698042019-08-23T15:36:00.002-07:002019-08-23T15:36:42.783-07:00It's Not a ProgramWednesday we had the third phase of our <a href="https://theleaderinmeonline.org/" target="_blank">Leader in Me</a> training. We started talking about the next steps in our school journey, aligning the seven habits with academics. To begin the training we were asked the following question:<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Why are you implementing Leader in Me?</h4>
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My first answer for this question was, "to improve the behavior of the students in our building and reduce discipline issues." As I sat there and thought a little longer, I realized that, one - I really didn't know why we initially decided to implement Leader in Me, and two - if that was the actual reason for our implementation, Leader in Me would just be one more program that could easily be replaced with the next new thing. </div>
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In that moment, I had one of those paradigm shifts our trainers and our coach have talked about. </div>
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I shifted my paradigm from thinking that Leader in Me was a bandaid we put on behavior problems to thinking that it's tools we are giving our students and ourselves to be more successful in every aspect of our lives. Erin, our amazing school librarian, brought up the idea that our district's vision is to help students become life-ready, but as a 4th - 6th grade school we rarely see the fruits of our labor. We rarely get to see what our students have become at the end of this journey. </div>
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The language we use and the actions we model are giving our students the tools they need for their futures. Despite all of our hard work, it may not be until 5, 10 or even 15 years down the road that these ideas and tools will really click for our kids and help them make better choices and lead successful lives. </div>
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We need to shift our paradigm and realize that these seven habits aren't a "pill to make the headache go away." By seeing these seven habits as a foundation for the choices we make and by modeling these seven habits for our kids, we will be able to be the role models that our students need to begin using the tools in their own lives and work towards becoming life-ready adults. </div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-37973446772266168052019-08-20T18:54:00.001-07:002019-08-20T18:54:24.469-07:00B Minus Is AOKFor the first time in 22 years I didn't spend the entire week before inservice at school, doing school work, or completely obsessed with school.<br />
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For the first time in 22 years, I haven't had any back to school teacher nightmares.<br />
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For the first time in 22 years, I didn't spend my last day of summer vacation at school.<br />
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And I'm ready enough.<br />
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I feel good. Actually I feel great!<br />
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I was excited (I know.... I know....) to attend our opening sessions today, and I was proud to be part of <a href="https://teamedunerds.blogspot.com/2019/08/getting-googly-with-it.html" target="_blank">a team of teachers leading one of the workshop</a>s.<br />
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I also got up, did some yoga, wrote in my journal, and went to the gym after school because I will never ever be my best teacher self if I don't take care of myself first.<br />
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I spent a lot of time being a perfectionist. I was that student who would rewrite her entire homework so that nobody knew how many times she had to erase mistakes. I still strive to be distinguished in areas where I'm passionate and willing to put forth the effort.<br />
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But I have learned to say no.<br />
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I am getting better at leaving school at school and making home about home.<br />
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And if that means I'm *just* proficient, I've finally learned that it's okay.<br />
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While I'll always do my best, if my best is a B- then I'll be the most awesome B- there is. Because as much as being a teacher is an important part of my life, there's now way more to my life than just being a teacher.Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-70691010340919153832019-08-12T16:03:00.002-07:002019-08-13T12:55:45.219-07:00Seven Hour SetupLast summer I had major surgery at the end of July, and I had some pretty significant restrictions. In order to get my classroom set up for the beginning of the year, I had one work day prior to surgery to get ready. Needless to say I was a little panicked about the whole situation.<br />
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As I listened to the Chalk Full of Life podcast (unfortunately no longer running), I was intrigued by an idea I heard. Stop planning to do lists and starting planning your time. The basic premise is that you block out the time you want to spend doing something, and at the end of that time, whether you are finished or not, you move on to the next task.<br />
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At a loss as to how I was going to set up my classroom in just one day, I figured this was as good of a strategy as any and decided to give it a try. Much to my delight, it worked! I was able to finish everything that was available to me in one day.<br />
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One year later I decided to try it again, this time with all of the regular distractions of "back to school week" and lots of people in the building. Surprisingly, it worked for me again.<br />
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Because I found so much success with it, I thought I would share my plan with you. You can find the document <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fGLL46oWJXNOu4VrnIOuXbrSMD6OtBtwCTb3b173mkk/copy" target="_blank">here</a>, and I've shared some notes and explanations below.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Hour 1 - I still have my own personal space. While I don't sit at my desk very often, it's my place where I start and end each day. It's also where I hold individual conferences. The kids also love sitting at or under my desk for independent work, so this has become an important spot in the room.</li>
<li>Hour 2 - We're required to take most items down or put most items away for summer cleaning. This may not be something you need to do, so this could be a spot where you'll save some time.</li>
<li>Hour 3 - We place our beginning of the year supply order in May for delivery over the summer. We are extremely lucky to have almost all of our supplies available, so it takes some time to unpack and organize the materials. </li>
<li>Hour 4 - This hour bleeds together with Hour 3. Often times as I'm unpacking supplies I'm also starting to pass out student materials, so the two hours mix together.</li>
<li>Hour 5 - I have a creation station in my classroom with foldable bins holding toilet paper tubes, my scrap paper, colored cellophane, straws, acorns..... all kinds of materials. While my students help clean this up at the end of the year, I like to go through the bins to make sure everything is usable.</li>
<li>Hour 6 / 7 - You'll see this starts with, "Finish anything that wasn't finished in any other hour," and that's pretty much how I completed my tasks today. I'm mostly concerned with getting the physical room setup completed, so if I need to push off the copies and tech tasks I'm okay with that.</li>
<li>And the most important part: I put a very polite sign on my door that read, "Welcome back - would love to say hello. Please stop back and say hi when my door is open." People were very respectful of my wishes, and it definitely helped me get a lot done.</li>
</ul>
