Hiking a New Trail

Principal ponderings...

We spent the weekend camping out in our backyard in a tent, after being forced to "camp in" in our house for so many weeks.  And then on Monday I decided that we needed to get away.  We need to leave our house, leave our yard, find somewhere else to just be for a little bit.  So we loaded the van up with kids and dogs and snacks and masks.  And we just drove west.  I didn't really have a plan other than to drive and be somewhere else.  We ended up in the Berkshires.  A place that Dave and I used to go to a lot before kids.

I put my husband in charge of directions to find us a trail that was open and allowed dogs.  Most of the drive was great.  Kids were reading and doing wipe off activity books.  Dogs were sleeping in the way back.  I was driving and mentally escaping from our current reality.  And my husband was singing along to the top 100 Beatles countdown on Sirius radio.  Then when it appeared we were getting close to the "trail," the dogs were anxiously peering out the back windows and my kids were thinking we were going on a rollercoaster ride because we were suddenly on a narrow, gravel road that was winding up and up.  And I kept thinking I saw private property signs out of the corner of my eye.  Plus, you know it's never a good sign with when the navigation system on your phone just sort of ends without an X marks the spot or a "you've arrived" notification.  When I finally stopped driving, we were sitting in front an old farmhouse where two Golden Retrievers were in the front yard...or should I say field...staring at us.  I explained to my husband that yes we were sort of on a trail through woods and yes there were dogs there, but I am pretty sure this is someone's property!  So I managed to somehow turn us around while my kids were saying, "I think those dogs are lost and need us to take them home with us."  My thoughts: oh there are some dogs that are lost, but it's not those dogs!  When I asked my husband what destination he typed in, he could not really give me an answer.  So back to the main road we went.

Eventually, we found a trail that was open and that allowed dogs and that was not actually someone's private property!  As a family, dogs and all, we hiked.  We explored an unknown place.  There were signs leading us different ways and each time we came to one, we made a choice to go a certain direction.  It was hot and my knee is still not the best, but it was so nice to be somewhere else exploring.  And of course, while we were hiking, my mind wandered to thoughts of school and the virus and next year.  I keep thinking about how we are all now hiking a new trail.

Only this trail is not like any other.  In fact, it's more like what my Emerson wanted to do.  We were following the path when she came to a spot where it was clear that an animal had maybe ventured off the trail.  Some branches were broken, the grass was slightly matted down, but it was not an extension of the trail we were on.  But that did not stop Emerson from saying..."let's take this trail!" She was ready to dive into the overgrown trees and bushes.  There was no trail marker, no guidance, no visible path.  Yes she was ready to forge ahead into the unknown.

While we did not let our daughter wander off into the wilderness, as I watched that moment when she started to try to venture down her own path, I thought about next year.  We are all standing on the trail that was been mapped out long ago.  But now we are are going to have to step off the familiar, well-worn path.  There will not be trail markers.  There won't be much guidance.  Sometimes there won't really be a visible path at all.  But we won't have the chance to step back and stay on the comfortable path that we have hiked before.

Next year, we will be hiking a new trail.  Actually, we will be creating the trail.  I won't be the one walking in the front cutting down the overgrowth.  And I won't be the one walking behind shouting out directions to 'stop' or 'watch out!'  I will be hiking right along side of you.  We will all need to make suggestions for what the new trail will look like.  We will all need to be looking after each other and shouting out encouragement to each other and words of caution.  I was tired and sore after our family hike.  This new hike, this trail creation is not going to be easy.  It's going to be exhausting.  It's going to feel like we can't do it or we need to turn back.  We won't be able to retrace our steps and go back to that comfortable trail.  You definitely need to take time over the next several months to think about if you can go on this journey with us.  Are you ready for this challenge?  Do you want to venture into the unknown with us?

Yes, this will be hard, but it will also be full of new surprises.  New learning.  New connections.  New opportunities. We can choose to think that we have to change our trail.  Or we can choose to think we get to change our trail.

Are you ready to hike a new trail with me?

Currently reading:
While it took me longer than normal, I finally finished Song for a Whale.  I also finished reading The Benefits of Being an Octopus, such a good book about students and families dealing with living in poverty and the inequities that are present in schools and life.  I am now listening to Untamed by Glennon Doyle on Audible and loving it.

