5 Safeguards to Keep Yourself from Becoming a Grinch this Holiday Season

As we enter the Yuletide season of joy and giving, let's be honest. Every last nerve in our body is about to tested. Our students are on the verge of eating excessive amounts of sugar for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They will be bombarded with ads for the newest, coolest toys on the internet and at their neighborhood Walmart.

Their eyes will glaze over during class with visions of robot toys that shoot lasers at annoying little sisters, or video games that blow up evil empires while simultaneously chatting with an opponent in the UK.

As engaging as we try to make our lessons, they will not be able to compete with the big man in the fat red suit sporting a white beard who owns flying reindeer.  Yes. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are all at risk of becoming a Grinch.

Before it's too late, I've pulled together five safeguards to protect our students, parents, and ourselves.

Safe Guard #1. Expand your heart.

During this holiday season, two types of students tend to emerge. The Cindy Loo Who's who are innately kind, loving, and will complete homework and projects in a timely manner. You will love these students. "Who" wouldn't?

But what about the non-Cindy Loo Who's who will fail to complete assignments, push your last button, and then go home and tell their parent that you hate them. Take a deep breath. A mentor of mine once said, "Fake it until you feel it." Act like you love The Cindy Loo Who's and the Non-Cindy Loo Who's and you'll be surprised when your heart catches up!

"And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day." The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Safeguard #2. Collaborate don't isolate.

It is easy to feel like you are the only teacher on the planet who is considering early retirement (and
it's your first year) but know that you are not alone! Teachers all across the U.S. and Canada are feeling the effects, as well.

Just as you would never attempt Black Friday or Brown Thursday alone, you should not take on the days and weeks leading up to winter break alone. Go to your team and express how you are feeling. Chocolate also helps!

Safeguard #3. Be realistic. 

As excited as you are about completing an ice sculpture of the Great Wall of China in your World Geography class, this is not the time or the place.Variables like shorter attention spans, additional carbs to induce sleeping, and inevitable interruptions by your former students coming by to remind you why you love to teach, are very, very real.

Ask yourself. What assignments can wait until these variable diminish? Separate the need to do's from the I want to's and you will become far less frustrated. Taking on too much can make you feel like you are a horrible teacher, which of course, you aren't.
Safeguard #4. Be kind.

Even if you have failed miserably at Safeguards #1-#3, it is never too late to change your behavior. Before sending out the mass email and a bcc: to your principal about the teacher whose students are climbing the walls. Stop!

Before posting or emailing anything ask yourself: Is it biased? Could it be taken out of context? Is it hurtful? If you can answer one or more of these questions with a yes, you need step away from your computer, Ipad, or Iphone and take a deep breath.

This is the perfect moment to engage in a random act of kindness!

Safeguard #5. Be thankful.

Hands-down one of the best Grinch repellents is a spirit of thankfulness. Begin making a list of reasons to be thankful. Warning: While you may exude thankfulness on a normal basis, you may struggle. This isn't to say you aren't a grateful person...because you are! Remembering the reasons you are thankful is more about reminding you of the person you truly are. You are NOT a Grinch..so don't act like one!

Are You an Educational Hoarder? 5 End-of-YearTips to Declutter Your Classroom

Are you an educational hoarder or think you might know one? If so, I've pulled together 5 tried and true tips to help you declutter your classroom.

First of all, how do you KNOW if you are an educational hoarder?

An educational hoarder is an educator who does not discard items in the classroom because of a perceived attachment.

You might be an educational hoarder if:

• You no longer have wall space to hang student work.
• You have a collection of childrens' songs like The Wheels on the Bus and Itsy Bitsy Spider on VHS tapes.
  
• The collectables on your desk date back five or more years.
• You own a new box of chalk that has never been used.
• There is no more room in your filing cabinet.

If this is you, here are tips to help you declutter!

1.  Store student exemplars digitally.

What can you take pictures of and keep digitally? As you know, every few years a student comes along who gives 110% to each assignment. If you feel like you can't part with student-made exemplars, I recommend taking a picture or scan the project and store on your computer/or a flash drive. It will be saved for years to come.

