School BFFs

All through my college education classes, I remember professors telling us that when we got our first real jobs that we needed to befriend three groups of people: the secretaries, the custodians, and the cafeteria staff. I wholeheartedly agree with that advice, and I followed it. The secretaries have pulled me out of binds more than I care to admit. The custodians have waited until the last possible moment to clean my room during the summer in order to let me get things done. The cafeteria staff calls me when they’ve burned some school pizza because they know it’s my absolute favorite. In the past five years, I’ve found that my college professors left out another very key person to befriend: the media specialist. In our media specialist at Johnsonville High School, I found my school BFF, and after reading Wren Middle School’s Media Specialist’s blog, (Hi, Kristen, I know you in real life!) I realized that the media specialist is very much a secret weapon in any school…or rather they should be.

What’s the job of a media specialist? In some people’s eyes, they check out books all day long. I can say from firsthand observation that they do check out books…all day long IF they support students in their reading. If not, they really might not have to do much of this at all. If this was where a media specialist’s job ended, you could sign me up today, but I have been to the depths of the media center, and I know what all happens there. Did you know that in most schools the media specialist becomes the Miss or Mr. Fix-It for all things technology? A light bulb in a projector goes out, send it to the library. You think your computer has a virus, send a student to get the media specialist. You can’t make your printer print? You can bet the media specialist can.

Again, if this were all that fell into a job description of a media specialist, it might not be all that time-consuming, but this is barely the beginning. In addition to that, media specialists teach lessons. They teach about research, digital literacy, video software, presentations, and more. They teach students about reading and how to find a book and how to put it back in the proper place. Then they inventory and replace the books the students put in the wrong places. Media specialists laminate things and update webpages and air the morning announcements. They constantly read to stay up to date on what kids want to read, and they talk to kids (lots of kids) every single day. Media specialists know the names of every single student in the school because they teach them all. They work with teachers to schedule library time, and they don’t always get to eat lunch. Our media specialist at JHS never stops. She’s checking out books, fixing technology crises, answering phone calls, playing Channel One, recommending books to students because she cares enough to know what they like, and making sure the library runs like a well-oiled machine. She is a busy, busy woman.

A phenomenal teacher on the left, a super media specialist on the right

Media specialists are super heroes; there’s no doubt in my mind. I am so thankful that Johnsonville has Wendy Calcutt who works her magic every day to get students reading and computers computing and keeps the high school world running. Make sure you thank yours for the work he or she does…where would your school or your students be without it?

"See Ya Next Time, Saluda!"

I don’t think it’s any secret at all that I believe that education is something we should celebrate daily. My parents raised me to believe that education was one of the most important things in life, following Jesus and minding my manners, and I have always placed teachers on a real shiny pedestal. I love to see teachers (and the great work they do) being celebrated, and so I was absolutely honored to attend the Teacher of the Year banquet in Saluda County this past week.

I was not aware of just how far away Saluda is from Lake City, but it made for a nice little trek! My momma went with me, and it was nice to have some “me and her” time to catch up and sing and just be quiet together. In case you haven’t realized, I love my momma.

Reaching Saluda was interesting. After going through busy Columbia and Lexington, it was like a little piece of peaceful paradise just sprang up on Highway 378. The banquet was held at the Saluda County Educational Complex which is super nice, and it was to honor the district’s school Teachers of the Year and the retirees who retired at the end of the previous school. I thought that was a great idea. In one ceremony, they were able to honor those teachers recognized for excelling each day at what they do and those faculty and staff members who have given their all to education and South Carolina students. It made it very special, for sure.

I was able to spend some time that evening talking with Saluda Superintendent, Dr. David Mathis, and from my time talking with him, I can tell you two very important things about him. #1- He is proud of the schools, teachers, and students of Saluda County. #2- He is passionate about providing the best possible education for children in Saluda. After I realized that, I didn’t care what football team he pulled for or who his favorite author was…I was a fan of his! I know his faculty and staff appreciate his leadership! On his welcome on the district’s webpage, he has the following quote from Confucious, “ If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children.” You could tell that this wasn’t just a nice saying, but that in Saluda, they live that philosophy. And two other things...everyone in Saluda is nice, or at least they were to me. Shealy's catered this event. I might try to get a ticket every year!

