Thursday, April 30, 2015

Day 30: Trusting The Gush #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Day 30 Topic: How has #Aprilblogaday impacted your practice? 



Tom Romano wrote, "Trust the gush". This process has been all about letting the words flow, trusting the process, and the community to embrace my work.

This year at my school, we began the slow and clumsy move to Mastery Based Learning.  It's been challenging, even difficult at times mostly because my (and the staff) understanding of how and why it works was unclear.  We began because, like many things we experience as teachers in schools, because administration brought this to the staff as a school wide endeavor. I am not against it and have tried my best to understand the nuances of MBL.  I don't feel like I have done a great job with this.  All that said, this morning, as I sat on the subway reading Greg Barnes' book Assessment 3.0, my brain was growing and stretching.  When I got to school, I stopped in to talk to one of our CS teachers. As I am learning CS lends itself, not unlike ELA to the feedback based classroom.  Mastery Based Learning and Assessment was becoming more clear.  The April Blog A Day Challenge made this possible.  

This journey has been career changing.  I wrote all 30 days (one day was a post to my other blog, so 29 posts on Teaching and Learning)...I have pushed my self and my thinking about what I do and how I do it.  

I have been pushing my colleagues to start reading blogs or start writing their own.

I have connected with educators both near and far to develop my PLCs.

I have been inspired.

I have been surprised.

I have made the time to incorporate this into my life.  I don't know if I will be able to dive into all the possibilities in the Twitterverse as much as I might like, but it has been worth it and I will continue writing.  I will continue to share with colleagues at my school and beyond and I will continue to evolve.  I want my work to inspire the uncommon.  I want to fuel collaborative endeavors. I want to continue to grow.  With the Ed Blog A Day, I will.

Thanks to Chris for this great gift and to my fellow bloggers for all the words you spill out each day.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Day 29: My History of Learning: 7 Pivotal Moments #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Prompt: Your History of Learning - What has been your greatest learning experiences?

In the first year of graduate school everyone has to take a methods class- a lot of the content is history of education and the building of a personal philosophy on teaching and learning.  One of the projects we had to do was to identify the major leaning experiences of our life to that point and present it in a creative way.  

I brainstormed a long list of learning moments- some  more cynical than others.  I remember reading the list to my husband, who was then my boyfriend of only 6 months, and he commenting on the TONE of the list.  I weeded down to a robust 12 or so.  I cut out circles of colored card stock and wrote each moment on a circle and included the age that the learning moment tool place.  I then I put them together in to the shape of a caterpillar, not unlike this one: 


I remember feeling like I had all these great experiences but I was just at the beginning, as a career changer.  I was not a butterfly yet. 

I don't know that I see myself as a butterfly yet.

I do know that I have reflected on my journey, a lot. Here are 7 pivotal learning events:


  1. JoAnne Jugum.  She was my 3rd grade teacher.  This was the year I learned to write cursive. Cursive provided me freedom to explore and escape, encouraged to write letters and stories. This is also the year that I was granted refuge from the storm of growing up.  I was painfully aware that I was not fitting in with the kids I had gone to school with for the previous 3 years.  She let me spend recess in her room, so I could read and hide.  It was safety when I needed it. 
  2. Barely passing math in 8th grade.  This was the first time I felt like a true failure.  I has been told for years that I was better, smarter than the kids in the "regular" classes.  I was condemned and had to repeat math in 9th grade.  I thought I was being relegated to the class with the stupid kids, the slow kids, the kids who were less because they were exactly where they were supposed to be, working at grade level. What did this really mean? It means I hadn't been ready for 9th grade math in 8th grade.  It meant that I started 9th grade with my peers as equals.  It forced me to rethink and reformulate many of ideas I had about being a student, learning and my own experiences.  
  3. Not being able to afford to go away for college after graduation from high school.  I applied to visited and got into a private college in Minnesota. I could not afford to go there and I didn't get into the state school I applied to.  I was relegated to community college, which I hated, a lot.  It's not for everyone.  That's ok.  I dropped out after 1 quarter.  I had amazing grades and because I had some college, when I reapplied to the state school I wanted to go to I applied as a transfer student and got in with my 3.9 GPA and amazing essay.
  4. Starting college at 20 and a half and not 18.  No dorms.  Living off campus.  Being "non-traditional". Having had to work harder to get there...I soaked up every moment.
  5. College, both undergrad and grad school.  I learned to take risks, collaborate, inquire, research, write, read and to be truly curious and creative.  My best friends in life are from college, as I am sure if true for many of us. Three universities, 7 years, countless classes and so much joy.  
  6. Moving to NYC.  I am coming up on my 10 year anniversary in NYC.  I didn't move here for college.  I took a risk, mailed 13 small boxes to my new apartment and bought a plane ticket.  I achieved my professional goals from the first part of my life.  I was so poor I couldn't afford to turn my heat on that first year, nor could I afford to go home for the holidays and had my first Christmas away from my parents.  I met my husband, I went to grad school, I became a teacher.  I grew into myself.
  7. Teaching and Learning in the NYC DOE. 1.1 million students.  1700 schools. 75K+ teachers.  The numbers are staggering.  Being a teacher here means many things. The odds are against us. Many come and go but many stay, teach, learn, grow.  It's more political than I would like, but I don't show up for the politics.  I show up for the kids.  I show up for Cory so he and I can sit on the couch in my classroom at lunch and laugh about silly things.  I show up so I can have an impromptu conversation with my 11th graders about what life would have been like if they stopped working for the grade on the paper because there were no grades. I show up so I can stop Joaquin, a sophomore, in the hallway and tell him that I want him to sit in on an AP class later in May so he can see what it is like and how working hard pays off.  I show up so I can celebrate Ashley, one of my advisees tomorrow because I was told by her geometry teacher that she is doing exceptionally well and potentially could have an 85-90 by the end of the year. I show up because there are little moments and big wins that teach me about the human experience.