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Obviously, my classroom is very different from every other room, so I know you'll have to make changes to this plan to fit your classroom. It's my hope that you'll find this to be some help as you are setting up your classroom so that you can reduce some beginning of the year stress.</div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-86726276347570010312019-08-06T10:59:00.000-07:002019-08-06T10:59:25.520-07:00New BeginningsI can't help but feel like August, for me, must be like January for other people. While I'm always sad to see my lazy days of summer come to an end, there is nothing quite like the beginning of the school year. Every August gives me the opportunity to do the same job in a totally different way than I did last year. I guess that's why I love teaching so much. Even though I will once again be a 4th grade math and science teacher, my two new groups of students assure me that this year will be completely different from the previous ones.<br />
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Last year was one of the best years in my 21 years of teaching, and I know that is because of two things:<br />
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<ul>
<li>how I started my year</li>
<li>the hybrid rotational model</li>
</ul>
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My classroom worked so well for all of us because we spent the time at the beginning of the year to really establish routines and build a culture in our classroom. You can read about how I ran my first few weeks (yes, even though when I typed the original post it was about the first week, it ended up being a little over three) <a href="http://teachnlife.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-great-first-day.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Being able to spiral back to routines we established gave me so much additional instructional time throughout the year. And the hybrid rotational model? While I was skeptical about only teaching for 20 minutes to each group, the connections I made with every single student and the quality of those 20 minutes allowed me to complete far more than I have ever done before with both of my classes. </div>
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For the first time ever, I'm not getting ready for a new school year thinking, "How do I want to do things differently this year?" This year I'm thinking, "How can I make things better?"</div>
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I'll be honest, I'm not sure yet, and that's okay. I had the opportunity to listen to a lot of great videos during this summer's <a href="http://blog.cue.org/cue-ditchsummit-powered-by-adobe/" target="_blank">Ditch Summit</a> focusing on teacher wellness. Today, the idea that struck me the most was the idea of picking just a couple of things and being really, really good at them. I think I did this last year by only focusing on my beginning of the year lessons and implementing my new instructional model. I'm going to really think about my goals for this year and come up with two or three new things that I want to try. Then I'll tell you about them here.</div>
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And that's one personal goal I have. My blogging as been.... sporadic to say the least these last few years. Also during today's Ditch video, I realized my lack of posting was probably because I felt like people weren't really interested in what I had to say. But it has been really amazing for me to go back and revisit these moments. Because of that, I'm setting a goal to write once a week to share things that are going well and not so well. Hopefully I can look back on the entries and see how I can make things even better next year, and if somebody else finds something they can use, too, then that will be just an added bonus. </div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-26843704973466190632019-06-12T06:33:00.001-07:002019-06-12T06:33:38.293-07:00Year 21 in the BooksI have these big goals of blogging! I think, "Oh, I should put that on my blog!" And then in my quest for balance (it's interesting and different when you love to be home and don't want to spend every waking minute on school stuff), blogging was the thing that went.<br />
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But just to catch you up....<br />
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1. Year 21 -- probably one of the best!<br />
2. Hybrid rotational model -- love, love, love it. I know I'm not doing it the "right way" but it's the right way for me. There's definitely a post here now that it's summer time.<br />
3. Leader in Me -- living the 7 habits.... it just makes sense.<br />
4. I wish we could help kids the way they need help. They're never going to pass any stinkin' test unless we meet their other needs first.<br />
5. Coworkers who are friends - I could not do it without them.<br />
6. Got the Google -- Level 1 certified, and my friends and I just started working on level two.<br />
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I know there's way more I should be telling you, and I'll probably get there. But I'm not making any promises. I'll be here when the spirit moves me. :)Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-22858338644447705242018-10-20T06:58:00.001-07:002018-10-20T06:58:58.345-07:00Words MatterParticipating in the <a href="https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits.html" target="_blank">7 Habits</a> training that goes along with the <a href="https://www.leaderinme.org/" target="_blank">Leader in Me</a> program we're implementing in my school has been life changing for me. While I have grown a lot this summer, putting these seven habits into practice has really been the icing on the cake of 4 long years of growth. I would say that the biggest change I've noticed in myself comes in terms of Habit 1: Be Proactive and Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood.<br />
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I know in the past there were days when I let my emotions get the best of me. I'm sure anybody who is a teacher can say that, or anybody who's a parent, or anybody who has to deal with any other human being if you want to be honest. We all have had those times where we have snapped at somebody for no good reason, we've yelled at somebody when they really weren't the person who caused our anger in the first place, or we've said or done things when our emotions were high that we looked back later and regretted.<br />
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I'm not sure why it took a 2 day training for me to stop and think about how these negative interactions were affecting the people around me, especially my students.<br />
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I'm not sure why it took a 2 day training for me to realize that the kids didn't deserve it when I snapped or was angry; they didn't make me do it.<br />
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It was all me. It was my choice.<br />
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That's kind of a crappy realization, and yet it's also a really powerful realization.<br />
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Having that a-ha moment has allowed me to be proactive when my students have me feeling a little frustrated. I'll actually tell them that I need to take a moment so that I don't respond in a reactive way. (What better way to teach them the habits than to model them myself, right?) I ask them to help me think about why I'm feeling that way. Both of these have helped me handle situations where I might have responded by yelling or snapping in a more proactive manner, and I feel like it has helped my classroom community be even healthier than I thought it was in the past.<br />
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The other thing I'm doing, instead of instantly blaming a child for their behaviors, is taking a minute to have a conversation that starts with one of these two phrases:<br />
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<li>Can you help me understand why you are (insert whatever it is the child was doing)?</li>
<li>You look frustrated. Can you tell me a little more about why you are feeling this way?</li>
</ul>
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I had a great opportunity to use these yesterday when I was on recess duty. I saw a friend sitting on the curb alone, hood pulled up over his head and covering his face. I went over to see what was up, and I had the opportunity to make a new friend.</div>