I was able to be present through the ceremony where the Teachers of the Year from the Saluda schools were introduced, and I can also tell you that this district has amazing teachers, teachers who love students and are passionate about educating them. They had amazing stories, and several of them were graduates of the district who had returned to teach there. I always think that is an amazing testament to the greatness of a district/school.

At the end of the evening, Mr. Paul Johnson from Saluda High School was named District Teacher of the Year! Congratulations, Paul! We look forward to seeing you at your regional teacher forum meeting!

Book Recommendation: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Have you ever read a book and immediately wanted to share it with every person you knew? That has only happened to me a few times. I mean, I read a lot of great books, but I rarely read one that I think everyone should read. Most recently, I found this type of book in Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This book was recommended way back in March or April, but I put off reading it until this summer. Wonder is a game-changer, and I mean that in the best possible way. It has made me reconsider things I say to others and has caused me to really think about how judgmental I can be. I assure you, this book has a lesson it for everyone, and right now it's only $10.87 at Amazon for a hardcover copy. You probably want a copy to own and a copy to give away.

If you’re at all like me, you’re wondering what this book is even about. I rarely read a book on title or cover alone, but a few good Amazon reviews or a recommendation by someone I consider a reliable source draws me in like nothing else. Wonder is multi-faceted in that the story belongs to several people. Primarily, it focuses on August Pullman, a 10-year-old who was born with a severe facial deformity that author, R.J. Palacio modeled after Treacher-Collins syndrome, though this is never stated as Auggie’s syndrome. The story follows Auggie through his first year of attending school, but it also shares the stories of those who befriend him and his older sister who has always been his protector.

For me, Wonder served as a reminder. It was a reminder to me of what people might be going through when I really have no idea. It reminded me to think about how my actions or lack of actions can affect others. And it was a reminder that goodness is still at work in the world. Wonder is a work of fiction, but it’s a story of great truth. It is the story of every child who has ever been bullied for things beyond his or her control, and it is the story of those who look past imperfections and see to the very soul of an individual.

The message of Wonder is an important one. I think it’s relatable to almost any grade level…from a read-aloud in early elementary classrooms to a book club book for retired adults. It does an excellent job of reminding us that we are all only as good as our soul, and that appearances don’t (or rather, shouldn’t) matter.

I’m not the only one who thought this book was well-worth a read, so if you don’t believe me, here are some comments from others who have read the book…

And if you're on my Christmas list, chances are, you're getting this book, so please act surprised!

FMU: Going Home Highlight

When I was making the decision of where I would attend college, I initially wanted to go as far away as possible. For some reason, I was under the impression that was the only way to get the “full college experience.” I think a lot of high school juniors and seniors think that; they believe that if they attend school close to home, they are “less than.” We’ve got to change that perception. I fell prey to it, and after looking into schools all over the place, I really had my heart set on Converse because my English teacher from high school had gone there. I don’t know if y’all are aware, but the distance between my parents’ house and Converse College is roughly 200 miles. Once I admitted to myself that being that far away from my family wasn’t really an option for me (I’m a bit attached to my momma), Francis Marion University seemed like the perfect spot for me. And I can promise you there are few prettier places in the fall than FMU’s campus.

FMU was a good fit for many reasons, but the most important at the time was that it was approximately 22 minutes from my home. With that said, I did live on campus, but I also came home every Sunday for church and for laundry assistance. I still regard FMU as one of the happiest places in the world. I made a ton of great memories there and had so many great opportunities. I am still so thankful that FMU exists in the Pee Dee. It is a great university that is growing at a phenomenal rate, but it is small enough that it can always feel like home.

