Carnahan's Convo's

Ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper I knew I wanted to be a teacher. It is in my blood as I have grown up in a family of educators. I would play school with my siblings and would hold little “conferences” as we played teacher and school with one another. Report card day was like a national event for me! I could not wait to see what my grades were, make a photo copy for my dad, and run it home to show it off to my family members. The penmanship grade had to be an “A” for my dad. I would strive for perfection in many arenas and still do in my education and job. I believe this is “Where Great Teaching Begins” and so does Anne R. Reeves. Am I saying I am or was the greatest teacher on the planet? No, but I went into education and switched jobs to make the biggest impact on lives. I work with objectives on a daily basis.

As I have entered education, some think that it is just about showing up and teaching or just punching the time clock. Not true. It is about objectives, molding minds, and impacting lives. Are there some that have ulterior motives? Yes. Sad, but true. When creating units and lessons, there must be objectives, learning activities, and assessments. Engaging. They must all be aligned and aligned properly. Think of it as a backbone. When one of those vertebrae is out of whack, the whole back is just not right and you cannot function to the best of your ability. The same goes for a lesson, classroom, and school.

Objectives are what the students will know and be able to do at the end of the lesson or unit. Form your objectives around visualizing your students doing the task(s). If your students are showing success in your activities, then they are ready for assessment!  In order to know if your objectives are appropriate, you need assessments, formative (throughout the lesson/unit) and the final summative (end). This will ensure that your students are hitting your learning targets and state standards as well! Assess every learning objective!

Put your lessons to the test! Everyone in education at times wants to know if their objectives are valid. If these are working, your objectives are! According to Reeves there are 3 tests:

1. The “Hey Dad test” is where the student can demonstrate it. “Hey Dad! Watch me__________!” shows the actual learning of whatever they learned. I can remember doing this the first time I tied my shoe on the back porch!
2. The “Principal in the Hall test.” The students demonstrate their knowledge to someone by telling them what they can do that they could not do before. I often ask kids, “What did you learn at school today?” all the time! They tell me and show me!
3. The “Whaddya Know test.” This test helps us evaluate an objective in regards to what information a student needs to know prior to learning. The famous “KWL” chart!

When forming lessons and units, it is important to remember the key concept here, students and learning outcomes. Many times, lessons and units are formulated with activities, but the focus is wrong. There is teacher interest in mind. We must remember that it is the student’s education and future at stake here.

We all have rough days right? Our reactions to those days are different and how we deal with them seems to be the result of those that interact with us. I experienced a pretty rough day and reacted in a way that is normal for me, yet also out of the ordinary as well. I also had a realization later that night. Let me tell you about this.

I was in a little fender bender with Mother Nature. Mother Nature got the best of me. I hit some glare ice and hit a mud embankment. That mud embankment pretty much saved me from flipping or rolling my car. All in all, I lost my front plastic bumper and side runner. My car looks awful, but I am safe. I “kept the shiny side up!” as my dad would say. After this happened, I made a phone call to tell someone and their expression/words to me was not what I wanted to hear. I will not state who it was or what they said, but I was not happy. It is cleared up now. I was very upset and shut down. I did not want to talk at the moment and it consumed my mind all day. The accident and words consumed my mind all day. I was scared to death all day. I went home, cleaned up, and went to work. I also heard other sad news about a family member while at work. My mind was not clear, but I pushed through and did what I was supposed. It was a struggle.

As I left work to go home, I almost hit 2 sets of deer. I was floored! I got home safely and decided that I was staying home and parking my tattered car for the evening. Phone rang. This was a call from the person I called earlier in the day telling them about my accident. I did something I normally do not do, I did not answer. I did not answer because I was upset and I shut myself down for the day. I went to bed at 9:30 PM. Thoughts filled my head.