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Now, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this friend, if he were in my classroom, would probably be the friend who tries to see what buttons he could push. I'm guessing he stretches the rules as far as he possibly can, and I also learned (because he told me) that he can respond to his teachers in a pretty reactive way and probably can be, in his words, "yeah, a little disrespectful." So I get why he had a parent phone call coming his way.</div>
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At the same time, I met a very well spoken 4th grade for somebody who was able to rattle off the 7 different schools he's attended in his very short school career. I met a young man with an amazingly confident handshake, and he looked me right in the eyes when he did it. I met a young man who was able to tell me that he was mad that he got in trouble because his dad didn't sign something. I met a young man who felt like he didn't have any friends. And I met a young man who, it seemed, just wanted somebody to listen to how he was feeling.</div>
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I talked with him about trying to be more proactive and not so reactive when talking with his teacher and when doing things in the classroom. I'm not sure that will help - he seems like he has a pretty strong will. </div>
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I also told him that if he ever just needed somebody to talk to, he could always come and talk to me. I may not always agree with him, but he could be sure that I would always listen.</div>
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Words matter.</div>
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Relationships matter.</div>
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<br />Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-3095408515205432442018-10-06T06:57:00.000-07:002018-10-06T06:57:08.805-07:00First Month ReflectionWhen we last left off, I had shared about my amazing first day of school. It truly was one of the best, and I'm thrilled to report that things have continued to go just as well as they did the first day. While I can't say that everything is all unicorns and rainbows, things just feel different this year. I want to share some of the reasons why these first few weeks have been so successful.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Using the four categories to plan my days and taking the time to establish routines:</li>
<ul>
<li>In<a href="https://teachnlife.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-great-first-day.html" target="_blank"> my last post,</a> I talked about establishing four categories to guide my first weeks of school. I ended up sticking with these categories for the first three weeks of school. </li>
<li>I slightly tweaked the management category to include training for our two student led stations. I spent about a week helping the kids learn how to be independent. We created a chart similar to those I did with the <a href="https://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5" target="_blank">Daily 5 </a>when I taught ELA classes, and we used <a href="https://www.freckle.com/" target="_blank">Freckle</a>, <a href="http://www.edmentum.com/products/exact-path" target="_blank">Exact Path</a> (which I am excited to be piloting), and <a href="http://www.studyisland.com/" target="_blank">Study Island</a> during this time. That made it an extra opportunity to practice some of our tech boot camp skills.</li>
<li>We also spent about a week and a half learning how to work effectively in collaborative groups. A lot of our conversations focused on socialization vs collaboration and being willing to accept help or constructive criticism. During this time we used Week In Math activities from <a href="https://www.youcubed.org/" target="_blank">YouCubed </a>to start developing the mathematical mindset I'm hoping to grow in the kids this year.</li>
</ul>
<li>Teaching and living the 7 Habits</li>
<ul>
<li>Since we are beginning to implement the Leader in Me program this year, I have been living the 7 habits in my life, and it truly has changed the way I interact with my students. Yesterday we had another fantastic training, and I'm looking forward to moving beyond just using the words with my classes and focusing on the principles.</li>
<li>I always made the effort to make positive communication at the beginning of the year, but I always dropped the ball when things got busy and didn't keep it up. I am making this positive communication a priority this year.</li>
<li>While hard conversations are never fun, my new learnings are helping me make these difficult contacts less challenging. I've stopped taking them personally and see them for what they are: ways to help my kids grow.</li>
</ul>
<li>Having 1:1 chromebooks in my classroom</li>
<ul>
<li>Being a teacher with 1:1 resources has made a huge change in my class, simply because of all the time saved in transitions. There's no, "Go down the hall and get your computers," or, "You need to go put the computers back in the cart." Because the kids can keep their computers in their desks and have the most important sites bookmarked, transitions are down to about a minute. It's pretty amazing.</li>
<li>I am able to give the kids more opportunities to come up with different ways to show their learning.</li>
<li>We are able to use different tools for formative assessments rather than just a paper pencil test.</li>
<li>We're continuing to develop our technology skills, and I'm looking forward to the next big step: adding Schoology.</li>
<li>Having my entire class do their independent station first in the afternoon allows us to meet with every single student individually each day. That's been a great way to learn about the kids and see how they are applying skills we're doing in groups.</li>
</ul>
<li>Doing all instruction in small groups</li>
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<li>While I know that I am not technically doing my station rotation model by the book, I am already thrilled with it. Students spend 20 minutes per day in each station.</li>
<li>Having the opportunity to meet with all of my kids every day in small groups during math instruction has allowed me to see where kids are making mistakes more quickly and talk through misconceptions with them.</li>
<li>Changing my spiral reviews to mostly small group number talks has allowed me, when not working with individuals, to walk around asking critical thinking questions that I learned about this summer at my Franklin Institute training. This has really helped me feel more like a facilitator than a teacher.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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While there are always bumps along the road, I feel like this really has been the best start in my 21 years. I feel happy to come to school each day, and I really am looking forward to seeing how we can continue these routines and grow and adapt them to help the kids be even more successful.</div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-49406302545765122342018-08-27T18:01:00.000-07:002018-08-27T18:01:14.557-07:00A Great First DayEvery year I think about doing things differently the first week of school, but I'm never really quite sure how to go about it. I always start out with the best of intentions, but in the whirlwind of setting up my classroom, inservice, and open house, I always found myself behind the 8 ball. So I always went to the good old, tried and true beginning of the year activities that I've always gone with. They're safe. They're comfortable. And they're old.<br />
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Thankfully, I was able to set up my classroom prior to my surgery, so I had the entire last three weeks to think about how I wanted to start school this year. I had all of my new learnings from the different books I read, so I knew I wanted to add in a type of "tech boot camp" that I had learned in the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EduProtocol-Field-Guide-Student-Centered-Possibilities/dp/194644460X" target="_blank">EduProtocol Field Guide</a>. I also knew that we were going to be learning more about the <a href="https://www.theleaderinme.org/the-7-habits-for-kids" target="_blank">7 habits</a>, so I definitely wanted to incorporate more of those activities as well.<br />