Because I am still so enamored with FMU, I was absolutely honored when one of the English professors asked me to speak at First Tuesday (a monthly event where English Education majors gather for various reasons). There is just something unexplainably special about “going home.” This was also very sentimental for me because some professors who have played a huge role in me becoming the teacher I am attended the talk, and their support over the years has had such an impact on me. Additionally, six of my own former students showed up to support me at this talk for English Ed majors, and they aren’t majoring in English Education. And really, my students have also helped me become this teacher I am, so it was great to have them there, too.

The truth of the matter is that teaching isn’t a journey we embark on independently. We owe thanks to lots of people who help us get where we are: the great teachers we had, the naysayers who saw no value in our profession, our colleagues who push us when we need it, and our students who walk this walk with us day in and day out. I think that it sometimes becomes easy to forget all the people who got us here and still stand strongly with us today. FMU provided the best foundation for me in my journey, and I am so glad I was able to give just a little something back.

Dr. Ramsey...one of the greatest men I've ever known, and I never would have met him if I'd gone to Converse.

The Power of a Dream

This has been a busy, whirlwind week with several meetings and neat experiences. I visited Camden Middle School, home of the Soaring Eagles, and was in awe of the amazing facility. Y’all, they have a rotunda…a rotunda!!! And the principal plays classical music in the cafeteria all day. I plan to return for a full tour when I have more time to stay and appreciate it all. The staff was so very welcoming, but the highlights of that trip were four students who came to help me get some materials from my car. They were so polite and respectful, greeting me immediately by name and asking how they could help me. Good news, everyone: They’re raising some great kids in Camden.

Today, I attended a National Board liaison meeting just because I love all things National Board, and I can’t urge you enough to sign up to go through this process if you’ve ever considered it. There is free money waiting on YOU to claim it!

After the meeting, I got to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. In case you’re curious, I didn’t win the lottery…not a monetary one anyway. Before I tell you what I really did, I probably need to introduce you to Emma. Emma Claire is my cousin Tem’s first born baby girl, and she is one of the most amazing children I’ve ever been around. And no, I’m not being biased; you can ask anyone. Emma was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was six months old, and her doctor told Tem and his wife, Cassie, to get her into as much therapy as they could.

With the help of the internet (oh the power of Google!), Tem and Cassie found the best possible place for Emma: The Therapy Place located in Columbia, SC. Emma has made huge gains since she began at The Therapy Place. She now sits up on her own, responds with several phrases, plays peek-a-boo, and walks with assistance. I have wanted to go see the magic of The Therapy Place for a while now, but it never worked out with my schedule. Today, it did, and I got to witness the greatness that can happen when a mother has a dream that she doesn’t let go. Tem met me at The Therapy Place, and I got to meet Dawn Darby, the executive director who, along with friend and another mother of a child with cerebral palsy, Susan Abell, started the center when the two women were unable to find the type of learning environment they wanted for their sons. I can’t even begin to express to you how amazing her fulfilled dream is. There are not words to capture it.

I also got to meet Emma’s teacher, Erin, who directs the Bridges program (a pre-school curriculum adapted to meet the needs of the students). Erin is passionate and has a wonderful rapport with her students. I sat back and watched as Emma identified colors, shapes, and patterns, and I was so thankful that she has access to a place dedicated to helping her reach her potential. I was amazed and humbled by the work the staff does and how much every single person seems to love the role he or she plays in the lives of these children. And I discovered during my afternoon that those people are what make The Therapy Place magical; there is no special potion, no enchanted forest. There are just people who give it all they have every single day to do what is best for the children in their care. They work so hard and stay so positive, and that makes all the difference in the world.

I talk to my students a lot about dreams and how important it is to have them. In Mrs. Darby, I have a great example of what dreams can do—how a dream can start for us but stretch and grow until it impacts the world around us. I drove home with tears of happiness streaming down my face, thankful for every single person who answers the call to improve the lives of children. Thank you, to the staff of The Therapy Place for helping sweet, silly Emma maximize her potential. Her progress has brought immense joy to my life and reminded me to always be grateful for dreamers.

A Shout-Out to National Board...

