Everyone Has Value, Everyone Matters

I wish that I could come up with some catchy phrase of the day like "Time Out to Learn Tuesdays" or something 10 times more clever, but honestly this is just a plain post with a a plain truth....Everyone has Value, Everyone Matters.  This post was prompted by what I am learning at Summer Camp...that's #PTCamp to be more specific.  #PTCamp is an online camp for parents and teachers that spans a period of 6 weeks and focuses on the developing meaningful partnerships between schools and families.  Over 100 participants from around the globe are reading Beyond the Bake Sale and tweeting, voxing, and ApprenNet-ting (not sure if that is actually a word) about how to foster strong relationships among all stakeholders in schools.

Why read a book about how to foster meaningful partnerships? "The evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their children's achievement.  When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer and like school more."
How do you start? "First, we have to absolutely believe in our souls that families want to support their children and that their support can make a significant difference in a child's educational experience.  Second, we need to prioritize reaching out to families."
     I had the privilege of hearing Angela Maiers along with others present at ISTE on the power of the words "You Matter". As I was thinking about the book study, I thought about the power of the words "you matter" and the connection that parents and teachers could make if only we entered every interaction with that thought foremost in their minds.  No longer would we be on the defense in a parent- teacher conference or assume that we knew more about someone

else's child because of all of the letters behind our name; no, our thinking MiGHt aCtUAllY ShIFt. The book's authors emphasize that "everyone has something to offer"...hmmm, is it because they matter?  Do they have insight that needs to be shared to maximize the learning experience for the child? Maybe, just maybe... If I would enter into the parent-teacher relationship with the attitude that everyone has something to offer and everyone should get something positive out of the relationship, I would avoid the totally inaccurate and very lopsided, "I know best" thinking.  How might the year might progress if my first conversation started with "You are your child's first teacher; tell me about your child." Or, what if small groups met and parents were encouraged to talk about TheIR DrEAms and EXpeCtAtiONs for their child's future and teachers and administrators followed up with discussions and evaluation of the school's curriculum to determine how it was connected to the families' dreams?  Would that change the culture of the school???

    Last week I heard someone ask (via Voxer), "What if the administration doesn't support this type of partnering?"  While I am blessed to be in a school that values people and believes that everyone matters, I can imagine that this is very real in varying degrees in many schools.  So, I say, start right where you are.  One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is when God asks Moses, "What's in your hand?"  It is a question I have asked myself more than once, I can assure you and I have come to think that another way of saying it could be to ask, "Where do I have influence?"  Every teacher can say most assuredly that he or she has influence in the classroom...so, StARt THeRe!
     I love that the book, along with the participants in the study offer practical suggestions.  All of the ideas focus on developing relationships.  If I truly believe that people matter like I say I do, then it only makes sense for me to invest in people.  How?  Honor them with my time, my words and my talents.

• Visit the homes of students.
• Invite them into my home or at least the classroom and not just on Back to School night!
• Make positive phone calls to parents monthly to keep them in the loop on overall student progress.
• Go outside of the building to greet and talk with parents.
• Create a warm, friendly environment by ensuring that the number of student projects and celebrations of student accomplishments outnumber warning posters about alcohol, drug abuse and dropping out.
• Host a class meeting, grade-level social or book club.

I love these ideas make sense!  My favorite quote from these chapters were really words of wisdom that can guide my behavior in any interaction:  

5 Things I Learned at ISTE Today

It is Day 2 of #ISTE2014 and my head is already spinning with so much information that I thought I had better take a moment to reflect and write down at least 5 things that really stood out about the day before I went back tomorrow to pack more in:)
So the top 5 things I learned today are:

1. Ron Clark Academy students pray before they begin a presentation.

2. Thinglink is pretty cool (I have seen my Texas tech-y friends use it for a while, but I never quite "got it" until today). It is an app and it's online. The purpose of Thinglink is to allow you to place interactive icons linked to text, URLs, and websites on a static picture OR beginning tomorrow inside a video (like to ask guiding questions or assess understanding). I got to meet the founder today and she gave me a sneak peek!

