Mask Mandate Lifted #49

Most states already lifted their mask mandate. I think it was just New Mexico and Hawaii that were left. So our governor lifted ours at 1:00 pm today. It was sudden. No one saw it coming. Least of all schools. I heard about it on social media. Then at about 4:00 pm our school sent out an email and robocall. Masks are now optional.

The debate lingers here, as everywhere. Sides, debates, fits of rage and condescending stares are running amok. So it will, I am sure, filter into the campus and cause some situations on Monday. I've been behind a mask in school, in Texas and  New Mexico for two years. It feels a necessary step is warranted, normalcy is warranted- but the conversation needs to stay alive.

The concerns of many need to be addressed. I have stayed out of the conversation- heated, tumultuous arguments are not my jam. But I am sure there will be some on Monday. I will carry a mask around with me. If I am near a student I will put it on. If I am lecturing or at my desk away from students I might take it off. Either way it is a choice. I feel this choice is necessary.

Many of the teachers at my campus feel uncertain and will wear one all the time. Some won't wear one at all. The same for students- many whom are vaccinated while many are not. It is a familial thing and an individual thing- a choice and I for one feel choice is important. We probably will see a surge of cases as new germs are assimilated and dispersed- but we need to try to find a balance.

Bitter Cold a Coming #48

Boilers are important to a school building. In the winter when they don't work- classrooms, hallways and lunch rooms are bitter cold. Sweaters, scarves and coats are great for outdoors but not desks and chairs- learning is hindered with distractions. But, also it is very hard to focus and concentrate on much when the chilly sensation of winter is knocking.

We closed for a week, last month while they attempted to fix the boiler. We layered and huddled for a day then administration decided we needed a warm place to learn- virtually from home. We came back and fought against the chill for a few days but then a winter storm (our second in 3 weeks) jumped in and dropped our temperatures below freezing again. Thus we are out for another 3 days.  

This is so strange to me- virtual, in building, virtual, in building- what a roller coaster. Of the 4 week course with HS I just taught I saw them 2 weeks in the classroom. Now we are in another term and I just missed 3 days with them. It is necessary, but frustrating. But it is the quandary of a charter school. Things are independent of the local school district. It is finally fixed and hopefully it will stay warm in the building moving forward.

They just lifted our mask mandate and Monday will be our first day on campus with the option of wearing a mask.

The Muck #47

Muck is a good word. It brings to mind muddy waters, thick gooey puddles of sticky slop. You can imagine the traps, the dungeons of hope and fortitude filling up as the liquid disperses and sucks in the fear. Like a quagmire, it might at times hold you in place- make you feel cornered and stuck.

But it can also build a wall, A wall on which we can lean and take a rest. Muck. We have all swam in it, sank below the surface in it, and discovered how to built a raft in order to ride the waves it causes. We avoid it, we jump into it- we welcome it.

For the muck is everything we misunderstand, we find ugly, we care deeply about, and we use to kick ourselves into gear. We step out of it more enlightened, more exhausted and more cognizant of what we need to do. But it can be heavy, it can weight us down and slow our pace. But, it allows us to see the scenery and make decisions and choices.

The muck is something we need to experience. We need to be at the center of it- not in the outer rings of its orbit.

So lean in, even crouch if you need to, sink a toe in- and follow the current.

Hearts, Bouquets and Lots of Sweets #46

Masks can't hide the pride students carry around on Valentine's Day. Smiles vibrate from beneath the mask- candy hearts, red lollipops, Fun Dip, giant Teddy Bears. The wave of red and pink is giant on this day.

I enjoy watching students interact and just feel connected.

Its a very colorful and energetic day indeed.

You Energy is Your Essence #43

 Let's be honest, we don't always have a good day. We are not always in an upbeat mood. We have lulls in our day, where we are just plain old tired and irritable. We get cantankerous. Unfortunately, we as educators, are not provided time to take a break and change our mood.

