Cultivating Community one Snap at a Time

I think of myself as a pretty grateful person. I do my best to appreciate the little things and big things in life on a daily basis. When Tara Martin tweeted about the #GratitudeSnap challenge during the month of November, I knew I was in! I also knew that this was something I wanted to bring into my classroom for my students to try.

Through the Seesaw app and using Pic Collage, the students were challenged to create and post a #GratitudeSnap daily, about something that they were grateful for. I knew I would get the typical I'm grateful for my video games, my clothes, and toys. However, they surpassed my hopes for this challenge. The kids pushed past objects they were thankful for and started to notice much more in the world around them. They became more mindful of their everyday lives and surroundings.

I felt during this time in my classroom, the students were more in the moment appreciating little things, along with being calmer. Another benefit of participating in the class #Graduatesnaps was further enhancing our class community. Through SeeSaw they got to see their classmates #GratitudeSnaps and get to know the many sides of them.  Such as, the student who posted that she was thankful for her Tae Kwon Do, art, and swimming lessons when the rest of the class didn't even know that these parts of her existed. They are a huge part of this young girl as a person and the other kids needed to know this. As did I. My eyes were opened up to my students many talents, hobbies, and the family and friends they were thankful for. Equally as beautiful were the student’s comments to each other.

I am forever grateful to @taramartin for her blogs, her inspiration, and for getting this challenge out to the world, for my students to participate in.

Check out my students reflections on #GratitudeSnaps!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vC4uhHIp0YlxGu3QhZxUGbl4McZWwH1dNkO9dtkd3QE/edit?ts=5a12ee1a#slide=id.g2b0688056b_0_5

Let Go of the Agenda

Through my daughters swimming experience I've had a first hand opportunity to see how much of a difference a teacher can make by the way content is presented. My daughter is 6 and has been in the beginners swimming group since the day she started at camp. That was 3 years ago. They have a regimented progression of what each child must do before they can move on to the next swim level. Within each swim level they teach the skills needed basically to "pass the exit skill test". My daughter refuses to dunk her head. So because this is a skill for the "test" she has not budge in her groups. Now here is where the problem lies (one problem I should say considering I'm having many issues right now)...where is the differentiation? Where is the meeting my daughter where she is, rather than where they think she needs to be? She is still learning to blow bubbles! She is way more capable. She will happily blow bubbles till she is 10 if they don't figure out a different approach. A way to motivate her. If I had a child in the same reading group for 3 years (this would never happen) I would not try to change her, but rather change my approach a long time ago. Let go of my agenda. 

Now the interesting part is that she takes swimming lessons outside of camp. In these swimming lessons she goes under (not voluntarily), swims with strokes, and recently made it a few feet to the ladder without any guidance. This coach met her where she was at. Left his agenda behind and figured out what would work for her. He knew she was resistant to dunking so he made no mention of it.

It's the way in which we work with children that will make the real difference. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Only when we meet them where they are at and leave our agendas behind, will the true learning occur. 

100 Days of Practice

Recently I reached a milestone in my meditation practice. 100 days of practice! I remember sitting down for my first guided meditation through the Headspace app. Through the guidance, Andy said, set your intention for your practice. So I did. I had so many intentions or outcomes. I wanted to be more in the moment, I wanted to be less anxious, I wanted to live my #OneWord and appreciate more, I wanted my thoughts to be less frequent. The list goes on and on. The truth is through these daily mediations I wasn't getting the results I was looking for. The results that people claim come out of mediation. I was actually more anxious and frustrated at first and I didn't understand why.

I now realize in the beginning sessions I didn't have an intention for growth or practice. I had an expectation, an end product that I was looking for. I expected to sit down and through meditation, all of a sudden this product would come about. The problem with this was that I wasn't starting from where I was. I had very little experience with mediation, yet I wanted to be an overnight expert. My intentions were good, however, I was ignoring the process and making it all about attainment or an end product. This is the complete opposite of what both meditation and mindfulness are about. In fact with resistance and wanting to change things as they are, comes more resistance.

