Heartnote for Teachers

Teachers, are there moments in your day that you stop to pause? 

Do you look into your classroom observing the children who sit before you?

 Does each child have a different look? 

These are some of the questions I have posed to myself over the 25 years of teaching reading, 10 years of being a districtwide administrator, and 8 years of consulting with districts as a teacher of teachers, and adjunct teaching at the local college. 

In your classrooms, you see the sparkling eyes of imaginers who look out beyond yours. You notice the knowledge-seekers who sit erect and weary-eyed children whose heads droop due to lack of sleep. Some of your students are troubled; they try to mask their inner, revolving feelings. Most children listen intently, some fade out fast, and others hold on tightly to bits of information you provide. 

Precious treasures surround you. Eagerly, you help each student process and create as you bring joy and delight to each day. You are a welcomer of knowledge. I lover of mindful interactions and an encourager who leads students to interact peacefully with each other. You mastermind these moments that bring students together and foster interesting pathways to learning.  

I send a heartnote of gratitude to each facilitator of learning. 

This was supposed to be Day 5's Slice of Life but time passed quickly.

Oops, the magic deadline hour dinged as I was almost at the end of the post.

Two Writing Teachers.

Day 6

2024

Carol Varsalona, 10-year Slicer

Teachers as Essential Workers

It is the end of the school year and I think everyone will agree that this year has been a tumultuous one for schools around the globe. Because of the due diligence educators have given to instruction and student learning, they should be honored as the essential workers of the education field. Back in March, they came together to enter a new age of remote learning as teacher-learners. Knowing that this type of teaching was the only way children could safely continue their education during the COVID-19 quarantine, teachers embraced the call of action. 

Thousands of teachers dedicated their quarantine life teaching days to bring a sense of calm to students in need of guidance and instruction. This week, committed Long Island educators will sadly end their virtual teaching time for the 2019-20 school year. To honor their diligence to educating the whole child, we should honk horns and shout out to these passionate educators who spent time reinventing their classroom rituals and routines. Their steadfastness toward their goal of educating the whole child, allowed them to mastermind a plan from their homes.  It was not an easy path of learning but they persisted in hopes of guiding  their learners on their own journeys.  

Our

community

needs to rally 'round school,

shout praise for concerned educators,

inspired to reimagine their teaching practices

during the trying times of Covid-19.

With passion in their hearts,

they came together as

teacher-learners

armed to

teach

with

💗

For a touch of humor, Listen to teacher Michael Bruening singing ,

Will Survive, Coronavirus version fro teachers going online.

I appreciate Michael's song so I'll play it as I continue to navigate the world of online teaching via the Canvas platform. Wish me luck! My 4-day ELA Summer Graduate School Institute at the local college is soon to begin. 

In the meantime, it's Slice of Life Tuesday so I'm heading over to Two Writing Teachers to join the community of writers. 

Celebrating the Work of Teachers

It was a busy week, more so than usual as an ELA Consultant. I presented professional development workshops in four different settings to a variety of educators over the course of four days. There were full day presentations to a mix of literacy administrators and English teachers and two late afternoon workshops for either special education teachers or reading teachers. After the last presentation, I felt exhausted for I forgot how difficult it is to wake up early and spend long days in classrooms. On the other hand, I felt exhilarated. 

I honor and celebrate the work that teachers do daily. 

What I Believe:

Post-it Poetry on Teaching

(for National Poetry Month)

I continue to teach because it is a joyful experience working with teachers who are passionate about impacting children's reading and writing lives.

Each weekend, I join Ruth Ayres at her Celebrate This Week blog site to write alongside a group of inspiring educators.

The unveiling of my Winter Wonderland Gallery of Artistic Expressions has been delayed by the workload of this week and the computer problems I have had. Stay tuned for the launch. In the meantime, please see the short video poem I created.

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.)

Preparing for School: Awaken Joy

Back-To-School 2016 Thoughts

Teachers:

With the start of a new school year, many images come to mind. In the early days of education, the teacher was thought of as the sage on the stage who filled students' minds with new knowledge to lead them onward. With the advent of the technological age, the sage on the stage has undergone a make-over. Moving from old school to a contemporary version, the teacher emerges as a passionate awakener of learning who opens the door to inquiry-based learning, collaborative exploration, self-awareness, and self-efficacy. The teacher is more than a facilitator of learning. He/she becomes the guide and the life-long learning coach. 

Students:

Students walk through the doors on day one of the new school year into a community of learners under the guidance of their awakeners. They are guided to become young historians, investigative reporters, avid listeners, active scientists, and writers with voice who notice, wonder, explore new avenues of learning, and discover paths to pursue. Teaches as awakeners are the front-line instructors who lead the way and step aside to kidwatch happenings where learning is turned over to curiousity-driven children.

Hacks for Teachers as Awakeners to Shift the Literacy Landscape Toward Student-Led Learning:

• Bring positivity and passion to classroom practices to motivate and engage
• Introduce collaborative activities to build positive relationships in a culture of trust
• Create a climate of questioning and inquiry for aspiring wonderologists
• Offer choice to amplify student voice
• Foster continual reflection

Please visit Margaret Simon's site for the return of DigiLit Sunday as the writers discuss preparing for the school year. 

Today is #CelebrateMonday, time to trend the positives in education and awaken joy. 

Our EduNarrative is Important

This morning, I opened the windows to the beautiful start of a day and listened to the chirping sounds filtering through. The sun shone brightly and spring seemed to be popping out all over. Flowers and trees were in bloom and people were milling about. 

Twitter was also chirping early this morning. Sean Gaillard opened the day with reminders that we would be celebrating the positives at #CelebrateMonday. A tweet from another edufriend, Alex Stubenbort, came through my Twitter feed, posing a question of the week: How can teachers as a group dispel the "just a teacher" narrative that is so prevalent in our society? Why is this important to do so?