All these moments have influenced and challenged my perception of my world. If you ask me this question in 10 more years I am sure I will give you a new list of moments that I remember, but experience changes perception.  I will keep seeking out new experience, new challenge, new learning in order to grow.





Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Day 28: The Worst Advice We've Ever Heard About Technology in the classroom? #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Day 28...The Worst Advice We've Ever Heard About Technology in the classroom




It's just after 7 on day 28 and I have been thinking about this topic all day.  For the life of me, I could not think of any specific advice I had been given about using tech.  I am one who has embraced tech and often ends up teaching other teachers how to integrate themselves. 

At my current school, we have a computer science department (because we are a CS school) who for the most part are working on an entirely different level of tech than most of us.  I have great aspirations to let better at tech- at least learn some basics of coding so I can talk more with our students about what and how they are doing- but finding the time to sit down with Alice or some version of Scratch is overwhelming for this old lady.  Eric, graciously spent time with me on two occasions teaching me-or trying to teach me- how to use Doctopus but my brain just can't wrap itself around that one.  I do have my mainstays: Skedula (that has improved so much over the last 5 years) and I wish our school used more of it's features, but it's our online grade book.  I also use Teacher Dashboard, a lot.  It is on my top 5 digital teaching tools ever.

I guess for me, the prompt should really be: what misconceptions did you/do you have about tech in the classroom.  

Here are three:  

1.  All tools work for all teachers, because they are teaching tools.  

One of the most frustrating parts of EdTech- is that there are so many tools and administrators want to try new things, get on board with what will best help students move forward, support teacher development, and provide the all important data to support positive instructional outcomes.  I stand by this: do a few things really well.  REALLY WELL.  Not two dozen things half way or sort of.  I feel this way about lots of school related things.

2. Practice makes perfect.

We are not all excellent at everything.  I can be proficient, even ok- but who wants to be just ok?  I want to be HIGHLY EFFECTIVE.  There are been a few things over the years that I just couldn't figure out.  I don't push myself to master all the nuances (like with Excel) but I also don't have cause to use it very much because I teach English.  


3. More experienced (read: old) teachers can't learn new tricks.

It's all about what an individual clicks with- don't assume talent coaches.  


It's now almost 9.  Cooked and eaten dinner.  Still have a PPT to make for class tomorrow- thankful for this tech that will let me quickly, prep, save and get to go to bed.



Monday, April 27, 2015

Day 27: Let Go In Order To Grow

Prompt: How to Build a More Powerful Classroom by Letting Go


On Friday, my most difficult class of 9th graders came into class and one young woman was all fired up.  She was going to get into it with a young man.  The tension was palpable.  As they began trading barbs, I stepped in and asked the young woman to walk down to our social work office to cool down and check in with someone there.  I knew she would be pissed at me.  I had to let that go.  Kids get over things.  What I couldn't let go was what it would mean if the two kids got into a fight in my classroom and one or both got suspended... on a Friday.  So, the student grabbed her things, and headed out ready to work independently for the period.  Class went on as planned and I had a surprise informal observation, of course!  Isn't that always the way.  Letting go...

