Sweat to Inspire

Episode 2 of Sweat to Inpire Vlog. This week’s focus in for adults to remember the kids are watching everthing we do. Students are always observing our behaviors, we are their role models whether we like it our not. We have to make sure we are intentional in our actions modeling the best of what humans can be. This week’s book reccomendation is Elephant in the Classroom by Andrew Maxey which discusses the 13 complexities of teaching.

Starting a video-blog and sharing here. In this epsidoe I talk about the importance to model cell phone behaviors for our youth. I also reccomend the book “Its like Riding A Bike” by David Schmittou. I hope to publish every Monday on a weekly basis. Would love to hear yoru thoughts.

The school year is about to begin here in Michigan. Yes, we start after Labor Day. Tensions are high for many as masks are debated while the COVID Delta Variant is causing cases to rise around the country. As an educator I am nervous. I know last school year was draining. We taught in person from Sept 28 and online. We practiced social distancing. We put in extra cleaning measures. Even with all the precautions we had quarintines and absenses. It was the hardest year I have ever had in my 20 in the classroom. Summer flew by. I don’t know if I (or many of my collegues) can take another year like last year.

As summer started it looked like COVID was waning. Vaccines were available to anyoe 12 and up. It looked like school for 2021-2022 school year would look better. I have been planning for hands on activites and group work. Returning my seating structure to small groups rather that sterile rows that COVID dictated. I have supplies ordered for labs that were abondoned or modified differently. Our students deserve better instruction than we were forced to deliever last year.

I know our students will perserve through what ever our school year brings. As a teacher I am going to be a positive leader in the classroom. Making the most of the time we have together. Learning isn’t lost it is just different as we deal with the interuptions that COVID brings. As we navigate the unknown that every school year brings, focus on our purpose: to grow. Grow as learners and citizens. Over the past 18 months it seems the focus has been on the loss. Loss of normal. Many have shown rage and how ugly humans can be towards each other during this time. Blame has been thrown about and hate to those that don’t act in similar ways to your actions. It is time for civil discourse when people disagree. It is time to listen and try to understand others why. Time to agree to disagree.

Let’s make the most of this school year. 2021-2022 has lots of promise. Time to help our students see it clearly!

Wow! Its been awhile since I blogged about my thoughts, since the pandemic hit in fact. Last March I was getting energized at the MACUL annual conference in Grand Rapids when the education world was up ended by COVID. This pandemic has changed all of us. At first I tought it would be good to document the pandemic. I struggled to put it down in writing so I captured my thoughts on my Instagram account. From March to June I put out a daily message to my students to encourage them to continue the learning process. Summer brought homes of a return to normal that faded quickly in August.

The 2020-2021 school year was the most difficult in my 21 year career. My district made difficult decisions that were best for students. Teachers returned to school in August to teach all students virtually as the team planned for a return to in person learning. By September 28, 2020 we allowed all students back who desired to return to the building with masks and social distancing. This account for about 50% of our student population. To make this work our teachers were streached thin. Teaching seperate in-person and virtual schedules, our normal middle school schedules were up ended making way to a modified schedule to focus on esentials. As the year went on state reguliations required us to switch all students back to virtual at times. As the year progressed more students were welcomed back to school when they felt it would be comfortable.

The year was taxing on all of us. Teachers were forced to teach in new ways. Designing lessons that for virtual students and put an emphasis on social distancing. Normally classrooms instruction has been designed to engage students in conversations and hands on activities. This year was different, it focused on self exploration and individual discovery. I observed so much learning by students that engaged in the process. Learning the new technology. Learning how to self engage and stay motived. I also observed students struggles. Some online students struggled to engage and complete tasks to show learning. In person students stuggled in similar ways since they were enjoying socialization that hadn’t happened since the pandemic started.

As an educator this year wore me down. Working on lesson delievery for two different type of classrooms (online and in person) was time consuming and stressful. I felt responsible for ALL of my students’ learning. When they struggled, I looked for new ways to engage and motivate. My online students were sending messages at all hours of the day, while also not responding to my messages or replys. Contacts with parents and at home students was at an all time high. I felt that I needed to do everything possible to ensure my students could learn.