 2. Discard unusable supplies.

Glue sticks are a necessary evil. Every teacher at some point will use them. However, glue sticks are one of the first supplies to go bad. The caps are left off or a student mashes down far too hard and flattens the top. Markers are another item with a short shelf life. If you aren't sure about throwing an item away, take the art teacher litmus test: Would the art teacher want your item? If not...let it go!

3. Use it or lose it.

If you have construction paper in your storage closet two feet high, donate it or use it. As much as I love technology, paper activities can be awesome! Google search Headline Poetry or Found Poems for some ideas. Don't forget to take pictures and store digitally if you want to use as an exemplar for future classes.







Note: Construction paper projects are a good opportunity to find the glue sticks and markers that need to be tossed.
.
4. Get a Second Opinion

The worst thing you can do is to toss papers only to find out it was a student's IEP that was to have been turned into a student's case manager! Important papers may look like trash...but are important to keep. I advised you to

• take the time and go through each piece of paper;
• shred papers with any student information or turn into the counselors;
•  recyle papers that are crammed into your file cabinet you no longer use; and
• create a digital copy and/or keep ONE copy and recyle the others.

5,  Let it Go!

Maybe it's time to give your classroom a makeover and/or modernize. The wooden teacher apple that says "super teacher" is most likely outdated. You (and others) know you are a super teacher. Let it go. Little collections that have grown...and grown,,,and grown need to be thinned out. You can take these keepsakes home with you.

 I know this can be overwhelming! There is nothing wrong with being emotionally attached to student work or collectables, but it is time to cut the umbilical cord. It's time to let it go!

Confession Reflection:

• How can decluttering teacher classrooms support a student-centered learning environment?
• Where are other places in the classroom that could benefit from decluttering? (i.e. computer desktops, bulletin boards)
• Are there items to be kept in place? (i.e. social studies memorabilia, science artifacts). How do these items enrich learning?
• What are some ways to support educators who are educational hoarders and keep your relationship intact?

God Winks and other Serendipitous Moments

Years ago I was handed a little book called, when God winks at you: How the Power of Coincidences Guides Your Life, by Squire Rushnell. I was on an airplane when a lady I had never met handed the book to me and said, "God told me to give this to you." I thought she was weird, at best. Crazy, at worst. But I took the little book (not to be rude) and began reading.The premise of the book is that God speaks to us in small ways called "winks".

God winks are serendipitous in nature. These seemingly random events are signposts that can help you to navigate your career, relationships, and interests. God winks is based on a theory that God uses everyday experiences and chance meetings to improve our lives.

It is quite possible that God organized winks for me because of discouragement I was feeling after a severe injury to my foot. Ten weeks before a national conference, American Educational Research Association (AERA), I tripped and fell in my driveway and suffered a Lisfranc fracture in my middle foot. It was painful and super annoying because I wasn't able to put weight on my injured foot for weeks...and weeks...and weeks. Even after ten weeks my foot and ankle were swollen and painful to touch or move.

I was forced to use crutches or a knee scooter to get from one place to another.  It had been ten long weeks of hobbling around with no end in sight. My orthopedic surgeon believed that surgery would be necessary if my foot didn't heal on its own. I was discouraged that my foot didn't seem to be improving.

Maybe it was being in New York City, sitting in a yellow taxi, that made me think about the cover of the book. Who knows?

Whatever the reason...I guess God thought I needed a few winks.

Here are three unexpected God winks this past week while attending AERA.

God Wink 1: God's wink affirmed that my research interests on teacher blogging and twitter as a community of practice are relevant and have a place in today's research market.

At a conference session titled: Meet Journal Editors: Journal Talks I met, Dr. Guy Merchant, an editor for Early Childhood Literacy. I was confused as to why a speaker wasn't talking, even after the "Journal talk" was to have started. I noticed that people were socializing around tables, and decided to jump in.

I hobbled over to a table and introduced myself, "Hi, my name is Tamra, and I feel like an accidental tourist. I'm not sure what is going on here." Pointing to the microphone at the front of the conference room I explained, "I was expecting someone to speak."


