Morning in Spanish classroom

For many years I decorated my classroom with a couch, papasan chairs, lanterns, wall hangings, twinkle lights and rugs. It had a warm, cozy, family feel. I challenged myself this year, partially do to lack of space, to go without those things. My room has desks, chairs and student decorations, but nothing extra. I wanted to see if we as a class, with our attitude and awareness, could create our own sense of comfort and cozy safety.

What I found over the last year is that having an extravagant set-up helps set the scene. But it had also made me lazy in my relationship building. I let all the comfortable material things that I provided, do the work of showing my students that I cared for them. Not being able to rely on those things, and facing a bleak-ish classroom setting kept me on my toes. I had to find ways to constantly and consistently show my students that I cared about them. Also, I found that without the extra “stuff” we were so much more playful with our use of space. We weren’t concerned about ruining the environment. Desks moved freely into shapes that served different activities.  When we just couldn’t get comfortable we found new spaces: on the roof, on the sidewalk, in the hall, etc.

Next year, my request to teach more section with fewer students (versus combined mega sections) was granted. So, it seems there will be space to move the extras in. I miss them, but I fear loosing my awareness of the need for active community and comfort building.

Our happiness may be ephemeral, but it is at least comforting to know how easily it is to come by. Here’s a list of things I did today that made me happy:

Hugged a giant stuffed teddy bears.
They have these at Costco and I couldn’t resist them. What was awesome was that once I did it, a whole slew of kids and adults started a hug fest.

Planted flowers.
I have been working on a butterfly garden for the last three seasons. I like getting my hands in the dirt and dreaming about what plants will look like when they are fully grown.

Caught up on celebrity gossip.
Who needs teacher drama when you have US Weekly?

Got made fun of
I know this one sounds off…but I tend to take life far too seriously. It’s nice to have friends that lovingly make fun of me.

What does your list look like these days?

For as long as I can remember, I have finished my swim workouts by pretending that the line at the bottom of the pool is a balance beam and proceeding to do a series of cartwheels and flips.

Today, someone in the lane next to me asked, in all seriousness, if I was, “practicing an advanced dolphin dive.” I know it wasn’t polite, but I had to laugh. There really is no deep meaning to my imaginary gymnastics, other than to have fun and be playful.  In the end, knowing I get to flip around is probably what keeps me coming back to the pool every day.

Yesterday, I let my sixth graders indulge in a full blown, eyes watering, pants peeing (not exactly) giggle fest. Did it set us back? Yes. Did it make us happier? Yes.  Meaningful and engaging lessons, projects, debates, caring teachers etc., keep kids coming back to class everyday. But sometimes I think it’s the “silly” stuff , with no immediate purpose, that puts the icing on the cake for all of us.

Chicago River--Photo By: Katie Hellerman

The best session at EdCamp Chicago was a Q&A with several East Leyden High School students about their thoughts on learning in public. I appreciated their candor and was surprised by some of their responses.

How do you feel about your work being published on the Internet/blogs?

I think it should be something that the student has a choice to do. Sometimes I write something and then worry about people at school judging me. There are some things that I really only want my teacher to read. They are personal.

I think it really shows the weaker students. It can be intimidating for everyone to know that about you.

I’m worried that a future employer might see something I wrote in tenth grade and not hire me.

Do you read each other’s posted work?

Not really.

What do you think of the fact that your school blocks Facebook?

It’s a good thing. If they didn’t everyone would be on it all the time and nothing would get done.

Some people are so stupid about Facebook. They post the dumbest stuff and forget that people read it. I think that teachers need to do a better job of teaching the permanence of the Internet.

 (In a survey of East Leyden HS students 83% said they used Facebook to complete homework)

Do you ever or have you ever reached technology burn-out?

Not really. It’s kind of a part of life. But sometimes it’s just nice to have classes where we don’t use it.

I prefer to use a real textbook. There are too many distractions on the computer.

Do you think it’s weird for teachers to have professional and/or personal blogs?

No. Not at all. It’s cool. As a joke once we Googled one of our teachers and found out he was in a band. It was cool to see that he was more than just a teacher.

Photo By: Kevin Jarrett

I’m headed off to Edcamp Chicago in less than seven hours and I haven’t even written a reflection on Educon. It appears as if I’ve become a conference junky. Pretty soon I’ll just be pulling up to the parking lot of education conferences just to get the t-shirt and a grilled cheese.

So what do I have to say about EduCon that hasn’t already been said? My biggest take-away from the weekend would have to be, the importance of laughter and playfulness in making us successful educators and leaders. I seriously finished every night at EduCon with a cramp in my side from laughing so hard. It can be genuinely frustrating to not know how to fully integrate iPads into the kindergarten curriculum. But at the same time I think the majority of us agreed that we are so insanely lucky to be dealing with first world problems…why not laugh a little bit about them? Why not laugh at and with each other?

The duality of serious conversation and serious hilarity got me thinking about my own approach to education related conundrums. Much too often I focus too seriously and intensely on trying to find the solution (see my last post if you are not convinced of this.) The more serious I become the father away from the solution I get. It’s an approach that were taught in school, “Buckle down and put your nose to the grindstone.” In actuality what I really need to do, and what I started to learn at EduCon, is let loose and find the solution in collaborative playfulness and laughter.

I’ve already received a ton of great posts about Social Media in schools via this collaborative google doc. Please feel free to add or use as you like.

Photo By: Daniel McAnulty

A happy problem for our school is that we are just bursting at the seams with students. My room is used almost every second of the day. One of my colleagues actually has to partially enter the boy’s bathroom to get to her converted janitor’s closet office. When space and privacy come at a premium, what does a person like me, someone who likes to recharge alone and collect my thoughts, cope?

Recently, I took a cue from my students and I started to wear headphones during my free periods. People left me alone and I was in heaven. Headphones, turned out to be the invisible wall that I needed and that everyone could see.  Fifteen minutes later and I was recharged and ready to fully engage. I’ve never been a fan of this kind of behavior in schools. It visually creates a lack of openness and availability in the community. But, now I see that it causes the exact opposite. “Alone time” made me an even better community member.

What if we stopped judging and gave our students, teachers and administrators the cultural permission to recharge in the way they see fit? Our schools might be happier and more productive places.

The Way It Is

There is a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
Or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you can do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.

-William Stafford

My thread is helping people to walk fully in their gifts and passions. What thread are you holding on to?

Chicago Harbor, Photo By: Katie Hellerman

Last weekend after a snowstorm, I took a walk down the river and lakefront. The setting was truly surreal. In a city as big as Chicago, it was incredible that I walked for almost four miles without seeing a soul. When eventually I did happen upon someone, it was a lone fisherman. I stopped to ask him if he had caught anything, a question lead to a lengthy conversation on all things fishing. (Did you know that apparently there are Pink Salmon in Lake Michigan? Or that you can fish without ever having to touch the fish?)

While we talked, I noticed that every once in a while, he would stir his string, so that the water wouldn’t freeze over the hole and trap the string. It was a true art form. If he moved the string too often, the fish wouldn’t bite. But if he didn’t move it at all, he wouldn’t be able to get the fish out.

I couldn’t help but pull a metaphor out of this strange scene. How do you know when you need to stir the string in life to keep from getting stuck? How do you know when opportunity is just about to bite and keep the string still? I’m certainly not wise enough to answer this question. But, still it’s worth thinking about.

As I continued on my walk, the fisherman, as if he had read my thoughts, called after me, “Don’t get stuck out there!”