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Despite all of these new learnings, I found myself still going back to the same activities I had always used. I was trying to fit the old activities into these new frameworks because they were safe, and I knew just how they would go. I had mapped out my plans for the first week, trying to tell myself that I had done something different, when really I was doing the same old thing just with different names.<br />
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Yesterday I spent a few final hours at school just make sure everything was ready to go. While I was there, I erased everything I had done in terms of plans. If I really wanted to make a change, I couldn't just take the same thing I had always done and give it a pretty new name. I had to really think about the activities I was doing and see exactly what their purpose was.<br />
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One thing that will not change: I am not jumping right into the content that I teach. I spend the first two to three weeks establishing routines and developing community. I know it puts me behind on the pacing guide, but the time I gain during the year makes it totally worth it.<br />
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So how did I change it up? I followed these steps:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Establishing Categories</b> - I sat down and thought about the things that I really wanted to or had to accomplish this week. When I really thought about it, I ended up with four main categories:</li>
<ul>
<li>School Needs - fire drill practice and school wide stations to learn about the school since it's our 4th graders' first year at Bear Creek</li>
<li>Management - setting up binders and folders, morning and dismissal routines, lockers, and how to use your agenda</li>
<li>Community / Habits - getting to know you activities, our class mission statement, setting up the classroom so it works for us, learning the 7 habits and how they fit in our classroom</li>
<li>Tech Bootcamp - learning all about our new Chromebooks, setting up guidelines, Schoology, Google Suite, and any other activities we'll be doing</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Examining Activities</b> - After I had the categories, I looked through my beginning of the year information and picked out the items for school needs and management. Next, I went through all of those beginning of the year activities that I have always used. I wanted to see if they actually fit into any of these new categories. While many of them did, some (and it pained me to put them to the side) just did not serve a purpose as I looked at my new classroom. Rather than spending that time simply because it's what I've always done, I tabled those activities for others that better met my needs.</li>
<ul>
<li>One really helpful step during this process was looking at each of my ice breakers and community building activities. If they fit with one of the 7 Habits, I kept it. If not, it was one of the tabled activities.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Making A Plan</b> - One thing that I've always done is plan WAY too much for the first two weeks. I always feel rushed because I'm trying to get to everything, and I'm sure that not much sinks in. So I decided to try something totally different. </li>
<ul>
<li>First, I mapped out the beginning of the year school stations that were scheduled for me. Those items, along with lockers, took care of my school needs.</li>
<li>Next I looked at the management issues that needed to be completed so I could do my ice breaker / community building activities. These activities included setting up our math and leadership binders, setting up our science folders and journals, and learning how to use our agendas.</li>
<li>Then I added in the community building activities that fit with the 7 habits. I chose one activity each day, a daily reflection, and a weekly reflection so that we could get right into that routine.</li>
<li>Finally, I thought about what we needed to learn in order to be successful with our new Chromebooks. I picked one of these activities each day to get the kids using technology.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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We will be doing at least one activity from each of those four categories each day throughout the first week of school. </div>
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Following this plan helped me have one of the most successful first days of school I can remember in the last 21 years. I didn't feel rushed, I felt like everything we were doing set the groundwork for my classroom goals, and I was able to help the kids see the purpose behind each activity. I cannot wait to see how the rest of the week goes!</div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-58295325442423232392018-08-26T06:46:00.004-07:002018-08-26T06:46:45.812-07:00Building Bridges<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>bridge</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>a: </b>a structure carrying a pathway or a roadway over a depression or obstacle (such as a river)</i></div>
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<i>a bridge connecting the island to the mainland</i></div>
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<i><b>b: </b>a time, place, or means of connection or transition</i></div>
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<i>building a bridge between two cultures</i></div>
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According to <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/" target="_blank">Merriam-Webster</a>, those are the first two definitions of the word bridge. While this post was inspired by a picture of the first definition, I'd like to focus on the second.</div>
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Getting divorced isn't easy. While the actual process I went through was simple compared to many, the process of looking at yourself, seeing what you did wrong or could have done better, and then trying to figure out who you are and what your new life should look like... well, all of that is really hard.</div>
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It's been four years. Four years this week that I said I wasn't happy and was told that it didn't matter, he wasn't going to change. Three of those years I worked closely with a counselor, and this last year I've been doing <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Back-Happy-Thoughts-Triumphs/dp/0143132776/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1535290071&sr=8-2&keywords=getting+back+to+happy&dpID=51uA9mATLiL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">a lot of reading</a>, <a href="http://chalkfulloflife.com/podcasts/" target="_blank">listening</a>, and <a href="https://www.intentioninspired.com/" target="_blank">learning</a> on my own to finally get to the place where I wanted to be. Some people have said to me that I must have had an awful summer, what with my foot being broken and having to have major surgery. But actually, this summer was one of the best. It was an amazing bridge. It allowed me to really focus on myself and learn and apply many of the strategies that I had been hearing and seeing in all of these great resources.</div>
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Then Wednesday and Thursday happened. Our school is beginning to implement the <a href="https://www.theleaderinme.org/" target="_blank">Leader in Me</a> program, and it's a very interesting training process. Before you implement the program with the kids, you learn how to live the seven habits in your own life. Rather than being a bridge, my two days of training were really the bow that tied up and connected all of the puzzle pieces I had been collecting the last few years. Everything made so much sense, and, next to our opening day a few years ago, this was the best inservice I have ever attended.</div>
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The bridge that inspired me during this training appeared in a video about win-win situations. It is a bridge called The Bridge of Aspirations, and it connects the Royal Ballet School of London with London's Royal Opera House where the Royal Ballet practices and performs. The students in the school are reminded all of the time of their purpose and goals simply by seeing and walking across this bridge. They can see exactly where all of their hard work will lead them.</div>
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I got to thinking about this Bridge of Aspirations, and I wondered how many schools are actually creating Bridges of Dread instead of the bridges that show how students can achieve their dreams. These bridges are paved with things like:</div>