Guy chuckled and explained in a thick English accent that the session was an opportunity to meet editors of peer-reviewed journals. Since it was bothersome to move around, I sat and visited with Guy. He shared early childhood literacy trends in research with me and advised me on ways to get journal articles published.


Our conversation took a turn when I asked him if I could take a picture and tweet it out. Well, it turned out that one of Guy's university students, Ian Guest, was in my Twitter PLN and had completed research on Twitter as professional development. In fact, Guy was a "tweeter" and we began talking about social media in education. He affirmed that social media and digital literacies were a current trend in research and publication.

Now to most people, this may not seem like a wink, of any kind. But to me it was significant. Guy encouraged me that my research about social media in education was needed and relevant.

God Wink 2: God's wink gave me a new outlook on my circumstances. 

On what was to have been my return flight from NYC to Dallas, the flight was canceled do to "bad weather." I was bummed. I needed wheelchair assistance. My phone charger didn't work and my battery was low. I was feeling sorry for myself.

When the announcement was made the flight was canceled, I was frustrated because I would have to rebook my flight. I booked the earliest flight at 6:30AM the following morning. I decided that it was ridiculous for me to get a taxi, find a hotel, only to wake up at 3:00AM and return to the airport..all on crutches. After talking to my husband, Michael, we decided it would be safer for me to spend the night in LaGuradia airport.

I rolled up to the counter with others and noticed an older lady almost in tears. She kept saying, "I have to be in San Antonio today. How can I get there?" Since our wheelchairs were beside one another we struck up a conversation. She explained that she was an author and a guest speaker at a school.

The woman turned out to be, Inge Auerbacher, Holocaust survivor and author of I Am A Star: Child of the Holocaust. I was familiar with her story but had never read her book. I felt foolish for complaining about my situation.

I told Inge about a  book club I was co-leading for English Learners and remarked on the power of her story would be to introduce to our students. Inge asked for my cell phone number and email and said she would get in touch with me.

Suddenly, my situation wasn't so bad. I was reminded of all the blessings in my life. My attitude took a 180-degree turn and I spent the night at the airport being thankful and not grumbling. I never saw Inge again, and believe she was able to find another flight out that day.

God Wink 3: God's wink reminded me of the importance of being prepared to talk about my research interests when asked and to seek advice from other professionals.

The following morning, I was exhausted and more than ready to get home. Once again, I was lined up beside other wheelchair passengers. A professor at my university was scheduled for another flight but paused to visit with me for a while. She wanted to hear more about the research I was participating in as a graduate research assistant.

I excitedly shared an overview of our research presentation at AERA. (Remember, my attitude changed after meeting Inge).

There's an old adage, "You never know who is listening." TRUE!

After the professor walked away, a gentleman in a wheelchair introduced himself to me and struck up a conversation about the AERA conference. His name was Michael Verdi and was at one of the Meet the Journal Editor Talks. He handed me his business card and explained that he was an executive editor for one of the top research publications called: The Journal of Education Research. 

I picked his brain the entire flight asking him about trends in research, and how to get published. He asked me about my dissertation topic, my career goals, and offered advice. He encouraged me that I was on a strong path to reach my goals. Our conversation unexpectedly turned towards the idea that God has a purpose for our lives.

I believe God winks at everyone in some form or fashion. It may not be noticeable to others, but winks are personalized to our needs. They come at the right time, often when we need them most.

Confession Reflection:

• Think of a time you have unexpectedly met someone (a stranger) who spoke into your life and helped you to get clarity on your career goals. Describe your experience.
• Have you been a God wink to someone who needed a professional connection, a career door opened, a word of encouragement? 
• Why is it important to acknowledge God winks? How do these experiences enrich a person's life?

Remember a coincidence is just God's way of performing a miracle anonymously.

Nobody's Perfect! Teaching Emotional Intelligence using Children's Literature

   

Are you familiar with the children's semi-autobiographical book by David Shannon featuring his seven-year-old self, David? If not, it's worth a trip to the library! Every teacher at some point in his/her career has taught a David. I will not judge you if you need to take a moment and inhale deeply then count to ten as you exhale slowly counting backward: 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1.