I had an excellent college experience, and it taught me a lot. There are days I would willingly go back and relive the days when I thought 10:30 classes started too early, had a part-time job that paid me roughly $125 every two weeks and was more than enough spending money for me, and had my very own “gas card” in my parents’ names that was not just for emergencies but for everyday use. At that point in my life, I didn’t understand the beauty (or the rarity) of a full tank of gas. While in college, I made some of my very best friends that I have in this life (who better hope they're reading this blog) and learned a ton. I can break a poem down to its barest bones, and I have an appreciation of fine literature that was instilled in me by the greatest English department that has ever existed.

In some ways, college prepared me for a career in teaching. In other ways, it absolutely did not. I knew pedagogy, classroom management, and how to create my rules so my students actually thought they had done it. I knew how to write a rubric and plan a novel unit. I knew how to grade things and (sort of) compute a grade. So what didn’t I know? I didn’t know how to react to the death of a student. I didn’t know how to respond when a student came to me with tales of a home life so harsh it left me in tears and calling my parents to thank them. I didn’t know that every child wouldn’t have access to a computer at all times. I didn’t know I would teach until 3 p.m., work in my room until 6 p.m., and then lug home things to work on until I went to bed. I didn’t know the value of comfortable but stylish shoes. And the thing I used to be really embarrassed to admit? I didn’t know how to reflect on what I was doing in the classroom and revise it accordingly. The learning curve for a new teacher is huge, and that is one thing I hope I never forget, no matter how long I serve in this profession.

So I never quite nailed the concept of being a “reflective practitioner” in my pre-service years. I could write up a reflection to hand in for an assignment with the best of ‘em, but I never delved beyond that point. In my first few years of teaching, I tried. I really did. I would plan a lesson, teach it, fall flat on my face, cry, and wonder what had gone wrong. Many times, I never figured it out, and so my great idea would be canned. In my early days, this was the most efficient way of “fixing” a failed lesson. I didn’t know any better, so I reinvented the wheel probably no less than 1,000 times.

In my third year of teaching, our district’s National Board liaison came to me with information about Take One, a National Board program that allowed teachers in their third year to complete one video entry for National Board. I was a little squeamish at first until I learned I could “bank” the entry if I passed it. Take One taught me a lot about myself. I learned that I am a procrastinator, and that there is nothing worse than waiting until the last possible second to pack that box. The process taught me that I can do difficult things, and sometimes, I can do them well. Through the Take One process, I learned the value of a “mental health day,” and that they are real and we do need them! Most importantly, this process taught me about who I was as a teacher and helped me get to where I wanted and needed to be for my students. It helped me analyze every single thing I did in the classroom and gauge its impact on my students, but instead of just trashing every activity that fell flat, it taught me to revise them and work them out in a way that was meaningful. I was so excited when I passed my Take One, and that gave me the oomph I needed to go through with the rest of the National Board process. Though I thought I’d learned my lesson about procrastinating and waiting until the last minute, the whole National Board process taught me that I hadn’t. I’m not proud to say that I mailed my box at the post office with four minutes to spare. I’m pretty sure that anxiety alone took approximately five years off my life, but I am proud to say that as of November, I’ve joined the NBCT community.

National Board was the single best professional development I’ve ever had, and it was tailored specifically to my individual needs. I am a better teacher because of my journey, and now I can reflect on my practices for a reason instead of just completing an assignment. If you have not taken the National Board journey, this is your year. Just a few weeks ago, our National Board Program Director at CERRA, Jenna Hallman, found out that this is the last year for federal subsidy funds to offset the cost to apply for the National Board process. There is free money sitting in a pot waiting for teachers like you who are ready to finally commit to this initiative. If you’ve ever thought about it, now is the time. I assure you that there are few things you can do that will strengthen your teaching practice than National Board! If you are an NBCT, please share your journey or words of encouragement in the comments!

Do You Have School Phobia?