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<li>You have to have lots of homework this year so we can get you ready for next year.</li>
<li>If you do that next year, you're going to get detention or be suspended.</li>
<li>Your (insert grade level teacher) next year isn't going to put up with that.</li>
<li>You're going to be very embarrassed if you're still acting like that next year.</li>
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I know the list can go on. I've said some of these myself, and I'm so disappointed. Instead of setting my students up to cross a bridge of aspirations, I'm setting them up for fear, worry, and anxiety by painting the next school year and the next year's teachers as some awful place with awful people. What I should really be focusing on is: </div>
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<li>how our skills this year will help them next year. </li>
<li>how their choices now will help them develop skills they can use as they get older and the choices get harder.</li>
<li>the fact that developing courage and consideration will help them solve problems and work with others effectively, no matter how old they are. </li>
<li>understanding how important mistakes are to learning, and how important fixing mistakes is to growing.</li>
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This list can go on, too. The point is we need to stop building bridges of dread for our kids and for ourselves. </div>
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We need to focus on building bridges of aspiration so that when our kids leave us, they are ready to learn and grow from whatever lies ahead. </div>
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And when we come to those inevitable challenges in our lives, we know we have the strength to go forward and face whatever happens to be on the other side of that bridge.</div>
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Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-46784703881404415772018-08-21T04:04:00.003-07:002018-08-26T06:11:29.890-07:00Living the Dream<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
A few weeks ago I was talking to my friend as she was helping her son move into his first apartment. It's a big step for any young person, but even more so because he was getting ready to begin his job working for the NFL. It was an exciting and difficult day for her, and, not being a mom, I could only imagine how she was feeling. As she expressed how difficult and emotional it was, I said the only thing I could think of:</div>
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<i>I can’t imagine how hard this is. But how many moms can say that their child is living their dream! How amazing is this?</i></div>
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It’s true. How many people settle for whatever comes along instead of pursuing something they have always dreamed of doing? She had raised a young man who didn't settle, and here he was. He was about to begin living his dream!</div>
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As I was thinking about the start of the school year with our first day of inservice today, I realized that my mom could say the same thing. I wanted to be a teacher for as long as I could remember. And my brother, now a coast guard instructor pilot (formerly a search and rescue pilot) always wanted to fly. And here we both are, living our dreams for over 20 years. </div>
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I wouldn’t say it’s been easy or what I had expected, but it was my dream. So this year, instead of saying that summer went too fast or that I’m disappointed to be back, I’m going to remember that I am one of those lucky people to be living my dream. And I’m going to make sure that I make the best of it.</div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-78704681250000431542018-07-21T04:04:00.000-07:002018-07-21T04:07:10.060-07:00Pay Attention to DetailsMy kids get sick of my saying, "Mathematicians and scientists pay attention to details!" But it's the rallying cry in our classroom.<br />
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We pay attention to details so that we can work with each other effectively.<br />
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We pay attention to details so we observe what's happening in the world.<br />
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We pay attention to details so we can hypothesize why things are happening.<br />
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We pay attention to details so we can figure out how to tackle a problem.<br />
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We pay attention to details so we can find our mistakes and then fix them.<br />
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We pay attention to details so we can learn more about topics that are our passions.<br />
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The list could go on and on.<br />
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But as I sit here in the midst of a summer that's not going quite the way I envisioned it, I wonder if I teach my kids to pay enough attention to the details of themselves. Does any teacher pay attention to their own details? Do we take good enough care of ourselves? Do we pay enough attention to the details when things don't seem right, or do we just brush them to the side and figure things will be okay?<br />
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I can definitely tell you that I was a hard core brusher. If something didn't seem right with me, I would brush it to the side. I would keep myself busy. I would ignore it. I always just figured that everything would get better, and usually it did. But over the last few years, I've been trying to take better care of myself, and rather than brushing off those little details that didn't seem quite right, I'm trying to pay more attention to them.<br />
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If I'm tired, I rest so I don't become exhausted. If I start to feel stuffy or sneezy, I take steps to keep that cold or whatever funk it might be from taking hold. That doesn't mean I'm not still a brusher, but I'm getting better at paying attention to those little details. And you should, too.<br />
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We really don't spend the time taking care of ourselves like we should. We often put everybody else ahead of us, but I'm here to say that it's time to start paying attention to YOUR details. If something doesn't feel right, trust your gut and get it checked. What are some of these details I'm talking about?<br />
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<li>Check your skin. If there's something that doesn't look right, have a dermatologist remove it.</li>
<li>Ladies and gents, do those self exams. A lump might be nothing, or it might be something. Get it checked.</li>
<li>When you hit the right age, get yourself a colonoscopy. Thanks to my family history, I've now had two. It is NOT that bad. This time around I had two high risk, precancerous polyps removed. Getting a colonoscopy is WAY easier than dealing with the cancer that could result if you don't.</li>
<li>If you're having pain, it's not being weak to see a doctor and figure out where it's coming from. Nobody should have to suffer; not for a week, a month, a year, or for any time.</li>
<li>Get your eyes checked. If you're playing trombone to try to read something, it's time.</li>
<li>It's not just your physical body. If you're not feeling well emotionally, it's okay to talk to somebody. Talking with my amazing counselor was one of the biggest steps I took to help me heal, grow, and move on from my divorce.</li>
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I'm certainly no doctor. But I have finally realized that if we don't pay attention to our own details and take care of ourselves, we can't be good wives, husbands, friends, or teachers. So if you haven't been doing it, please take the time to pay attention to YOUR details. You are definitely worth it.</div>
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Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-55336043970043787072018-07-13T07:08:00.000-07:002018-07-13T07:08:18.419-07:00Being Told You Can'tA few years ago, I went to a music trivia night with my friend. My friend is a music junkie and has a knack for remembering songs and artists from all different genres. While I love and appreciate music and have played the clarinet since I was 9, remembering song titles and the artists who sing them isn't one of my strengths.<br />