I confess that I've had my share of Davids (and Danielle's) through the years, both at the elementary and secondary levels. Challenging behaviors may manifest in children of ALL genders, ethnicities, ages, shapes, sizes, rich or poor. 

Sidebar: If you are a reading interventionist on your campus, you may have had the same David or Danielle for multiple years! It was like Ground Hog Day. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY...

for years

        and years

             and years. 

Or so it may have seemed.

So how do you deal with challenging students? 

Let's begin with what doesn't work.

Being named "Super Star of the Week" lasted, well, one week. Your David or Danielle may seem to enjoy detention. They may have learned to manipulate the detention teacher by emotionally wearing him/her out by endless arguing. A seasoned David or Dannielle may have mastered the "bait and switch" trick and miraculously turned into a well-mannered, sweet dispositioned student, making you look foolish.

So what is emotional intelligence? 

Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage emotions, which includes regulating your own emotions and helping others do the same.

The good news is that emotional intelligence lessons can be embedded into your ELA/Reading curriculum. You can teach the curriculum, address mandated Common Core standards, and teach
emotional intelligence. It can be done.

Here are three suggestions that I believe will start you off on the road.

1. Emotional intelligence begins with knowing the student.

Students need and deserve to know that their teachers are invested and deeply care about who they are beyond school. Periodically, give students a creative space to invite you into their lives. A writing prompt for the state assessment is NOT a creative space. It is a stressful space that rewards performance over authenticity. 

One suggestion is to create "I Wish My Teacher Knew" forms for students to fill out and give to you. Kyle Schwartz (Twitter: @kylemschwartz) was the genius behind this project. What this does is give you insight into her students. 

If your David or Danielle chooses not to open up, a positive home visit with another member of your team may give you insight into their behavior.

*Don't be surprised to discover that a student who is overly compliant, quiet, and does everything perfectly, may have more challenges that anyone could imagine. Unlike your David or Danielle, this student internalizes rather than acts out.

2. Emotional intelligence can be taught through children's illustrated books.

Look for books to add to your classroom library to teach the names of emotions and how they might look to different people. To prepare for a presentation last fall, I found over fifty books in my public library that taught emotion words! Look for feelings beyond happy, sad, angry, etc.  The Bored Barnicle and The Cranky Ballerina are great choices. 

Also, select books that mirror emotions associated with a feeling of pleasure like Irene's Wish.  During a read-aloud ask students what it means to be "wishful?" Ask, "What is something you've wish would happen?" 

Reading children's picture books like Bear Feels Sick supports building a classroom community and
builds empathy. Everyone who has ever lived has been sick at one time or another. Choosing books with universal themes can help students in recognizing appropriate ways to respond to others who are feeling poorly or having a bad day. Comprehension questions for Bear Feels Sick might be:

• What are some things Bear's friends do to make him feel better?
• Is there a time you have felt sick? What made you feel better?
• What are some things you could do to help a friend feel better?

Yes! Students can (and should) respond in their writer's notebook. This is a wonderful way to teach writing using questions that help students create text-to-self connections. 

IF your David or Danielle pitches a fit and refuses to write...don't escalate by making demands. 

Scaffold by using Language Experience Approach (LEA). Tell your student you will transcribe for them or let them record their answer on a recorder. This is NOT the time to say "This isn't an accommodation on their paperwork so I won't do it." Scaffolding is how we get students to work independently.

3. Emotional Intelligence creates self-awareness associated with actions.

Students like David and Danielle know more about actions and consequences than you can imagine! If I had a dime for every time I've heard, "(the student) needs to understand that there are consequences for their behavior." You are 100% correct. But if he/she continues to act out, the system
is broken for that student.

Books are a way for children (adolescents and adults) to vicariously learn through characters in books they enjoy reading. For example, a lesson teaches there are two sides of a story can be taught and illustrated through the characters in The True Story of the Big Bad Wolf (by A. Wolf). 

The book, The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt gives children the opportunity to experience what it is like to harness one's emotions and apply to problem-solving. Create a classroom kindness mission statement and have each student identify with a color. (It's okay if half of the class chooses a shade of blue!) 