Being a good teacher is often about picking moments to dig in and moments to step aside and let something else run a  course.  Some classes are so fantastic at things like leading conversations, accountable talk, project based learning.  Others need lots of hand holding, micro managing, sentence starters, and guided notes.  No matter what the group, I eventually need to get out of their way and let them lead, learn, grow.  It's not my job to control or manage each moment of each day.  School is organic and amazing things can happen when I get out of MY own way.



This morning, I stopped by Guidance and that very student who had to step out to avoid the fight was sitting there. I didn't know if something else had happened, but either way-she was not in class.  She was sitting with two of our Social Work interns so I pulled up a chair next to her, not before catching that daggers she shot at me with her eyes when I came in the room.  I spent a few minutes talking with her, asking questions like that would eventually lead us through a dialogue about why teachers have to make choices like the one I did on Friday in order to protect our students and that I watched the boy pushing her just to get a response because he knows she has a short fuse.  I also asked her about the work she did, questions she had and asked her to come in for tutoring tomorrow after school and that was that.

I few minutes later I got an email from one of the interns who had been sitting at the table: 

You are the only teacher that comes in and talks with students like that and it's amazing. It's so hard to tell the kids they had to leave cause the teacher cares [about them] when the teacher's not there. I greatly appreciate your being.

Over the years, I have learned to let go, to get out of the way and grow with my students with each choice we make.  I could have easily not gone to talk with the student and she would have come into my class this Thursday, still mad and not understanding my decision and seeing it as a punishment.   But I didn't and we both grow as a result.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Day 26: What's the answer to Spring Fever?!? Projects!

Prompt 26: Engagement/lesson/tips tricks ideas for spring fever- age specific.

Welcome to spring: when the weather gets warm, allergies kick into high gear, hormones go crazy (especially for those of us teaching High School) and the last place kids want to be is sitting in a classroom. For some of us the school year will be ending in just a few weeks.  For others, like me, we go until the end of June.  My last teaching day, before final exams start in June 15th.  So how do I keep 160 teenagers engaged for the next 6 weeks? Projects!  Big ones.

For theatre (9th grade) we are currently reading A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller.  I start this unit with a readers theatre version of Oedipus I have been using for a few years now, integrating all the things they have learned about dramatic narrative structure, Aristotle's Poetics and playwriting to make connections between the two plays.  I see the kids 5 times over two weeks- so it's a little tricky- but we are pushing through.

After we read AVFTB  the final unit of the year is theatrical design. Students break into groups, each assigned a decade from the 20th century, and they have to create, sound, set, prop and costume designs for their decade.  We culminate is a poster session, arranged by decade of course.  It's a great unit.

It's creative, it employs all the research and presentation skills we have worked on this semester and year as well as collaboration, a central aspect of theatrical collaboration. Oh, and the kids love it.  

Counting down! 

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Day 25: Collaboration Is Connection #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Day 25: Why Collaborate?




I feel the most alive, the best at what I do when I am collaborating to create with someone who also wants to collaborate.  I have had time when the experienced has been forced and extremely unbalanced and as a result, I left the experience feeling down on myself, the work I was doing and my purpose. It's not magic but it is able creation and it can be magic.

I learned to collaborate, to really work together to create, making theatre.  There is one show, where everything came together for me and I worked as a costume designer, collaborative with the Directors, a cast of actors, lighting and set designers, drapers and stitchers to all create and execute a common vision.   It took time, effort, analysis, many conversations, listening and pushing or pulling, to eek out the piece that was just right, that was inspired, that maybe the audience didn't know was there but the actor did and it was a little secret they had a kept that just their character got to know.  All the collaborators came together to create something new- a piece of art, a story.

A lesson, a unit, curricula- they all tell a story and the process of coming together to create, this is what I love.  The longer I teach, the more I learn that I love working with and mentoring new teachers, preservice teachers to create.  Getting better at asking the questions that the provoke and challenge the work. Seeing a teacher do that lesson where everything was magic- and celebrating the magic.  By the same token, being there to console or even catch a teacher when a lesson bombs, a kid melts down in their class or a fight breaks out.  

