In the world of education change is inevitable, and many times, necessary for the growth of an institution. Change cannot be forced by one person, but takes a team of people working together to initiate that desired change effectively and successfully. Several articles that I recently took the time to read talked at length about the need for teacher-leaders to rise up and help with that change. These articles were very clear in how one can identify in herself  if she is a teacher leader.  It talked of several qualities and traits that can be found in those equipped to lead. These "markers" were summarized in five easy-to-identify descriptions.  So as I read about them, I began going through the list and seeing which qualities were present in my own life.  

The first sign mentioned is that a teacher has a desire to have an impact outside of her classroom.  This would take the form of helping a colleague, blogging, submitting an article or leading a department workshop.  Maybe it involves mentoring or discipling students. I know that at the school I presently teach in, there is a community of teachers that look to each other to see how we can develop and nurture the child in all classes, not just our own. I definitely feel as though I could identify the first sign in my own life. 

The next two signs of a teacher-leader are that (1) colleagues often ask for her advice, as well as (2) she has a desire to take the new teachers under her wing and help them out. This starts with empathy.  All teachers have been in the new teacher position at one point and know the struggles that encompass that daunting position.  The experienced teacher can offer help for the new teachers.  If colleagues are coming to a teacher for help with difficult situations, then that teacher probably has what it takes to lead. Now, I am not sure if it is due to the fact that I fall on the older side of our faculty, but I have found that the younger teachers do come and bounce ideas off of me at different times. The beauty of this is that on more than one occasion, I have been more blessed and encouraged by the young teachers than I think they have been by me. Looking to others is a strong and necessary trait for true success.  

A fourth sign mentioned was that a teacher-leader thinks big about problems. The key here is that the teacher doesn’t complain about problems, but looks for solutions.  The teacher “puts feet” to a solution - talks to the principal, joins a committee, or acts as a spokesperson. I hope that I can be identified as one who looks for solutions and works to innovate the students that walk through my doors.

  The last sign of a teacher-leader actually brings me to where I am today. A teacher-leader will find herself learning about the current methods and strategies for her specific subject.  That teacher will join teaching networks to share ideas with others in her field.  This could mean additional certifications or even graduate courses.  So while this course has come at a difficult time in our lives, I am taking it to become a better teacher. I want to rise up and try to lead those around me. I can easily become uncomfortable with that thought. To label myself as a "leader" sometimes makes me feel arrogant, or almost obnoxious. But I am learning that to identify qualities in myself and be brave enough to embrace the characteristic that I have been given, actually brings the glory back to my God who has given me the abilities that I am working to nurture. If I am willing to do that, I will learn so much.

References

Holecek, C., Beckham, K., & McKethan, D. (2016). Developing teacher leaders in CTE. Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers, 91(6), 35-38. Retrieved March 6, 2017.

Melville, K. (2016). Finding my way to teacher leadership. Schools, 13(1), 46-56. doi:10.1086/685802

Ratzel, M. (2014). 5 Telltale signs you're becoming a teacher leader. In Curriculum leadership readings for developing quality educational programs (10th ed., pp. 38-41). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson education.

Warren, L. L. (2016). Viewing teachers as leaders without being administrators [Abstract]. Education, 136(4), 508-515.

As educational innovations sweep the nation, there is one new educational assistant that is topping all of the charts: Khan Academy.  
Sal Khan, the "Brains" behind Khan Academy, started his website in a very organic way.  Khan had a relative that was struggling in math and needed a tutor.  Khan began tutoring his niece online, and news of the success quickly spread throughout the family.  Before too long, Khan had requests to tutor so many people, that it was impossible to say yes to all.  A friend suggested that Khan post his videos on YouTube in order to share them with a larger audience.  And that was the beginning of 2400 videos covering a myriad of topics in mathematics and science.  

The reviews of Khan Academy have been high.  Several teachers have actually begun using the academy as a supplement to their curriculum.  In fact one teacher, Kami Thordarson of Los Altos, California, has used it to begin "flipping" her classroom.  The beauty of this is that students can watch the short 7-14 minute videos at home and then work on their math problems in class.  This has freed up Thordarson to answer questions and circulate throughout the room with great success.  If anyone doubts the quality of the instruction found on Khan Academy, here is the proof.  Thordarson has actually seen the fail rate in her class drop from 13% to 3% over the last year.  