At first I welcomed all the “free” resources and PD. As the pandemic progressed, I became overhelmed with a focus on my students and my survival. PD was not what I needed. I needed time. I needed feedback, I needed more support. PD seemed to be education thought leaders could provide. Constant emails about PD, much of it was about tech tools and self care. NO thank you. I was worn down. My students feedback was to keep learning in a systematic way with tools they knew. Changing to new tech tools or in class tools whould have hampered our learning. Me missing classes or spending afternoon and evenings completing PD would have further burned me out.

Now that it is summer, I know that schools and learning has changed for ever. Students learned so much over the past 18 months, most of which will never be reflected in grades or test scores. This learning will be valuable and important as we move forward as a K-12 education system. Hopefully I will have time to reflect more this summer so I will be ready for school and new learning opportunities in fall.

2020 has me thinking about mortality. Death seems all around. Everyday I am reminded of the value of life and being alive. Over the past weeks my life has been touched by death, none related to COVID. All lives cut short.

That is me above in the wreckage of a plane, I was the lucky one, sole survivor of small plane crash that took my parents. Lucky to spend 3 months in a local hospital where my father had worked recovering from broken bones. Lucky to have aches and scares to remind me of the moment of impact. At seventeen my life was rocked. It took time and constant pushing from my loving extended family to realize my survival had meaning. For awhile I asked why I survived, knowing it was due to where I sat in the plane. My parents’ lives were more important in the community being a prominent doctor and education advocate. I was just a high school junior. Why were they gone and me alive? My parents left a legacy on the community of Quincy, IL and with in their 3 children (My two brothers weren’t in the crash). The community celebrated their lives and dedicated a garden in their honor at the community history museum.

Now 32 years later I have constant reminders that life can at any moment can end. Mortality and legacy thoughts fill my brain. How much longer do I have? What will I be remember for? Has my life been worth living or should one of my parents survived? It was only a matter of seating that I survived, what if my mother and I had switched seats?

I live my life focused on making sure it is a life that makes a difference one worth being saved. I have walked down wrong paths sometimes losing sight of this pursuit, getting lost in depressing thoughts or caught up by physical pains. Thankfully my parents memories were captured by the community in a legacy book that has faded over the years. I pull it off the shelf and refresh my focus. Working to pass on my families values and work ethic on to my 3 bright and energetic children.

My oldest son, Griffin, is approaching the age I was when my parents died (17) and the twins are the same age as my little brother was when they passed (12). What would they do if I was gone? Are they prepared to exist independently? I plan on being around for much longer but these questions persist. What legacy am I leaving them? Am I making sure they have skills and values to reflect our family values?

With recent events I have gotten to spend more time the past 5 months with them than in the past. I get to eat breakfast with them, see how they learn and enjoy movie and game nights. Things that never happened growing up the son of a doctor. My children reflect my wife and me. Ecstatic that they represent my family name in the community. Although these months have been trying at times, when I return to face to face teaching and they return to the classrooms I will miss this quality time together.

Cherish your time with family. Leave a legacy with in your children. Life is short let yours reflect your values.

Seeing NFL players tweet #WeWantToPlay today has many teachers reflecting on the school year. The CDC can out with guidelines for schools. Soon after the guidelines are announced both President Trump and the Secretary of Education quickly announced they want schools to open despite the guidelines. Huh?

Lets think about this for a minute:

NFL players make millions, teachers make less than a players game day check.

NFL players provide a form of entertainment, teachers educate the youth.

NFL players will have access to regular testing and entertain once a week for 3 hours, teachers will be teaching 7 hours a day, 5 days a week without any testing protocol.

Which is more essential the NFL or schools.

Schools are doing their best to open, but there are so many questions that need to be answered before this happens. Districts are working hard on multiple plans for the 2020-2021 school year: Online School, Hybrid School and a return to face to face schooling. Budgets are tight without federal or state guidance on what funds will be available for the coming school year. Districts have to make guesses on the finances. Evaluate their infrastructure looking at HVAC systems and their technology capacity. Teachers are honing their skills learning as much as they can to be ready for what ever fall brings. ALL this is being done while fighting the perception that we closed.

We want to teach. We know that teaching face to face is the best mode for our students to learn and provides equity. Teachers need to know that guidelines for safety are being followed, don’t they deserve the same precautions the NFL (or other sports league) is following.