Same same

So my first year teaching I had a really hard time letting my students try and fail. I felt like they would get mad at me if they failed because it was my fault I didn't help them enough. And that is totally true, for the most part. 

So now it is my first year coaching. I am scaffolding so so so so much for my department. 

But let me let you in to the mood of the school. 

We have to submit these lesson plans this year that ask a lot. I don't think it is unreasonable, but the requirements have altered since the beginning of the year. For each learning goal we should have a question weighted on the Depth of Knowledge scale. We are required to have one question for each level (4 levels). 

We have explicitly state what we are doing for our advanced students and our lower students. 

We have to teach in the 5E model (which I have a love hate relationship with). 

We have to have a unit learning goal and a concept learning goal. 

We have to have a Marzano style scale of understanding that is customized for the learning goal. 

And our class periods are 3 minutes shorter this year than last. Which doesn't seem like much at first glance but... Say even if you take out 9 days for half days + an extra 11 for other wasted days (assemblies, etc) that is 3 minutes for 160 class periods. 8 hours of instruction. That is sometimes a entire unit. 

So needless to say my department is feeling the stress. And I don't blame them. 

Instead I help them. I have created learning goals and gone through each benchmark and gathered what I think are the best resources. I feel like literally you need to now just come up with the questions (which we have a common planning meeting who had that as one of its purposes), tier the activity, and then just type it up to be done. 

And then they are still having a hard time. 

Which leads me to this - am I doing too much?

Yup - I like coaching

So the past 2 days I have been teaching.

I know.

I missed it a ton.

But what was more neat than teaching - was watching someone teach what I had just taught to the next couple classes. It is really neat to remember when I would see someone teach a lesson and be like "I can do that" and then try and do that and be like "woah... how did they remember to do all those things!?!"

I think this whole being a coach while still so young in my career will really help me remember to relate to the new and growing teachers in a truly empathetic way. Because I really only had one year where I said "I think I know what I'm doing" and was about to being a year where I truly felt I was a good teacher. Now, for sure, I will always always always have room to grow as a teacher - and I intend to. How boring would it be if I didn't?

But I love that I was so into the growth process when I got pulled to help other teachers begin their growth process - I think it is one of my best assets as a coach.

That, and I love it. Loving your job always helps.

Happy Friday!

The grass is pretty green here...

It is safe to say, after 7 student days, and 12 total days as a science coach, I think I am enjoying it. 

Obviously, I miss having my own set of students to get to know. I don't think I will ever get over that no matter how long I am out of the classroom.

But - I am really enjoying the coaching part of my job. I love that I have the time to come up with and implement initiatives around the school. I am in the process of planning and 8th grade science field trip (there hasn't been one but 6th and 7th both go within the district), looking into hosting a STEM competition, writing updates to our school science fair guidelines, and, of course, finding and mastering different resources so I can help our teachers utilize them in their classrooms. I am also leading a staff book club next week, attending a training on how STEM and Race to the Top are related, modeling different types of lessons with various teachers (close readings, stations), and organizing the supplies that the department has accrued and lost track of throughout the years. 

Did I mention it has only been 12 days since the year started? That is including today, where I am supervising make up tests for the baseline test for both 7th and 8th grade and not really leaving my office :( 

But I spent most of yesterday in classrooms which I always enjoy! 

Today's tasks include typing up and sending lesson plan feedback, updating the Unit 1 tests to reflect the desires of the department from last week's meeting (I was at the district office at a training and couldn't be there),  creating the remaining learning goals for Unit 1 and some sample learning goals for Unit 2, prepping the close reading lesson and stations lesson I am modeling, and doing research on this whole STEM competition thing into costs, rules, and anything else I don't know about it (which is a lot... I really have no STEM competition clue...)... plus anything else I think of to do, like update this blog :)

As far as maternity leave - I still have a lot of goals I want to accomplish by September 16 (1 month before my due date) but I haven't entirely outlined what a lot of them formally are. I would like to have my department creating good complete lesson plans and outlined the units they will be going over while I am out, inventory done, field trip prepped, and probably other things... I really should formalize this list soon - that is only 3 weeks away! Just consider that another thing added to today's to do list :)

No students

The year is starting!!