I picked up another graphic novel to quickly work my way through, Nat Enough.  This is a story of a middle schooler who feels like she is never enough.  She is struggling with her best friend, and she is trying to learn about her true self and her natural abilities while focusing on who she is instead of who she is not.

I love that my Mother's Day gift was a new bookshelf.  I promptly began filling it up, still working on the bottom shelf.  Wondering where all those books were before?!  I know where they were...in bags and piles all over my house!  As I put the books on the shelf I rediscovered so many that I either had not read yet or want to reread or recommend to friends and students.  Have you taken a look at your book collection at home?  Maybe there are some old friends you can revisit during this time or some that you forgot to read? 

Staff Shout Outs:

• A giant shout out to Gayle MacKoul!  Angela Greene shared how much time Gayle devotes to connecting with students virtually each day.  Angela truly supports how much time you have devoted to making sure students feel connected to the class and to the remote learning happening in 4G.
• A really big shout out to Liz Hilton and Shoshana Green from the 4th grade team!  Here's what they said about you: "Both of these ladies join our weekly grade-level meetings and create tools to support our lessons. They have been a blessing to the fourth grade team during this time. We have learned so much from them about making our lessons accessible to all students."
• Thank you Julie Rondinelli for sending in a shout out to Kristin Baird. "She received a new student during closure and has done an amazing job welcoming her into her classroom and making her feel apart of the class.  Every meeting I join, Natalia is there and participating."
• Shout out to Dan Wilde for being willing to listen to our crazy idea for a virtual field day and running with it!  And for collaborating with the other PE teachers.  Thanks for all the work you are putting into the plans.  Can't wait to see pictures and videos of smiling, happy kids!

Check it out:
So our very own Laurie Coe has caught the blogging bug!  I love that she has found writing as a way to share her thoughts before this closure and during.  Check out her blog: https://runninginplaceunfiltered.blogspot.com/

I am actually playing around with the idea of starting a podcast with a few fellow MA principals so I have been researching podcasts, talking to others about podcasts.
Lots of great podcasts out there to listen to...
The Zen Teacher Experience
The TeacherFit Podcast
Punk Rock Classrooms
Teach Better Talk!
And for something unrelated to education (or actually totally related!)....I have not listened to this one but plan to start! How To Fail

To Teach or To Tech? That is the Question.

Principal ponderings...

Last year, I shared tech tips throughout the year, even offered some tech tutorials before school on some days.  Fast forward to today, we are stuck at home, trying to teach remotely, and relying on technology to keep us connected.  Now so many of us have had to up our tech game about 1,000%.

I have been compiling some tech tip videos, posts, info to share with all of you.  My advice?  Don't let yourself get overwhelmed.  Pick one thing to learn more about and then be brave and try it out.  And share your learning with your students.  What better way to engage with them than to show them how you are trying, making mistakes, persevering, and learning!

Matt Mille, the author of Ditch That Textbook, has created a free online course called Remote Learning 101.  Click here to register and get all kinds of practical tips, videos, resources, templates and more!

Here's a video with 7 tips for remote teaching from a teacher who is re-learning how to teach like all of you:

Have you ever tried ChatterPix?!  Such a fun way to make pictures or objects talk.  This could be something you could use to share things with your students or it could be something you could introduce to them to try to use and create on their own.

Pocket Full of Primary is a great resource; she's a 4th grade teacher in Maryland.  Here's a video clip where she walks you through creating Google slides to teach with.  You have seen that I use Google slides, it's a great way to present and share with students or colleagues.

And here she is again with several of the best websites and apps for remote learning.  She simply shares these resources.  You can then go and search info videos about the websites or apps she mentions.  I was going to share a separate video about Screencastify which is one she mentions, but you can find lots of video tutorials on it.  She shares links for everyone in the description of her video.

You are all teachers.  And now, thanks to COVID, you are all "tech-ers." Thank you for pushing yourselves out of your comfort zone and trying different ways to connect and teach through technology.

I would love to hear what you have been learning about or trying.  I'd also love to help, so reach out if you want to learn more about something or need some support with anything tech related.

