Goodbye, blog!

Hello, anyone still following this blog! I've decided to shut it down because I never get to update it.

If you want to get in contact with me, abbeydick1@gmail.com is always good and my Twitter (@abbeydick) is the place to see what I'm thinking about. Turns out that micro-blogging is more my speed!

I've had a new job since July 2018--I'm the English Department Coordinator for the Chelmsford Public Schools in Chelmsford, MA. I love it! I get to focus exclusively on the needs of the 41 ELA teachers in grades 5-12 in two middle schools and one high school. It's the perfect curriculum role for me--I'm getting to do work I've always wanted to do.

So, if you've read the blog over the years, thanks! I hope I will see you around! Thanks.--Abbey

Long time, no post

Hello, everyone!

I haven't posted to this blog since August . . . of 2016. As Gretchen Rubin says, the days are long, but the years are short.

I'm actually in a new role that has kept me busy. In October of 2016, I became the Director of Humanities for the Malden Public Schools. I'm responsible for evaluation, assessment, curriculum, instruction, and purchasing for the following groups:

Grades 6-12 ELA
Grades K-12 Social Studies
Grades K-12 Art
Grades K-12 Music
Grades K-12 Foreign Language

So, as you can imagine, I have been preoccupied with learning about my new job as a district administrator. It's a real challenge and a real honor.

I actually decided to jump back on the blog to invite any readers to the 4th annual edcamp Malden. It's on Saturday, October 21, at a new location this year--Linden STEAM Academy in Malden.

Here's the link to registration: http://edcampmalden.weebly.com/

It's open to all! Hope to see you there! Enjoy fall. Take care.--Abbey

edcamp Malden is October 15, 2016!

Hi, all. Please consider signing up for edcamp Malden! It's our third event, and there's no theme this time, so let's pack the schedule with topics that matter to you! Register at edcampmalden.weebly.com.

Happy back to school, everyone! I'm getting mentally and emotionally prepared now . . .

Happy Vacation!

Hi, all. Long time, no write. I'm living with a lot of non-blog-writing guilt, but it is what it is. Hope everyone is well and enjoying vacation. I am both relaxing and staying a bit busy. It's nice.

I'm writing to tell you about this free event in August that I'm organizing as part of a grant I won to promote teacher learning.

Please come and/or spread the word! Twitter has completely changed my online life as a teacher--so many resources, so many friends. Whether you're complete new to Twitter or a pro, this session will help you dig deeper.

Feel free to contact me at abbeydick1@gmail.com or @abbeydick with questions. Keep enjoying that summer weather!

#sitxybooks: Books #4-8

Hello, and happy February vacation! I've been reading but neglecting to blog. Here's what I've been reading!

#4: Feed by M. T. Anderson

I teach this book every winter in my 10th grade classes, and I LOVE it. I usually hate sci-fi stuff, but I am obsessed with this book. It tells the story of Titus, a teenager with a chip in his head (his "feed") that does everything a smartphone can do. He falls in love with Violet, another teen who likes her feed but actively tries to resist it. The audio book is amazing because the characters speak in this crazy vernacular (just as crazy as my students' slang). It's an awesome satire that I don't mind rereading every year.




#5: Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind

I read this book with my newly formed book club of English teachers. This book is PERFECT for me and my school and gave me lots of tips for structuring my classroom, my lessons, and my language for my students. It gave me some structures for understanding my kids and helping them want to be in the room and focused. I'll definitely reread it this summer before the new year.




#6: The Wild Truth

This companion piece to Into the Wild was written by Chris McCandless's sister, Carine. She details the physical and emotional abuse rained upon Chris and Carine by their parents, and it provides a motive for Chris's journey into the wild. I avoided reading it for a while, but it's quite well written and gave me a much deeper understanding of Chris and his mindset before his journey. It turns the conventional wisdom of feeling pity for his parents on its head. If you believe Chris was insane to abandon the status quo and divorce his parents forever, this book will change your mind.




#7: The Man of my Dreams

I LOVE Curtis Sittenfeld. I read Prep and American Wife in the past and have been saving this one. Hannah is a young woman who never expects to have a boyfriend but keeps ending up in relationships and trying to figure out the guy and herself. Sittenfeld writes brainy women so perfectly. Lots of laughs and heartbreak here. I love how the book is structured into vignettes.