Some of you are wondering where I am going with this? Here it is… Something happened to me. I let it bother me. I let words shut me down. Think of your students and children. How many times do you speak to your students and children with words that may shut them down? Or do not speak words to them? Do they need words to build them up and encourage them? When this happens, nothing or very little gets accomplished! I am almost 30 years old and it took that much to shut me down. Think of your students and children and what they face. They shut down with a glare, eye roll, or a sarcastic remark. Many complain about the demands in education and the lack of care in students, but I personally feel that if educators show an increased interest, improvements will show. Case in pointà I used to greet at the door every day in 8^th grade. This one boy would never shake my hand, greet me, speak to me, or look me in the eye and told me so. I never gave up on him and did it every single day. When he became a junior, I would see him in the hall and greeted him. He replied back, “Good morning Miss Carnahan! How are you today?!” He would have a full blown conversation with me!

 As I am out of the classroom, I think of times when some of my students needed words! They would come in and tell me about the hurtful words that people in their lives would speak to them. It would eat me alive! I would go home and it would consume me. Not only was I their teacher, but I was also their parent at school and I took pride in that. They trusted me and I trusted them. Think before you speak. I know I will.

This Friday and Saturday I experienced something that I have not experienced in a long time. A funeral. I dislike them with a passion regardless of who they are for. I hate seeing people in sorrow, grief, depression, agony, etc. You get where I’m going with this.  I have not had great experiences with them , as no one probably has. I guess that is why they are not called “fun”erals. Many thoughts were running through my head as I was there and I saw the blanket of sadness fall upon the crowded room. Many people spoke of fond and happy memories, tears were shed, and roars of laughter jumped from the bellies of family and friends. These were bittersweet days.

I guess the thoughts going through my head have to deal with all the death that I have experienced over the course of my life and how I have gotten through it all. These deaths have been difficult and in a close time range. Some of the other thoughts had to do with the future and what could happen to others in my family and how I will get through it. There is a constant fear with this as I have had the tragic loss of one family member in a car accident. It comes down to this folks… LIFE IS TOO SHORT.

As I sat there, I thought about a few things. Love unconditionally, tell those people you love them, treat them that way, and take the time to laugh more. Sometimes the simplest things you do, make the biggest difference and impact the life of another person. There have been times when I do not do these things and I am coming to the realization that I need to.  I now have a new outlook on life and plan on walking in this path more. I hope I can do this and if I don’t, please tell me! Time to step it up! We can do it!  : )

How do I even begin this? NO CLUE! I will just put this out there. I am taking a new job as a Staff Development Specialist at ERIE 2 BOCES! There, I said it folks! The news is out! The secret is out and the cat is out of the bag! : ) LOL. I know, everyone is shocked or maybe you are not. I really cannot put words into your mouths. Some of you are thinking I am crazy, but then again I really do not care what people think because truly, I have felt a passion to do this for quite awhile now and my decision has been made. My last day at RCS will be Friday, October 7^th and my first day at BOCES will be Tuesday, October 11^th.  I will tell you my story.

It all began growing up and going through high school, working my backside off and feeling like I could not succeed. I would work so hard and watch many of my friends cheat their way through high school, be on the honor roll, in National Honor Society, the Top Ten, and then get major scholarships. I didn’t want to be that type of person, it wasn’t me to be phony. I had a conscience and worked hard for what I earned. Integrity was my game. I was a merit/honor student. I value my education more. I had a few teachers that inspired me to go further into education. I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was in grade school.  I would sit in some classes and not understand the content the teacher was presenting, and this inspired me to become the educator I am today.

Moving on, when I went to look into colleges as a junior/senior, I asked my guidance counselor about SUNY Fredonia. He told me, “Lauren that is an awfully hard school to get into.” I walked away in disappointment, failure, and felt like I was stupid. For most of my life I have lacked confidence in some areas. If someone tells me that I cannot do something, I will work my hardest to prove you wrong and if I fail, then at least I learned something out of it. After hearing those words, my next step was JCC and that was a good move on my part. I earned many scholarships, not only from RCS graduation night, but from JCC. I paid all of JCC’s tuition out of pocket. I also paid my own way through the rest of college. I am proud of that and thank my parents for making me do that! I will one day make my children do that. SUNY Fredonia was my next step and I did it! Double major baby- Social Studies Education and History!  After that, Edinboro University for my Master’s in Special Education.