We have to keep teaching, trying to stay cheerful, even when we want to rip someones eyes out. It could be home life, traffic on the road, even that we just don't feel our best- but we have to keep going, keep moving forward, no matter our comfort level.

I am always writing about mindfulness strategies and they may seem silly, or exaggerated but I assure you they work. I spend a lot of time reading books about behavior, first impressions and 'reading' people and the one thing they all have in common is- we have to pay attention, listen and be patient. We misjudge all the time as humans, as we all know.

But, if we just spend a little more time thinking before we speak, we can make some huge changes in our lives. If we pay attention to our demeanor: facial expression, eye contact, body language and word choice- we can eliminate some of the opinions, that get made about us, before we even start to speak to someone.

We all have an energy. Just like we all have pheromones, a chemical smell we give off. We also give off an energy, it may be invisible, unscented and unnoticeable to some respect, BUT it is felt down to our core. We feel it others, sense it. We make choices to avoid those who may be giving off negative vibes, while migrating towards those who inspire us with their optimism and joyful attitude. We all have a presence- sometimes it is mindful, other times it isn't.

There is nothing I can say to change your mind. If you do not feel the importance of mindfulness, deep inside your bones, then nothing I say will mean anything. My students when I started our positivity-mindfulness strategies- looked at me sideways and literally snickered. They didn't believe me. They thought it was just another flavor of the week.

Yet, day by day, week by week, they started to listen. They started to believe in the process. They began to say more kind things, behave more neighborly in my class. At first it was cordial and felt rehearsed. But after a few weeks it became more natural and heart-felt. You could feel the change in attitude and disposition.

Our energy precedes us. It travels faster than we do. It connects with the energy of others, before we even reach them and if its cross or dismal- we may lose a connection. If it is erratic and crestfallen, others may avoid us and then we will feel isolated. We have to change our energy. The only way we can do that is to be self-aware and self-regulatory.

We have to do the proverbial thing "take a walk in someone else's shoes." Not to feel what they feel in this instance, but to see ourselves through their eyes- their emotions. When we do we might just be horrified at our behavior. But until we see ourselves as harbingers if energy- we won't be able to convert the negativity to positive verve. Believe in the process and you might just surprise yourself.

Another Virtual Week #38

Times are strange. Things at times feel like they are coming together, reaching some kind of normalcy. But then a boiler goes out an after a week of virtual due to Covid cases, we come back for a day then go out again virtual. almost two weeks of virtual. A reminder to stay on your toes as you will need to pivot quickly these days.

Updating lessons to digital quickly is something I can do, thankfully, but coming back for the last day before finals- is a bit disheartening- I barely got to meet my HS students this term - I saw them 2 of the 4 weeks in person. 

Stay open-minded- that's all we can do these days.

Cake and Eating it too: Teacher Love #37

 Don't let anyone tell you that teaching is a cake walk. That people do it for the summers off or weekends or federal holiday's. Don't let people tell you that 'those who can't do, teach." Because you know what? -teaching is a lot of doing. More than can be written in a book or described in a blog post. 

Every teacher has their Tupperware container of strategies and lesson plans. Their go to activities or video clips and warm-ups. There is a certain level of comfort every teacher has- maybe it takes awhile, but they find it. And each one is unique.

Honestly teaching is a set of parameters, and where each of us as an educator falls within them, depends on a few factors. Angles. Parallel or perpendicular. But we fall within them. Because once we take the vow, commit to the profession, we establish our location. Some on the fringe, others well in the center. But, we choose early on where we want to reside.

But as we unpack and settle in- we each have to varying degrees, our Tupperware tool box, full of strategies to cope with and work with the following: Just thinking about them means you recognize them. Some are familiar others foreign but all need our attention.

