Distance Learning Restorative Circles

Distance Learning Restorative Circles

The best part of teaching first grade is the last trimester.  My students finally “get it."  They laugh at my jokes, they interact together, and they’re learning.  It’s a magical time and my favorite time to be a #firstgradeteacher. 

And suddenly, here comes 2020 and a worldwide pandemic.  Now we are distance teaching, and I MISS MY KIDS.  I miss their laughs, I miss their smiles, and I miss seeing their academic growth.  Yes, I can do distance learning, Dojo them all, and hold Zoom meetings, but it’s just not the same!

So if I’m feeling this way, I can imagine that my students are also going through a myriad of emotions right now.  How can I help my students (and myself) navigate through this challenging time?  It’s time for a Restorative Circle.  The difference is that we will be doing this circle in a Zoom meeting instead of face to face, and our “circle” will become a “grid” of all the students’ faces.

According to the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP),  “a circle is a versatile restorative practice that can be used proactively, to develop relationships and build community or reactively, to respond to wrongdoing, conflicts and problems. Circles give people an opportunity to speak and listen to one another in an atmosphere of safety, decorum, and equality.”  

While a Circle has many benefits, I used my recent Circle for healing, support, and relationship development.  Specifically, I wanted to hear how my students were feeling and let them know they are not alone in their feelings, and that I am here to support them. 

Here's how I held my Long Distance Restorative Circe:  The first thing I did was set up a Zoom meeting and time, and sent out invitations.  I made sure all my students were muted upon entering so that I could go over the rules for our Distance Circle.  The same rules apply as in the classroom:

*only one person speaks at a time, everyone else listens

*we speak sequentially so that each child has a chance to share

*any child can pass if they do not wish to share, but at the end, I always go back to that child to offer them another opportunity to share once everyone else has expressed their feelings/opinions

*we always respect each other and our feelings/opinions

Since we consistently hold these meetings in the classroom, my students were familiar with my expectations.  Still, I felt it necessary to go over the rules again since this was a completely different learning environment. 


Once I had gone over my expectations, I explained that I would unmute one student at a time to answer the question "How are you feeling about distance learning and what are you doing at home?"  I also told them they could ask any questions of me they wanted. I also reminded my students that everyone on our Zoom could hear them, so if they had anything they wanted to share privately, they needed to Dojo me separate.  As I initiated this process, I was amazed to see that my students were nervous about speaking. They spoke quietly and did not have much to say.  My class usually is very open and honest about their feelings, and we have developed a close relationship where every student feels valued and free to speak their mind.  I realized this was a manifestation of their feelings of nervousness and insecurity about this new learning environment.  SO, I decided to run through the Circle TWICE!  The second time, it was evident that they began to feel more comfortable, and they talked and shared more.  In fact, no one passed.  The students were extremely attentive, even with all the background noises in some of the households.  Their feelings were clear, and they were full of stories and questions!

It was evident that they needed this!  Look at this picture and notice those happy faces!!  By the end of our Circle, we were all sharing stories and sharing our pets on Zoom (my puppy included). The kids were smiling, laughing, and happy.  The question I was asked the most was, “When can I go back to school?”  It broke my heart, but at the same time, it gave me hope that they were looking forward to going back to school. You’ll notice I only have 11 students on my Zoom. While this was disappointing, I learned that two of the students who didn’t attend had technical difficulties, and four more had parents who had to work at our designated Zoom time.  As for the last three students, I am having trouble connecting with them, despite all my efforts.  I will continue to try and reach out to them daily and hopefully, they will attend our next Zoom session.


I developed this wonderful relationship with my students this year, and it’s not time to let that go.  The Circle helped us connect and let the kids express their emotions in a safe environment.  It was easy, and it was fun.  I got a little bit of “my favorite time of the year to teach” back.  Not all of it, but it will have to do for now.  


Why not try a Distance Restorative Circle with your class?  If you would like to read more about circles, click here:

https://www.iirp.edu/defining-restorative/5-2-circles


I promise you will feel better if you do, and so will your students!

Teaching at a Distance,
Roni Weink

How Are You Feeling About Not Being in School Right Now?

Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash

Like many of you, I keep asking myself how this is real life. How am I in the middle of a global pandemic? Everything is so different than it was a couple of weeks ago. The way I grocery shop for my family, the meals I cook, the resources I use to work out, the way I parent, the means I utilize to communicate with my friends and family, and especially the way I teach.