So why collaborate? To create, to be inspired and inspire others. To grow.  To be humbled.  To have those A-ha! moments.  To connect. 

Friday, April 24, 2015

Day 24: I Love My School Because... April Blog A Day Challenge

Prompt: I love my school because...

My school is pretty amazing.  I came in the second year of the school and have helped to build and develop this extraordinary teaching and learning community.  Next year we will have our first cohort graduate, the Class of 2016.  I knew it was something special when I arrived for PD in the middle of August two summers ago and proceeded to spend the next two weeks working with a team of educators and professionals who were passionate, excited and committed to our school and our kids.
I love our school because we are an amazing community that is building something special.
11th grade team at Facebook NYC
I love my school because our kids are amazing.  I like to think that all teachers things this way.  Our kids are here.  We have 94% attendance on average each day.  Our kids show up.  They stay and they are learning and growing and I get better at my job because I am here with them.

I love my school because I get to work Rebecca every day.  She and I are both in the Model Teacher program this year.  It's been a gift to have a colleague, confidant, sounding board and friend.  I was lucky enough to meet her sister +Gretchen Ziegler  9 years ago in grad school at NYU and getting to add another member of this family to my circle is a gift.


I love my school because as teacher leaders Rebecca and I have been able to invest in the development of our Year 1 and 2 teachers as mentors and through professional development. Below are photos from PD yesterday where teachers created posters for a gallery walk showcasing a assessment strategy they tried with a target class for the last month.  They had to provide student work, highlight pros and cons of the method, modifications for next time and a ranking- 1-4 stars.



I love my school because it's in Union Square, NYC.   If you have been to NYC you know.  If you haven't, come to NYC! I love my school because we move in a pack through the streets of our city.


I love my school because through my battle with thyroid cancer this winter, they have been a huge part of my support system, cheering me on taking away some of the stress that goes with missing days with my kids.  In other schools, it may have been a different story, and thankfully this was not the case.


I love my school because it is a home away from home.  I thrive when I am there and I could not imagine being anywhere else at this point in my career. 

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Post 22/Day 23: Can you see me now? Transparency at the school level. #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Day 23: How transparent should our profession be?

Financially, 100%.  When public funding (local/state/federal) is being used to find schools, that data should be made available and transparent for the public.  

At the classroom level, transparency had been good for me professionally. Now...I work in a school is has built much of it's reputation on transparency and we are a school that gets a LOT of publicity and visits from movers and shakers from both public and private sectors.  Being in a new school, teaching AP, being a Model Teacher, my classroom is frequently on the visit list.  Our tech classes are first- because we are a tech school- but I get visits.  I think doors being open to anyone at any time is nerve wracking, but at some point  I let it go.  School Happens, as a school leader once told me early on in my career and it is true. We all have good days and bad days. Visitors or not, being able to be vulnerable, releasing the fear and being ok with any outcome meant that I could take risks, challenge myself and my students more and ultimately we both grow at exponential rates.  At the classroom level, transparency had been good for me professionally.

BUT...some days, I feel like that cat.  I want to be invisible, just do my thing.  No be bothered.  I want to have 4 periods do grade papers/plan/grade papers...

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Day 21- It' Happened on a Ponderous Journey

I write another blog.  I only have one in me tonight.  Here is why:
http://aponderousjourney.blogspot.com/2015/04/you-know-what-your-vocal-cords-look.html

Monday, April 20, 2015

Day 20: What are we working on NOW? #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Day 20...

My mind is preoccupied with revamping.  It is that time in the school year where I start thinking about all the things I should have done differently- like next year students will really learn to write MLA citations using a handbook and not Easybib.  It's like learning long devision- you shouldn't get to use the calculator until you can do it on paper.  Tweeks to make things better.  

I want to work with @eallatta to begin developing a ELA/CS interdisciplinary curriculum for 12th grade.

I want to really dig into larger discussions about what PD looks like at our school and now that the SBO is coming up, thinking about new ways to make it the most successful and supportive for teachers while getting buy in at the same time.

I want to read the new book of short stories that came from Amazon today.

I want to find more test prep materials so AP feels confident going into their exam on May 13th.

I want to push hard, and get through and get to June 15th.  

I want to have time for all the things I want to do in the day.

I made time for this and I am glad I did.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Day 19: "I Think In Word Not Excel" or "Tech In The Classroom?" #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Day 19: Tech In The Classroom?  How? Why? Should we?