Since I was about to write a tribute post to teachers I replied to Alex's request, asking educators to join #weteach365 and change the narrative of education. 

Teaching has been an honored tradition throughout the years. Articles have been written showing that the teacher is the one who has the ability to shape the course of a child's future. Teachers, as the awakeners, guide students on their journeys. They are the influencers. James H. Stronge's work on effective teaching notes this in the following #eduinspiration:

On #CelebrateMonday and every day of the school year, teachers are asked to tell their stories. They post photos of their interactive classrooms, their makerspaces, and passion projects to showcase the successes of their craft as it impacts student learning. Edunarratives need to shine in praise of what effective teachers do best: ignite passions, provide choices leading to amplified student voice, and promote student ownership of learning. 

As a collective body of practitioners, teachers can change the narrative of education through concerted efforts as awakeners, leaders, and change agents for they are the champions of the child and difference makers who impact learning. 

Why is it important to tell your edunarrative? 

Write to #weteach365 on Twitter with your response.

Please visit Two Writing Teachers here to read other Slice of Life Tuesday slices.

Teachers Impact Learning

As I sat at the Labor Day barbecue last night, I thought about all the New York City and Long Island teachers who were preparing to open their classrooms for a new year of learning. I recalled my conversation with a young friend who was entering her second year of teaching. All the fresh ideas and excitement of the new year were in front of her and summer thoughts were drifting into memories. 

Although I am not in the classroom daily, I thought about my journey as a consultant and the teachers who would become my learners. Ideas floated solidifying my feeling about teachers as awakeners and activators of learning. Michael Fullan who writes on change theory, talks about teachers as both learners and change agents, powerful forces within classrooms who continually impact student thinking. 

At the beginning of the school year, all teachers offer a gift to their learners, internal lights that ignite the flames of learning. Filled with the passion for affecting learning, the teachers become the difference makers, reflective and observant practitioners who build cultures of trust for harmonious relationships to grow and thrive. With their literacy toolkits in hand and thoughtful listening and observation skills, they craft teachable moments to invite learners to notice, wonder, explore, question, and discover additional paths to meaning making. Passionate hearts, creativity, and careful planning are essential resources they have to create powerhouses of learning where students are empowered to ignite their own learning lives. 

As activators of learning, teachers become the stewards of change and guides on the journey. The following eduinspiration is offered as a beginning-of-the-year call to action. 

My wish for all educators is to enjoy the journey to creating lasting change for learners. It is a certainty that teachers' active interactions within their spaces of learning impact students' literary lives. 

Please visit Two Writing Teachers for the Tuesday Slice of Life.

Back to School Inspiration to Spark Energy and Positivity

Today, I woke with a feeling of hopeful expectation, still feeling the flow of positivity from last night's NYEDChat. Great energy set the backdrop for positive vibrations that rippled through the conversation. The topic, beginning the school year on a positive note, was just the right touch for those educators seeking a bit of inspiration. So it is natural to feel a sense of exuberance this morning. This type of a feeling cannot be matched but a short poem may be the right expression for my daily writing challenge. I dedicate the words swirling in my mind to the committed group of practitioners who joined the chat about positivity last night.

***********************************

The school year approaches

with hands outstretched

waiting for an artisan

seeing vibrant colors

splashed across a 

blank canvas

to create 

energy 

in 

motion.

Teachers 
come 
to the easel

carefully choosing 

colorful hues to frame 
a year of vibrant colors

showcasing passion of craft. 

Created by Carol Varsalona 2014

With a collaborative spirit may you create a bright canvas for active learning this year!

"The greatest impact on teachers is a collaborative culture."
Michael Fullen
***********************************

Join the Slice of Life community of writers today to read a variety of slices. 

World Teacher's Day

Today, October 5, 2013, marks the celebration of World Teacher's Day, sponsored by UNESCO and its partners, International Labour Organization, United Nations Development Program, UNICEF, and Education International. This year's theme, "A Call for Teachers," emphasizes the need for all learners around the world to have a quality education. Students must develop strategies and utilize appropriate tools to become globally-minded citizens and meet the challenges of a worldwide economy. In order to do so, a force of well-educated and quality teachers is needed. UNESCO is focusing on these issues today to eradicate the barriers to a quality education for all as it celebrates World Teacher's Day. 

As civic-minded individuals, we must be aware of the challenges to education in other parts of the world. Here on Long Island, with resources available, teachers continually assist students to become ardent learners who notice, wonder, and discover; but there are teachers in other parts of the world who do not have adequate resources and materials to support the call to educate. Likewise, there are regions where teaching and learning are luxuries; in the impoverished village of Masese in Uganda there was no educational system. Eating, going to school, and adequate clothing to wear were among the luxuries not afforded to the Masese people. Through the humanitarian efforts of local Rockville Centre residents, the Garrity and Silon families, a school has been established and training provided for the teachers. Ongoing endeavors have supported the growth of the school from a population of 40 student to 300 and a cottage industry of paper bead making for the women. With these stepping stone efforts, the quality of life and better educational opportunities now exist and continue to grow. 

Were it not for the sustainable humanitarian efforts of world-wide organizations such as H.E.L.P. and the grassroots' efforts of dedicated individuals, issues of poverty and its impact on education would not be addressed. The call for quality education on a world-wide scale is an important one. Children around the globe need equal access to education and their teachers need adequate training to meet the demands of today's rapidly changing world. Let's celebrate teaching and learning today as we salute the global teaching profession who are the guides and the backbone of the educational system. 

Happy World Teacher's Day to All those who Inspire and Impact Learning Every Day!