They Need Us, We Need Them

A Lesson From My High School Choir Teacher About What’s Important In School.

In 1964, the Yuma High School Choralairs debuted, beginning a tradition that lasted for the next 46 years. For three years in high school, I was a member of the Choralairs (that’s right, I was in show choir, before show choirs were cool). I had the pleasure, along with over 30 years worth students, to be taught by Mr. Taylor McBride, one of the most dedicated and inspiring teachers I have ever known. Mr. McBride was passionate about music and he let that passion boil over until it seeped into the veins of each of his students (Mr. Holland has nothing on McBride). I learned so much about music, performing, and leadership from Mr. McBride, but looking back, I recognize that one of the greatest things he ever taught me was the powerful role that love and community should play in every classroom.

Choralairs was a show choir consisting of about 85 singers, 10 musicians, and five sound crew members each year. Choralairs was filled with students from every ethnic background and school clique, making it a unique place were diversity came together in the name of music. Membership was via tryouts and dozens of students auditioned each year to become part of the Yuma High tradition.

My senior year, I had the honor of being Choralair President and with the title came the opportunity to work with Mr. McBride and offer insight and suggestions throughout the year. During the audition process my senior year, I remember looking over the list of potential new Choralairs and scratching my head over a few that I didn’t feel quite had the talent or dedication to become a part of our group. When I brought my concern to Mr. McBride’s attention, he simply said, “Some students need Choralairs.”

At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the significance or implication of that statement (18 year olds often miss the wisdom before them). However, those words have always stayed with me. When I became a teacher, the true meaning of those words began to materialize and to this day, affect how I view the students in my school and every student I have ever taught. It wasn’t necessarily Choralairs that students needed, it’s what Choralairs offered us that everyone of us benefitted from. Mr. McBride understood that the community itself was more valuable than it’s performance.

Choralairs offered high school students a place to be creative, to feel safe, to express their talents and passions. It offered us the opportunity to interact and be friends with students we may never have taken the time to ever get to know in high school outside of that choir room. It offered us a community, a family, and place to feel safe and be loved. We may not all have been the best singers, musicians, or techies out there, but we were a family, and together we did great things. Each of us had our strengths, not all musical, but we each had something to offer to the group. We came together with our mess, our baggage, and the struggles of being teenagers and we made people smile. We made each other smile. Choralairs not only made us better students, but better people. It wasn’t necessarily what we brought to the group, it’s what the group could bring to us.

As I look at the students in my school, the ones that have it all together and the ones that struggle just to make it through life each day, I see that we all need each other. Those students need me, they need each other, and quite honestly, I need them. They need a place to belong, a place to feel safe, a place to know without a doubt that they are loved. I need to know I make a difference and matter to each of those kids every day. They need an environment where they can make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and be loved unconditionally in the process. They need a place to blossom and find their purpose.

School is about so much more than reading, writing, and math. Yes, that stuff matters, but it definitely isn’t all that matters. School is a place where we begin to become who we will be for the rest of our lives. It’s a place where our students should feel needed, because indeed they are. Everyone single one of them. We have the power to foster that community within our building and play a part in the extraordinary lives of our students.

Mr. McBride understood that community mattered most. He realized that when students find a place where they know they belong, the talent within them has no choice but to come out and be shared with those around. I see that more than ever as I work with the students at my own school. They may be overlooked, written off, or judged by the world around them, but not by me. Each student needs to know they matter to every adult in their school. It frees them up to be who they are and share with their school community, and eventually the world, the wonderful person that they are. Our students need us, and we need them.

WES: Behind the Lip Dub

I love internet memes. I love when ideas go viral through the power of the internet. With each reproduction, new concepts are added, different points of views are showcased, and while it may seem silly to some, people come together over a shared idea.

Last year for our school’s fifth grade graduation, the fifth grade teachers and students thought it would be a lot of fun end the ceremony with a flash mob. The kids came together to learn the words and choreography and worked hard to create a great show. The look on our principal’s face was priceless when the students interrupted his final farewell with singing and dancing. They left their mark and it’s one that still makes me smile when I think about it.

This year, we wanted to keep the theme of internet memes alive and decided to tackle the art of the lip dub. The term lip dub was first coined in back in 2006 by Jake Lodwick. It was simple, but incredibly clever. Jake filmed himself walking down the street, lip syncing along to the music on his iPod. When he got home, he dubbed the music over the footage, and Lip Dubbing: Endless Dream was the result. Over the years, Lip Dubs have gotten more complex and showy, but the concept remained the same.