When I tell my students that When I was in college... I didn't have a laptop,  and a cell phone didn't come until the last couple years and it was a clunker.  When I started grad school in 2006, the idea of having a laptop in class hadn't even dawned on me.  I like taking notes on paper.  Sitting in grad school, next to Millenials with their fancy shiny new Mac Books and me with my spiral notebook, I felt antiquated. 

Boy, have things changed in 10 years.  Today, I sit in the Starbucks a couple blocks from my house, my Venti Cold Brew (if you haven't switched to cold brew, from anywhere for that matter, you should) my morning pastry, the ridiculous music planing in the coffee shop, and me, sitting in front of a MacBook Air, blogging.  Could I embody a stereotype any more than this?


My laptop is provided by my school and I am beyond grateful.  I have gotten so many hours of work done on this little machine.  When I was with out it for a month last summer when they were doing inventory and upgrades, I was at a loss. I do have a desktop, but being tied to my office, especially in the summer, was an inconvenience.  I have embraced tech (well, most of of).

Working at a school that is ALL ABOUT TECH has meant that I ramp up quickly.  I fill in holes that were lacking of resources and find myself looking for new things that I may be able to use.  We have SmartBoards in every classroom, each class has a cart of laptops and as a result I was about 90% paper free in my English classes last year.  It was a eye opening experience.  It was the first time I felt that I was really preparing students for college too.  Using Google Docs and Teacher Dashboard by Hapara allowed me to support and engage with students in more ways than ever before.  Working in a school that supported this use of tech changed my teaching practice for the better.  (I will qualify, there are things I don't like and wont use that some of the CS Department uses and loves.  I don't find it user friendly (yet)  and despite training, wont use. I think in Word, not Excel.) 

Some of my favorites: 
  • Google Docs
    • It is still the gold standard, despite it's flaws (a completely inadequate grammar support and formatting options).  I lost all the lessons and materials I had created over my first year and a half of teaching thanks to a faulty flash drive.  Never again.  Hello Cloud, I love you.
  • TurnItIn.com 
    • I started using this platform for AP.  While not a new resource for students and teachers, it was new for me and I love it.  It keeps student plagiarism in check, offers grammar and punctuation tools/support (especially helpful for my ELLs) when students use it, peer review and feedback, and online grading and feedback.  I love it.
  • Quizlet Online Flash Cards
    • I have used this for both AP and for Theatre Arts. I can create sets of cards and students can create their own.  It can be used online and there is a mobile app. For courses that have a plethora of vocabulary, this is a great tool. You can also generate quizzes (I don't love this feature, but it is there and I have used it).
  • Shmoop

    • It just keeps getting better and better as year progress. I only use the free materials.  I love the videos they put together for books.  I think it is more visually interesting for students, especially those who struggle.  Adding "academic WD-40 to squirt on the tracks whenever we can." Indeed.


There are drawbacks to using and depending on so much tech- the biggest being, when hardware doesn't work or the network is down, I am screwed.  Thankfully, the percentage of time that this happens is small, but when it does, I have to think quickly.  I have learned to trouble shoot most connectivity problems and students always have a back up- good old paper and pen- just in case.  

I find myself thinking, pen and paper is not ideal and I can't believe that is my thinking.  But it isn't. This is the state of education and it isn't changing.  I hope that when my students look back on their time in my classroom, they say, "I learned to take really great notes in Ms. Towne's class," or "Ms. Towne taught me how to organize my materials when I am doing research." I learn a lot as I go.  Kids teach me more.  I am teacher future developers, coders and designers their inspirations is everywhere and who am I to get in the way of inspiration?

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Day 18: Pump Up The Volume #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Prompt 18: What's small step are you willing to take to elevate the profession?

I suspect that what Chris meant when choosing the word "elevate" was about bringing the profession to a new level, to rise up.  I quickly looked up the definition of elevate and read: To increase the amplitude, intensity, or volume of.  The first thing that came into my mind was, I need to pump up the volume around my craft.  And of course, being a woman of a certain age, this is what popped into my head next: 

For those of you not familiar with the 1990 movie, Christian Slater (swoon!) runs a pirate radio station that earns a cult following amongst his peers.  At the time it was a lesson in free speech and chaos and continuing to cement Slater as my dream husband for many years to follow.