There's an easy way to see what the fuss is about: the website allows anyone to sign up and start viewing tutorials and taking the interactive tests that are at the heart of the Academy's method.  The concepts is simple: watch a video in which Khan explains the subject being learned and then take the online test that follows.  Then, when satisfied that you have mastered the topic, it invites you to move on to a related topic. 

There are many commentaries that discuss the success of Khan Academy.  The Khan critics are mostly "Constructionists" who believe that it is better to let a student figure out the math on his own by trial and error in the subject.  These critics believe that the system for learning math is too structured, which Khan vehemently denies.  
Whether you are a supporter or not of the Khan Academy, there is not arguing the fact that students have answered more than 50 million questions on the site, which means there is an amazing amount of data that shows where students get stuck and need help when conquering math.  
It is worth looking into; its self-driven learning could be very beneficial to those students who are forever on the quest to learn more.  


References: 

Adams, Richard. "Sal Khan: The Man Who Tutored His Cousin – and Started a Revolution."The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Thompson, Clive. "How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education." Wired. Conde Nast, 15 July 2011. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

I am diving into week 3 of grad school, and I am excited that this week begins some of the basic studies into child behaviors and different theories of development that researchers have come up with.  It immediately brought to mind one of the first activities that our new administrator had the faculty participate in...personality testing.

At first we were all a tad confused as to why we were being asked to take this test.  But as we soon found out, it gave us valuable information to use when dealing with each other, our students, and ourselves!

The following picture is taken from the home website of "16 Personalities" and quickly summarizes the basics results of the test.  It has similarities to the "Meyers-Briggs" testing that many are familiar with, but it takes it a small step further by assigning character traits and mannerisms to each category.

It was facinating for each of us to learn our personality types and to see which personalities we paired well with, and which teammates might push us to praying a little harder.

The activity was so beneficial that I gave the same test to each of the high school classes that I taught.  The link can be found here: http://www.16personalities.com/
After taking the test myself, I started researching what my "diagnosis" said about me.  This test was so accurate that it was able to point out areas that were strengths, but also areas that are weaknesses and could hamper my ability to teach effectively.  It has been an eye-opener!

So try it for fun!  Invite a spouse to take with you.  According to the test, it is what they say...opposites definitely do attract!

Reference:

Free personality test. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

I just took a deep cleansing breath as I submitted my final assignment for week 2 of my class.  I am beginning to settle into a bit of a routine that has allowed my panic over the syllabus to die down.  I am slowly starting to figure out the best way to handle all of life's responsibilities.  Don't ask my husband or my kids to grade me on my accomplishments.  I am afraid that my report card would not be one to brag about.

A few weeks ago, a friend commented on my blog that, "there is no such thing as true objectivity." That statement is completely true, and yet scary at the same time.   As I was asked to evaluated multiple sources, learning orientations, and philosophies of teaching this week for class, every single source agreed on one thing: everything that is taught will reflect, directly or indirectly, the morals and value system of the teacher.  Everything that is observed or taught is colored, intentionally or not, through the eyes of the beholder or deliverer.  Or in this case, the teacher.

It took a while for me to completely process my feelings on that.  I am a firm believer that there is not one educational choice that is perfect for everyone. I have friends with children in the public school system, the Christian school, and people whose children attend their own home-school co-op.  Each family has carefully considered and prayed about the option that is best for their family.

However, with those choices each family has opened up their child's world to a belief system that may not match up to their own.  After this week, I understand why this new realization weighs so heavily on me.

While it IS the job of the school systems to educate our children, it is NOT the sole job of the school system to nurture and grow the mindset and morals of our children.

That is the job of the parents. 

The parents are the ones who need to get  actively involved in leading the education that will shape their children.  When the family sits around the table, ask about the school day.  As a parent, you need to ask your child what is being taught in science or history.  Open up conversations that enable you to share with your children what your belief system is. If I am going to put my children in the care of someone else for eight hours a day, I need to have the conversations that let me know what they are being taught, and where they stand on those issues. 

The problem is not a particular school system and the solution is not to keep your children in a time shelter like Adam in "Blast From the Past".  

The solution is to get active in the education of your child.  

For me, this is a sobering thought.  As an educator, I have the responsibility of imparting information that holds true to my belief system and of supporting each family's efforts to establish biblical morals and world views.  As a parent, I have even more responsibility to come beside my own children and nurture them, show them truth, and get active in their education.

References:
Melville, K. (2016). Finding my way to teacher leadership. Schools, 13(1), 46-56.
          doi:10.1086/685802

Schultz, G. (2003). The end result of education. In Kingdom education:God's plan          for education for future generations (pp. 37-49). Colorado Springs, Co: Purposeful       design.