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While I can't remember whether we won or lost that night, the one thing that has stuck with me for four years is how I felt. My partner, <i>my friend</i>, discounted my answers, she used her own because I didn't know what I was talking about, and she made me feel bad when we did use my answers and they were incorrect. I can't remember the exact words she used, but that feeling has kept me from attending other music trivia nights on purpose. And even when I did happen to be in an establishment when one was going on I didn't participate at all or try very hard if I did participate because I knew I was really bad at it.<br />
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Hellllllooooooo, fixed mindset.<br />
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Fast forward to a few weeks ago when we accidentally ended up at a music trivia night with friends. We joined in, but in my head I was thinking, "I really suck at this." To my surprise, I helped get a few of the answers. Go me! We went back last week, and I managed to get a few more correct answers. Last night...... let me tell you about last night. I'm not one to brag, but I kicked butt last night, particularly in the "Mash Up" round. The object of the round was to name the two songs that were mixed together and the two artists. I was also able to get the "Final Jeopardy" round as well. My team didn't win, but it didn't matter. The feeling I felt was (and still is) hard to put into words. After four years of believing I was a failure, I was successful! I felt like I was an important asset to my team! I had accomplished something I didn't think I could do!<br />
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How many times do our words and our actions make our kids feel like I have felt for the last four years?<br />
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We constantly "tell" our kids that they are "bad readers" by making them go to clinics to do more reading.<br />
We don't give them a chance to fix mistakes on tests, leading them to believe that mistakes are bad and they aren't good enough.<br />
We keep them in from recess to review information they didn't understand on a test.<br />
We consistently look for areas of weaknesses and plan our instruction around that.<br />
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I know this list is just a tip of the iceberg, and I know that 99% of these actions are either products of the system or just how schools work. But despite the fact that we do not mean to make kids feel like they are failures, how often do we do just that? How often do we focus on what kids <b>can't do </b>instead of focusing on what they <b>can do.</b><br />
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This is something I have thought about often, and I may have even written about it here before. But it never really impacted me so personally until last night. I know that there are things that I cannot change, but I need to do my best to find all of the things that I can change. For four years, I felt like a failure at something simply because of what another person did, and I need to make sure that I am never that person for any of my students.<br />
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<br />Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-12974711505794381922018-07-11T03:44:00.000-07:002018-07-11T03:49:15.956-07:00Learning at the FranklinYesterday I had the amazing opportunity, thanks to our local intermediate unit and a STEM grant they received, to attend a professional development session at <a href="https://www.fi.edu/" target="_blank">The Franklin Institute</a> in Philadelphia. The official title of the session was Demystifying Maker Spaces at the Franklin Institute, and I was completely stoked to have the opportunity to learn at the museum since I had never actually been there.<br />
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I went in having a lot of preconceived ideas about what the day would be about, and the biggest one was that we would be taking a look at how to set up a special space, the materials we need, and the things that the kids would create while they were there. I was also looking forward to seeing how the instructors connected this idea of a makers space in a museum with something that I could actually do back at school.<br />
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Boy was I wrong.<br />
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The day ended up being a big affirmation of what I've already been doing in our classroom during our clinic time, but I've been calling it Genius Hour. Imagine my surprise when the instructor even started the hands on part of our learning exactly the same way I start clinic with my kids: by showing <a href="https://youtu.be/faIFNkdq96U" target="_blank">Caine's Arcade</a>! After watching the video and brainstorming everything we knew about different type of arcade games, we were split into groups. Each group was assigned to a different part of the museum, and our mission was to use that section of the museum to inspire our own arcade game. My group was assigned to Space Command, and we were off to see what we could find. We ended up with Solar System Shootout, and it was a lot of fun to create the project.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqherJfZ_WS-vsfi3uK0lABJA3nMS2HAmjBkjc8aCWhQFGXZKP6VMRelQsglrqGYQa7NmjxVPsTGHId1V9vOSfOyMsLA1l1jAu4XxsV1_ZF_PYgcBHSk_6I8o3qkDMB4lncGvVGt8fP0/s1600/IMG_2290.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqherJfZ_WS-vsfi3uK0lABJA3nMS2HAmjBkjc8aCWhQFGXZKP6VMRelQsglrqGYQa7NmjxVPsTGHId1V9vOSfOyMsLA1l1jAu4XxsV1_ZF_PYgcBHSk_6I8o3qkDMB4lncGvVGt8fP0/s400/IMG_2290.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each planet was worth a different amount of points based on its size</td></tr>
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Once again, while getting the affirmation that I was on the right track was great, I wondered what new learning I would end up getting that I didn't bring with me on the bus. But as I reflect back on the day I realize that the experience gave me a lot to think about.<br />
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First, I was reminded once again that how you group kids (or adults) is extremely important. We were assigned to groups randomly with a dot on our name tags. While my group of 3 worked well together, I don't think we were comfortable enough with each other to have challenging discussions. I also was a little disappointed that my teammates weren't as eager to explore the museum after we finished in our assigned section as I was. Once again, I realized the importance of establishing a strong community in my classroom before jumping into projects like this.<br />
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Second, I learned how to be a more effective facilitator for my kids. This past year I played more of a hands off role, observing and helping when kids asked for help. Now I know that in order for the kids to be hands on and minds on, I need to be more active by following four steps:<br />
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<li>Asking opening ended questions: Why did you do that? What were you thinking? Why do you think that happened? Would you change anything? What challenges did you experience? What were your successes? </li>
<li>Encourage critical thinking - asking the open ended questions forces the kids to think critically and allows me to see the learning they need or they are getting</li>
<li>Cultivate a rich dialogue - giving individuals or groups the opportunity to share their ideas WHILE they are working, instead of just when they are finished, allows for kids to practice discussions, making suggestions, and accepting constructive criticism</li>
<li>Make connections - showing kids how their actions are like the work of real scientists or other workers in the real world</li>
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While I was thrilled to learn how to be a better facilitator, there was one other quote that really stuck with me. </div>
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<i>A makers space isn't so much a place or a thing that you make. It's a mindset that you have.</i></div>