There has been so much rhetoric, both positive and negative about teachers, unions, charter and public schools over the last few years and its place in social media is achieving a fever pitch now especially around opting out of state tests. My Twitter feed is regularly flooded with tweets that are highly political, teaching activists pumping up the volume on what they think is important.  I love that colleagues feel passionately about this work and are willing to elevate knowledge of the interwebs to shed light on things that are happening in and around education.

I however have never been especially political.  While I do feel strongly about many things, for example, I am NOT against the common core, but I do have some very specific feelings and thinking about where it has gone wrong, I am not 100% comfortable flooding social media with my platform.  I think there are better ways for me to elevate the volume on what impacts teachers and what I think is important.  For me, this small step towards elevation and increasing the volume and rhetoric around my profession is going to be through blogging.  While I may not get the same coverage and dissemination that others get, I know many of you are reading, and hearing and sharing.  

I will keep talking about what I have experienced, what I think is important, and working to elevate my craft every day through doing so.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Day 17: Thankful Friday #AprilBlogADay Challenge



This is how today felt.  My thyroid was removed last month in addition to a baseball size tumor in my neck.  In side my thyroid were 4 cancerous nodules that are now gone.  I thought until about an hour ago I was going to have to do radiation (RAI) in June, but that is no longer as my Endo had changed her mind because, "there is no clear evidence or research to show that radioactive iodine treatment has any impact on micro-cancers (cancers less than 1 cm)".  The plan is now to monitor my Thyroglobulin levels and as long as they stay less than 1, (they are currently .3) I will not have to do RAI.  

I am beyond thankful that this is the new plan.  A week post surgery my ENT had told me that this would be the plan.  Last friday Endo changed the plan.  Tonight she changed back.  It's been a roller coaster of a month. 

Tonight, I am thankful that I will not have to miss the last 2 weeks of the school year in quarantine.  I am thankful that I can change to the new thyroid replacement med and hopefully stop feeling like a 90 year old woman and it will be easier to do things I love.  I am thankful today for the 65 9th graders that did storyboards of Oedipus complete with captions taken from the text and that ALL markers were picked up off the floor after every class.  I am thankful that my student teacher rocked her second lesson today and that another preservice teacher will be coming in the first two weeks of June to help out and finish up her hours.  I am thankful that it is supposed to be 75 degrees in NYC tomorrow and that winter really is over.  

I am thankful tonight for my slow recovery, coffee and Orphan Black premier tomorrow night. Now, if all the essays would grade themselves it would be like winning 5 million dollars.  Well, almost...

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Day 16: Professional Learning Groupies #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Prompt 16: Why does a PLC or PLN matter? Are they different? What do they look like when they work? Not work? True purpose? 


I went my own way with this one.

I applied to a new program for this fall- it's school, a 2 year program in school based leadership, the nice way to say administration.  One of the questions on the application was about school based teams that I am on or could do work with next year.  Like many teachers, there are many.

  • Model/Master Teacher Team
  • ELA Department
  • 11th Grade Team
  • 9th Grade Team
  • 10th Grade Advisory Team
  • School Leadership Team
AND don't forget committees...sigh. Some of the groups meet more often than others, some I plan for, lead and/or facilitate.  Being in a small school means there are many "opportunities" for teachers and this school is no exception.  Of these six groups, one has really continued to my development as an educator because in many of these meetings I am the one supporting the growth of others.  

I won't lie, I crave experiences that support my development.  The most growth for me has come through 1:1 conversations or collaboration with both my Principal and AP or with my fellow Model Teacher, Becca or Master Teacher, Cameron.  The cultivation of my self-awareness, of my strengths, and areas for growth have come when I have worked in a mentoring role.  I have learned what roles I love (1:1 collaborative curriculum development) and those I love less (group lesson planning).  

I try to learn from each experience but somethings are harder than others.

My ideal Professional Learning Community would be one where all grow and thrive, it is collaborative and constructive and there is room for discussion and expansion of thinking.  I am hopping that, if accepted into the program for the fall, provides me with a cohort of colleagues who can take on that role.

Three weeks ago, when I ventured back into the twitter, I had no idea I would begin to make connections, and develop my network of colleagues and inspiration.  Like any tool, it is what you make of it.  I am excited to see how this professional learning community continues to grow and evolve.  

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Day 15: "The Twitter" or "Get Up! Stand Up!" #AprilBlogADay Challenge


Prompt 15:  How has social media changed your classroom?  
Personally? Professionally? With students? Families? 