#8: Sisterland

Also great is this book about twins with psychic powers. They've struggled with their different personalities as they grew up, but as adults they both remained in St. Louis. One sister, Vi, feels a small earthquake and predicts a much bigger one is coming, making her briefly famous nationwide. The other sister has to deal with the consequences: does she laugh it off, or start buying batteries and bottled water? A great meditation on motherhood and sisterhood.




Next up, for my book club, is In the Best Interest of Students, by Kelly Gallagher. Can't wait to dig in. I always love Kelly's stuff.

#sixtybooks: Book #3

Hello! I've gotten though another book! It's hard to find the time to read, but I really look forward to it.

My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff

This book has been on my radar for a while, but I was disappointed. I'm a big Salinger fan, mostly of Catcher because I've read it so often. When Rakoff was in her 20s, she became an assistant for Salinger's agent, so she fielded phone calls from him (he slowly became more friendly to her) and answered his fan mail (sometimes with a canned response, but sometimes she went rogue and answered letters on her own). One time, he walked by her desk and she shook his hand.

Is this tenuous connection with him enough to make a book? It's a coming of age in New York City publishing, and she has a bad boyfriend, but I'm not sure there's a story here. It was pleasant to read, and I learned a little more about Salinger, but I forgot Rakoff's POV the minute the book was over.

Breaking News: EdCamp Boston is early!

Hello! EdCamp Boston just announced their 2016 date (March 5) and when tickets are available (Sunday!?!). They will be gone in hours, so if you live in New England and want to go, check it out ASAP!

http://edcampboston.org/2016/01/13/edcamp-boston-2016-is-go-march-5/

#sixtybooks: book #2

Hey, there! School is back on, and it's midterms time, so my fun reading plan has gone down the drain for the most part, but this is the last book I read on vacation (mostly on the plane).

I know Carrie Brownstein from the TV show "Portlandia," which I love, but she is best known as a musician in the all-female band, Sleater-Kinney. This memoir explores her childhood in Washington with an anorexic mother and a closeted gay father. She struggles to find her place in the world and makes friends in the girl rock scene. She then starts a band and deals with her own sexual identity and enduring the life of touring. The band broke up and then reunited recently.

Brownstein is a terrifically adept writer, especially about concerts and her many famous musician friends. The world she describes is so insular--it's cool to see it from the inside. I was disappointed that there was nothing in the book about "Portlandia" and how she developed her comedy writing and performances. The book did make me yearn to see Portland, Olympia, and the Pacific coast!

Currently reading and attempting to finish before book club dates next week!

Also, I'm taking an online class by Brene Brown, of TED talk and Oprah fame. Good stuff about being yourself and taking risks.  The title comes from this quote by Theodore Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

#sixtybooks: book #1

Hi! I'm trying to read #sixtybooks in 2016. Follow that hashtag on Twitter for more info. I honestly don't know if I can do it--I struggle to read for fun during the school year--but I will try!

For book #1, I totally cheated. I started Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer last week, and I've read it many times before. I wanted to read it again because I hope to teach it to my AP Lang. students this spring in some sort of unit about returning to nature, abandoning materialism, something like that. I haven't flushed it out yet, but I'd like to do one whole book together.

Also, my class is HUGE, about 31 kids, so I might take out the sophomores (about half) and have them read Feed by M.T. Anderson instead and do an already-theorized technology unit. They need a refresher on fiction for the MCAS 10th grade long comp, PLUS no one should get out of reading Feed. It is mind-blowingly good.



Anyway, I've reread this book a lot because I admire it so much. It's a terrific work of non-fiction, blending a true-crime-ish story with personal anecdotes, historical context, and more. Chris McCandless left detailed journals and photos for Krakauer and the world to explore. I'm not hiker or nature lover, but I can understand McCandless's desire to abandon all society and try to live as freely as possible. I think the book provides lessons for parents--if your kid has a lifelong rebellious relationship with you, explore it before it's too late. Also a lesson for young adults whose brains aren't fully developed yet: before you make a drastic, risky decision, talk to someone.

Later this year, I'd like to read The Wild Truth, by Chris's sister. She explores the abusive relationship the kids had with their father, which definitely adds a new layer of intrigue to the story.



Thanks for reading! Let me know your book recommendations for this year at @abbeydick on Twitter or abbeydick1@gmail.com.

2015 year in review!

Happy New Year! I'm writing from Colorado, where there are about eight inches of snow on the ground. None in Boston yet, but it's coming soon . . . Last year we lost nine days to snow! Never again!

It's been a long time since my last blog post, so I have a lot to write about. The fall totally got away from me, as you can imagine. I can't believe it's the end of 2015!