At the start of the school year, a few teachers from our school attended and Google Apps for Education conference.  The conference lasted for 2 days and was a buffet of interactive educational tools.

We were a mixed-bag of technology knowledge.  There were a few of us that were pretty tech-savy, while others struggled to find the way to turn on their iPad.  No matter what level a person was at, there was something at this conference for them to learn.  

My favorite "find" of the conference was an application that was called Pear Deck. 

Pear Deck Educational Application

While the initial demonstration was a little overwhelming, it is actually a very user-friendly program for the teacher in the classroom.  In short, Pear Deck is a way to create interactive slide shows that can involve the students throughout your lecture.  Pear Deck lets you take that slide show and add questions, charts, or responses that the students can answer and participate with during your lesson. Here is a short description of how it works, taken directly from the Pear Deck website. 

What is Pear Deck? 

Pear Deck give teachers the ability to engage and assess every student in every row no matter what grade or subject.  Using Pear Deck will help you create an interactive and community-focused classroom that builds confidence and comprehension.

How Does it Work?

Pear Deck is very similar to a slide show, like PowerPoint or Google Slides. But instead of just static, informational slides, you can make interactive slides that let every student participate in your questions or prompts, right from their own devices. When you present your Deck, you will get a unique code for students to use to join your presentation from their phone or computer.

1. Make your slides
2. Start Presenting
3. Every Student Participates

Pear Deck is also a Google Drive App. This means that it's fully integrated with the Google ecosystem, making a perfect choice for Google Schools.  Here are some of the great benefits of our Google integration:

• Students don't have to make a Pear Deck account or remember a new password to join your presentation. They just use their school Google account.
• When you create a new Pear Deck file, it's automatically stored in a "Pear Deck" folder in your Google Drive. You can organize it, share it, and collaborate on it just like any other Google Doc.
• You can hook up Google Classroom to Pear Deck so that you can directly invite your Classroom Rosters to your Pear Deck presentations
• After class, you can publish Student Takeaways so that every student in the class gets a personalized Google Doc with all the slides and their answers. Because it's a Google Doc, you can leave comments for the students, or share it with their parents or tutors. 

You should check it out! The few times that I have integrated it into lessons, the students have loved it and it brought a whole new level of learning to the classroom!

References

http://help.peardeck.com/article/3-pear-deck-overview

This first week of class has been one that I am thankful I never have to repeat.  I spent many evenings last week working into the wee hours of the morning, trying to find the right words to say exactly what I wanted to express.  I have learned many important lessons this week.

Lesson 1: I have lost my skill of procrastination. 

Through my college days, I spent every moment I could outside of the dorm. I was heavily involved in the fine arts department. I played sports, and spent hours laughing and joking with my group of friends.  My friends and I even got into roller blading, and we would spend hours blading all over the beautiful city of Owatonna, Minnesota.  I would come screeching into the dorm at the last possible second, and proceed to sit down and start my homework while most people were heading to bed.  It made my roommate, parents, and even myself at times, cringe over the extra stress I constantly placed on myself.  However, I was one of those students that managed to put it off until the last minute and still do well.  In fact, I managed to graduate with honors.  NOT.  ANY.  MORE. My brain became mush and my fingers stopped working.  At 11:57pm when everything was due, I was frantically yelling at my computer for freezing. It was ugly. 

Lesson 2: Being a student is hard work.

I have gained an entirely new appreciation for the amount of work that the students complete in order to stay on top of their grades.  There were times this week that I thought my professor had gone crazy.  Several papers, blog posts, critical thinking discussion posts, curriculum project were just a few of the things I needed to do. It was hard juggling and managing each paper, which edit I had just finished, and which item had been turned in.  

Lesson 3: It is ok to push my students. 

While I was stressed and definitely overwhelmed this week,  there was this amazing feeling of accomplishment.  I had done a lot of work, and I had done a lot of it really well.  Part of that was due to excellent feedback from our professor who answered questions, offered support, and gave praise when it was due.  I want to push my students, but offer that same level of support and adulation at the same time.  My students work hard and produce amazing things.   