Last year I sat in a parent meeting with one of my advisees, two other students and each child's parent.  The parent was preparing to request what we call a safety transfer for the student because of bullying that had been taking place on Facebook.  It was no joke.  I watched as my principal skillfully facilitated a heated discussion between three parents.  It was social media once again as the chief method for instigation.

When I was a kid...In reality, it doesn't matter any more.  Times have changed and social media isn't going anywhere.

Today, I was talking to my Juniors and I said, "You, know when you are following someone on the Twitter...." and you could see and hear the audible giggles at Ms. Towne's faux pas.  I do it on purpose, of course.  I also use terms like: the facebook, interwebs, and insta-vain.  I do it because it is silly, it's good to get kids laughing, even at my expense.  Laughter feels good, releases great natural chemicals and helps kids relax before you make them do 40 minutes of Socratic Seminar.  

Social media also inspires a plethora of feelings and experiences for all of us.  For me, social media has provided me things like: 
  • connection with old friends
  • networking and professionally developing
  • staying connected with family 3000 miles away 
  • sharing my Ponderous Journey over the last year and a half through blogging
  • finding support and inspiration from strangers all over the world
  • knowledge and inspiration
  • community
Social media has also caused hurt and frustration...
  • miscommunications (this happens more than anything!)
  • de-freinding (I hate that this word even exists, but you know exactly what it is.)
  • body shaming 
  • throwing subs
  • bullying, especially for my students
  • Comments....NEVER. READ. THE. COMMENTS.
Working at a school that is ALL about tech, social media in many ways is a necessary component but most is blocked by the DOE (along with many other things, that in my mind shouldn't be).  How do we support students, teach them interwebs self-defense strategies, and model positive ways to engage with social media?  It's becomes theoretical and a bunch of what if...? scenarios. 

Ultimately, the power of social media is inspiring and fantastic.  I believe this is where the current and next generations of social justice activists will grow, thrive and get people moving.  It will be the answer I have been looking for when the question has been: What will get the millennials to stand up for something...anything? What will get them out from in front of the screen and and speaking out and speaking up?  Hopefully social media will do just that.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Day 14: Why I Teach #AprilBlogADay Challenge

Day 14: Why do I teach...

It's easy to list all the ideals teachers hold about why we teach:
  • For the kids
  • For my community 
  • For generations that will follow
  • Because I want to make a difference Because I want to touch lives
  • Because it's my calling (Yes, John Dewey came to you, appearing in a vision!)

We all teach for all or most of these reasons.

I was a career changer. I wrote about it earlier in this April series. Teaching was always in the plan but I had been diverted. When I came back to this original path it was because change was necessary, new challenges were essential to push my growth and frankly, at the time, public health resources in NYC sucked unless you were really poor and I was working poor. I wanted health insurance. I wanted to be able to turn my heat on in the winter (I had been too poor the first year).  I wanted to not be a freelancer any more.  As one ages, these are powerful motivators.

I started out teaching for practical reasons.  I wanted to be able to stay in NYC and this was also a way for me to stay.

Once I began my MA, my focus shifted.  I loved learning about learning and I began to develop a philosophy about what was important to me.  That was 9 years ago. When I stepped into my first classroom, I would have used that list above, with a few others.  It feels like a lifetime ago as I come upon my 10 year New Yorkaversary.  

I teach because...Yesterday, at the end of second period, one of my juniors was lingering and I asked her to stay, asking what was wrong and the tears began to flow.  She is not a kid who usually cries...I told her to take her time, and she told me about her grandfather's death early Sunday morning.  It had happened very quickly, over 48 hour period.  He is in Ecuador and her Mother had flown down but my student was left here, with all her grief so close to the surface.  Moments like this are why I teach..because sometimes a kid needs a adult who is going to be there to catch them when they have the rug pulled out from under them.

I teach because...one of my 10th grade advisees returned to school this year pregnant.  Over the months leading up to the delivery of her baby earlier this month, she had many questions, concerns, misconceptions. We had a shower for her the week before she was due, complete with pink cupcakes and little toppers.  I had made a blanket in her favorite colors while I was home recovering.  Even if this path was not what I would have chosen for her, it is her path and we love her.  Her baby has 10 aunties in the 10th grade who love her baby and her, no matter what.  I teach because giving unconditionally is it's own reward.