This year I'm co-teaching three classes with a new partner (an experienced ELA special education teacher), and it's amazing. I know the curriculum well, and he comes to the table with great knowledge of the school and how to best modify for our students. We've tried all sorts of new ideas, including using Google Classroom and other technology tools. I've learned so much!

The course is 10 CP, and each class is 1/3 to 1/2 students with IEPs. My goal was to make this year's co-teaching a 50/50 split, and I truly think we're doing it. We meet for prep every day, and that makes all the difference. We grade, plan, and talk about behavior and strategies. It's awesome! I really had to dial back my controlling tendencies--I try not to make any decisions without my co-teacher. I'm thrilled with the way this aspect of this year is going. The arrangement has truly made my life easier, not harder!

I also have a GIANT AP Lang class this year--31 kids. They are great, but the grading is killing me. I've tried some strategies to make it more manageable, and some of them are working. I started the year by having a ten minute meeting with every AP student after school, and that plan was a good idea because I learned names and personalities faster; plus, the kids feel more comfortable coming for extra help. I've also slowed the pace this year--starting with two months of rhetorical analysis, a month of argument, and a month of synthesis before our mock exam in January. Hopefully this limited focus will pay off. The kids seem happy and healthy.

EdCamp Malden was awesome! About 35 learners came to discuss ELL Success! We're getting a new principal next year, so I hope he/she supports this effort. It would be awesome to have a 3rd annual event.

I began co-advising a class this past spring, but this month I decided to step down and let the other adviser take over. Advising was a huge commitment that took away too much time for my teaching. It was a hard decision, but I know it was the best one for me. Sometimes knowing what's NOT best for you is an important step in growing!

One of my smartgoals for this year is to improve my co-teaching, and for me, that means improving my work with students with special needs. I'm taking a DESE-sponsored online class on co-teaching. While the content hasn't been too new to me, it's awesome because I'm taking the course with four colleagues from my school. The final product is a unit on research, so I'm glad I can work on that project because it will help us in the spring. I also signed up for fifteen hours of lectures on special education topics--mental health, behavior, autism, and other topics. I'm an auditory learner, so sitting and listening and taking notes is great for me. Both of these classes have helped me a lot! Up this spring is a UDL class on engagement and motivation.

I also started a book club with some new friends. We're reading Eric Jensen's new book Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind. I loved his other book Teaching with Poverty in Mind, so I'm excited to read this one. So many of my students are brilliant people, but I need to do a better job of engaging them and keeping them motivated.



I just signed up to read sixty books in 2016! Follow #sixtybooks for more info. I don't know if I can make it, but I want to try!

Enjoy the rest of break, everyone! I'm so blessed to have a great PLN that helps me reflect and share challenges!

One week left!

Hi, all. School starts for me next week, so while I hope to blog, it might not happen for a while. You know how it is! Once you get sucked into the vortex of a new school year, you can't get out. I hope to surface by Thanksgiving.

Since I didn't travel, I did a lot of professional stuff this summer, and it was very good. I feel really focused on the coming year. It's year 14. I feel so old!  Older, but wiser hopefully.

Here are the priorities I am thinking about for the fall:

1. Get kids' writing back to them ASAP. The longer I don't provide feedback, the more worthless it is.
2. Try really hard to be a good co-teaching partner. I learned a lot last year and want to do what I can to really have a 50/50 relationship.
3. Start using Google Classroom. Our kids are getting Chrome books, so I'm hoping to streamline what I do.
4. Do work at school. Lugging bags of papers back and forth from home is silly because I'm too tired to do it when I get home anyway.
5. Make concepts more concrete. Though English is skill-based, get more specific so students have something to guide them more than vague suggestions.
6. Conference more. I'm planning on scheduling after school writing conferences. Once students try it, they will love the individualized attention.
7. Raise my AP scores. I'm not crazy about scores, but I KNOW I can do better this coming year.
8. Make students more aware of their Lexile levels and how to improve them. Help them find books they like and can actually read.
9. Do a better job with parent contacts for both good and bad reasons.
10. Step it up with formative assessments. Make students more accountable for processing what they are learning.

I know 10 are too many, but I hope to make some progress on all of them!

Before I forget, EdCamp Malden is October 17. It's just a morning: 8 am until 1230 pm. It will be a great day, especially if you work with ELLs. If you've never been to an EdCamp before and you live nearby, this is a very manageable one to try. The raffle prizes are remarkable; companies and authors have been very generous.  Get a ticket! http://edcampmalden.wikispaces.com/

Have a great school year, everybody! As always, contact me with comments, questions, and suggestions! My personal email is abbeydick1@gmail.com.