After graduating, I substitute taught for 2 years and job hunted. This was tough, but I was driven to keep looking and never give up. I obtained my dream job at RCS in 2007, 8^th grade Social Studies! LOVED every minute of it! Not only was I shaped into the person I am today by my receiving a quality education there, but I also had the opportunity to collaborate with quality educators and administrators, and give part of my teaching ability to this institution. I am thankful for those opportunities. Over time, I have had many influences in the education realm in regards to leadership. I will not go into names, but these people have guided me throughout my career and have encouraged me to keep going. Saying that, I have been given many opportunities to facilitate learning clubs, teach workshops, and serve on committees. This has sparked a new interest in my learning and has put a new drive in me to continue learning and help others in the education field, thus impacting more students.  It was this summer (2011) that I decided to begin taking Administration courses at SUNY Fredonia to go into staff development and maybe further down the road, become a principal. We shall see.

Just before school started, I flipped through the classified ads and saw the posting for the Staff Development Specialist job. My heart pounded and I wanted to apply. I consulted with a few close friends about the situation and was encouraged to do it, what do I have to lose in terms of applying and possibly getting an interview? The first round of interviews came. The second call came for another interview and then the job offer came. I won’t go into details unless you ask. This was something that I did pray about and asked God to close the door if it was not supposed to be. So, you are probably wondering what made me leave right when school started? If you love kids so much, why quit? Great questions! My passion is to impact lives in the education field in as many ways possible. I feel that by taking this career path, I can impact more lives. This allows me the opportunity to help other educators, thus help more students. I am one of those that are seizing opportunities to set exceptional standards and make strides in education. This is one way I can do this at a new level. Will I miss the students? Yes. Am I dropping off the face of the planet? No. In the future, I plan to become an administrator and this will afford me the chance to be with students.

One day my uncle was reading an article and found an inspirational quote. He sent this to me and it really pushed me to take a step towards my goals and aspirations. “People limit what they can do because they listen to their friends and do what other people think they’re capable of, rather than what they really think they can do.”  This is so true and this is partially why I kept my application process, interviewing, and acceptance of the job very secretive for such a long time. There are many negative people out in the world and some have been face to face with me throughout my life. I will not be influenced by the ways of man.  

As I embark on this new journey, I am very grateful for those that influenced me in my educational walk. There are so many people that have shaped, guided, and molded me into the person and educator that I am today. I could sit here and make a list, but that would take a very long time. These people know who they are. I want to thank every single one of them. I want to thank every single student that I have taught- thank you for allowing me the opportunity to spend time with you and for teaching me the true meaning of education. Thank you for making an impression on my life, as you have no idea how much you truly all mean to me. I would like to thank RCS for investing in me. You took a chance on me, I learned so much in my time with your institution, and I am forever appreciative for that!

I am looking forward to many more amazing years in my educational career. I have no idea just where it may lead to, but I do know that it is meant to help others. As FDR once said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” I have nothing to fear.

This summer has brought a new step in life for me, a fresh and exciting one. One that I am pretty pumped for. Some say I am crazy, nuts, and out of my mind, but I know that this is something that I want and should pursue. I am beginning my administrative degree. The funny thing about this step is that now is the time for me to do this. I do not have anything tying me down in life to take this leap. A single gal with no children…. why not? Why do it later in life with a husband, children, and a full-time job in my arms? This is the time.

As I walk into this next chapter in my life, I have had mixed emotions from people. I feel that some do not understand my reasons for this decision. Just because I am going for my administration degree, does not mean I am stepping into an administrative position immediately! I have a strong desire to work in the curriculum arena, working with teachers, and developing classrooms. In order to do this, an administration degree is required. In the future, I would like to step into an administrative role, but that is in the future. Do not get me wrong, I LOVE what I do now as a social studies teacher! Every person has desires and wants to try to pursue those as they travel through life. The only thing that really bothers me is the fact that there are only a few people that really have supported me when I tell them I doing this. Other people have put forth their negative comments and that hurts in many ways. Do they feel I am not competent for that career path? Do I not have potential? Many thoughts have crossed my mind as they have said things to me. Encouragement is what is needed. Just something to munch on. Manners, folks.