Taking inspiration from many few of our favorite lip dubs on Youtube, a colleague, Mrs. Daniel, and myself got to work. Sticking with tradition, we wanted to move through the school, film the lip dub in a single unedited shot, and let the kids have some fun. We chose the song “All Star” by Smash Mouth. It’s upbeat, has great lyrics we thought the kids would have fun with, and well, we’re suckers for 90s music. We broke the song into couplets, mapped out a route through the school and brought the idea to the students.

We showed the fifth graders, two of our favorite lip dubs, Don’t Stop Believing by Bloomington High School and Party in the USA by Renton High School’s 2010 Seniors. We wanted our kids to see a diverse group of students acting goofy, being creative, and having fun in school (gasp).

The kids had mixed reactions at first. Some were on board, some were hesitant, and others were convinced their teachers just might be insane. We told students they could be in the beginning part of the lip dub or just be on the gym bleachers for the end. We wanted every student to participate, but wanted them to be comfortable. We only had about 10-15 students from each class volunteer. As students began to talk about the endeavor and share their ideas for the project, the excitement began to build. When it came time to start practicing, just about every student asked to be involved in the beginning of the lip dub. They put their guards down and were ready to have fun.

As kids began to choreograph their parts of the lip dub, decide which props they wanted to bring, and take ownership of the project, I couldn’t help but stand back and smile. Some may question the curricular significance of creating a lip dub. However, after seeing our students collaborate with each other, show off their talents, release their creativity, and have fun in the process, I’d question why every class doesn’t create one. We hardly had any behavior issues during planning, rehearsals, or filming. Just 150 fifth graders working hard with their eyes on a goal.

We practiced twice with each class individually, practiced twice with the entire grade level, walked through it once the day of filming, and then filmed three takes in a row. For the final product we decided on the third take. Each of the takes had pros and cons, but when it came down to it, the fifth grade teachers liked the third take the best.

I present to you our lip dub and hope you it brings a smile to your face. Winecoff’s Class of 2011 couldn’t stop smiling the entire time they created it.

Thank You, Organic Chemistry

This post was written for the Project PLN Passion issue in response to the question, “Why are you passionate about education?” I only hope I did it justice.

Many respond with a look of utter confusion when I explain that I turned my back on two years of pre-med classes for the picture book reading life of an elementary education major. It’s true, I wanted to be a doctor, a pediatrician to be exact, and I set out on that path during the final two years of my high school career. However, deep down in my gut, I always had deep admiration for teachers. I had some of the most amazing teachers growing up, and to this day I owe a lot of who I am as a teacher to them (Thank you Mrs. Alameda & Mr. McBride). Teaching was where I was headed until the status and money perfumed fragrance of the medical profession wafted into my olfactory receptors like the aroma of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of mom’s oven. It took an organic chemistry class kicking my ass to knock some sense back into my head (and trust me, it kicked hard). It allowed me to reflect on what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I made the decision to switch my major from Microbiology to Elementary Education one night studying at a coffee shop with friends. It took all of 10 minutes to come to this realization. The encouragement of those there that night and a call to my parents, along with their complete support sealed the deal. The next day I made it official. (Peace out College of Science! What up, College of Ed?) I made the right decision. I love going to a school each day, working with students, and putting new technology into the hands of teachers and kids. I found my passion, and I love every second of it.

Students are the heart, soul, and inspiration behind what I do each day. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are days that are tough, and times when I question whether or not it’s worth it. However, all it takes a note from a 2nd grader telling me “You Rock!” or a hug from a 4th grader that sneaked out of line and into my office to put things back into perspective. I get to make a difference in the world, one student at a time and there isn’t a single job perk out there better than that (although tater tots in the cafeteria makes a compelling case for a close second). I have the pleasure and humbling experience of helping kids discover their own passions while I live out mine. I get to mentor, inspire, laugh with, and love students that may not get any of that when they leave our walls each afternoon. I get to have fun everyday, inspire staff and students, and wear chucks instead of dress shoes. When a fifth grader asked me what I was going to wear that next day to work and then showed up in the same outfit, I knew I had found my calling in this world, my true passion.

Harold Whitman said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.” I’m in education because it makes me come alive and I get to inspire students to do the same. Thanks for kick O-Chem, I needed it.

photo: Lucian Teo (Flickr, Creative Commons)

Show Me What Matters

Education is full of talk, but those words can be cheap and often fail to deliver. I myself can dazzle and woo a crowd with a few keystrokes and a thesaurus, but it’s the action of showing others (or even showing yourself), that holds the real power. This weekend in Philadelphia at EduCon 2.3, people showed me what matters.