Oh my god it's August

Hey, all. I'm starting the hyperventilation that is August.

We go back August 31, and the kids start later that week. My ESL teaching program ended, and now I have four weeks left, during which there are nine days of PD (five days with AP Lang. people, two days of co-teaching planning, and two days of Google 1:1 training).

So far, summer has been awesome and relaxing. I've enjoyed Twitter chats and connecting with teachers. I've also read three AMAZING books I wanted to talk about. I know they came out a while ago. During the school year, it's really hard for me to read, so I'm always catching up on bestsellers years later!

Wonder (790 L): I used this book for read aloud in my ESL class and read the whole thing on my own in a day. It's about August, a kid with facial deformities who starts 5th grade in a real school. It has some twists in the middle and comes together nicely at the end.  Lovely!

The Maze Runner (770 L): I read this book on my own in a day because we showed the movie to our ESL students. It's awesome, and now I have to read all four in the series. So suspenseful and visual! I raced to finish it. The new movie comes out next month ("The Scorch Trials").

The New Kids (1140 L): I'm in the middle of this book now. It follows a handful of immigrant teens at their school in Brooklyn. It reminds me so much of Malden High School. Although I'm not exactly on the front lines of helping ESL students and immigrants, I am so touched by the bravery and empathy of these teachers. Their hard work is remarkable. I feel like everyone in public education should read this book. A terrific read!

My ESL Summer

I've been in education since 2002 (in various roles, at various organizations), and I am amazed at all I have learned and how the work has changed and how I have changed. The way I try to teach and how I think about teaching changes on a nearly daily basis. 

I think that teaching is a study in how people are different that I am. I'm constantly comparing the way I figure things out and the way others learn. I find these differences delightful!  Every year, I think I become more patient, more kind, and more empathetic to my students and the people I work with. My favorite aspect of this career is that I can get better, every year, every day, every class period.  2002 me wouldn't recognize 2015 me.  

This has been a summer of great growth so far. I'm teaching an ESL Summer Reading Enrichment program eight hours a week, and it's been a joy for me. I have anything from two to five students with me (from China, Brazil, and Ethiopia), and these students are in ESL 3 or ESL 4 (finishing up our program). My discomfort at not knowing exactly what to do has pushed me to be flexible and go with the flow, and it's fun!  It's been great to stumble through conversations and figure out what works best.  No grades, no stress. Just learning and conversation. Just reading and asking questions. I really want to observe some more ESL classes next year. It's fascinating work, and I think I could learn a lot from the people who do it every day!    

I'm also taking an online class titled Engaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students and Families in Secondary Schools with the PD group Primary Source. It's been great to learn about this topic that applies so much to what we do. I can think of so many things we do well in our district and so much we can do to improve. What a blessing to be so diverse and learn from so many different people!

Also busy planning EdCamp Malden in October: http://edcampmalden.wikispaces.com/. Trying to advertise the event and get prizes. Hopefully it will be a good day of learning!

August is about AP PD week and two days each of co-teaching PD and Google 1:1 PD.  

Don't worry--I'm having fun too.  Going to the movies during the day, sleeping in, seeing friends and family. 

Hope everyone out there is loving summer too!  

Summer Reading List

Hi, all.  Someone recently said to me, "don't you have a blog?" And I was like, "I swear I'll update it.  Back off!"

The school year completely consumed me this year, so I didn't really blog BUT I'M BACK!

By the way, my cat looks like that but he rarely gets that formal.

While on the topic of blogging . . . I had my students blog about The Great Gatsby this spring.  Check them out at this link!  We used blogger, and it worked well.

We've been out of school for a little over a week, and now I'm starting to plan my summer work.  I recently went to the first annual Massachusetts Disciplinary Literacy Unconference, which was awesome.  Follow our learning at #madluc.

I'm teaching an ESL Summer Reading Enrichment class at my school in July, which should be awesome.  I'm taking an online class titled Engaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students and Families in Secondary Schools (perfect topic for me--I need help!).  I'm also doing a week of AP Language PD (scores from the 2015 exam come out tomorrow!) and two days each of co-teaching PD and Google 1:1 PD.  I'm going to be so full of new ideas in the fall (we go back August 31).

Also planning EdCamp Malden for October 17, 2015!  Get your tickets here!