It is especially important for your David or Danielle to see and understand they are a part of the classroom community. DO NOT remove their crayon as a "consequence." This is cruel even for a student who is on your last nerve. 

Explicitly teach social skills such as "Rules for Cooperative Solving." In small groups, give students opportunities to practice communicating, learning to listen, to speak up, ask questions. For your David or Danielle, choose a peer in advance to be their partner if working in a group is not working. It is imperative that ALL students feel a part of the classroom community.

In my teaching experience, I had students on the autism spectrum who just simply couldn't handle the noise and lack of structure that may come from cooperative solving. Our Davids and Danielles who are on the spectrum need our empathy to find accommodating ways to ensure they know they are valuable members of the classroom community. 

One year, I had a student insist on coloring using "Pyramid Orange" and of course, there were no crayons or color pencils to create the EXACT shade of the pyramids. And so we accommodated. We

worked with the art teacher until we found the closest shade available. 

Community and belonging are more important than the philosophy, "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit."

Co-presenting at TWU Spicola Reading Forum 

Teaching emotional intelligence will require commitment, working with your team during lesson
planning, and getting buy-in from your literacy coach and administration. You will need
teacher autonomy to make on-the-spot decisions and flexibility with the curriculum. 

Remember: Nobody's perfect. Not you. Not your favorite student. No one. Your David or Danielle are no different. 

Sometimes the best thing you can do is breathe! 

   

Confession Reflection:

• Why is it important for teachers to know their students beyond school? How does this build empathy?
• Why does emotional intelligence need to be explicitly taught to challenging students? 
• Name and describe accommodations to engage and motivate challenging students?  (augmented reality, choice boards, etc)
• What are some ways illustrated children's books can teach emotional intelligence? How can you find these resources?
• What are the dangers of giving short-term fixes like giving out candy, or pretending to call a parent to get the desired behavior? How does this damage children in the long-term?



Co-presenters, Brittany Mulkey (LSSP) & Tamra Dollar (K-12 Reading Specialist)

#HackLearning Chat Q and A's: Are You an Education Hacker?

What is an education hacker? In a nutshell, an education hacker is an innovative problem solver who finds solutions to problems in education other people do not see. Education hackers are willing to take risks and to push boundaries. They are leaders.

Educator and entrepreneur, Mark Barnes @markbarnes19, is the brainchild behind the Hacking movement. Yes, it is a movement. Mark has published a slew of books addressing ways to hack everything from assessment to homework. Hacking books are toolkits for teachers with practical steps to guide teachers towards innovative problem-solving.

Every Sunday morning educators from around the world come together for 30 minutes to answer three questions around a topic. A guest moderator leads the #hacklearning chat. The fast pace fuels the positive energy created by educators coming together for the purpose of connecting with others and sharing their thoughts and resources around a common topic. Sunday the "hacky topic" was English Learners (ELs). 

As the guest moderator, I was given the freedom to choose a "hacky topic" and then co-wrote questions with Connie Hamilton @conniehamilton, a.k.a. hacker extraordinaire. 

I chose this topic based on "hacks" I have learned as a graduate research associate with a federal grant, ELLevate! I drew from my experiences co-leading a weekly after school book club for bilingual newcomers and co-teaching a summer literacy institute.

The federal grant is a partnership between the university where I attend and a local school district to support teachers in the instruction of adolescent newcomers.

To learn more about the Hacking Movement go to http://hacklearning.org/

Chats are posted weekly on Twitter by Hack Learning @hackmylearning. 

Confession Reflection:

• What perspectives might English Learners have about school and learning? #HackLearning
• How can monolingual teachers communicate with newcomers little/no English speaking students?
• What strategies can teachers use to support the learning of ELs?

In case you missed out on Sunday's chat on English Learners, check out my Q's and A's https://storify.com/TamraDollar/hacklearning-chat

Ringing in the New Year with My All-Time Top 10 Favorite Confessions and the Lessons I've Learned

I have posted my top 10 favorite posts and the lessons I've learned. If you want to access the post, simply click the title.