To teach or to tech? That is the question. The answer today is both!  To teach AND to tech.

Currently reading:
I was excited to get a surprise book mail package the other day.  Thanks Caitlin Palazzo for sending me the book Joyful.  It was such a beautiful day on Saturday so I spent lots of time outside.  Definitely enjoyed reading this book in my hammock!

Staff Shout Outs:

• A big thank you to Deb H and Amy C for helping with data entry as we work to transition from esped to PowerSchool with our IEP documentation.
• Thank you to Jess Atkins for always willing to help out with projects!
• Sending a shout out to Lisa Cotting.  She has been persevering and trying new tech tools.  Sometimes she has had challenges, but she doesn't give up and models this for her students.

Check it Out:
Teacher Appreciation Deals - https://www.weareteachers.com/teacher-appreciation-deals/

What Will You Remember?

Principal Ponderings...
When this is all over what will you remember?  I know we will remember the weird experience of going to the grocery store wearing a mask, following the direction arrows, and standing 6 feet apart in line.  I know you will remember craving time with friends and family that did not involve logging in on the computer.  I am guessing you will remember sitting through Google Meets and Zoom meetings in your pajama pants. 

But what else will you remember?  Will you remember the small moments that happen?  The ones that in our pre-quarantine life we would have been to busy to notice?

I will remember sitting together as a family for dinner, no electronics, talking and laughing.  And my husband always thanking me for making dinner.  I will also remember when my kids starting thanking me before he had a chance to say it.  (They are learning!)

I will remember snuggling with my daughter at bedtime.  Feeling her bury her head in my neck.  I will especially remember the sensation of her little fingers intertwining with mine, falling asleep while holding on.

I will remember listening to tunes while solving a 1,000 piece puzzle with my husband late into the night.

There are a lot of other moments that I don't want to remember, the ones that made me cry, the ones where I was frustrated with my kids and my husband and myself.  But I am going to really try to hold onto the small moment memories that are getting me through this crazy time.  The time when the whole world hit the pause moment.  Slightly ironic that "pause" was my one word for 2020.

What will you choose to remember?

Currently reading:
I am still working my way through Song for a Whale.  I have about 5 more chapters to go.  Still struggling to find time to sit and read, but I know I need to keep trying to do that.  I miss my reading life before COVID-19. 

I find myself reading a lot more articles and blog posts as opposed to actual books.  And I am surrounded in my house by actual books.  I need to try to schedule a regular reading time into my day because I have bookshelves full of books that I need to read and want to read!

Staff Shout Outs!
Just a reminder that you can use this form to submit staff shout outs.

• Liz Bercume wanted to give a shout out to Darryl V: Darryl has been a lifeline through this whole process. She has taken initiative and spent hours creating assignments and helping her team. Plus, she is really, really funny.
• Liz Bercume also wanted to give a shout out to Liz H: Liz H is an actual angel. She is the most kind and positive person. She gives so much of herself and truly has a passion for teaching. Our staff and students are so lucky to have her!
• Big shout out to Meredith Greco.  Julie R shared that Meredith has been so helpful with researching tech tips/videos and sharing resources with how best to support our students on IEPs.
• Big shout out to Gayle M, Jess A, Deb H, and Sarah S for being brave and recording themselves reading stories so we could share more read alouds with our families.
• Big shout out to Lynn Wood for connecting with students and families who are struggling and offering support and assistance.  Families are very appreciative! 

Check it out:

All the Feels

Principal Ponderings...

I am upset with myself that my weekly blogging, something I have done for years, came to a screeching halt when schools closed down mid-March.  Each week I kept saying, I am going to write a post.  And then it never happened.  I have had the idea for my comeback post for a while.  Feels.  All the feels. 

The picture posted above is the mural that my talented brother painted this past summer.  It is on display on the side of an oceanfront business.  I love the colors.  I love the texture in it.  I love that this is an image that people saw as they drove down 17th Street towards the beach.  And today, while I am writing and thinking about having "all the feels," this image came to mind.