I'm also reading a lot this summer.  Here are the highlights:

Make it Stick is about how the brain learns for the long term (so far, it looks like a lot of mini-quizzes are in order!).

Teach Like a Pirate has been on my list for a long time.  Lots of EdCampers are big fans!  I'll be discussing it online at #tlapsummer at the end of this month.

I'm rereading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for AP Language.

Ditto with Bird by Bird.

I'm using The Power of Habit for my senior reading selection.

For fun right now, I'm reading How to Build a Girl by one of my favorite writers, Caitlin Moran.

I'm also trying to formulate my SMARTGoals for EdEval for next year.  I have so many ideas on improvements to my work, but I need to make them measurable . . .

What are you reading over vacation?  Hope it's a great one!  I hope to get some more entries on the blog before school starts.  If you've got anything cool to share with me, do it at abbeydick1@gmail.com or @abbeydick.

Blizzard Blog!

Welcome Back to the Blog!

Hello, everyone!  I've taken a LONG break from blogging: I was shocked to see that the last entry was October 1.  It's been on my "to do" list every day, but other priorities (a.k.a. emergencies of grading, planning, and life) have taken over.  But I'm back and will try to be more regular with the posts.

I've been up to a lot.  Our district had a snow week this week (blizzard of 2015!), so I've had some time to reflect on the first half of the year.  Preparing for EdCamp Malden on October 18 led to an awesome event.  Our school is going 1:1 with Chromebooks, so that's on our minds.  My schedule this year is what I wanted but has kicked my butt: lots of kids, lots of challenges, lots of work, lots of fun!  It's been great but overwhelming, as I'm sure all teachers feel.

I've also been trying to achieve more of a balance between work and life.  I'm working on sleep, diet, exercise, and relaxation, topics I used to ignore.  I've found resources like http://wholeteacher.com/ that focus on the topic of teacher balance.  Interesting stuff!

My Ed Eval goals are about dialectical journals and student-run discussions (see resource below).  I'm trying to get on board with some instructional routines of my department.

Resource:  Here's a great rubric that my department made before I joined it.  The only thing I did this year was make it less holistic.  I broke the different tasks of "Student-Run Discussion" into categories so students can see where they need to focus to improve.  I have found it really helpful this year:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5awuiLlCqN5c3JEOGNvZEVGcDA/view?usp=sharing

If you can't open it, please let me know!  Still getting used to this Google Drive world.

Thanks.  Happy late new year to all my friends out there in the world of literacy.  Feel free to say hello at abbeydick1@gmail.com or @abbeydick.  Stay safe and warm!

Last Call: EdCamp Malden is October 18!

I've been working to plan an EdCamp at my school, and I'm really excited about it!  My colleagues have been so helpful in setting it up, and my students are volunteering to help at the event.  

The theme is ELL Success, but the event is for everyone, not just ESL teachers.  I'm not an ESL expert, but I want to know more about helping my students who are struggling.  After RETELL, I feel much more aware of the issues.  I don't know everything, but I can get better!

EdCamps start with a blank schedule: if you can think of a topic, throw it on the grid.  If you just want to listen, find something you think sounds good and join the conversation.

So, PLEASE COME.  We have over 100 people from across New England signed up.  Come late, leave early, come without a ticket . . . 

http://edcampmalden.wikispaces.com/

EdCamps are amazing events.  Truly.  It's simple: open notebook, open mind.  Nothing to stress about.  Just come, speak, and listen.  Everyone at an EdCamp is passionate and willing to share.  It's just free, fun PD.  You'll leave with new ideas and new friends.  You'll leave with something to try on Monday.

If you have any questions at all, email me at abbeydick1@gmail.com or edcampmalden@gmail.com. 

I can't wait to see so many friends and members of my PLN in my home!   

Wrapping up the blogging challenge

I gotta end this thing now!  The blogging challenge was fun, but I am swamped with work, so unfortunately I need to end it.  Thanks for reading, if you've been keeping up.  I'll go back to blogging when I am inspired . . . 

Day 23

Write about one way that you “meaningfully” involve the community in the learning in your classroom. If you don’t yet do so, discuss one way you could get started.

I think that learning a second language would help me a lot in my current setting.  I have a good head start on Spanish, so I should continue with that.  I'm not exactly sure how I could improve my abilities to get the community into my classroom--I do a lot of activities that have the students share about themselves, and I do keep parents updated on our work.

Day 24

Which learning trend captures your attention the most, and why? (Mobile learning, project-based learning, game-based learning, etc.)