So, as I embark on this next journey with new shoes, I am very excited! Excited for new lessons to learn, new people to meet, and new goals to meet! The mindset is changing and this is something that has always been going on in me as I have grown up. I always have wanted to learn new things, keep the mind expanding, and body moving. I guess it is something in me.

I will admit, this blog posting jumps around a bit. I wrote part of it while on vacation and some while at home. We often tell stories of when we were kids to other people in hopes of getting an arise out of them. I do it in hopes of teaching a lesson to them or to tell them that I am proud of the way that I was raised. I am proud of the way my sets of parents raised me out of two households. I faced challenges, but it was how it was and I dealt with it. I had two houses, multiple holiday gatherings (still do), and had to follow different rules at each house with different people living under those houses.

When I see how people are raised today and how I was raised it makes me want to go back to the way things were at times. I go into a restaurant and I see kids sitting at a table waiting for their food playing their Nintendo DS, while I would sit there and engage in a conversation with my family or read a book. I am not against technology, I use it every day and teach with it, but placing it in front of a child to silence them is just plain wrong. What’s the world coming to?

Another memory I had this morning put a smile on my face and I find myself using it with my students. As a child, my siblings and I would be sitting inside on a nice summer day watching movies, my father would walk in and shout, “Get outside and get the stink off ya!” We would gripe and whine, but after awhile, we would go outside, play, and have a blast! I see his point, I love it, and I embrace it! Thanks dad! He had made me realize how much we need to disconnect from technology and embrace the great outdoors sometimes. It’s great!

College came around and the talk of paying for it. I will be honest when I write about it. I did not really have much help from my parents when it came to looking, applying, and picking a career path. In fact, I paid for every penny of my college. My mom and I visited Fredonia together and that was a great trip together. We needed that. I do not resent my parents for not helping me pay for college, I am glad they made me do it. I valued my education more, worked hard to obtain all of my degrees, and to keep going.  There was not a scholarship or financial aid given to me. I paid it. I at times think people feel I was spoon fed what was given to me, but in reality, that was not the case. I worked 4 jobs while attending college and managed to keep my grades up. I have my parents and family to thank for my work ethic and for encouraging me to stay in school when I wanted to give up.

The things in life that seem so strong and rough at the time can later come back and teach us wonderful lessons. I am so thankful for those times. There is growth in the valley as a pastor once told me. I believe that. Through the times in life, I have grown.

Like the word… technologicalism? I do, I think I made it up. A few things have happened this last week in the classroom that has kept me thinking in awesome ways! I LOVE it! I was teaching and a student asked me, “Miss Carnahan, can I use my iPod touch to take notes on?” I thought for a second and without hesitation, answered, “YES! Knock your socks off!” I think the student was shocked that I allowed them to use such a device in the classroom for learning. I could hear the rest of the class whispering about my response. They were flabbergasted that I would allow her to use her iPod for note making! We need to embrace this technology and use it in a proper way, never stifle it!

I heard a term this week as well that I had never heard before, “screenagers.” What a great term! We are working with a whole new group of students that are audio/visual learners, this will not change. As educators we must change our way of instruction and embrace the way we mold minds with conviction, innovation, passion, and leadership. We must lead by example and never stifle the technology that is making its way into our hands and the hands of the leaders of tomorrow. I’m not saying we have to use it ALL the time, but incorporate it into our teaching practices so students are able to go out into the world and exhibit 21st century skills. Their future is at risk here. Stifling isn’t? Not to me, I’m becoming one of them, but not in their age bracket. : )