10. Secrets from the Crypt

Henry (not his real name) was obsessed with Egyptian history. So when he purchased a Gregg Shorthand manual at Half-Priced books, I assumed Henry thought it was an instructional manual on how to read and write using hiergriphics. Needless to say, Henry got the last laugh!

I learned the importance of letting go of outdated methods of teaching and embracing new literacies.

9. The Butterfly Effect 

The Butterfly Effect was inspired by Stephen King's novel 11/22/63. I was brainstorming a story for my blog when I remembered the events of what was (at the time) the worst day in my teaching career.

I truly believe had it not been for a mommy mouse and a bag of Cheeze Its, I would not have grown as a leader and become a transitional coach and curriculum writer. The hilarious chain of events that resulted in mayhem breaking out in my social skills classroom, keep me laughing to this day.


I learned to fail forward.

 8. Lost in Translation 

What happens with a lesson plan goes very, very wrong? A jolly rancher, lesson plans gone awry and a tenacious student turned a literacy project on its head.

I learned the value of letting go of my perceived "perfect lesson", the crème de la crème literacy project, and focus on matters of the heart.

 

7. SpongeBob SquarePants to the Rescue!

The blogposts begins..."I'm standing outside the Pearly Gates confronted by parents of a student I once taught and I thought to myself, SpongeBob, you ruined me." To this day, this post evokes so many emotions inside of me.

I learned to guard my tongue until I've learned all the facts.

6. Alien Matters: Keychains, Bobble Heads, and Refrigerator Magnets

My creativity unleashed on this post. Sometimes I read this one and think, where on Earth did I get that idea from? It's fun to read and highlights the amazingness of Edcamps!

I learned....I'm not sure what I learned. I already knew Edcamps are out of this world!

5. The Future is Calling: Are We Listening?

A personality test inspired this post. It seems
 that "futuristic" is my top leadership attribute. While writing this post I explored my beliefs.

I learned the importance of advocating for today's generation of students.

4.  What's a Lugnut? (And of other Pertinent Questions)

What is a lugnut?

A. A powerful fictional character known as a Decepticon
B. A large, rounded nut that fits over a heavy bolt.
C. An object of scorn and ridicule
D. All of the above

The correct answer is all of the above.  It depends on your perspective!

I learned the importance of teaching vocabulary IN context and knowing our students.

3. To My Principal...I Must Confess 

Before posting, I called my principal and confessed to my lie thinking she would be mad. Instead, she started laughing!  I later republished with pictures April 2012. The orginal post was my first and I wasn't sure if anyone would even read it.  Boy, was I wrong!

I learned that I could never work for the CIA. I would break.

 

There is a tie for #2. I like them both equally.

2A. Summer Slide Is No Walk in the Park

This blogpost tugs at my heart like no other. Summer reading loss (or summer slide) is an epidemic in America. I had spent the summer working alongside a university professor conducting research to help a community center secure donations to keep their program alive.

I learned that there are children in my community who go to bed hungry. Until poverty is addressed in schools, the literacy gap will continue to widen.

2B. The Ghost Plant and other Potentially Fateful Tales

I fear we have created a generation of writers who believe a exemplary rating on a state assessment or perfect score on a rubric define good writing. As a result, creativity is stifled for fear of being wrong. This post exemplifies my experience as a writing teacher.

I learned to look at what a child does right.




And my favorite post of ALL TIME is.....

1. The Importance of Classroom Environment: Lessons from a Colt Named Carl

Carl (the colt) was a stuffed animal I purchased at a Goodwill for a whopping $3.50. But did you know it was a million dollar purchase? More than any pricey curriculum, technology gizmo or gadget, this purchase changed the learning environment of my classroom.

I learned that students learn and thrive when the classroom environment is safe.


Join me as we enter another year of growing and learning from reflection.


Happy New Year!

Tamra Dollar

Confession Reflection:

• What are the benefits of teacher blogging?

• Why is it important to reflect on lessons?

• How can school districts validate the important of teacher blogging? (Credit for PD; documentation on teacher evaluation forms; make time for teachers to blog).