1. Teacher and student resilience
2. Following the rules
3. Bending the rules
4. Fortitude of action over words
5. Keeping our ego in check
6. Binoculars and microscopes
7. Listening with intention
8. Responding not reacting
9. Is anybody here? Is anybody listening?
10. Leave your pacing guide behind, must we color in the lines?
11. Each class is different, each student unique
12. Learning is not universal
13. Lesson plans do not mean ease of execution, they only give you a starting point
14. Teams are important, no matter how long you have been teaching
15. Technology is not a replacement for anything, just a way to make things more accessible
16. Zoom and Room are equal
17. Digital and digits- never one shall overtake the other
18. Stations are great when they are purposeful, not just another way to read while standing
19. Why long - if you can be succinct and leave more room for exploration
20. Homework should be minimal to leave room for home thinking
21. Do we ever master teaching or are we always in progress?
22. Education is an amalgam of what you like, what they need, and the time and place of collision
23. Brick and mortar versus keys and screens, should be minimal- Zoom is a classroom, it needs inclusion, innovation and your full attention

Just what I have been thinking about. Maybe chapters in a book. Maybe just thoughts. We shall see. Either way, they are what educators are facing. I just wanted to give words to the jumble.

Resistance is Futile #36

 Resistances confront you. Anxiety sets in, when you become conscious, of how much you are avoiding preparation. The sheer thought of writing, shuts you down. You get stuck trying to prove to yourself, that you still got it. The proving ground, enlarges, each blade of turf standing on end, just waiting for the 'cleat' of inspiration to crush it. Yet, no indentation occurs. Only a silent breeze, causing it to waver. Both extremes present themselves, they always show up. All in or avoidance.You can let things percolate, which seems lazy and evasive, or you can ninja attack it. However, too many swipes at open air, not making contact, can set things, even more off course. There are many tough drill instructors out there, ready to redirect and guide you. But, you have to be your own. That is the only way innovation can set in.

Something has been afoot recently, not distraction per se, but a density that feels suffocating. You need general maintenance. A reboot. A shut down. This is the only way to hear the ping...ping...ping.. in the fog. The only way that your crucible can be resolved. You breathe in deeply, taking in the ether. Lessons come in the ether. Ideas linger there. You have to grab them before they go away. You have to be open to the experience. If you proceed with precision, like a scientist, you may miss it. You have to find the spot of relaxation, calmness, flexibility. Inspiration can be deep inside, swirling a mile a minute, but if you are dissecting it, rather than inhaling it, it can become sterile. You have to let go, to not prepare so much, that accidents don't happen. When you are too dialed in, you often get a busy signal. Accidents are opportunities, that allow beauty, to find its way to you.

If you give yourself thirty choices. you will always be disappointed. you will second guess your choice. But if you limit yourself to three, you are more focused and wind up more satisfied. Choice is necessary, we all desire options and preference, but when over-stimulated, by franchise and selection, we get blinded. The ether is not precise, nor is it filled with advertisements or claims of betterment. It is merely a celestial center, in which our thoughts can find their voice. It is a cosmos of opportunity, based on what we can identify in the moment. If we struggle within it, it will dissipate. If we lean in, it will be a comforting blanket, of hope and direction, that will inevitably bring in to focus an idea, a creative notion, a moment of clarity.

This week my ether was no where in sight. I got lost, not in a focused fog, but a quagmire of indecision, distraction and murk. Each step was viscous and glutinous- slowing my every musing, to a syrupy, sludgy pace. I could only function in automatic pilot. I did not Tweet, blog or even read ferociously, as I tend to do. It is Thursday tomorrow and I am just now, starting to see the wispy entrance of my ether. The filaments are emerging, from the darkness and an awakening is taking place. I can see the revelation. Burn out is real. Fatigue will conquer fortitude, if we allow ourselves to be weakened, with too much responsibility. Sometimes there is nothing we can do, but to let it. To abdicate, to its charm. Escape is very inviting. We all need to be rescued at times, from our overzealous nature. Our minds have to go dark. But, after a personalized, well-deserved remedy, we bounce back. I am finally bouncing back.