Passion Matters
I was surrounded by lovers of learning and they had no problem exuding the fact in everything they did. I listened to educators speak of their passion for students and saw them learning everywhere they were: in sessions, at the hotel, during dinner, or over a beer. I witnessed people getting fired up over their love (or hate) for MLA citation and term papers. I saw the actions of a group of individuals that care deeply about education and the students it is meant to empower. They were passionate, and passion matters.

Community Matters
My time at the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) demonstrated the power of students and staff that see their school as a learning community. While eating with some SLA staff Thursday night, it was announced that Friday, the first day of EduCon, would be a snow day. Chris Lehmann told us that emails and Facebook messages were pouring in from the students that still wanted to come. SLA is a family and they weren’t going to let some snow prevent them from showing off what they have worked so hard to create. During the weekend those students came alive as they ran the show and showed us how they work together to learn. The staff and students work hard and will anything for those in their community, because community matters.

Friendships Matter
I have met some of my closest and dearest friends through Twitter. I even found a brother along the way (we’re not technically related, but don’t get bogged down by the details). I love learning, but it has a more significant impact when I am learning in the midst of others that I know care about me and the success of my students. I saw groups of people all over SLA that cared about each other and took on the responsibility of supporting each other in the task of becoming better educators. I spent some wonderful time with my friends as other did the same, because friendships matter.

Fun Matters
I fail to remember the last time I had such a great time learning with a group. The weekend was full of conversations that challenged me, made me think, and kept me smiling. During a session by Dean Shareski and Darren Kuropatwa, we were give the task of creating a photo or film trick in 25 minutes. We grabbed our phones and laptops and got to work. We had so much fun taking on that challenge and learning with each other. The nights were filled with bowling (Who knew Beth Still was secretly a pro?), karaoke, great conversations, and laughter. I had the chance to learn who these educators were beyond the classroom. I care for these people even more deeply now. The weekend was was a lot of fun, and fun matters.

What We Do Matters
Hundreds of educators from all over the world came to Philadelphia for a weekend, many on their own dime, to become better educators. Hundreds more spent their weekend joining us online. SLA students spent a snow day and their weekend putting on an education conference and providing an environment where we could learn and socialize. We had opportunities to share our expertise, learn more about our craft, and challenge our thinking. We did it, because in the end, we know it’s our students that will benefit, and that is why what we do matters.

photo: Alvin Trusty (Flickr, Creative Commons)

I Cried With The News Tonight

I sit at my computer reading about a school shooting in Omaha, Nebraska and I lose it. Tears. Sobs. Pain. My heart aches, even though I am over a thousand miles away. I don’t know what to do, but I know I just can’t accept it and move on. These are people. The lyrics to Jack Johnson’s The News come to mind. “A billion people died on the news tonight/ But not so many cried at the terrible sight.” This is a terrible sight. Humbly I turn to writing, I’m not sure how else to deal with this.

I find myself wondering how all the people affected are dealing with what has happened today. As an educator, I connect all too closely to those in Omaha at this time. Having friends close by, makes it hit home even harder.

I think about the kids. How unnerving to suddenly find yourself caught up in chaos, confusion, fear, and the unknown. Later, to discover that two of your own are gone, one is seriously injured and everyone around you is affected.

I think about the teachers. To feel so violated and helpless. The place filled with people you love, care for, and live your life with, will never be the same. Lives are changed. Lives are lost. To be so weak, but feel you must be strong. To need someone to be strong for you. I would imagine that I’d be filled with guilt and regret. Maybe there was something I could have said that would have made a difference. All the difference.

I think about Dr. Case and Dr. Kaspar. To be in that situation is nothing less than a nightmare. Dr. Case, I pray for your healing. Dr. Kaspar, you will be missed dearly by those that love you.

I think of the family members and friends of those that had to leave us far too soon. How do you deal? How do you move on?

I think about Robert. The truth that a child was broken and hurting so much that he felt the only option was to harm others and leave the world behind breaks my heart. I’m so sorry.

Where does the world go from here? For some it’s just a passing story on the nightly news. For others, everything is different now.

The thing I take from this, is a renewed perspective as an educator. Yes, I have a responsibility to educate, but it’s also clear I have a much more important task each day when I walk onto campus. I want my coworkers and the students around me to know they matter, they are have something to offer, and they are loved.

My heart and my prayers go out the everyone at Millard School, the district, and the surrounding community. I wish I could take your pain or be there for you. I wish I could do anything. So many of us are shedding tears too. It hurts, but know that you are loved. I wish you didn’t have to be on the news tonight.

How About Some Walk To Go With That Talk?

Scott McLeod posted a call for edubloggers to participate in Leadership Day 2010. He asked bloggers to address school administrators in regards to 21st Century thinking and technology. Knowing the importance of our school administrators and leadership, I was honored to be able to contribute my thoughts.

