Extemely Loud and Incredibly Close or Why I Became a Teacher

A friend asked me why I wanted to become a principal last week.  She began to tell me all the awful things her principal has to do.  We then began to discuss why we became teachers.  This simple conversation has made me think all week.  Why do we become teachers?  Well, I think this list covers a few of our favorite reasons...
(Imagine David Letterman reading in a Top 10 Reasons I Became a Teacher voice)

10) the ringing bells, providing my life with regularity

9)  working 200 out of 365 days a year

8)  the luxury of scheduling major life projects during the summer

7)  SNOW DAYS!

6)  being able to ask the people who annoy me at work to sit down and be quiet

5)  my love of, enthusiasm for, and devotion to reading and writing

4)  the unrealistic idea of changing the world, one lesson, and possibly even one student, at a time

3)  the joys of small (and sometimes large) student successes

2) becoming smarter every day through preparation for and interaction with my students (if only I could teach them as much as I've learned because of them!)

1)  desiring that I leave a positive effect on the world by helping others become more competent, confident, healthier, and/or happier through our relationships

I have always wanted to be a teacher.  When I was 5 years old I went to school and came right home and began teaching my younger sister all that I learned.  She will tell you that I taught her to read when she was 4.  I practiced my art on my dolls, stuffed animals, and younger siblings.  I made up assignments, grades, and all kinds of games to teach them.  

I had some great teachers in school also.  Teachers who taught me phonics, math, social studies, and science.  Teachers who inspired me to do more than I thought I could, and some who bored me to death with their lectures.  But each one taught me something, whether it was how to teach and inspire or how not to teach, most made an impression.  I had teachers who cared for me and helped me during tough times.  I had a teacher who helped me enroll in college the first time.  I even had principals and counselors who took time to get to know me and encourage me to success.  

All this said, my first career wasn't teaching, it was retail management.  I worked for Target for 10 years and I loved it.  The thing was teaching was always a part of my job.  I trained cashiers, service desk, and sales floor employees.  As I promoted up with the company I always quickly moved to training others.  I trained other managers, traveled to new stores to train their employees, and recruited college graduates for the business college.  I was a teacher and didn't even know it.  I was very happy until I decided to start a family.  I didn't want to raise my children working nights and weekends and 60+ hours at Christmas.  I decided to stay home for a while.  

I enrolled my daughter in mother's day out and began to volunteer, then substitute, and then work there.  I finally decided I needed to go back to school and finish what I started so long ago.  I got my teaching degree and have been teaching for 13 years now.  I decided to go back to school this year to get a masters degree. I know that this is the next step for me.  I love teaching and hope that I can make a difference in the lives of even more students than I could as a teacher.  I know it is not an easy job, but neither is teaching.  I know there are challenges, but I am ready for it.

So why did I choose to become a teacher?  I didn't choose it,  it chose me.  It is my calling.  I am a teacher.

“So many people enter and leave your life! Hundreds of thousands of people! You have to keep the door open so they can come in! But it also means you have to let them go!” 
― Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

  

Eat, Pray, Love or How a Principal Makes it Through the Day

     I got to do my second observation last week.  Now, I have had the opportunity to observe in a large middle school and a small elementary school.  Both were outstanding schools with great principals and staffs.  I felt lucky to get to observe two high quality administrators.
     There was one thing I noticed about both schools, principals have a LOT to do.  We have all had one of those days when our to-do lists are overwhelming, and as the day goes on it just gets busier.  It seems that this is the norm for principals.  After observing last week, I found another principal with his desk  piled high with paperwork, projects to work on, parents to visit, teachers to check on, and crises to handle.
     On the day I went to visit there was a lot going on in the building.  The principal was busy organizing his paperwork for his accreditation meeting.  The preschoolers, kindergartners, and 6th graders were taking pictures in caps and gowns.  There were students to talk to, parents to greet, teachers and substitutes to check in on, and one graduate student observing from UCO.
     As I observed I noticed he prioritized his to-do list.  He delegated some tasks to his office staff and sent an email to a staff member that could be depended on to handle his request quickly.  It was obvious he had a wonderful staff that he could count on to help out.
     He made time for the things that were important to him.  He got to greet the afternoon preschoolers and kindergartners as they arrived.  He visited each classroom and got to see one group of preschoolers get their pictures made in caps and gowns.  As we walked back to the office to get some more done on the accreditation paperwork we ran into the kindergarten teacher standing in her doorway.  A kindergartner had thrown up in the doorway as they were leaving to take pictures.  The principal called for a custodian and then went around to the back door and led the students to the library for pictures.  This allowed the teacher to take care of the student and meet us there.  He was genuinely happy to be of help.  It was apparent that he loves his job and the students in his school.
     The next time I am overwhelmed with my to-do list I am going to remember the things I learned from this outstanding principal; prioritize, delegate, refocus on the important things, and you can always leave some things for tomorrows to-do list.  I hope you will remember these also.