Overnight, educators were asked to teach in a completely different way than we studied, trained, and practiced. This is hard for us, but guess who it is more difficult for? Our students. Our students come to school for so much more than the academic side. This drives me crazy, but it's the truth. They come for: inspiration, a creative outlet, friends, physical activity, role models, accountability, a challenge, food, and safety. As much as some of them complain about being at school, they miss it and us.

One of the routines I wanted to keep in place during "distance learning" is our practice of daily restorative circles. After reading the article, "A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus" written by The Teaching Tolerance Staff, I asked my students during one of our Zoom meetings, "How are you feeling about not being in school right now?" The answers they replied with brought tears to my eyes. My students expressed anxiety over "not being ready for 7th grade". They fear not returning to school this year. Many communicated sadness over not being able to promote at the end of the year, not seeing their friends that would be going to a different middle school, not being able to say goodbye to their favorite elementary school teachers, and many expressed boredom. My favorite comment was from a student that shares his displeasure of all things school-related as loudly and often as possible said, "Mrs. Merry, I will never complain about school again, I promise." As funny as I found that comment to be, I also heard so much uncertainty and anxiety in his voice.

As adults, we have a vast amount of uncertainty surrounding our current situation. If adults have doubts and anxieties, we can assume that our children and students are even more unsure, scared, and anxious. Children have little control over their daily lives. When you add to that fact that everything they know is turned upside down, you're going to be dealing with children under a considerable amount of stress. Overnight, they have to learn a new way of learning, and "distance learning" doesn't have any of the aspects most of them come to school for: friends, role models, inspiration, physical activity, food, or safety.

"Educators can expect that many students' sense of safety will be compromised right now. None of us have ever seen a time like this when institutions that provide safety and structure are closed, and the news talks about death rates and hospital bed shortages." - Teaching Tolerance

Big Question: How do we teach (or attempt to teach) while students are dealing with the trauma and uncertainties of COVID 19? The article "A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus" suggests that educators take the following steps to help students recover:

1. Sense of safety- Students cannot learn if they do not feel safe and cared for. Reaching out to students and families to provide a sense of safety. This can be as simple as sending out a mass message through Google Classroom, Dojo, or Remind and ask students and/or parents how everyone is doing?
2. Connect with students- When we give our families and students a trusted person to connect with, it goes a long way. They know that someone cares about their well-being. An idea is to ask students what they are doing for fun at home. Their answers can give you an idea of what they have access to at home. If their resources are limited, offer some free-fun ideas: virtual trips fields, plan a scavenger hunt or nature walk for them to participate in, links to online resources (authors reading their books, art lessons, physical activities).
3. Give hope- Hope provides the essential and motivating message for a better future. Something we can do to foster hope is to encourage students to get fresh air whenever possible. Maybe challenge students to a step contest or "Best selfie in nature" contest.
4. Promote/teach self-regulation- Self-regulation helps students learn tools that they can use when they are feeling anxious or stressed out. One way we can help is to encourage students to share how they are feeling on a scale from 1-10. Ask them to reflect on why they might be feeling that way and ideas to practice mindfulness. Some mindfulness exercises the article shared, which I've never heard of, are smelling a flower and describing how the flower smells aloud or completing four-corner breathing. Four-corner breathing is described as "simply inhaling deeply and exhaling deeply four times. Students can complete this breathing exercise by standing up and taking one to inhale and exhale breath while facing each of the four corners in a room."
5. Practice gratitude- Being grateful reminds us that even when things go wrong, there are still plenty of things to be thankful for. Practicing gratitude also teaches us how to love and respect ourselves, which enables us to love and respect others. Next week, I plan on having my students complete an appreciation or gratitude circle. I will give my students a classmate and a list of appreciation/ gratitude ideas and have them add their thoughts to our Google Classroom page for  everyone to see.

Please share any strategies and ideas that you’ve been using to ease the minds of your students during this difficult time.

Stay safe everyone,

Jenni Merry

Emotional Check-Ins

When my students walk into the classroom in the
morning or after recess, the expectation is
they are ready to actively engage in their
learning.  But sometimes, something in the students' mental, physical, or emotional state may affect their readiness to learn. Sometimes, I can see it when they walk in, it's written all over their face or in their body language.  Sometimes it takes a while before they have some sort of meltdown.  And then there are those times when I can catch it before anything happens. Those wonderful, magical times when I can flip the switch and intervene for their emotional well-being.

You Can Teach Emotions

Children often have difficulty identifying their emotions. To control their emotions, they have to be able to name them and understand them.  A great place to start is with literature.  Some great books to help name emotions are  Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse or The Color Monster for grades K-2; The Name Jar, Harry Potter, or Wonder for grades 3-5; and Wonder, The Percy Jackson series, or The Giver series in grades 6-8. Of course, you will need to use these books as a springboard for conversations or class meetings regarding emotions and emotional reactions.  Anchor charts posted in the classroom can be used to teach and reference these emotions throughout the school year. Once your students can learn to name their emotions, it is easier for them to self regulate and talk about how they feel.


Emotional Check-Ins

We all want our students to learn, but for them to be open to learning, we must help them with emotional self-regulation.  Every child is capable of learning, but they must be in a state of openness and trust, which means they must feel comfortable and ready to accept learning without their emotions interfering.  If we as teachers know how our students feel and help them work through their feelings, they will be in a better place to learn.  

“Inviting our thoughts and feelings into awareness allows us to learn from them rather than be driven by them.”― Daniel J. Siegel, Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation

One easy way to find out how our students feel is through EMOTIONAL CHECK-INS.  There are a variety of ways for you to do an emotional check-in with your students.  One idea is creating a Feelings Chart that the students can mark each day with a stickie note, clip, or some other marker. These charts can indicate how each child feels that day. These charts also allow for a child to show a change in their feelings as the day progresses.  There are also many individual charts available on TPT for the children to color in their mood that day. While there is a myriad of other possibilities,  my personal favorite and the one we are using this year is Emotional Bracelets.

In the morning, when my students walk in, they choose a bracelet matching their current feeling for the day.  This quick visual allows me the opportunity to check in with any child, whether they choose a green (happy), yellow (OK),  red (angry) or blue (sad) bracelet, and try to connect with them and help them to work through their feelings.  Many times, after talking with myself or a peer, students will change their bracelet color just because they were able to express their feelings and be heard.  I've also seen students change their own bracelet color because their friend has a blue (sad) bracelet, which makes them sad too...what a perfect opportunity to work on empathy!  My students love wearing their bracelets and are becoming emotionally aware of themselves and their friends!  For myself, these bracelets give me an insight into my students' feelings and allow me the opportunity to connect with them, and often have empathy for what they are going through and feeling.

With all the complexities of the world today, EMOTIONAL CHECK-INS  are a great way to connect with our students to help them identify and work to understand and control their emotions so that they can learn and grow. Selecting and wearing a bracelet isn't enough. They must be able to verbalize how they are feeling and name their emotion to self-regulate. Are you ready to help your children self regulate?  First, help them identify their feelings so they can recognize what different emotional states look, sound, and feel like.  Then, in some manner, offer them the opportunity to share their feelings with yourself or a peer so that they can self regulate and focus on learning.  As a bonus, you will be connecting with and forming relationships with your students, which in turn will have you wearing that GREEN bracelet more often!

Connecting Emotionally, Roni Weink

Worry is Just Wasted Energy

How can we help students cope with stress when they have to take a district benchmark?  Recently, my students had to take our Reading Inventory assessment which is a reading comprehension diagnostic tool.  My fourth graders understand how this test works and that will measure their current Lexile level used to determine reading proficiency.  Of course, students can do well, struggle, or even score lower than the last time they took it. 

As any concerned teacher, I continuously try to find new ways to encourage my students to relax as much as possible and to do their best.  I came across a new strategy at a recent conference I attended and wanted to try it out.  It is quite simple to implement:

1.  Talk to students about what stress is and how it affects us during performance-type assessments.  Let them vocalize their concerns first. I described worry as just wasted energy.  If you allow it to take over, you won't get far in whatever task you have in front of you.

2.  Hand out a half-sheet of lined paper.  Give students 3 or 4 minutes to write down what worries them about the assessment they are about to take.

3.  While they are writing, place two trash cans at opposite ends of the classroom.  As soon as the timer is up, ask students to read what they wrote to themselves one more time.  At a determined signal, have students roll up their paper into a ball and toss it into a basket.

4.  When my students threw their "worry balls" into the baskets, I could feel the tension released.  There were a few cheers as well.  Do NOT pick up the rolled up worry balls.  Leave them right where they landed.  I told my students that if they begin to stress out they could simply look towards everyone's concerns on the floor or in the basket to remind them that the act of worry is just wasted energy. 

5.  Needless to say, reading gains were MUCH more than I had expected.  Of course, these gains are not exclusively because of this strategy but I hope it relaxed them enough to get through it with confidence!

Happy Writing!
Gustavo Macuil

Help! I Need Somebody

Help! I Need Somebody

It is expected that on the first day of school, excitement surrounds the slightly cooler air as summer comes to an end. Anxiety makes our morning coffee a little less potent, while our daily commute seems less mundane and a bit more exciting. This anticipation begins weeks before our call to return to work, but it reaches unmatchable levels the night before. We carefully set our clothes out and pack our bags, making sure we do not forget anything that morning in our rush out the door. 

This experience is not unique to our students, or me; every year back to school is an event across the world. This year, however, marked a change in what I experienced when arriving on campus. My experience rattled me. Now two months into my new role, I am still attempting to make sense of my new responsibilities, all the while juggling the needs of the unique group of students I get to call my own for just a fraction of the day.

Little Fish, Big Pond

For the past 15 years, I have been a teacher, grade levels have varied, I was at home standing in front of a classroom on the first day of school, introducing myself as Miss Castorena, Mrs. Milian, Señora Milian…I was in my element, and I was in my routine. That all changed this year. For the first time in forever, I was no longer a full-time classroom teacher; I signed on and took the challenge of stepping into the role as our school Intervention Coach. The change was swift, unexpected, and overwhelming.

The first day of school seemed to be the most difficult. I no longer had a line of students waiting to greet me at the door. I walked into my empty classroom, closed the door, and realized that my world truly had changed. My responsibilities now included a plethora of duties outside of what my comfort zone had been for so long. As the days passed, I found myself reaching out to everyone and anyone willing to help me make sense of things. Questions came to me by the dozens, and time after time, the feeling of inadequacy would take over, and I wondered how many people I was letting down by not having the answers they needed from me. I mean, those that came before me seemed to have it all together. I felt as though I was walking around with a flashing red FAIL sign, and I no longer was the big fish, in my tiny classroom pond I once called home.  Where did I go from here? The answer, I soon realized, was right in front of me!

"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives." 

–Robert John Meehan

How to Survive

First, realize that we are in a career where we are natural nurturers, and the desire to take care of one another is innate. Reach out to a trusting colleague and ask if they can listen while you share your feelings for just a few minutes. Sometimes saying things aloud can be therapeutic.

Also, be aware of your support system. On-site admin can be most helpful when you find yourself lost in the unknown; this here is why it is essential to build trusting relationships with your admin team. Their role is not only to protect the emotional well-being of our students but also of their staff. You will find that their knowledge and expertise in the field of education will come as a dependable resource when searching for answers.

Finally, accept help when offered to you. We often think that taking advice is somehow a sign of weakness on our behalf. It is quite the opposite. As teachers, we need to use our instructional practices to aid in the challenges we come across. Just as we ask that our students assist one another and collaborate as a learning strategy, why not put that strategy to use ourselves?

I now leave you with this. I can genuinely say that I would not have survived the last two months if it were not for the kind hearts of my peers who have helped me these last few weeks. They have offered a shoulder to cry on, a platform to stand on, and a non –judgmental ear to listen when I needed it most. I still have plenty more to learn this year, much to master, and mistakes to make, but it is good to know that as I travel on this new road that lies ahead, just as the ever so popular musical ensemble The Beatles had each other, I will have someone there when I shout Help! I Need Somebody! To all who have answered when I have cried out... Thank You! (((hugs)))

Forever learning,
Yvonne Milian

Summer Self-Care

  

            Self-care is always important for all people, and teacher self-care is a necessary need most of us probably do not partake in; at least I don’t practice self-care as much as I should. I feel very grateful to have summers off, and I am going to use this time not only to spend time with my kids but take care of myself.  During the school year, my stress level intensifies and at times it feels like I am not thinking as clearly because of it.  I have done some research on how to help myself, and I want to pass along this information.  