Today I teach for many reasons on top of everything I have already included.  Today I Teach because

  • All students deserve access to great education and passionate educators, no matter what.
  • Teaching is my legacy.  I don't have children, but I have had many, many students over 7 years (this year alone I have over 160), there are 5 that have made the decision to go on to become teachers.  I know I did something right, to influence that decision to go into this profession.
  • Teaching is fluid, there is always something new to learn and I love that challenge of my career.
  • It is a career and not just a job...there is always room to grow, new roles to take on and adventures to be had.
  • The authentic moments are awesome.
  • I love watching kids walk across the stage for graduation and the pride that they feel at that moment, the first of many accomplishments they will include in their own legacy.
I teach because I love it, even on days I hate it, I still love it.  THIS is Why I Teach.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Day 13: Leaders For Literacy Day! #AprilBlogADayChallenge

Prompt 13: Leaders for Literacy Day Challenge!
How is literacy critical to the advancement of society today?

It was 6:30 and I was still at school, like many of us, I’m sure.  Every other week I only have one class on Mondays- AP LANG which is always challenging and wonderful (well, most of the time).  I have learned more teaching this curriculum than I have since the boot camp of year one.  Despite only having one class today, I am always exhausted these Mondays and I am often at school late.  Andrew, who teaches AP Chem came in to check in re: test prep and time going into may.  We got onto talking about books and I was relaying a conversation I had with my husband about why he disliked the Game of Thrones series (he knows he is not the norm) after Andrew expressed that he had not liked them.  We moved fluidly from idea to idea, talking about literature, authors, genre. Then I told him about today’s April Blog A Day Challenge.  “This is what my blog post is going to be about…”  

I have never heard my students have a conversation about books the way Andrew and I just had.  Working in a CS school, I hear conversations about video games, which in their own right often have complicated and nuanced story lines, characters and each fall into genre of their own.  Does this mean that the reading of books is disappearing?  Can students cultivate literacy in new ways- like through classes like video game design-or do we need to foster literacy skills the way most of us built them- by reading books? 

I don’t think that video games are a substitution for reading.  In AP Lang the majority of the reading students do is nonfiction.  I made the choice, as I developed my curriculum to anchor each of the 4 units in a novel that is connected to a larger theme in the context of rhetoric. Our current unit is Language and Community and our anchor text is the perennial favorite, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.  Today was the first day of a three day sequence and preparation and participation in Socratic Seminar.  I had spent the weekend creating a multitude of documents for students to use and to help them prepare for the two rounds of discussion they will each have to participate in on Wednesday and Thursday this week.  It’s essentially fancy Book Club for anyone not familiar with the discussion.  It works and it works well.  I am by no means an expert but I think it provides students to demonstrate mastery of a plethora of skills in a compact package.  The directions for the prep today were as follows:

1.  You will have 2 rounds today, in small groups to break down your assigned questions and then discuss informally, look for evidence and begin to collect evidence in your SocSem planning doc I put in your Google Drive.

2.  The first round will be in groups of 4 (there should be 8) and we will all be discussing Question 1

3.  The second round you will be in groups of 5-6 to discuss your second question.  There should be 6 groups, 2 for each question.


As I circulated around, listening in on conversations, I could not help but think, THIS is when the real learning happens. I could see it: ideas flowing, uncensored, unafraid of making mistakes, to be right or wrong, to challenge thinking and to BE CHALLENGED.  I sat down with a group discussing the evolution of the protagonist through the course of the novel.  It was fantastic.  They brought up great points that I had not ever thought about despite having read TEWWG a dozen or so times.  Fresh eyes brings new perspective, especially important for educators: we don’t know it all. I found myself getting excited about the discussion and stayed longer than I should have, caught up in the exchange and listening to the learning happening.  THIS is literacy at work.

When my students come into class on Wednesday, some of them will be nervous, they will feel the pressure of a grade and having to answer to a parent.  They may not have prepared enough, found enough evidence, been sure enough.  What they don’t know is that you can never be sure enough.  Life, knowledge and understanding is fluid and there is always something new to change what we may have been sure of just a few weeks earlier.


It’s now 7:30.  I am typing away on the R train and I am ready to be home.  This is what I know:  the real power of literacy is having the ability to read in the first place.  I am grateful that all my students can read.  They have this cultural collateral that will help gain them admission to great colleges, it will help them apply to amazing jobs after they graduate and it will help them in those moments when they are at work later than they planned and got to have a lovely conversation with a colleague about books.

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