“Il bel far niente means 'the beauty of doing nothing'... [it] has always been a cherished Italian ideal. The beauty of doing nothing is the goal of all your work, the final accomplishment for which you are most highly congratulated. The more exquisitely and delightfully you can do nothing, the higher your life's achievement. You don't necessarily need to be rich in order to experience this, either.” 
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

"The Help" or Getting Parents to Come to Conferences

     I got to do my first principal observation last week and I LOVED it.  I had the opportunity to watch a great administrator during parent-teacher conferences.  This worked out great for me since I didn't have to miss time in my classroom.  I also got to see conferences from another perspective.
     I know that parental involvement is a very important factor in student success.  However, that involvement is often limited to parent-teacher conferences.  It is important to make the most of this opportunity. Administrators can help increase the attendance in many ways.  I had the opportunity to discuss some of those ways with an administrator with real experience.
    Here are some ways principals can help get the word out; they should announce the date repeatedly, at PTA meetings, open-houses, sporting events, and assemblies.  They can publish the date in newsletters, online, and on bulletin boards in the school.  Conferences need to be convenient for parents to attend, with early morning, late afternoon, and evening appointments.
     Teachers should also have the opportunity for in service training so they can make the most of this valuable time with parents.  Principals should be available if teachers need help dealing with parenting related issues.  Principals often attend conferences to provide additional support for their staff.  They are also involved in conferences for any student with an IEP.
     While I was observing I got to see a principal that walked the halls and spoke to parents, students, and staff.  He was busy greeting people, showing people around, and encouraging the staff.  He discussed the various ways that conferences were handled at his school.  Some teachers used a team approach, some held individual conferences, and some had student led conferences.  He encouraged each group to handle conferences in a way that worked for them.  He made sure the teachers were all present and available.  He also helped cover the office during conferences.
     It was a wonderful learning experience to see a principal in action.  It made me feel like I had made a good choice about going back to school when the principal told me how much he loved his job and felt like he had the opportunity to make a difference in so many students lives.

“What you learn today?" I ask even though she ain't in real school, just the pretend kind. Other day, when I ask her, she say, "Pilgrims. They came over and nothing would grow so they ate the Indians." 

Now knew them Pilgrims didn't eat no Indians. But that ain't the point.” 
― Kathryn Stockett, The Help

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”
― Kathryn Stockett, The Help

"Catching Fire" or the Importance of Fire Drills

    

 I was busy teaching math in small groups the other day when I heard a loud, sharp, noise.  It took a couple of seconds to realize it was a fire alarm.  My class quickly lined up and we were in our designated spot in minutes.  

     This isn't an unusual thing because we practice fire drills frequently, but no drill was scheduled, the principal was out of the building, and the secretary had a confused look on her face.  You NEVER want to see the secretary with a puzzled look!  Luckily, it all turned out well.   It was just a leak near a sprinkler head and as an added bonus we got to practice a fire drill at an unusual time of day.  

     This got me thinking about the importance of safety drills.  It is usually a principal's responsibility to ensure that drills are done and logged regularly.  But, more importantly they should make sure the staff can carry out a fire drill without the principal on hand giving orders.  You never know what could happen when you are out of the building.  

     When I was student teaching I was fortunate enough to run into the book The First Days of School by Harry Wong.  In this book Mr. Wong shares the importance of procedures and routines.  Since then I have always had procedures and routines for everything in my class.  Safety drills need to be a routine in your school.  They need to be so well rehearsed that they can be carried out even if the school leaders are not there.  When the fire alarm went off each class quickly went outside and quietly waited for further instructions.  Two teachers were on a break so they checked out the situation, notified the office, and passed on information to each teacher.  The students felt calm and were assured they were safe.  They were quiet and well behaved and enjoyed watching the fire trucks come on campus to check out the situation.  

     I learned these important rules for drills in schools:  take every drill seriously, stay calm, know your escape route, prepare ahead of time so students know what is expected of them, have your needed materials posted and ready to go by your door, take roll, and maintain order with your students as you wait for instructions.  

     “A spark could be enough to set them ablaze.” 

― Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire

Ready to Start Something New

     I have to admit I am not really a blog reader or a blog writer.  But, my professor assigned a blog for my Educational Leadership class, so here I am writing a blog.
     I did read Julie and Julia, so I have a general idea of how they work.  I don't think I will try out all the teaching ideas that have been popular through the ages, but I think I will go with the book title idea.  I will write this blog about the leadership ideas I am learning about as I go through my school day and attending college at night.
     Yesterday in class we discussed the importance of principals walking through and being present in the building.  Do you mind guests and/or interruptions during your classes?  I really don't mind visitors in my classroom.  If the principal pops in occasionally it really becomes a natural part of the day.  I have had an elevator in my class for the last few years and it provides an opportunity to teach the children about being polite, holding a door for someone, and greeting a guest.  It is usually not a problem or a distraction after a few weeks.
     As we discussed it in class, I think the important part is to let the teachers know you are coming by to see how things are going, not to critique them, or judge them, but to be a visible part of the educational community. It would give a principal the opportunity to see the students learning and the teacher teaching.  Be sure that teachers understand you have been a teacher and understand that occasionally you might come in at a transition time, during a test, the dreaded "free choice", "centers", or a "hands-on" learning activity.
     The visible principal walking through the building not only provides a sense of leadership on their part, but a layer of safety for everyone involved.  You will know what is going on in your building.  And, if you read the news these days, you know that it is very important to know what is happening in your building.  Most teachers appreciate knowing the principal will have their back if anything is every said about their classroom, teaching style, or methods.


“Nowadays anyone with a crap laptop and an Internet connection can sound their barbaric yawp, whatever it may be.” 
― Julie Powell, Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously