Celebrating Passionate Educators

Teachers are difference makers who impact learning on a daily basis.

This week, I was fortunate to work and collaborate with a varied number of passionate educators. The energy level of the professionals made focusing on best practices to power up student-centered literacy a joyful experience. 

It all started on Sunday when I called in my NCTE 16 Roundtable team to a GHO. While the technology was a bit spotty on my end, we engaged in a lively conversation in real time. Needless to say, the team (see below) is excited to deliver a passionate presentation to teachers who will join our roundtable discussions in Atlanta, Georgia in a few weeks.

The next day, Halloween, was filled with educational treats, not tricks. I facilitated a full day of professional development for a group of teachers who created passion-filled, engaging inquiry-based lessons leading students to become "reading fit" for life. The following images were tweeted during the session to showcase the passion of educators on #CelebrateMonday. Using the hashtag, #Trendthepositive on #CelebrateMonday is a way to publicize teacher expertise, enthusiasm, and engagement.

Halloween night was filled with candy and tweeting treats. I moderated #NYEDChat that included engaged educators participating in a lively conversation with Starr Sackstein and Connie Hamilton, authors of Hacking Homework. The transcript of the convo can be accessed here.

I followed up these experiences with two more professional development sessions. Each group of teachers was a joy to work with. They dug right into ways to energize their literacy practices while promoting student voice through choice options.

Teachers engaged in a Chalk Talk experience, silent conversation on paper to be able to offer a similar experience to their students.

In order to impact teaching and learning, focus is needed. Educators who are difference makers make it a practice to focus in on ways to ignite wonder and inspire students on inquiry paths. I celebrate their passion, energy, and perseverance while focusing in on collaborative protocols to foster change. 

This post is dedicated to two enthusiastic and impassioned groups of educator blogging communities. Please join Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Week to hear from Ruth and the community on a week of positive celebrations. I am also joining Margaret Simon at DigiLit Sunday where the topic this week is focus. Focusing on impacting teaching and learning by honing craft and amplifying voice is an important mission for me. 

 

Teachers skillfully hone craft

empowering students on,

closer toward independence.

(You can access the rest of the septercet poem I crafted here.)

The 3P Plan

What does it take to fully understand the learner and help each child succeed?  

It takes a 3P Plan.

Reflective teachers are difference makers who do not lose sight of a 3P Plan to help students become successful owners of their learning. As thoughtful coaches of students, they have patience when developing purposeful best practices. They strive to impact learning daily. In their persistence for caring for the learner, they continually hone their practice as effective deliverers of instruction. They collaborate, reflect, and journey with positivity as their guide.

Are you journeying on this path?

• Be patient - design a hook to engage your students 
• Fill your practice with relevant, passion-filled teaching
• Persistence counts - learn to read each student to impact their learning life

I join Margaret Simon for DigiLitSunday today. Her prompt below inspired me to slow down my own process of crafting lessons for my upcoming professional development sessions with teachers.

Happy journeying as a reflective teacher with a 3P plan.

This week was filled with National Day On Writing reminders on Why I Write and being inspired by nature to write. If inclined, you may wish to join the DigiLit Sunday community today to address the mantra Patience - Practice - Persistence.

Courageous Conversation

Last week in Boston at the International Literacy Association 2016 Conference, a courageous conversation ensued and created a ripple effect with far-reaching effects. I was fortunate to be present when my educator friend, Cornelius Minor, opened an impromptu forum with three simple questions. 

Why did you come? How do you feel? How do you hope to feel?

All present were encouraged to engage in an open conversation on racial relations to help us grapple with the troubling issues of the times. As reflective educators, we listened, partnered to discuss the bystander/upstander concept, and pondered ways to bring the conversation to students on an academic level. The discussion centered on a positive perspective so that trust was built among educators from around the states. During the short time together, a community evolved. 

After the first reflective pause, Sara Ahmed's statement, "Be vigilant of our own biases," prompted me to complete a quick recheck of my past actions and how I have dealt with the issues. I reflected on the amount of racial tensions multiplying throughout the world, leading to a disregard of kindness to fellow man. I thought about the word hate and how it has led to violence and the uprooting of seeds of love. I questioned why there is general unrest and a sense of disconnectedness in the world.

Why did I come to Cornelius Minor's session at ILA 16? 

I came to hear the conversation that would push me out of my comfort zone. How did I feel? To say the least, I felt uneasy. On the other hand, I felt empowered to have a voice in a conversation with thoughtful educators. What I hoped to feel was a sense of balance when I left the room. 

During the courageous conversation, positivity flowed as we grappled with the issues and our emotions. We confronted the uncomfortable and connected as a body of collective practitioners. We provided avenues to explore, knowing that much needs to be accomplished. 

From this conversation, words started spinning in my head. A draft of a poem recording my impressions of the powerful interaction at ILA 16 evolved. I listened, wove words together, and created. Dr. Stephen Peters' words, "Courage and fear cannot co-exist," resounded with me and brought closure to my thoughts. 

From a powerful ninety-minute happening, the following thoughts were designed into a digital composition.

When I left the room, I was almost speechless. The effect of connected educators trying to make sense of the unthinkable stayed with me as a hope for future conversations with family, friends, and educators. One week later, I am still thinking and engaging in face-to-face and Twitter conversations on the issue of man's inhumanity to man. 

What can be done to stop fear from rearing its head and breaking down walls? 

Times are changing. No longer can we skirt the issues of world politics and biases that lead mankind to become involved in destructive outcomes. I believe educators stand on the precipice of change. Connected together, we can:

1. Embrace change
2. Build cultures of trust in active learning classrooms 
3. Engage students in courageous conversations, allowing all voices to be heard and all identities addressed 
4. Provide the open space for students to explore their feelings through writing 
5. Continue grappling with tough issues as a body of practitioners

It is my hope that as connected educators and colleagues, we can band together to raise our voices as a collective body of thoughtful practitioners of life. We have the power to make a difference in a world ridden with disconnect. It our voices that can be heard and our voices that will impact our students' and children's lives. We can become the difference makers that will bring about change.