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Let that sink in a second. Learning can be informal. The kids can direct the learning. The process is more important than the product. Reflection is important. There are multiple ways to solve a problem. It's okay to fail. We can learn a lot by listening to each other. </div>
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We've been so worried about having a special room and finding the right materials, but really, it's not about that at all. The key to a makers space is all about having a different mindset. And thanks to my learning, I'm excited to continue to grow this mindset in my classroom.</div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-21929999668792195442018-07-08T15:18:00.003-07:002018-07-08T15:18:53.285-07:00Too Much Time on My HandsIf you're not already singing this, then clearly you aren't nearly as old as I am. Or maybe it's just that you haven't heard the magic of Styx. Either way, let's start off with a little music to get your toes tapping!<br />
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You can thank me later for that ear worm.<br />
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But seriously, having a lot of time on your hands can be a blessing or a curse. For me it's been a blessing because I'm doing a ton of reading and learning since the whole broken foot thing has the rest of my activities relatively limited. I have a little notebook where I've been taking notes on all of the great ideas I've learned in books, from blog posts, and from Twitter. My mind is racing with all of these ideas and resources and how they might look in my classroom this coming year.<br />
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But all of that learning can also be a curse. Because let's be honest. Once I learn something and get excited about it, then of COURSE I need implement it in my classroom. Anything else would be a waste of all of that wonderful learning. But today, I had a little aha moment as I was thinking about all of the things that I already have written in my notebook and all of the ideas racing around in my mind.<br />
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<i>I can't do it all.</i></div>
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<i>If I try to do it all, I am going to feel like I'm not doing anything well.</i></div>
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<i>If I try to do it all, I'm going to feel like I'm failing.</i></div>
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<i>If I try to do it all, I'm going to give up.</i></div>
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I'm not sure if any of you are like me, but this is a pretty big realization. I tend to push myself -- okay, I push myself, and I'm super hard on myself when I don't think I'm doing things the way I believe they should be done. So putting the brakes on today was a pretty huge step for me, and now I need to think about my new learnings through a different lens. I'm thinking about what exactly will be happening this year:</div>
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1. I know that I am going to have a cart of Chromebooks for my classroom to begin piloting our 1:1 program.</div>
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2. I know that I started dabbling in the station rotation model at the end of last school year, and I loved how it felt. </div>
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3. I know that I am expected to start using Schoology in preparation to teach my colleagues how to use it as we move to a 1:1 school.</div>
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Just those three things are a monumental task for one school year because within the idea of the 1:1 program and the personalized learning that comes with the station rotation model, there are lots of activities to adjust and technology to learn. Rather than continuing to pile on the new learnings and new ideas, I really need to focus on being successful (or failing forward) with these three things so that I can reach my goal for student success and personalized learning and help my colleagues feel confident and successful as they begin to implement personalized learning in their classrooms.</div>
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I hope if you have too much time on your hands this summer that you learn many wonderful things, but you remember that you don't have to do all of them in your classroom. Being really successful with one or two meaningful changes can make a much bigger impact than trying to do a lot of things halfway.</div>
Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-67908087147251206372018-07-03T07:15:00.000-07:002018-07-03T07:15:04.644-07:00Focus On the PositivesHave you ever noticed that, for some reason, we focus way more on the negatives than the positives? This is an image that I've seen a few different times, and it always impacts me the same way.<br />
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<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Blsp_ikIcAECVxe.jpg:large" /><br />
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That's me. I've been there. Often.<br />
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We focus on the traffic lights that turn red instead as we approach them instead of cheering for the lights that turn green or are green during our trip.<br />
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We grumble about the long line at the grocery store, but we don't cheer when the cashier opens their register and asks if they can help us.<br />
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We become impatient when we have to wait on hold, but we don't cheer when somebody answers our call almost immediately.<br />
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We get annoyed when the dogs stay out and putz around when we're in a hurry, but we don't cheer them on as much as we should when they come right away when we call.<br />
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We are sad when one person forgets our birthday, even when 175 others take the time out of their day to acknowledge us.<br />
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We make our kids spend extra time on things they don't do well at, like reading, instead of letting them participate in activities like band or orchestra where they excel.<br />
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At some point we need to start cheering for the good things, no matter how small.<br />
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At some point we need to be thankful for all that we have that is good.<br />
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At some point we need to focus on kids' (and adults') strengths and not on their weaknesses.<br />
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At some point we need to focus on the positives because those are all of the good things that make life special.Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-55874942948925998622018-06-28T14:51:00.001-07:002018-06-28T14:51:26.105-07:00Two Steps ForwardI've been thinking a lot about how I want to continue to transform my classroom this year based upon the learning I'm doing this summer. After hearing <a href="https://twitter.com/ideaguy42" target="_blank">Bob Dillon</a> speak at our closing session of the school year, I was motivated to change my classroom space, something that I had been pondering for a few months. The book, <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blended-Disruptive-Innovation-Improve-Schools/dp/1118955153" target="_blank">Blended</a></u>, has helped me set a goal, which I'm still refining, and determine that a combination of the station rotation model and the flex model would be the best blended learning styles to help me and my students reach our goal.<br />
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Now I'm on the to the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EduProtocol-Field-Guide-Student-Centered-Possibilities/dp/194644460X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530201026&sr=1-1&keywords=eduprotocol+field+guide&dpID=51oh0eKPBOL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">The Eduprotocol Field Guide</a> by Marlena Hebern and Jon Corippo. This book describes various lesson frames that you can use to teach kids content and skills throughout the year. While I'm not anywhere near finishing the book, I especially appreciate their chapters on Smart Starts: using the first few weeks of school to establish culture and routines as opposed to jumping right into the curriculum. While some of my colleagues disagree with me, this idea of starting smart is something that I have been doing for a while now, and it was a nice affirmation to see it discussed in an in depth manner in this book.<br />