Reading Books

      We always tell our students to read every single day because it helps build vocabulary, become a better speller, better writer, and improve comprehension.  All of this is true and it is true for adults.  I remember during my teacher credentialing program a professor explained why it is so important for teachers to read regularly.  Teachers are exposed to student work which is not high level and has errors.  By no fault of the child they are learning, but student work cannot be the only material we are reading.  We also read the same book year after year.  Our minds can become stagnant. I notice this happening when my mind feels cloudy.  I cannot remember how to spell certain words or I am not as quick.  So part of my self-care plan  is going to be carving out at least 45 minutes each day to read.  My goal is to get through one book a week, and read all different types of books. It helps to build knowledge in different areas and become a well-rounded learner.   This way I not only feeding my brain but am also setting time aside for myself.

 Learn a New Skill

     Often times adult learning is forgotten about.  According to experts, learning a new skill strengthens the neuron pathways in our brain, and this causes our brain to become plastic, it has the ability to change.  So the more we learn the more plastic our brains become. Our brains will work a bit faster, and as we age keeping a quick mind is really important.  With that being said, we teachers have been graced with time to learn a new skill. For me, I will be working on teaching strategies.  I will be moving grade levels, and I’m so excited to learn new standards and curriculum.  After my kids go to bed I will be able to freshen up on Math skills that I haven't practiced in years, get familiar with Science standards, and read over American History.  I have been teaching single subject sixth grade Language Arts for the past six years, and a lot has changed in the curriculum.  I am eager for the change and learning how a different group of teachers work together.

Setting time aside to take care of ourselves is important because we mean so much too so many.  Teacher self-care will boost intelligence, release stress, and create a positive and healthy environment.

Final Word - Thank you!

I want (and need) to say, "Thank you."

This year is coming to a close in just a few short days.  You may know colleagues who are retiring, moving to another site, or leaving for personal reasons.  Some of us owe a huge debt of gratitude to these fellow colleagues - I am one of them.

It has been my privilege to work alongside a relatively new teacher for the past three years.  She came to our site with a couple of years of experience teaching in Los Angeles.  The first year she spent her time understanding the math curriculum and getting some exposure to Project Based Learning.  The second year she continued to extend her understanding of the math curriculum, making stronger connections with students, collaborating on common assessments, and she started to do a project for each unit of study throughout the year.  

Those first couple years she demonstrated a gift for being creative in designing documents, asking questions for how to improve student achievement, taking risks for trying new ideas so that students make connections with the curriculum, being open-minded, and most importantly willing to push her students to believe each and every one of them can be successful.  She wanted her students to be successful with the math content and at the same time successful with skills, they will need later on in life - like technology use and presentation skills (both verbally and visually).

During this third year, she pushed me to grow myself, without her ever realizing it.  She was coming up with new ideas of how to take our unit projects in new directions that would help students and she had this excitement about her that made me want to contribute with what I could.  Her creativity and ability to tap into students' interests is what pushed me this year further than I imagined.

I have started to ask myself, "What more can I do for my students that will have a lasting effect?"

So, to my fellow Math 8 teacher across the way in Room 37 - Ms. Keeton - thank you for enriching my life in just these three short years.  I can not say thank you enough!  There is so much more to acknowledge but I hope you realize that everything left unsaid is actually said inside of me.

I wish you only the very best in your next adventures knowing full well that anyone who takes the time to get to know you will be changed forever - you deserve only the best.

PRIDE and Growth Mindset - two areas I will continue to pursue with my students.


To everyone else, thank you for letting me express my gratitude to a fellow teacher who has impacted my teaching,

Enjoy your summer break to its fullest - and I look forward to next year and what it will bring,

Still teaching and loving it,

       Kevin Stott                             

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

As the end of May quickly approaches, I once again get ready to say goodbye to my kiddos and send them off to middle school. This here is a bittersweet experience for most sixth grade teachers housed at the elementary setting. You see, I have been fortunate enough, in my 13 years of teaching, to have taught every grade from kindergarten to sixth, and can honestly share that the send-off at the end of the year weighs much heavily on my heart with my sixth graders than any other. Perhaps it is because I know, in my heart, that my kindergarten students will roam the halls next year alongside me as they enter first grade. That my third graders will still run and give me the tightest of hugs as fourth graders, and that my fifth graders will be here to "rule the school" as they mature into their sixth-grade roles. But with sixth graders... well... the departure feels different. 