Classroom Hidden Gems #35

 Hidden: potential, optimism, strength, confidence. We all have these qualities- yet sometimes they allude us. The dirt settles, they get covered with the dust and miasma of a hard days work. They get forgotten because we get so hyper focused on our jobs, our life. These beautiful characteristics at times need to be aired out, like crisp sheets on the clothes line. Refreshed with every gentle breeze.

We get weighted down, our classrooms feel stagnate at times, when we are feeling the loss of movement and interaction. But, we can still have them. We can instill in our students the tools to scavenge and dig, to find these: potential, optimism, strength, confidence. Remind them they possess these powerful tools. Our focus is distracted, diffused like scattered beams of hope. We are all trying to be present, stay motivated- when we are afraid of the virulence of it all.

We need to make sure in our classrooms to dig deep. To open the chests of submersion and discover the shiny excitement and engagement that all of our students are eager to put on display. They are ready to interact whether on zoom or at a desk- they are ready to discuss, collaborate and share ideas. We just have to have safe ways for them to do so.

I used a lot of breakout rooms on Zoom this week. I used round tables in my classroom for discussions. I had 1-minute check-ins. I asked broad questions and let my classes discuss openly on a discussion board and in a verbal conversation. It got noisy- but only temporarily. They on their own figured out a way to make it work. I simply listened and I learned a lot from them. Opinions matter, dissention is inevitable but trust and respect is achievable with one simply action- the act of humility.

The act of listening. The act of taking turns. Of making sure we choose our words to express our meaning not to demean the words or ideas of others. We often are afraid to let our students truly take the reigns. But, when we do, once we have set up parameters and designed a positive community, we can. We can because they will feel safe to share and disagree- but in the end- they smile. In the end they go to the next class, not drudging this conversation behind them- but moving forward having learned something from it.

I was amazed to see how well my classes interacted and discussed with such trust and respect. I model this of course- but when it happens it is such a beautiful thing to witness. Hidden gems. Those quiet students who shine when everyone chooses respect and tolerance. When everyone looks for the good in one another. I absolutely love teaching, love being an educator, love being an observer to the open dialogue that trust imbibes in a classroom. 

Spirit is everything. It can be hidden under the weight of  contagion but it is slowly removed from the dark crevices when we believe in our students. I for one, believe in mine. Not just on paper but in action, in interaction, in organized chaos. In noisy engagement and quiet reflection. In the real world, talking over each other but then settling into the conversation moments.

I know that they have a lot going on and are carrying a lot of doubt and fear. They need a haven for expression. A safe place to just be themselves- not just feel they have a voice, but to use it. This week we got to use ours to really talk science and reasoning- and the gems, they glistened bright. Never to be buried again.

Reality takes a Front Seat #32

 Being Specific, Talking Slowly and Precisely

Flattening the curve. A term we hear every day on the news. Learning curve. Something educators are repeating, like autopilot responses, in every email response we are sending.

Parents are frustrated- mostly due to confusion and incomplete directions. Students are anxious, they often get lost in the multi-platform, various ways to turn in assignments- the submission quagmire.

As a parent, today in fact, I screamed at the top of my lungs. A week of work turned in by my ten-year old, on the district platform, now has to be entered on a different platform. I kind of lost it.

A crying ten-year old, didn’t help keep my mindfulness in check either. The response from the teacher- ‘I sent an email a week ago, the first of the four I sent.” Really? Do you know how many emails parents are getting? Teachers are getting.

I simply replied. “Thank you for all you do.” I know she is a fellow educator and she is flattening the curve too. Finding her groove in the learning curve. But it got me thinking. 

Has this happened to any of the parents of my students? Was I not clear at some point, and they chose to say, “Thank you for all you do,” instead of venting at me?