In my interactions with administrators and school leadership, it is becoming evidently clear that technology is no longer an option in education. While I am thrilled to see many come to this conclusion, it’s the execution of this revelation that cause me some worry. I have noticed a great disconnect between saying that technology is important in today’s schools and showing it actually is.

When I taught fifth grade, I took my role as a mentor and guide very seriously. When a student messed up, we discussed it and created a plan for them to fix it. Most of my students could not only identify the root issue of their problem or shortcoming, but they could even give me a step-by-step process to move in the right direction. I was always shocked by the number of them that never carried through with their plans. They could tell me what they should do, they just wouldn’t do it. On a number of occasions, if you passed by my classroom, you would hear me tell my students, “Words mean nothing without actions. I can stand in front of you and tell you I can fly, but until you see my feet leave the ground, it doesn’t matter.” My point was, I’m tired of you telling me what you can do or what you should do, I want to see you do it.

When it comes to administration and technology, I cling tightly to the advice I give my students. I love that you talk about technology and it’s importance in school, but I want more. I want action. I know you believe technology is important, but I also used to believe in Santa Claus, and well I think we all know the end to that story. Show me that you know technology is important. Show me you know that technology must be a part of education because it’s a crucial part of our world and that’s what we’re preparing these students for. Show me that technology is important because it’s a crucial part of your own life, and you see the advantage and opportunities that it offers.

In education, we often stress the importance of modeling. I think about a school where everyone not only believes in the importance of educational technology, they know the importance, and as a result it is modeled. It starts at the top where district leadership lead principal meetings with effective technology use, they are well networked with other leaders in education (and talk about it), they send out blog articles or relevant websites to the principals they are guiding. Principals see this and they begin to do the same for their teachers and staff, making it evident that they also know technology is important in life and education. Teachers then model this for their students and as a result a world of opportunities are now available for students through technology. As this knowledge saturates a school system, technology no longer becomes something that must always be referenced and brought up. It will just be the way it is. Chris Lehmann (@chrislehmann) put it best when he said, “Technology needs to be like oxygen: ubiquitous, necessary, and invisible. We need to not think about it, it just needs to be there.” Technology and education should just be. Administration and technology should should just be.

So that is my challenge to administrators and school leadership. Use technology to enhance your life as well as the lives of your teachers, staff, and students. Please keep talking about it, because that dialogue is important. However, show us that you know technology is a crucial part of education. It’s time to walk the walk. Let’s see action.

Photo: pedrosimoes7 (Flickr, Creative Commons)

To Blog or Not to Blog

I’ve always considered myself an early adopter when it comes to technology. I’m not one of those over the top “I must have it the moment it goes on sale or the second I can sign up for it” type of people (the iPhone 4 doesn’t count), but I have always felt comfortable with new tech and willing to take it on. We had a computer back when they ran DOS and my parents had to finance it, I had a CD changer in my car when people were still rocking Discmans on tape adapters, and I even had a MySpace account when it literally was my space, because no one else I knew was on it. I always saw opportunity in technology and for that reason I eagerly took it on.

Being the hip, tech savvy one that I am (c’mon that’s funny), I started blogging in college. It wasn’t an assignment for class (my professors were still teaching us such new applications as PowerPoint and Access), but rather it served as my online journal. I wrote about the things I was doing, my opinions about life, and even took to Blogger as a way to reason my way through being dumped by the girl I thought was the one (err, uh, I mean, I broke up with her). It was a way I could write (which I love) and reflect on life as I was living it. Doogie Howser and his IBM PS/2 would be so proud.

As I began teaching, I took my old college Blogger account and repurposed it as a class blog. We recorded our daily homework assignments, class news, and random viral videos I felt worthy of spreading to the masses (or at least my kids). I even started a second blog that I would write posts on for students and their families. I would write about what I did over Winter Break or the ideas we had to change the world. It was a great way to let my kids learn more about me and show them that writing could be fun.

So here I am in 2010, and I haven’t blogged in over four years. Sure, I’ve done some blogging for grad school, but nothing inspired completely by me. For the past several months I have been wrestling with the question, should I start blogging again, or not? (Spoiler Alert: I started blogging again.) As I have connected with so many amazing educators via Twitter, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading their blogs. I love reading about their successes, failures, rants, praises, or just sharing what they have to say. I realized I have things to say too.

So here I am. I’ve jumped upon my digital soapbox and I am ready to let my voice be heard. I hope to add to the education conversation, but most importantly I’m excited to have a place to write, reflect, and get feedback from other people who care about education as much as I do.

photo: www.vintage-computer.com