Here in Florence County, school has started. Teachers have decorated their rooms and planned their lessons, students have chosen first day outfits and labeled their notebooks, and for 180 days, school is back in session. It’s interesting the different responses elicited by the first day of school. I, for one, have always loved it. By the time I got to kindergarten, it seemed like I had wanted to go to school for as long as I could remember. I played school for many years before I ever went inside of one, but, as the baby sister, I was often a mere student and rarely got to play the role of the teacher. I remember back-to-school shopping adventures, choosing an outfit that was just right for the first day, and eyeing my momma as she carefully used a Sharpie to write my name on every single marker in my marker box. Then, I was known as Amy M. as Amy was apparently a very popular name for 80’s babies. Regardless, there has always been something about school that has absolutely excited me.

My momma will also vouch for the fact that I’ve been that way at every level. When I “graduated” from sixth grade, I cried my eyes out and knew that I would return to teach second grade right beside Mrs. Pam because the idea of ever not being in an elementary school was too much for me to bear. Two years later at eighth grade “promotion,” I went through a pack of Kleenex because I loved Junior High, and I thought that after I went to college, I’d make a nice addition to the staff at Ronald E. McNair Junior High School. High school commencement was one of the saddest days of my life (seriously), and we pinned tissues to the inside of my sleeves of my graduation gown to catch the tears that fell for the entire ceremony. Then, I planned to major in secondary education because I knew high school was the place for me. I loved college, too, and I made a lot of great memories there, but college didn’t have pep rallies or prom or Spirit Week…things I’d absolutely loved about the culture of high school, so at the young age of 21, I went back to high school, and I’ve loved it ever since. It was a great choice for me, and I’ve never regretted it for a moment.

My husband is my opposite in many ways. School, or rather our attitude toward school, is most definitely one of those ways in which we differ. He never enjoyed school when he was growing up. In fact, he claims to have a severe case of undiagnosed school phobia. This phobia of his resulted in him throwing his clothes out of the back window of the family car when he was on the way to school as a little boy. He was quite smart because while no amount of whining and crying would get his momma to let him stay home, he knew he couldn’t go to school naked. He’s probably used every trick in the book. In elementary school, he snuck out of his classroom and went to a custodian closet to use the phone and call his mother to come get him. He’s chewed up pencil erasers and spit them in the toilet to prove he was “sick” enough to go home, and he has millions of school horror stories. He works in a school now as an alternative program instructor, and he loves his job and his kids, but even now when we go to work in our rooms during the summer, he says the “smell of school” just makes his stomach ache.

We have no children yet, but when we do, I hope they take my school attitude instead of his. I’m not ready to deal with two cases of “school phobia” in my house!

So what do I love about school…even now as a teacher? I love that I meet new people every single year. In so many careers, the work is stagnant. As a teacher, my work changes daily, but it goes through a major change every single year when I get a new group of kids. I also love watching my students grow, though this is sometimes difficult for me. I teach juniors (and a few sophomores), and it is so special to watch the transformations they undergo as they get ready to graduate. I love that I am always learning something new. Sometimes, it’s a new teaching strategy or a new great author, but sometimes it’s things like when to show compassion or what an acronym means on Facebook. The lessons a teacher constantly learns are varied, and to be honest, the most important ones aren’t of the academic nature at all. I love that I work in a field of endless opportunities. On any given day, I could be teaching the author of the next great American novel, a CEO of a technology-based company, a humanitarian whose goodness changes the world, or a medical researcher who finds the cure for cancer. When you look at what we do through that lens, it makes every difficult moment a little more bearable. Just remember during this first week as you approach your new students to look at them as opportunities and see what potential lies within them. Don’t listen to what the teacher down the hall experienced with that student, and try to forget what his sibling did that you didn’t like. Give each and every child a chance. You might have a student in your classroom like me, the one who loves school dearly and will do any and everything you ask her to, but you might have a student like my Hank, one who claims he’s going to the library but is really on the phone with his mother in the custodian closet. You are the one piece of the puzzle that can keep him from making the call.

Just for some further proof of our opposite ways, I was a Pilgrim in kindergarten, and he chose to be a Native American.