I wish I had more time to learn about Accountable Talk and instructional coaching.  

Day 25

The ideal collaboration between students–what would it look like?

On topic conversations where students refer to the text and help each other understand topics--it almost happened in period 3 recently!

Day 26

What are your three favorite go-to sites for help/tips/resources in your teaching?

I use the College Board Web site a lot.  I also do Tweet Chats on Twitter and use the AP Language Community on Facebook.

Day 27

What role do weekends and holidays play in your teaching?

I generally relax on the longer holidays, but I work all weekend.  That lifestyle is getting old, so I'm trying to find more fun things to look forward to one weekends.  Balance!

Day 28

Respond: Should technology drive curriculum, or vice versa?

I think it's obvious that curriculum trumps technology, but getting them to work together is the goal of 21st century education.  Right now, I'm happy with less technology and more basic skills.

Day 29

How have you changed as an educator since you first started?

I've changed a lot, and I think in good ways.  The more experienced I get, the more I know how to do things right, but doing things right takes a long time.  So I put more time in, but I find more satisfaction in my work.  I am also much more flexible than I used to be.

Day 30

What would you do (as a teacher) if you weren’t afraid?

I think I'd do less content work and more self-exploration for students, but with 180 days, I have to make priorities.

Blogging Challenge: Days 17-22

I can only get these done in chunks, I think!  Fell a bit behind . . . September is the hardest month!

Day 17

What do you think is the most challenging issue in education today?

For me, it's time management.  To assess the ways I want to and plan the way I want to, I need so many hours before and after a class session.  I am blessed to have two prep periods in our seven period cycle (meaning some days I have 45 minutes of prep and some days I have three hours of prep), but it's still nowhere near enough time.  I work before school, after school, and on the weekends, and I still struggle to do a good job.  I'll just keep fighting the good fight!

Day 18

Create a metaphor/simile/analogy that describes your teaching philosophy. For example, a “teacher is a ________…”

Friend who makes you feel good about yourself and learn something (hopefully).  Maybe this isn't the best definition, or the most rigorous image of teaching, but it's what I think I'm trying to do right now.  

Day 19

Name three powerful students can reflect on their learning, then discuss closely the one you use most often.

I need to work on this.  I used exit tickets, journals, and some metacognitive writing.  

Day 20

How do you curate student work–or help them do it themselves?

I take a lot of pictures and hold on to student work while I still have room for it!  I am trying harder to display more current student work.  I have a good folder of good examples that I use in my classroom of the essays I assign often.

Day 21

Do you have other hobbies/interests that you bring into your classroom teaching? Explain.

I used to bring more music in--I'll need to get into that again.  I try to buy a lot of postcards when I travel and visit museums, and I use those in the classroom.  I have brought in Scrabble quite a bit!

Day 22

What does your PLN look like, and what does it do for your teaching?

I had a terrific time with my PLN over the summer--Twitter fun, EdCamps, etc.  Now that school's back on, there is less time, but I love having friends all over the state (and the country!) that can help me out with new ideas and inspiration!  

Blogging Challenge: 13-16

Catching up and trying to get a bit ahead!

Day 13

Name the top edtech tools that you use on a consistent basis in the classroom, and rank them in terms of their perceived (by you) effectiveness.

Our school is not edtech heavy, but I've been able to integrate the following in somehow over the past year as options for assignments: Twitter, Instagram, Google Drive applications, PowerPoint, and Prezi. I also love Remind for housekeeping.

Day 14

What is feedback for learning, and how well do you give it to students?

Feeback is tough, especially when I have 125 students. I try to give as much out loud feedback and whole group feedback when I can. I'm also trying a +/- t-chart with written assignments this year, trying to be as specific as time allows.

Day 15

Name three strengths you have as an educator.

I'm a hard worker. I have high standards and expectations for my students. I think teens are awesome people.

Day 16

If you could have one superpower to use in the classroom, what would it be and how would it help?

Ah.  Good question. I wish I had the ability to explain something ONCE, not 25 separate times per day. I'm getting better at getting simpler and more concrete, but it's still frustrating to repeat directions over and over again.  

Blogging challenge: Day 12

Day 12

How do you envision your teaching changing over the next five years?

My goal is to get better in my new environment. I'm at a big urban high school now, and I learn something new every day about the culture and the students.  I've made many adjustments to my materials and how I do my work, and I'm slowly getting better at understanding this new environment.  I look forward to spending the next five years doing what I can to present the standards in the most successful way for my kids.