I came across this article from the Washington Post this week.  A teacher had gone undercover as a student for two days and  followed the exact schedule that was expected of the teens.  After two days, the teacher's eyes were opened, and many changes began to occur in the classroom. This article was a great challenge to me to continue evaluating what I do to make sure everything serves a purpose. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/24/teacher-spends-two-days-as-a-student-and-is-shocked-at-what-she-learned/

Reference:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/24/teacher-spends-two-days-as-a-student-and-is-shocked-at-what-she-learned/

I am exhausted.  There are several things that are contributing to my delirious state of mind: parenting, school work for my daytime job, school work for my grad class, a school play, taxi-driving to sports events, and a brain that makes lists all night long when I would prefer to be sleeping. It is overwhelming at times, and the desire to give up and feel sorry for myself sometimes comes dangerously close to winning. Almost, but not quite.  Because every time I feel like I have hit my limits, I am reminded of the importance of the jobs I have been given.

In my classroom, no two days look alike.  Okay, that is not entirely true.  I do have an opening routine that involves students settling in at their desks, getting out their dog-eared homework, and doing the opening reflection assignment on the board.  But that is where the routine ends.  Each day can bring about an entirely different set of exercises and discussions.  I have actually overheard students describing Mrs. Hoffman's class as, "unpredictable, because you never know what she is going to have us do." I will admit, that there have been some crazy moments of laughter or music from a lesson that bellows down the hallway causing those passing by to stop and attempt to judge the worthiness of the lesson.  

But over the last week,  I have done some really deep thinking and introspection. What is my purpose? What is my driving question every day? My grad class has focused this first week on what I am doing to shape the thinking and mindset of those students placed in my care.  It was an interesting fact noted by my professor that no matter how much society wants to say that teachers keep their belief system out of the classroom, IT WILL STILL SHOW UP.  Because if we truly believe in something, it should shape what we think, how we act, and who we are.  

After reading my first blog post, that same friend who challenged me before, challenged me once again.  I received in the mail a book written by Seth Godin entitled, What To Do When It Is Your Turn [and it's always your turn].  At first I set the book on a shelf.  Hello?! Didn't I just finish saying I was bogged down with a new class? I had no time for pleasure reading.  But curiosity got the best of this English teacher.  So I put on my soft pants, grabbed a snack, and picked up the book. I could not put it down.  While the entire book was motivational, this passage stood out to me: 

"What will you create? 

 Who will you help? 

 What will you dare to care about? 

       There are so many opportunities, so many chances to find beauty or to ease suffering, that the easiest thing to do is to pretend they don't exists. 

Because if they do exists, if that little girl will live a better life because you showed up, if that void will be filled because you cared enough to do something about it...if we actually recognize the opportunity that's in front of us, what are we to do about it?

We'd have no choice but to change things for the better, to take our turn and make a difference.  

You have the chance to change things....What do you care enough to fix, or disrupt, or invent? 

Starting right here, right now.  If we are willing to suffer enough to matter, we are able to make change happen.  or at least we can try. 

Don't avert your eyes. Look at the opportunity.  Take it.  

It's yours." 

So today, in spite of exhaustion and a desire to take a long nap, the desire to make a difference is a little stronger.  

Reference: 
Godin, Seth. What to do when it's your turn (and it's always your turn). Canada: Domino Project, 2014. Print. 

As an educator, I am very aware of and interested in the controversy that has surrounded the appointment of Betsy DeVos to President Donald Trump's cabinet.  I have heard so many arguments as to why she is perfect for the job, or conversely why there are children better qualified to lead than DeVos.  My guess is that if I disregard some of the extreme opinions on both sides of the isle, I may settle at the truth: that we don't know how DeVos is going to perform, but she has work to do and not much experience for anyone to gauge what can be expected.

Honestly, with all of the political rhetoric swirling around, I feel that there will never be a bipartisan conversation that just presents the facts that are being argued.  That is a tragedy because there are several conversations that need to be had.  One that is personal to my situation is the school voucher program.

My husband and I have chosen to put our children in private school.  We have several positive reasons that we could list, but one of the prominent factors is that our small school has afforded our children some unique opportunities that are not available elsewhere.  But that has come at a cost for us.  We still have to pay several thousand dollars a year in taxes that are funneled into the school system that we do not received anything from.

So I have spent hours funneling through paperwork and websites to see what the main arguments are surrounding the voucher program.  As best as I can tell, it comes down to these main arguments.

People who support school vouchers claim:

• Parents have the right to decide where their child goes to school  This should not be based on income.
• Parents who send their children to private school are forced to pay for education twice. 
• The government is not doing a good job running the education system.  
• Vouchers could increase competition between schools.
• Vouchers would give equal opportunity to kids who would normally be unable to have a quality education. 