Photo by Jan Tinneberg on Unsplash

Their Departure
When anyone ever comments that teaching is easy, I  respectfully disagree. Being a teacher is not a nine-five job that you can clock-out of and check-out at the chime of a bell. No, teaching is about putting your heart and soul into shaping and educating the minds of our young scholars; more importantly, it is about shaping the child as a whole. That is, mind, body, and spirit. With that, you cannot help but fall in love with the children, all the while knowing that in ten short months you will have to see them depart, and sometimes they don't come back. 

My goal as a teacher is to prepare my students for what lies ahead. I educate, I nurture, I try my best to remind them of how special they are and what true potential lies within them. Then, I release and hope that I have given them the tools necessary to be successful in the real world. I pray that they will find success in all their endeavors and that perhaps in their journey, they find a bit of time to return to their faithful sixth-grade teacher and share all that they have accomplished and discovered. 

"How Lucky I am to have something that makes saying Goodbye so hard." - Winnie the Pooh 

Make It Easier 

So how does one make it easier to say goodbye? Here are a few tips to aid with their departure:

1.  Spend the year enjoying each day to the fullest with your students. You have the privilege of helping to shape this generation of scholars, so teach them about kindness, and empathy, and remind them about how important they are in your world.  

2. Create a loving culture in your classroom. Each child's school experience should be one that they treasure in their hearts. Help create an environment that feels like a second home to them. A place where they feel safe and free to make mistakes, learn, and continue their journey alongside their peers. 

3. Nurture bonds that will last a lifetime. Get to know their parents, and siblings (if they attend the school) and see how quickly your students will value how you took the time to create a more significant relationship with people who are important to them as well. 

With that, I sign-off for the summer and hope that when I return in the fall, it will be with a fresh mind, open heart, and ready to fall in love with the newest addition to the Milian Memory Book. For we were never "Breaking Up," we were simply saying, "Farewell. Until we meet again."  

Forever your sixth-grade teacher, 

Yvonne Milian

What do you hope your students remember?

Another year of teaching is almost over! Whether you've been in the classroom for a year or 20, you likely reflect on the past year as you prepare for the last day of school.  I am sad.  I love my kiddos and am dreading letting them go.  As I reflect on my year, I want my students to not only take the academic strategies they have learned but most importantly the life lessons.  

What do you hope your students remember? 

As I look back on this school year, I think about where my students were when they came to me and where they are now.  I am beyond proud of their growth academically but most of all socially and emotionally.  I was a little surprised that my top 4 things I hope they remember from my class were not academically based concepts.  I care most about their growth as humans, as young people who are members of a community, of a team.  I hope I showed enough grace, modeled enough grit, and taught enough perseverance.  Did I teach them to be kind, to have courage, to demonstrate empathy?

If my students remember anything from my class, I hope it's__________. 

Okay, I couldn't pick just one so I narrowed it down to my top 4!

Courage

Mistakes are when learning happens.  Before anything else, my students must know school is a safe place to make mistakes.  We have our greatest learning experiences from making errors.  I want my students to always remember to work hard, be okay with failure and to get back up and keep trying.  I know it was a successful year if my kiddos leave with confidence and courage to step out of their comfort zone.  

Kindness

I must say daily "Be a kind person."  I hope my students leave with mutual respect and understanding for the opinions and cultural differences of others so they can continue to open their minds to learning and make this world a better place for everyone.  I hope they take their kindness and spread it to not only the class they end up in next year but also to their families, friends, and community.  I hope I have taught them that it is small acts of kindness that will bring them happiness.  

Love

I love my students.  I am proud to be their teacher.  Each one of them will always hold a special place in my heart.  I hope they ALL know that I care about them, and have been excited by every achievement they have made. I hope that they take the support and guidance I have given them to continue in their passion for learning and continue to succeed throughout their lives.  Most of all I hope they remember that above all they must love themselves first because they are important and can do great things.

Confidence 

Confidence is key!  I have seen some of my students transform with just a little boost of confidence.  I hope they are aware of their importance, aware of their gifts, aware of everything around them every day so that life will bring them the best as they give their best.   These kids are capable of being a force of change at school and in the community, and I hope they realize they hold a significant place in this world.  They are our future.  My wish for them is that they understand that within them lies something that NO one else can offer.  I hope that they seek their dream, conquer it and share it.  