Before the Governor's announcement today, I have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions.  And then as soon as I heard the words "schools will be closed for the remainder of the year," it felt like the rollercoaster came to a complete stop, one that jerked us all forward and then slammed us back, halting us in our tracks, shaking us, rattling us to the core.  I was driving back from dropping the mail at school, listening to the press conference.  And even though I knew what he was going to say before he said it, as soon as it was out there in the world, I cried.  I drove away from school and I cried.  And then I put on my brave face so that my own children would not see my tears.

All the feels.  Been feeling all of the emotions.  Some days I am feeling anxious.  Some days I feel pumped up and ready to take on this challenge.  Some days I am so sad that I cry into my husband's shoulder.  Some days I am angry that people think we should just go back to business as usual while people are sick and dying in hospitals.  Some days I am worried about my parents and my in-laws.  Some days I am accepting of what is happening.  Some days I feel like I want to quit.  All the feels.  Been feeling all of the emotions.

I think it's ok to experience all of these emotions, to ride the rollercoaster that none of us signed up for.  You have to let yourself feel all the feels.  Recognize the feeling, let yourself experience and then move on.  Sometimes you come to a place on the ride like I did the other night.  I was playing a Disney princess matching game with Emerson while the Disney sing-a-long was on in the background.  Cayce was in the other room reading a book on the phone to his mom.  Dave was giving a remote piano lesson in the music room.  Emerson had just helped me set up the game and told me she wasn't that good at matching games.  And then on the first turn, she found a match! Chip from Beauty and the Beast.  She looked up at me with a look of surprise and joy.  In that moment, I of course teared up, but I was so happy.  In life before COVID 19, this moment might not have happened.  Or if it did, it would not have meant as much I think.  For a little bit, I enjoyed riding the emotional rollercoaster and feeling all the feels.

What feelings will you feel on your rollercoaster ride this week?

Currently Reading:
I don't know about you but my reading life has taken a beating during this pandemic.  I am finding it hard to set time aside to simply read.  So I picked up some graphic novels which I knew would be easy to sit and read in one sitting and get that feeling of completing a book.  I read two this past weekend.  The first was Lunch Lady and League of Librarians.  A very funny book, I can see why kids love this series...the play on words with food items is awesome!  And hopefully we can bring the author, Jarrett Krosoczka, to Mayo next year!

I also enjoyed spending a morning sipping my tea and reading Smile.  As a child who had a lot of dental work, way more than normal, I could appreciate the struggles Raina went through! I am excited to read Guts next.

I was very excited to get a new professional development book in the mail, The Interactive Class.  This book is packed with ways to engage students using technology.  Will be sharing what I learn from it with all of you!

Staff Shout Outs!

Normally I have a section on here where I share all the great things I see happening in our school.  I add pictures and celebrate the amazing things you are all doing in your classrooms.  Clearly that's a little tough to do now.  But we can celebrate each other and lift each other up during this tough time.  Click on this survey to submit a staff shout out.

• For this week, I wanted to give a shout out to the 5th grade team.  I was on a planning call with them yesterday, right after hearing the news from the Governor.  And they managed to make me laugh so hard that I had tears in my eyes. Which was so needed after tearing up for a whole different reason.
• I also want to give a shout out to Patty Hurley.  She is always willing to get on the phone with a family, reach out and connect, and let them know we are here to help.  It is comforting to know that she is doing this every day.  

Check it Out:

Here is an article about remote learning and the importance of keeping it simple.

Some of us went to the Get Your Teach On Conference in the fall.  That group is offering ELA lessons online everyday.  Here is the calendar to check it out.

Seuss-inspired Snippets

Principal ponderings...
Since it's Dr. Seuss's birthday, Read Across America Day, Book Fair Week, and Community Reader Day this week....I thought I would simply do a Seuss-inspired post full of motivational quotes:

Currently reading:
I have loved reading The Good Egg and The Bad Seed to classes so I went and bought The Cool Bean.  Will be reading during Wednesday evening's Book Fair event!

Since I was confined to my couch for much of the weekend, I enjoyed diving into Lila and Hadley.  This book is available at the book fair.  It's about a young girl who has to go live with her older sister because her mom has to go to jail.  The girl has a condition where she is gradually going blind.  She meets a dog from a rescue shelter and the two of them were clearly meant to be in each other's lives.  As I was reading more about the author, I discovered an interesting organization that she co-founded called Disability in Kidlit.