This is quite simple, instead of reinventing the wheel, teaching can become revolutionized to a whole new level with the use of technology. Who knew a large video camera would morph into a tiny little Flip camera or put into a mobile phone? Who knew an iPod would evolve from a phonograph, etc (you know all the music players throughout history)? You can now access the internet and listen to music in just a tap and people want these out of their classrooms! Stifle! I had a high school guidance counselor try to stifle my dream of becoming a teacher by telling me I would never get into a SUNY college because it was a difficult school to get into. I didn’t let them stop me. I still applied and still got in. I’m a teacher today. If we stop “screenagers” from embracing technology in education, they will never grow or have the skills necessary to function in future jobs, even take risks or make decisions in life. Let’s try to keep the “screens” on here.

Here is my second installment of this fun game! Heck, everyone wants to know more about the person they are reading! Here you go! Don’t judge! Ha ha! : )

I’ve learned to walk by faith, not by sight. Try it, God works in awesome ways!

 It is very hard for me to sit still. Even when watching a movie, my mind is wandering. I am making lists, thinking, and have a difficult time focusing. I can do it, but it takes work.

 I do not have cable. I have not since I moved into my apartment. I refuse to do it. I do not even get the basic- 2, 4, or 7 channels. I think it is a waste of money and it kills your brain. Do something with yourself!

 I dislike reading. I would rather have someone tell me something than read it. It takes less time and it is easier to understand. I only read pieces of work that better me as an educator or person- a.k.a. – non-fiction! Silly romance novels are for the birds.

 There is not a day that I do not think about the heartaches that I have gone through in my life and with that being said; I am a stronger person because of those events.

 I LOVE working in education and see myself working in it for the rest of my life or until I retire!

 I LOVE riding around on the tractor in the field with my dad on a summer day and shooting the breeze with him! This is our bonding time and it is sooooo awesome! : )

 My goal is to see all 50 states. I think I can do it. I’m about half way there.

 I am deathly afraid of snakes and kill them when I see them. I get an evil look in my eye when I see them and beat the living snot out of them with any item I can get my hands on. Sometimes I run them over with the lawnmower or my bike. I do not care if it is heartless. Many people squash mice in mousetraps, splatter flies, and crush frogs in the road. Do I call you heartless? Nope. Satan disguised himself as a serpent- that’s heartless!

 People are rather shocked to know I have a tattoo. Yes, this Christian, goody two-shoes, teacher has a tattoo on her foot. 3 Jesus fish. Symbolic for me- school of fish (I’m a teacher), Trinity, and the Jesus fish. I went and got it with my sister and mom. Not one regret.  Ready for number 2!

 If you asked 5 years ago where I thought I would be in 5 years… I would not have had this in mind, but I do not think it is a bad thing. Everything happens for a reason!

 I find myself constantly correcting the grammar of others on Facebook and in emails. I’m not even an ELA teacher. Why am I like that? Poor grammar drives me crazy! I know I make mistakes in grammar myself, I’m not perfect.

 I am a VERY independent person. I always have been and I feel this is from growing up in a divorced home. This can be a positive and negative thing. It has shaped me into the person I am today.

 If I am without my cell phone, I at times have separation anxiety. I have experienced the traumatic loss of my stepmother in a tragic car accident in 2004 and feel that in case of an emergency, people need to be able to get a hold of me. When that happened, I did not have one. My stepbrother was the first one to receive the news all by himself. Try being 18 years old and hearing that? My sister and I heard the sirens and spoke of the accident, and wondered who it was. We even feared it was our father. Turns out it wasn’t him, but it was her. Three days prior to the accident, I had a conversation with my stepmother, and she told me how much she loved me and how she was proud of me. This was in the parking lot of Quality Markets. I did not know this would be my last conversation with her, but I do remember it and will forever. There is not a day that I do not think about her.

 I do not feel I am good- looking.

 Death does not scare, but the process does. I have experienced enough of it with friends, family, and pets. I hate funerals, visitations, and hospitals. They make me cry, even when I do not know the person that well. It is like I can feel the pain of the family. I do not like that pain and wish I can take it away.