3. Thanks to Al Pajak, I learned that you can embed a You Tube video inside a Google form. He uses the forms to verify students completed a flipped learning assignment.

4. From QR Code Scavenger Hunts for teachers to the Amazing Race, @AngelynCheatham and @JessicaBranch are taking a fun approach to professional development with the Extreme PD Makeover Edition.  They shared ideas that I will definitely incorporate!

5. It is important to make time to really connect with people. I had the amazing opportunity to talk with some wonderful EdTech Women over dinner tonight. It reminded me that it is always about people. So often at a conference, I get caught up in heading to the next session to hear about the next hot tool and I forget that there is more value in relationships than there can ever be in the next great whatever.  Thank you Sehreen Noor Ali and Margaret Roth for facilitating a fantastic conversation tonight.

Reflection:
      As I read back over my list of 5 things I learned, I think their commonality can be summed up in one word: connection. In some instances, I learned things that helped me connect the dots like that you can embed stuff in a Google Form and I honestly can't wait to try it. In others, I connected with people and with connections to people the learning is limitless. 
     Thank you to all who shared with me today through your conference presentations, your tweets, and your stories.  It was another great day at #ISTE2014!

Chatting It Up @ #TLAPMATH

10 Lessons from Ron Clark Academy

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a conference at Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta.  It was the absolute best professional development in which I have ever participated.  It changed the way I thought, planned, and conducted myself in my classroom.  The staff's creativity and enthusiasm was contagious.  I clearly remember the excitement I felt as I dared to imagine the possibilities at my own school.
I am headed back to RCA in just a few short weeks - this time for The End of Molasses Classes book release party.

I started calling friends as soon as I saw the notice!  When I called C, I started with," I am not sure exactly what the book is about...".  She responded, "If Ron Clark wrote it, it has to be good."  (She was with me last time.)  So, we (me and 4-5 friends) are taking a road trip.  Why go back?  I remember my last visit and the 10 lessons from RCA:
1.  Be passionate ~ About your subject, yes, but also, about your kids.
2.  Let your imagination go wild ~ Honestly, I would not have thought to invite a graffiti artist to my school in the middle of the night nor would I have dreamed to install a disco ball in my math class.  Both sparked excitement and enthusiasm in the students of RCA.
3.  People want to support people who are making a difference ~ I was amazed at the people who support the school's efforts.  It is clear to see the staff's vision and impact.  Businesses, parents, universities and celebrities have joined their efforts to change the world one child at a time.
4.  Be persistent ~ Teach and re-teach. Ask and ask again.  Make a goal and work toward it everyday.  Keep doing what is right and know that a breakthrough is coming.  Do not grow weary in doing good.
5.  Every child matters ~ Every student has a destiny that only he or she can fulfill.  It is our job to help them reach their fullest potential.
6.  Every child can learn ~ It must be the inherent belief of educators.  It is my responsibility to ensure an environment conducive to high achievement.
7.  Have fun ~ School should be fun; life should be fun.  Sometimes, adults forget to have fun.  Plan for fun.  I played school as a child.  Why? It was fun for me.  Recapture and use the memories of the childhood play to infuse life into the classroom.

A slide to get from the 2nd floor to the first?  Oh, yeah!  Slide certified:)

8.  Bring your whole self to the classroom ~ Embrace your own uniqueness and use your gifts and talents to reach and teach kids others can't.
9.  It's about the kids ~ Without students, we wouldn't need teachers.
10.  Essentials are essential ~ Setting expectations is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and for our students (Inspiring Teachers).  The Essential 55 is a collection of expectations that address respect, manners, and an appreciation of others.  As a result of our previous visit, we developed our own Essentials for Excellence, expectations that are essential for a lifetime of success.