Over the course of the 100 days I've grown in my practice. I let go and now meet each practice with an open mind. I'm still practicing and always will be because there is no final product. Each day I sit, I allow the mediation to be as is. There is no good or bad mediation. I sit down for the daily guided mediation and remind myself this is a practice. This a process that I'm building on each day.

As I reflect on my meditation at Day 100, I can't help but relate this experience to teaching and how children learn. Teaching needs to be more about the process and less about the end product. We need to meet the children where they are, find the hidden gems in every student and then lift them up from that point. This is the only way students will be successful.

When we meet and accept where the students are, it is only then that we can meet their individual needs. Take out the end product and each child will amaze you in their own way. Similar to mediation and mindfulness, children need space. Space to grow, space to learn, space to make mistakes. In an environment where space is provided students will feel more comfortable and take more risks.

Teaching children the process in all subjects is important. Allowing for practice and space where they can try out the strategies taught in mini lessons is necessary. Provide space where they have the drivers seat and be their co-pilots. I know in my guided mediation practice I look forward to those moments where there is less guidance. The silence where I'm free to try out the techniques. It's not always perfect, but it is always my own practice and each time I get up, I'm proud I tried. Our students deserve these opportunities. Opportunities to try. Times where they can show us what they can do on their own. Then we can guide them from the place of where they can, instead of from where they can't.

After these opportunities we can teach students to use growth mindset and ask themselves, "Where am I now and where do I need to go? What do I need to do?" This too is part of the process. Guiding students to knowing themselves best as learners.

Whether your into mediation or not, I ask that you think about your classroom and students. Be mindful of the process that comes along with learning. Provide your students with more space to grow and learn through the process. Opportunities where the product is not the same for each child because each child is not the same. Give them the space and they will amaze you.

Lately, I've found myself reflecting on the school year. Partly because I can't believe it's already April and the other part of it is I can't believe how far my students and my teaching have come. Every day I find myself saying, wow these kids are amazing! This is my 15th year of teaching and I'm not going to lie, it feels as if it's my first. I say this in a good way. So much of what I have done this year is new. My classroom feels so alive.

It all started in September where my new endeavor for the year was going to be Mindfulness. My co-teacher Mrs. Marshall and I took an incredible course over the summer through Mindfulschools.org. We texted daily about how the practice of Mindfulness was helping us in our daily lives and also how we were going to use it in our classroom. We were nervous! Mindfulness was new to us and then we were going to ask a class of 4th graders to take the journey with us. We didn't know what to expect and we knew there would be resistance. There was and there always will be. What started off as learning how to sit with mindful bodies and in quiet turned into at least 3 minutes a day of mindful meditation which many kids say is the best way to start their day! They've even introduced Mindfulness to their parents. Practicing Mindfulness in our classroom led to a community of learners who trust and respect each other in ways that I've never witnessed before in prior years.

This classroom community led me to open up more as a teacher and trust my students more. Trust their voice and their need for a more engaging and student led learning environment. At the beginning of the year, I'll admit I prided myself on my classroom "management". I had a classroom that was quiet and productive. We got it all done in a day. Reading, writing, math, and content area. We were on a roll. Or I should say I was one a roll. My kids on the other hand must have been bursting at the seams! Maybe it was my mindfulness that kicked in or maybe my Twitter stalking in chats (I wasn't an active participant in chats at the time) or the Twitter feed of incredible ideas, but one day I remember saying to my co teacher something needs to change. I needed my students to have more of a voice. They needed to have more of an active role and take more ownership of their learning. They needed choice in how they learned and shared their learning. They needed to lead the class, teach me and their classmates. It took courage, trust, a shift in mindset and a different kind of management (which I have to admit I'm still figuring out) but it works! Wow does it work!!

Thanks to Twitter and the amazing educators who share their daily happenings I've introduced more new things to my classroom this year then ever. Mindfulness, Turn Key Thursday, SeeSaw, blogging, Book Snaps, book reviews, book clubs, student led book talks, wild reading habits, across grade collaborative learning, Genius Hour, Global Awareness, March Book Madness, Homework choice, the list goes on and on. I look forward to going to work everyday and I'm proud of that! I'm even more proud of my kids! As I said they amaze me every day. I know my kids look forward to coming to school everyday as well. I see it when they arrive. I see it in their enthusiasm. I see in the pride and effort they now put into their daily work and homework. I see it in their daily SeeSaw posts and comments to each other. I feel the enthusiasm and can't wait to see what the rest of this years journey will bring. It's April and that means I have 3 more months of excitement ahead.