Reality Check #1- Emails get lost. Send out clear, precise, very specific directions at the beginning of every week. Link it to the module or lesson as a must do before they begin anything else. 

A post and a podcast. Some parents and students need verbal instructions, while others prefer text.

Not only will this minimize emails to you and questions for you- it will more importantly, ease parental anxiety and student frustration.

The Rules Have Changed, But the Game Remains the Same

Relentless routines grind down the peaks. It is no one’s job to create a peak- it’s a hassle and time-consuming, to say the least. But we can build our determination.

We can help our students find their fortitude and tenacity. But, if we do not design lessons (yes even on-line) that engage them, this dedication will wane quickly. We as educators need to look for moments of substance and impact in everyday life.

Distance learning needs games, not just practices. We are no longer present, looking them in the eye, for 45 minutes a day. Even if we are chatting in an on-line group, we still have very little control, over what they are doing.

Let’s face it, behavior management has shifted from teacher to parent and with a house full of kids, it is difficult to maintain. I personally, have a quick 15-minute chat and a 15-minute conference each week as a class. That’s all.

Then I set up some assignments for them to do independently. And a blog/discussion where they can interact and bounce ideas off of one another, without me.

It’s not easy to erase the chalk line between habit (what they look for) and the unanticipated (what we hope they see). Familiarity and notability are at odds.

We need to break this consistently and prevent student expectation and boredom. In other words, stir things up a little. Ask an absurd question, let them have some fun discussing how to answer it.

Our lessons need to be recognizable and comfortable to a certain degree, especially for differentiation purposes, but they also need to have some wonder.

Reality Check #2– On-line lessons often run off of modules or a sequenced list. Unfortunately, this is a recognizable, familiar format and should be left as the scaffold.

But, without pulling in too many unknowns- too many outside places to submit things, we should keep things interesting. But compelling and stimulating need not be some totally new format.

Add a funny comic for them to interpret, or piece of art to creatively write about- within the same platform. Don’t add more components- just more layers.

Break the Script

Let’s face it, the ‘moments’ we were having as a class, in person, are on hold. The magic and light shows, our pyrotechnic hooks and introductions, seem unattainable currently. In a way they are. The performance art, every educator utilizes, seems unnecessary, but is it?

The idea is easy, the execution is hard. They can click on millions of links at any time. There ARE far more flamboyant, humorous and entertaining videos and games available to them- than us.

Reality Check #3- We are not the most cool or engaging thing on the Internet. Or in their learning world.

But, we can up our game. The venue might be set, but the stakes can be raised. The sensory appeal can be attractive enough, that we get them away from their devices for a while. We can avoid the soul sucking voice of reasonableness.

Italo Calvino- “Seek and learn to recognize who and what in the midst of the inferno, are not inferno, then make them endure, give them space.”

I see this as an opportunity to use the space, the distance between us as a tool. Use it as a pause button. This can give students time to figure things out, without us bombarding them with stimulus and questions.

We need to use the routine, the scaffolding of our on-line platform- but the problems we present to them can remove them from it. Flip the script. Have them create a lesson and share it with the class in a blog/discussion.

Let them find new websites and games that will help other students.

Break the script by simply giving students a topic- a single vague question and then tie it to the unit. Make sure they understand the parameters and then set them free.

You will be amazed at the level of complexity and thoroughness they will show.

There is an ‘I'm’ in Imperfection

Distance learning has taught me one thing. My classroom is run like a loose confederacy.

I rely on the commitment of my students. It is my job to create a place, albeit a virtual one, where my students don’t just understand something, but that they feel something.

I need to deliver a jolt. There is a certain freshness and sport, about this whole new learning platform. There is a novelty of first times in our lives. It helps when we make sure to bring this into our lessons. It creates a sense of curiosity.

Reality Check #4- There is beauty in imperfection. There is humility in vulnerability that leads us to more connections with parents and students. Be honest, deliberate and understanding.