This year has been a memorable one.  My class and I made a difference together.  I became a better teacher.  My students became lifelong learners.  It's a win-win in my eyes.  So excited for the what the future brings.  Have a wonderful summer break!

  

      Positively Teaching,   
Randi Muehlen
                           

Elevate!

Elevate!
Last month, my early learning team (pre-school, TK, kindergarten) and I attended a conference together in La Jolla.  The conference was put on by a kindergarten blogger I have followed for  the past few years, Mr. Greg at The Kindergarten Smorgasboard.  He has become a big influence on my teaching via his blog, facebook posts, and YouTube channel. I was very excited for him to come to Southern California (he's from Tennessee) to share his knowledge and excitement for teaching all  things kindergarten so I got my team to come with me! If you are an early learning  teacher, I highly recommend this conference.  We all left very inspired and energized!

The conference costs money, of course, so we used district resources available to teachers to get it paid for.  I used part of my Spotlight stipend for professional development while my colleagues used the Teacher Initiated Fund (TIF) to cover their costs.  We used those monies for the conference cost itself plus a hotel room for one or two nights.  Since the conference was on a Saturday, we did not have to worry about substitute costs.

We all applied  for these funds early in August. First, we had to fill out a "Request to Attend" form for our site administration to approve. You can get that form here.  Once our site administration approved us, we sent it in to district administration (currently Veronica Bucheli) for review and approval.

The myomta.org  website has all of the  information you need in order to apply for these funds  The key is to apply early in the school year because the  funds can go quickly.  Each year the maximum amount per teacher can change, but this year  the maximum amount was $800.  That can cover most expenses incurred, such as sub pay,  hotel costs, parking,  mileage, and meals.

I encourage every teacher to take advantage of this  opportunity for professional  growth.  If you have any questions about the process,  please contact Tisha Curry at tisha.curry@omsd.net.

Happy Teaching (and Learning)!

Erin Grebel

New Teacher... Always!

New Teacher?... Always! 

My first year as a teacher, I sat with my principal Arturo, in his office, who shared with me some advice on what he believed to be the secret to happiness. He shared, "If you want to be happy every day, the secret is to choose a career that brings you joy. In turn, you will take that joy home and never feel like you have worked a day in your entire life." I have to say that 13 years later that is still the best advice I have ever received.

The path that my career has taken me on has not been an easy one. I came into teaching at a time when there were no permanent positions available, and I was labeled a 'New Teacher' for the first ten years of my career due to my Temporary status. 

As a new teacher, back in 2006, I bounced around from one elementary school to another hoping to catch an assignment each year. As a new teacher, I soon learned that to be successful, I had to be as nurturing as possible and 'feed' my career daily. Now 13 years later, I can look back and appreciate all the obstacles I had to overcome to get here, and more importantly, all that I have learned because of it. 

What I Learned...

The first thing that I learned was that I was here for our kids. I chose a career that asked that I put the needs of my students before mine every day. I was here to make a difference in their lives and only to make choices that would, in turn, benefit my students. 

The second thing I can honestly share that I learned was that I had to go above and beyond, raise my learning curve with every opportunity provided, try my best to be the hardest working person in the room, and in turn my students would directly benefit from this.  

Finally, I learned to get involved! I find that this can sometimes be the most difficult to master, yet it is the one that has given me the most in return. I had to be part of as many projects as I could on campus. I had to be in the trenches helping make decisions that would directly impact our students. I wanted to help lead committees and run enrichment programs that my students would benefit from.  

"There is no magic to achievement. It's really about hard work, choices, and persistence." -Michelle Obama 

How Can You Do This...

1. First, LOVE what you do. For myself, it has proven to hold true that if you love what you do, you will never feel like you have a worked a day in your life.


2. Raise your learning curve daily. We encourage our students to do this- so why not do the same! Learn something new, try something new; become that lifelong learner we so eagerly work for in our classrooms.


3. Get involved! There are so many committees and projects happening at each of our school sites, and they are waiting for people just like you who are excited to be a part of them! Ask your site principal to help you choose the project which will be the perfect fit for you! 

Finally, I have to share that the most important thing I have learned is that I will always strive to be an expert learner in what I do. Now, this by no means should be interpreted as me being an expert at anything (seriously insert LOL) what it means is that I will always strive to be the best, just as I did when I first came into teaching because that is what our students deserve... the best.

Your lifelong learner,
Yvonne Milian