 I love running and it was this year that I realized that I have an addiction to it. I am working through it and cutting back. It has affected my health in some ways and now I know how people get caught up in it. When I go out and run it is my time of clearing my head (happiness and frustrations), prayer, and thinking of lessons for teaching. Sometimes these runs go on from anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. You see why I am cutting back a little? : )

 I am a very impatient person and it shows at times. In the process, I feel I have developed ADD/ADHD as well. I cannot sit still for a very long time and find myself doing things while I wait. I cannot focus. I become very frustrated with this and I am working on it.

 I LOVE live music and going to watch bands. It really does not matter if I know the band or not. The sound of a live band is mesmerizing to me and you can tell they feel the music as they play. I know from experience.

 I am waiting until I am married. Enough said. I get picked on for this and I do not care. It will be well worth the wait. It is a gift I am giving to my mate. Don’t make fun.

 I miss family gatherings and often become jealous of other people that have a tight structure of family togetherness that have birthday parties (regardless of age) and big celebrations. I wish we still did that.

 I feel everyone should never forget where they came from. It has shaped you into the person you are today. Thank the people and the town that were a part of your upbringing regardless if they had a negative impact upon your life, you are who you are and only you can change it, not them. Roots baby, roots. We all have them.

 I come across as being serious most of the time, but I can be fun and let loose! Hang with me, and you will see!

 I sometimes get the impression that people feel I was handed everything in life. Not true. I put myself through college, paid every cent, worked the whole time while I was in college (3-4 jobs), and never received any money from anyone (not even financial aid or my parents) to go to school. I bought my own car, paid it off in 2 years on a 5 year loan. With this being said, I do not feel sympathy for people who say they cannot afford to go to college. You can, you have the opportunity, and you should. Not bragging, but it goes to show you that you can do it! Go get ‘em! : )

I love me time. I do not mind doing things by myself: shopping, sitting at home on a Friday night, eating in a restaurant, road trips, etc. I think this has to do with being independent for so long and learning to take care of myself for many parts of my life. This does not mean that I want to be alone! : )

\”Don\’t Stop Producin\’\”

\”Big Opportunities\”

\”Life\’s Not That Wonderful\”

\”Imperial World\”

Music has always been an influential part of my life. In fact, if I did not go into the teaching profession, I probably would have been a musician. Secretly, I would like to record an album. Hee hee. : ) Bet you never knew that one, did you? Not many do! I’m not saying that I’m the best singer or guitar player in the world, but I enjoy making music and writing. It is therapeutic for me, a hobby. I can remember listening to some Schoolhouse Rocks songs in 7^th grade memorizing my social studies lesions. It worked for me! As I stepped into the classroom as a social studies teacher, I thought more about this idea of taking songs and rewriting the lyrics to go along with the unit for my students to music they enjoyed  (classic rock though). At first, I thought they might think it was a bit cheesy or not want to sing along, but I thought it was worth a try.

When I stepped into a long-term sub position for the last 3 weeks of school in 2007, I wrote a little review song to “Sweet Home Alabama” to cover the whole year. With guitar in hand and lyrics passed out, I strummed away and to my surprise, the kids loved it and sang along! I was flabbergasted! The creative juices began to flow for me. Song writing for each chapter took off when I stepped into my full time teaching career that next fall!

It goes like this. I sit down and write down the key terms, concepts, people, places, and overall ideas of the chapter and group them with the verses and chorus of the song. I then try to find a song that fits the theme of the chapter. This is not always easy, but it usually works out. I then replace the words that are pretty close to rhyming and go to town with trying to keep them relative to the original song. For the most part, it only takes about 15-20 minutes to write the song, but sometimes it takes a little longer.