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In addition to the affirmation, I've already learned something that I can use to help me transform my classroom, and I feel should have been a no brainer. In addition to the Smart Starts they also recommend using that time at the beginning of the year to do a Tech Boot camp. Front load the year with an introduction to all of the technology you'll be using in your classroom so that they kids have the background they need to explore, be creative, and be successful throughout the year. Seriously. Why did I not think of this?<br />
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Finally, like any good book, it's also making me question things. The first quote that caught my eye was, "Parallel learning is no longer the appropriate model for classrooms." And then a little while later I read, "... this natural creativity has been steadily decreasing since 1990, with the most significant losses by third grade despite increases in IQ." Those two quotes made me think back to a school visit our group did to the <a href="https://www.l-spioneers.org/" target="_blank">Lampeter Strasburg School District</a>. This visit was the key to help me change the instruction in my classroom this year, and something one of our hosts said really stuck with me. As we were touring the middle school our one host said something along the lines of, "We don't want the kids to take a step backwards with their learning experiences; we want them to keep moving forward." Now, our guide was speaking in terms of 1:1 opportunities and explaining when they went up from middle school and then back down to the elementary school. They didn't want the kids to have the opportunities for a blended learning experiences but then go back to a traditional learning experience. But really, this statement could apply to anything from changing your classroom space, offering students more choice, giving them opportunities to fix mistakes, and giving students flexibility in how they move through the content.<br />
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As I read the quotes in the book, I thought about the kids who were in my class last year, the upcoming school year, and my new students. Last year's kids had the opportunity for a second take on their assessments because we were learning the value of mistakes. What if they don't have that same opportunity this year? This year's students will have the opportunity to learn in a blended classroom when they are with me, but they will be in a mostly traditional setting in their other class. They will likely also be in a traditional setting in 5th grade. How will that impact their learning? I am spending a lot of time focusing on the 4Cs and having a growth mindset rather than test taking skills and passing the PSSAs. Will this carry over as successful experiences for my students, or will the skills not transfer and put them behind the learning curve?<br />
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While I am excited to transform my classroom, and while I have much respect for all of my coworkers as caring professionals, I can't help but wonder if the haphazard way we are implementing things at our school will cause our students to move two steps forward and then one step back with every transition they make.Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3088307393085914965.post-25138382459668153582018-06-19T14:12:00.002-07:002018-06-19T14:12:46.212-07:00Thinking about Mental HealthEach summer my district provides online professional development opportunities. Taking these courses results in a trade day, or a day off during the school year. I always enjoy the opportunities that we are provided, and this year I selected a course on blended learning and a course on mental health issues. Along with growth mindset concepts, understanding the mental health issues my students are facing is very important to me, so I was very interested to see what I would learn through this course.<br />
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The course focused on depression, anxiety, eating disorders, psychosis, and conduct disorders. There were some great videos incorporated into the course, and while I enjoyed all of them (some of them were videos that I had already watched previously on my own), I really enjoyed one that I ended up with by accident. It was one of those "since you watched this video, here's another one for you to check out," videos that starts playing automatically when the first one ends. It's called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs" target="_blank">Everything you Thought you Knew about Addiction is Wrong by Johann Hari</a>, and if you have a few minutes to spare, I would definitely check it out. It gave me a lot to think about in terms of the environment we are creating for all of our students who make mistakes.<br />
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I think the simple fact is that we are teachers, we're not medical professionals. The best that we can hope to do is provide a connected, caring, safe environment for our students so they are okay with making mistakes and okay with being themselves. We need to speak up when we believe something is wrong, and we need to advocate for our kids who are struggling in any capacity. And we need to keep advocating until we are blue in the face.<br />
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The psychosis section of this course really impacted me because it reminded me of a student I had many years ago. I had the opportunity to have this young man for two years as part of a 3rd / 4th grade looping class and then for a 3rd year as part of a 4th / 5th grade multi-age program. This boy was what I liked to call a squirrel. Always darting from here to there, always finding something different to think about or do, and he kept me on my toes. I had the opportunity to see him grow the first two years, and while he needed constant reminders the potential for success was always there. During those first two years, he father suffered from, and eventually passed away from, a difficult and debilitating liver disease. After losing his father I worried about it, but as is the norm, I sent him off for summer vacation and hoped for the best.<br />
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When this young man came back, he was a different boy. He repeatedly shared stories about the bigger, bad kids in the neighborhood and the really bad stuff that they did. Unfortunately, I never was able to get the details about what that "really bad stuff" was, but I passed his comments on to our guidance counselor in the hopes that she might be able to find out something that I couldn't. It was around this same time that he started acting out and stealing things. When I became more vocal with my concerns, I was told that he had always been that way, I was just too nice and hadn't been strict enough. And clearly he had always been stealing stuff, but I had just never caught him doing it when he was in my room all the time. I knew this young man had changed, and I knew he needed help. But the louder I squawked the less people listened. And so began a long line of disciplinary problems and consequences issued.<br />
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This young man went on to have significantly more serious behavior problems in middle school. I don't believe he ever ended up graduating. And a few years ago I got the sad news that he had committed suicide while incarcerated in our local prison.<br />
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When we talk about mental health issues and getting students the support that they need, he is my failure. I don't know what else I could have done, but what happened to this young man will haunt me forever. As we try to educate ourselves about the mental health issues that are affecting our kids today, I can only hope that we will figure out the answer to helping our kids before it's too late.<br />
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Becky Reighardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10180523446980689368noreply@blogger.com0