People who oppose school vouchers claim that: 

• Voucher take money from public schools, where it is needed because those school already lack funding. 
• There would not be a separation of church and state. Most private schools are religious. 
• School vouchers would lead to division in America. 
• Private schools would just increase their tuition in order to make more money. 

So, is there one side that seems to have an advantage over the other? I definitely think that there are good arguments that could be developed for either side.  But for goodness sake, there needs to be some adult conversations that take place without name-calling, anger and stubbornness.  Because the biggest losers in that scenario will ALWAYS be the very children we are trying to help. 

References:
School Vouchers pros and cons. (2015, November 25). Retrieved March 6, 2017 from
         https://publicpolicy.wharton.upenn.edu/live/news/1076-school-vouchers-pros-and-cons

There is a discount grocery store near my home that is known for its products having "minor bumps and dents" in the packaging, but supposed good-quality items inside. If by "good-quality" you mean sometimes stale, mostly crushed items, then you would be pleased to find a constant supply of quirky products that often become "must-haves". However, in the center of the store one will find a cluster of bins so full of items that the contents are no longer contained, but have started spilling to the floor where they proceed to be trampled by all those that walk by. The challenge, better yet the intrigue of these bins is that very few items still have labels intact to identify what will be found once the item is purchased. The employees have made a game of identifying and grouping together what they feel are like-items. Sadly, many times one will find health and beauty products stuck to the instant rice. However, there are still those adventurous people who will spend hours sifting through each bin hoping to find that one great treasure everyone else has missed. 

Not all labels are bad. In fact, in the above scenario a label or two could have been quite helpful and saved the weary shopper oodles of time. I feel that the same goes for an institution or organization. It is necessary for everyone involved in a school system to know the labels, or descriptions and visions that are necessary to run a successful and thriving organization. A leader cannot expect the support and following of his people if those under him do not understand the end goals. Parents will never support the difficult and arduous learning process if they are not aware of the desired goals a teacher has set forth for her classroom. These goals must be defined. And for those observers who are not directly part of the planning and execution of the mission statement of a school, these goals may need to become labels that can help clearly and easily display the intended trajectory for an institution. 

A successful school needs and values the input of teachers, parents and students. In fact, the involvement of everyone is necessary for the mission of a school to truly be realized. It becomes the job of those who know the mission to identify it for others. If a school has used a label that clearly defines what the institution stands for and what is expected from all those associated with it, constituents will be spared from sifting through several organizations to find the "treasure" that will shape their child's future. 

Reference: 

VanBrummelen, Harro. "Choosing a Curriculum Orientation." Stepppingstones to Curriculum. 2nd ed. Colorado Springs Purposeful Design, 2002. 23-44. Print. 

When I learned that I would need to not only start, but also maintain a blog for my grad class, a myriad of thoughts ran through my mind.  The first (well maybe not the first, but definitely the loudest) thought was, "What are people going to think?" I know.  It sounds crazy that a person who spends 8 hours a day teaching others how to write would be fearful to let strangers read and comment on my thoughts towards something so near and dear to my soul: education.

I spend a bit of time every day reading blogs, looking at magazines, and following articles that talk about the ever-changing landscape in the world of education.  Every new idea and lesson plan excites me, and I immediately dream about ways to implement them in my classroom.  But I don't often broadcast my plans because I become afraid of failure.  If no one knows what I hope to do, then there is no risk of disappointing them if that goal is not reached.  After much soul-searching, I think I have realized that it comes down to the fear of being labeled.

  A friend from high school, Lance Salyers, recently had the opportunity and honor of being one of the speakers involved in TEDx Dayton.  Lance is actually the person that finally put into words for me what I had been feeling.  I feared the labels that others could possibly give to me, and even more so the labels that I give myself.  I have many labels that I think accurately apply to me: I am a Christian, wife, mom, teacher, photographer, and friend.  I also have other labels that I am not nearly as proud of: I am insecure, opinionated, and a perfectionist.   But these labels are not just helping me describe myself; they are actually also hindering me from sharing my ideas and dreams with others for fear of what they will think. But Salyers' talk opened my eyes to a new way of thinking about those sticky labels.

 While I may not be an expert in the field of education, I AM educated.  I do have some authority to speak on issues that can better myself and those around me.   I hope this new adventure provides me the ability to share who I am without that label.  Because as Salyers so eloquently worded it, "Labeling ourselves short-circuits our ability to interface with others".

Reference: 

https://youtu.be/H9XubDriWC4