What's new in your classroom this year? What are you proud of? How and why does your classroom feel more alive?

20 students, 20 insights gained

It's interesting to me that many teachers were not the best students themselves. I read a blog about this last night. It wasn't until 6th grade that this gentlemen felt a teacher cared for him. I feel I can say the same is true for myself. However, for me it wasn't until college that I had a teacher who made a difference. A teacher who motivated me to be the best learner I could be. A teacher who believed in me and all I had to offer the teaching profession. It wasn't until college that I would be on the honor roll and most semesters receive a 4.0 GPA. What was different about my college years and my younger school age years? 

My school age years, elementary through high school years, I wasn't a "good" student. I remember being labeled as the student who adults often said, "she doesn't put in enough effort" or "she's not trying hard enough" or "perhaps she needs a tutor to help her understand this concept further". Tutors upon tutors, arguments upon arguments with my parents, consequences upon consequences, non of it made a difference. Now looking back as a teacher I know why. This was not the correct approach to motivate a student. I don't recall anyone asking, "why?". Or anyone asking me how I felt. Why wasn't I putting in effort? Why wasn't I engaged? What was working for me? What wasn't working? What could a teacher or adult do to help me get motivated (hint: it wasn't more giving me more work or "practice")? These are questions that students and teachers need to reflect on together. I strongly believe children know themselves best. Let's include them in on the conversations. 

This school year I have taken a different approach than past years. I feel I am more of a coach or facilitator than a teacher. I have opened my heart and my classroom up to my students and their voice. With that open heart and mind I have learned an incredible amount from them. 

20 students, 20 insights gained (and a whole lot more!):

1. Hockey is the best sport and I must root for the Islanders. Hockey is also a great way to reach a kid and then incorporate it into math.
2. When a kid has a passion or interest let them fly. Don't get in the way. The end result they produce will always surpass what you had in mind.
3. As a teacher there are two ways of looking at a students work. You can either complain about the effort a student is putting in or take a good look at you're teaching. Once you look at your teaching, adapt it to find ways to engage all students. The effort they put in when engaged and self motivated is incredible. The struggling child may no longer be struggling. 
4. Think outside the box! How can this assignment be tweaked so that all students can feel success?
5. Home life circumstances are not equal for all students, so homework shouldn't be either. 
6. If you're going to give homework, make it relevant, purposeful and fun. Involve the family in the learning. TurnKey Thursday is my students favorite.
7. Create a "Wild Reading" environment by fostering choice, discussions, and lots of read alouds.
8. The sweetest, most helpful kids need you to teach them how to help themselves as well. 
9. If a student wants to move on during a math lesson and you know they get it. Let them! Take it step further and give them an enrichment instead of having them do the same work as everyone else. 
10. Students do better when they own their learning. Make it about the process not the product. 
11. Provide various outlets for sharing information. Some of the quietest students shine when they are given the opportunity to create digital presentations or videos. The video book reviews the kids create give me a glimpse inside of many of my students true personalities outside the classroom. 
12. Rubrics and grades are not always necessary. A hearty conference goes a long way in all subjects. 
13. Have the students provide feedback to each other using a social media tool such as SeeSaw. 
14. Share your mistakes and a child will be more willing to make and learn from theirs.
15. Use mindfulness techniques in the classroom to help foster a community based on kindness and respect.
16. Growth mindset affirmations are a wonderful learning tool. Encourage students to use them when they say "I can't". 
17. There is so much going on in a kids life. Give them a break!
18. When the going gets tough...laugh about it.
19. Children's books are awesome! Read them and then join in on the conversations and make recommendations. 
20. Ask the students their opinions and views on how the school year is going. Take their voice and use it to better the classroom and make it a place they look forward to coming to everyday. 

What have your students taught you? How are your student's voices included in your classroom and their learning?