Events this week:
** Scholastic Book Fair in the library all week!
Monday - CST Meeting @ 8:00am, SIMCO meeting @ 4:00, English class for adults 5:30-7:30 in the conference room
Tuesday - Fit Club K-2 @ 8am, Liz out of the building all day
Wednesday - Staff Meeting @ 8am, Girls Who Code 3:30 in the purple pod, Scratch/Programming 3:30 in the green pod, Family Evening Event Book Fair/Bedtime Stories w/Principal Garden 4:00-7:00
Thursday - Fit Club K-2 @ 8am, Liz at Curriculum Meeting 7:45-10:00
Friday - CST Meeting 8:00 and 8:30, Community Reader Day! PTA BINGO Night @ 5:30 in the cafeteria

Great things I noticed last week:

• Thanks to the PTA for a smooth Bagel Breakfast for our families.  Thank you to the teachers that stepped in and helped out with directing traffic and serving food! 
  
• Loved seeing kids sneaking a peek into the Book Fair once it was set up.  So many excited kids ready to shop for books this week! 
  
• I was invited to a wonderful book tasting at Cotting's Cafe!  Students had a chance to sample different genres and nibble on different books. 
  
  
  
  
• I also was invited to visit 5OC while they shared some of their colony projects.  Loved that some students did actual models and some students created virtual colonies using SketchUp. 
  
  
  
  

Check it out:
I am going to send this resource out to parents, but wanted to share it with all of you as well: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/natural-disaster-resources/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-(coronavirus)-a-parent-resource

The Writer Inside Each of Us

Principal ponderings...

Over the break, I did a lot of thinking about the power of our words and how we can use writing for good.  I also thought about how important it is for us to teach our students to use their words and use their writing to do good.  I am part of a writing group called TeachWrite.  It is mostly teachers (and the occasional odd principal) who encourage each other and push each other to be writers.  It is hard to be a teacher of writing if one is not actually doing any writing.  Some people in the group are writing books.  Some people write in notebooks and journals.  Some people write articles and blog posts.  Some people write letters or fitness logs.  The point is everyone is writing and encouraging writers.

This year, I started joining an online writing community where we actually meet virtually once or twice a week to talk about our writing and our writing goals, and then for most of the online meeting, we write.  I love that I am now part of this writing support group.  It keeps me accountable every week.  Here is the website if you are interested in learning more: https://www.teachwriteacademy.com/

I am connected to people with the Two Writing Teachers website.  In a conversation over the break, a literacy specialist shared that her uncle had passed away, but she had remembered that he wrote a memoir.  Thanks to Amazon...where you can find everything!...she was able to find his memoir and purchase it.  She shared with us this story verbally and then thankfully, she wrote about.  You can read her message here: http://responsiveliteracy.blogspot.com/2020/02/chicago-kid.html.  I love her ending: "Tell your story because your story matters."  What an important message for us as adults.  And an even more important message for all of our students.  We have to help them find the writer inside of each of them.  And if we are going to do that, we better make sure we are finding the writer inside of each of us.

I also have a good friend named Beth Houf who is an amazing middle school principal in Missouri.  She shared this great story that just ran in the local paper about how some of her students are being empowered to use their writing to tell a story.  Here's the article:
 https://www.komu.com/mobile/story.cfm?id=105315-fulton-students-aim-to-impact-others-with-writing

Our words matter.  Our stories matter.  We need to be writing.  And we need to be teachers of writing.  No one says you need to be writing published articles or novels.  Each of us can be a writer in our own way.  Maybe we don't share our writing with anyone, keeping it hidden in a journal or in a computer file or maybe we share it with lots of people to get feedback and grow.  It's almost March and that means it's time for the Slice of Life Challenge again.  You might remember that I shared about this last year:
The goal is to write a slice of life story every day during the month of March.  That's 31 little snippets of your life.  I have honestly surprised myself and written for 31 days straight during the last few March challenges.  I did not think I could do it, but it has been so rewarding to be able to look back and read my writing and see my perseverance in action.  During the challenge, you are also encouraged to read other people's posts and comment on their writing. I enjoyed going back and rereading many of my posts from last year.  I love that I have these moments in time documented and can go back and enjoy them whenever I want.