After the song is written, I type the lyrics for the students and print them out. When I introduce the chapter, I play the original song for them with the lyrics handed out. We then sing the review song together. The song is sung every other day and notes are written next to the lyrics as we cover specific key terms, concepts, people, places, and overall themes. This is a form of note taking/making. We review each verse after we sing it every other day. This allows students to hear the song and get the content as well. Some parents have come up to me and said, “My kid won’t stop singing around the house! What are you doing to them!? It’s the wrong lyrics!” Of course they are kidding when they say this, but the kids say they start singing when they are taking a test. Some even say when the real song comes on, they sing the wrong lyrics!

Now for the technology piece! With the use of technology, our district has Flip cameras readily available. Each class has had the opportunity to be recorded singing the song and then I preview it, post it on Youtube, and then to Facebook. Facebook is also a tool that I use for posting homework, class videos, and homework chat. Students now have access to the review song for viewing 24/7!

Song List:

“The West”- “Your Love” by The Outfield

“Don’t Stop Producin’”- “Don’t Stop Believin’’” by Journey

“Big Opportunities”- “Pink Houses” by John Cougar Mellencamp

“Life’s Not That Wonderful”- “Some Kind of Wonderful” by Grand Funk Railroad

“Imperial World”- “Material Girl” by Madonna

“Gonna Be a Great War”- “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas

“20s Are Roaring”- “Down On the Corner” by CCR

“New Deal Plans”- “Proud Mary” by CCR

“World War II”- “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

“History”- “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Professional development has been brought to a whole new level for me this weekend. Some may say that I am full of garbage. Some may say I am just kissing butt, but in reality, I found myself having meaningful conversations with colleagues and educators, chiming in on lectures, writing down ideas feverishly, and taking notes on innovating thoughts from top educators in the nation. That is something to get excited about! Educon 2.3 in Philadelphia was my destination with some of my fellow colleagues. This has made me want to pursue my administrative degree and step up to the plate even more. I have learned so many amazing things and others were to be stored for later.

While sitting in some of the sessions throughout the weekend or sitting with my colleagues, I was actually a little jealous that I cannot have these types of conversations on a daily basis with people. Why is that? Some of these topics and issues that were brought up were so interesting and I found myself so intrigued and deeply driven to not want to leave the session or to not want it to end. Why was that? What makes my mind so motivated to this topic? Hmm… I know, I know, you might be thinking nerd alert, but this is why I am in education and that is why I LOVE it! To be honest, my mind does not shut off from it.

Educon is not just a sit and get conference that many people are used to when attending professional development venues. This was a conversation, a jam packed weekend of new direction. A new direction of where education is going and that is where I want to be, whether it is in the classroom educating the leaders of tomorrow or on the administrative end. Both ends of the spectrum are equally important and require great lengths of dedication, passion, innovation, leadership, and room for change. There are educators and administrators today that do not want to do any of these things. It is rather scary to think about this considering the classroom has changed dramatically so much since I graduated 10 years ago and continues to morph monthly. I am ready to step up and grab the bull by the horns and help with this change. If we don’t change with education, we will be stuck with the same old thing and never moving towards that innovating prosperous future we all desire and desire for children.

To end, I heard an awesome and exhilarating quote this weekend that changed my whole mindset towards teaching. “Teach kids, not content!” Wow! That is how I am going to walk into my classroom now. The way I teach will not be driven how what my colleagues think of me or how I feel, but how my students respond and their needs. That is what matters the most and that is who it is all about. So many educators are afraid to push students to learn on a new level. Many are afraid to let students fail at something, to let them make a mistake before they get it right. Let me tell you something, I failed at many things in life and it took many tries before I got them right. I failed the Earth Science Regents roughly 4 times before I passed. I finally passed. It is called drive and people allowing me to fail before I got it right. It was because my father “taught” me and loved me. It was not about content. That is what we as educators must do and then we will see innovation, success, passion, leadership, and perseverance. Try it! I have pushed myself to do this and have seen some great results personally and with my students. That is what I see in many students and want to see in all students, along with staff as well. I want to lead a school that is like that. Call me unrealistic, but I dream big, strive, and overcome. I have seen it and I saw it this weekend.