Listen, read an email, then read it again. Respond not react. Take the time to be imperfect because if you focus on being perfect, you will miss opportunities to problem solve, with parents and students. We are better together.

Soak up the Bumps

You can’t schedule a realization. Or prompt a student discovery. You can, however, leave clues for them to follow and hopefully at the end of the maze, something clicked into place.

Reality Check #5- Students are not Lego bricks and sometimes, they just don’t connect with the content.

So how can we make sure, that they trip over the truth? We need to make sure that every student is figuring things out- yet, we absolutely do not want to make things too challenging- this is a time for simplicity.

Then with those students who need some enrichment- we can design for some obstacles. It is an oddity, a juxtaposition for me, to have modules they need to follow. It feels too structured. It takes away some of my creativity. BUT it is necessary.

Consistency is absolute. What lies within the assignments, the layers within are where the creativity lies? Where choice can be presented.

We are presenting a pile of Lego bricks- but we need to allow them choice of size, shape and color- the architecture is personal, the tools are universal.

Let's not let the Wish be the Father of the Thought

What we are doing as educators currently, with distance learning is- TRUTH- forcing us into a screen. An entity students have long ago accepted as a tool for fun and adventure.

So, we can make our lessons remarkable or forgettable- we have to choose because, we already have a barrier, the computer itself and all its glorious options.

Delighting your students is unattainable, unless you provide the basics. There is a constant face-off between time and attention. Every quibble relocates their attention and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.

Reality Check #6- It is hard to keep students from adopting a siege mentality.

We need multi-trackers- promotion(keep them excited and surprised)and prevention(removing heft but keeping value). Bright spots are necessary.

Students are living in an emotional cul-de-sac. It feels like they are trapped and in a sense they are. We have a risk- one that leans towards in-action. How can we combat this?

1-Create a local analogy- a similar problem, something we all have in common, quarantine, distancing, anxiety. In other words, a granular problem for them to solve.

2-Create a regional analogy- another problem to compare it to, (activity specific). In other words, a conceptual problem they need to solve.

3-Ladder up the lessons- On the lower rungs give them a view of the situation, to find similarities. Then the higher rungs, offer more and more options of how to answer questions- give them reasons to go outside in their yard, play a board game, play their instrument or dance around to their favorite song- and ask them to make connections to the content.

As the week goes on, and the content solidifies, we can get more and more abstract. They can ascend the ladder until they have understanding. If they don’t. Offer some binoculars (review podcast, outside websites and articles) for them to be able to see the view from every angle.

Some students will get there early, some will take every rung. It doesn’t matter, as long as they keep climbing because they are curious what they will find.

Reality Check #7- Not everyone has a ladder. Not everyone wants to climb a ladder. We have to present our lesson at ground level as well as throughout the ascension.

1- The platform is there for a reason. To make things as clear and simple as possible.
2- Too much information is not what students need. They need simple, but also open-ended enough for them to put their own stamp on it.
3-  The layers are what matter- the components are universal the layers are personal.
4-  You can’t avoid confusion. You can’t prevent misunderstanding. No matter how clear you think you are (text and verbal in a podcast) there will always be someone who needs help. Be patient.
5- Students don’t need pyrotechnics they need moments of reveal and a stream of consistency. You are not their only teacher.
6-  Parents need one email, if that, a week. Keep it simple and direct. They are bombarded, under siege at every direction. Put yourself in their shoes.
7-  It should never be about the grade. Always about the growth. Growth comes from curiosity- its that simple.
8- Let them communicate with one another- social interaction is virtual and we need to let them just talk, as we do in our brick and mortar classrooms.


Now...take a deep breath....the learning curve is flattening, the contagion curve will take more time. 

Find your favorite song- the one that makes you energized, reflective and passionate.

For me it's "Across the Universe" by The Beatles. If you haven't listened to it in a while- you should. It will give you a new perspective.