So what do you say?  Who wants to challenge themselves and try to write everyday during the month of March?  You can either create a blog to post on everyday or you can simply write in a journal for yourself each day.  Read more about the challenge here: https://twowritingteachers.org/challenges/.  There is also a classroom slice of life challenge!  Here is a new slicers survival guide post: https://twowritingteachers.org/2020/02/21/the-new-slicers-survival-guide-to-the-march-solsc/
And if you are ready to commit to writing everyday, sign up at this link as a participant:
https://twowritingteachers.org/2020/02/12/participant-info-form-sol20/ (The first year I signed up, I failed and did not write everyday.  But I tried and I certainly wrote more than I had the previous month.)

You don't need to do the Slice of Life challenge, but you do need to make sure that you are finding time to write so that you can become a better teacher of writing.  I started on this journey to become a better writing teacher about 17 years ago when I was a 2nd grade teacher.  And I am still on the journey to better myself as a writing teacher.  I work at it.  I fail.  I write junk.  I write good stuff.  I seek out feedback.  I talk to other teachers of writing.  I read about writing.  I read like a writer.  I write in notebooks.  I write on sticky notes.  I type on my laptop.  I type on my phone.  I read other people's writing.  I share my writing with students.  But most importantly, I write.

What will you write this week?
What will you teach your students about writing this week?

Currently reading:
Vacation week meant more time and energy to read before bedtime, early in the morning, while the kids were playing...lots of reading!  I finished reading a non-fiction story called My Survival: A Girl on Schindler's List which tells the story of Rena Finder and how she survived the Holocaust.

Thanks to a recommendation from Angela Greene, I have been listening to a book called A Chance in the World.  This is the true story of a boy from MA who was placed in foster care when he was only 3 during the 1970s.  It's definitely tough to hear about how he was verbally and physically abused by the people who were supposed to be caring for him.

I have really been enjoying the PD book We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be by Cornelius Minor.  I am only a few chapters in, but the introduction had so many great statements, including this one: "As teachers, we cannot guarantee outcomes--that all kids will start businesses, lead their families, and contribute in their communities--but we can guarantee access.  We can ensure that everyone gets a shot."  Yes!

Vacation week meant a little more relaxed work schedule for me so I was excited that I could go into Emerson's class to read to a room full of adorable preschoolers.  She went through an elaborate process of narrowing down the choices and the book that won was The Day the Crayons Quit, always a hit!

Events this week:
Monday - Welcome back! English classes for adults in the library 5:30-7:30 w/Liz Hilton
Tuesday - Grade 3 team meeting @ 8:00, Grade 5 team meeting @ 8:00
Wednesday - Girls Who Code 3:30-4:30 in the library, Computer Programming w/Scratch 3:30-5:00 in the green pod
Thursday - PTA Bagel Breakfast @ 7:45, Liz @ Leadership Meeting in the am, Dental program in K and Grade 1 9:30-11:00
Friday - Book Fair Teacher Preview in the afternoon

Great things I noticed last week:

• I had fun being a 1st grader all day on Monday, even though there was a delay and it was the 100th day!  
  
• Loved seeing all of the K students marching through the school on the 100th day! 
  
• Glad I had the chance to pop into 4B and listen in as they Skyped with an author from Washington state.  The students had great questioned and the author shared lots of free resources on her website! 
  
• I am enjoying spending some extra time on Wednesdays with some of our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade girls in the Girls Who Code club! 
  
• 1L had a fun morning of math games with family members on Valentine's Day! 
  
• It was great to see a surprised Mrs. Bercume Friday morning.  I know Eli will now have so many great books and reading experiences with his mommy and daddy thanks to everyone's contributions.  
  

Check it out:

Maybe you need a writing prompt to get you started?  Check out this call for blog posts from teachers: https://writerswhocare.wordpress.com/authors/call-for-blog-posts/?fbclid=IwAR1XZVa6HDiGa-0E37Gs3FvXY8OSDoI0b6LIxnDMjX9SzLqO1t78qiMPU04