Who are You?

The first seven astronauts selected for the American space program were Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper, and Deke Slayton.  All of them were household names when I was a kid.  They were our heroes and someone we aspired to be.  Being an astronaut was about the coolest thing going in the 60’s.  We drank Tang and ate Space Food Sticks at our lunch tables.  We were mesmerized at a space launch and prayed hard that these men would be returned to Earth safely.  Perhaps you recognize a few of the names.  To be selected, each of these men went through a grueling process.  There was a battery of intelligence tests, physical exertion tests, gravity tests, medical examinations, and mental stability tests.  These tests, of course, were used to separate the great from the elite.  Another part of the process was for each applicant to complete the following sentence, “I am …” in 50 different ways.  After the obvious “I am a man”, “I am a pilot”, etc., the candidates quickly discovered just how deep and penetrating that task was.  Incredibly thought-provoking.   Can you get to fifty?  Give this a try – how far can you get?

Here’s the obvious one – you are a teacher!  A noble profession that needs even more noble rookies to take the reins from us when we call it a day.  I thought about other descriptors of teachers.  Here you go.  Tell me if all of these aren’t right on the money – motivator, inspiration, mentor, big brother/sister, counselor, communicator, relationship builder, tutor, educator, supplier, instructor, leader, colleague, psychoanalyst, guru, coach, trainer, faculty member, disciplinarian, lecturer, lesson maker, assessor, data analyst, judge, mechanic, computer whiz, scheduler,  advocate, scholar, adviser, supervisor, and facilitator.  The list is not exhaustive.  What is the greatest compliment that someone could give you about your career in education?  I hope it would be something like this:  “Thank you.  You have made a difference in my life.”  It doesn’t get much better than that.  Thank you for what you do.  Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Victory Laps and ISTEP

There is something special about watching a American runner taking a victory lap after winning the Olympic gold.  Our flag draped over their shoulders, beaming with a sense of accomplishment, the crowd cheering, spectators extending their hands in congratulations, fists pumped to the sky, a single finger raised, the anticipation of our national anthem being played…it’s just special.  Most cannot fathom the level of dedication it took for these athletes to reach this goal.  In this, realize that all of these Olympic champions had this in common – they could not take that victory lap before they crossed the finish line.  There were tens of thousands of hours spent training.  They all worked on improving their endurance, speed, strength, correct form, and power. They developed a racing strategy under the tutelage of a great coach. All of them set short and long-term goals.  None of them neglected the “emotional” side of preparation as to when to employ their strong mindsets, when to get “psyched up” and when to shut it down.  Their victory was the result of purposeful, intentional, and prescriptive training, both physically and mentally.  The gold medal that was draped around their necks was made possible by dedication toward the achievement of the goals.

In the spring, we will have a finish line for our kids to cross.  Okay, let’s face it, you will cross that same finish line with them.  Although ISTEP is not the ultimate finish line, it is important that we cross it in victory next week!  Let’s see how the Olympic preparation compares.  We had the endurance training of consecutive days of pushing kids to higher levels of understanding .  We’ve worked on speed through the time parameters set (don’t you hate them?). We have certainly worked on making the kids stronger through constantly challenging them at higher levels of understanding.  Correct form?  Simple, that is doing things correctly from sentence structure to computations.  We have helped them with the strategies involved in learning by utilizing the strategies we have used as teachers.  They have been under the tutlelage of great coaches – our staff!  We have set daily and long-term goals with each of them and have worked hard to achieve all of them.  We have ISTEP goals and we intend to reach them as well!  All the while, we have not neglected the “emotional” side by establishing positive relationships with our kids.  We have laid out the carrots for them to chase.  Our victory will be the result of purposeful, intentional, and prescriptive teaching, both in a cognitive and emotional sense.  Now, we just have to cross the finish line.  I want us to take that victory lap – we just have to cross the ISTEP finish line first.  Our success will be made possible by dedication toward the achievement of the goals.  I look forward to taking that victory lap with you.

Fishing

I enjoy fishing, but do not often get the chance to do so.  This activity sometimes requires a great deal of patience.  There have been days where the fish are really biting like in late May or early June when the bluegill come near the shoreline to spawn.  Reeling them in at that point is easy no matter which bait you use. It’s almost like you can use a bare hook. There are other days when essentially you are just drowning worms.  The fish aren’t hitting no matter which bait you try – that’s the patience part that can easily turn into frustration.  Success in actually landing fish is based on several factors such as time of season, water depth and temperature and wind direction (Fish bite best when the wind is from the west and fish bite least when the wind is from the east).  The most important factor is the bait that is used.  This can be live bait such as night crawlers, bee moth, and crickets.  Artificial bait such as flies, spinners, and spoons are also widely used.  It really depends on the type of fish that you are after.  What works for one does not necessarily work for another.  Whatever bait you use, you have to fish before you catch.  Some days this activity is called fishing; other days is actually catching.  You can’t have one without the other.

Teachers should never use the same bait day after day to capture kids.  You have to change your bait to capture kids. What works for one does not necessarily work for another.  Change up your strategies. Differentiate based upon student data.  As in fishing, sometimes you just have to change your location.  Not everything needs to be done in front of a white board.  It’s okay to get your class out of the classroom and find other areas in or out of the building.  We can take “walking fieldtrips” by utilizing the wonderful things we have around us here in the county hub.  Get your students out of their seats; find ways to present the lesson.  Not all learning is confined to a 30 x 30 space.  Cast out in the deeper water often; that is where the big gains are.  Remember to work the weedy areas because that is where the “hiders” are that want to fly under the radar.  What works best for one does not necessarily work for another. Whatever teaching bait (strategy) that you use, you have to fish (try it) before you catch (engage) your students.  Be patient, your catch will come.

Tapestry

Tapestry is a form of art where threads are woven through a loom.  The end product is used for decorations in homes and other places.  They tell a story through drawings.  Some of the most famous tapestries are The Trojan War Tapestry, The Apocalypse Tapestry, and The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries.  Make no mistake -  these are not the velvet paintings of Elvis that you see at gas stations next to the guy selling a dozen roses for $3.99.  These are works of art.  A common thread (pun intended) is that these tapestries tell a story over a period of time.  Carole King delivered her second album in 1971 called Tapestry.  This is a great album that sold over 10,000,000 copies and is ranked #36 on Rolling Stone’s top albums of all time (name the top album without looking it up for a special prize).  The title song on the album speaks to the “Tapestry” of her life and is woven with full exposure.  It is there for all to see in all of its colors and images. 

Each day in teaching,  you are creating a “Tapestry” of your career that, surprisingly, you will never see.  Although you are the subject within the tapestry, you will never see the finished product.  In fact, there may be many tapestries woven about you dependent solely on the number of people you have touched, either positively or negatively.  This tapestry can only be seen by others that have come across your path. Each day, these same people are adding to your final product as time marches on. Your tapestry is being created for you by the students you have taught, the colleagues that you have worked with, and the parents of the students that you worked with.  What will yours look like?  Will your tapestry tell a tale of an excellent teacher, a difference maker, a great colleague, and an excellent partner?  Will it depict an educator that made learning fun?  Will it be of an educator who broke difficult concepts into understandable language?  Will it be of a teacher who made great relationships with his/her students? Will it be of a teacher who challenged students academically as well as socially, morally, and ethically?   Will it be full of expressions of thanks for touching someone’s life in ways that surpass the three R’s?  Will it show the kids that you carried off the field during your career?  What will it show?  Each day, the threads are passing through the loom in the eyes of many people.  Do understand that while you will never actually see the finished product, your tapestry is being woven in the minds of those you have encountered.