My contract starts Monday... so like most teachers I was here a week in advance getting things ready.

Oh, and learning the ropes to my new position as full time science coach.

When I left I was to be half time science coach, focused on 7th grade, while also teaching 3 7th grade science classes, and I was going to be department chair. Fast forward 8 weeks and I get a call from my principal that he wasn't satisfied with the applicants for the other half of the position... do I want it?

I'm not at a point in my life to turn down a promotion, so of course I said yes.

And then started the million questions. Actually, mostly one question over and over again...

How will I react to having to students?

Which, as any proactive person would do, I have just turned into a person goal - get to know as many students as possible this year. Instead of thinking of it like I have no students I am thinking of it like I have 700 students.

That is a lot of names to learn.

But a lot of excitement to come.

So as I settle into my new role, my new room, and this new year be sure to check back! I'm tackling inventory starting tomorrow... wish me luck!

A direction

So I've had a hard time blogging lately.

I think because of a couple things...

1: I'm super busy right now. I realize every teacher says that at the end of the year. But its especially true this year. I'm expecting a baby girl in October :) But because of that I'm in super "nesting"-ish mode. I am planning things SO FAR in advanced. Example - I have the entire first half of next year laid out.

2: I am getting a promotion at work! I'm going to be part time science coach next year as well as department chair.

3: I will be teaching a new grade level next year, which means new content. I'm SO excited about this - I finally get to teach 7th grade - LIFE SCIENCE! My major was biology education so finally getting to teach biology is really exciting for me.

4: I didn't really have too much of a direction for my blog...

Which leads me to this. I decided this blog needed a direction. And I realize the direction isn't really changing... but I like that I have it written down and decided upon.

I will be blogging about these 4 things primarily...

1: This will be most dominant in about 5 months - maternity leave and then coming back. I think that will be a HUGE part of my year next year. Even though I only plan on taking 8 weeks, and ideally with the flipped classroom the kids won't even notice, I know it will be the most difficult thing I will have ever done teaching wise. So it will come up. A lot probably.

2: Being at a BYOD school. Our school is going BYOD for next yar - so integrating the technology into my lessons, managing it, and helping other educators include it will be a large focus.

3: Being an academic coach. As I learn more about the coaching cycle my district follows I will be sure to include it here. I know this will be an exciting challenge and a great step for my career.

4: Teaching life science in a flipped classroom. I plan on posting more of my video lessons and hands on activities here. Even if no one else looks at them I'm really excited about having a place where I can keep and reflect on them. Expect a weekly post about what is happening for the week and a follow up post later in the week or the following week reflecting on how the lesson went.

Now other things will come up I'm sure, and this doesn't seem very specific BUT - they are all things I think I'll have enough to talk about and meaningful enough that other people will want to read them.

I'll be spending my summer prepping lessons, making lecture videos, but mostly hanging out with elementary school kids at the day camp I work at teaching science, playing sports, and doing arts and crafts. Posts will be seldom, but will still happen.

2 days of school left! 2012-2013 is coming to a close, and I'm excited I took this year to get better at blogging and set a goal. I hope to look back at this post in a year and be proud of all the blogging I've done since.

Until then... lets see what happens!

Learning Style Inventories... what a waste of time!

I was sent an email last week that made me so mad!

Another teacher telling us how he is going to be using learning inventories in his classroom to direct his teaching...

what a joke and waste of time!

I can't believe people do those things... so they can learn that they have students who learn best each way and then have to differentiate.

Like the rest of us do.

Why do you need to do a survey to actually be able to see that your students need you to present material in different ways?

How are you so disconnected from them?

And, most importantly... what have you been doing?

Inspired

I'm really really enjoying this book so far.



And I've only finished the first of 6 of the main parts. I haven't even explored the companion website very much yet, either.

Get it. Read it. Then contact me so we can swap ideas. PLEASE!!!