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Good teacher = Good year

August 25, 2009 by kkeier

School is starting up again all over the country. My Facebook friends who have kids all have status updates that sound very alike – some variation on “hoping my child has a good teacher and a good year”.  As a teacher, I certainly realize how important a good teacher is. But, not being a parent myself,  I don’t think I had ever thought about this from a parent’s perspective. Until recently. And whoa, the magnitude of this hit me this week.

I look at parents everywhere sending their precious child or children off to school, trusting that they will be in good hands. Trusting that they will learn a lot, grow a lot, make new friends, and have a teacher who cares for them. The lucky ones will have a wonderful year with a teacher who loves them and loves teaching. But what about the unlucky ones? How much damage does it do to a child who thinks every day, “my teacher doesn’t like me.” ? My guess is a lot.

Talking to a friend today, she shared how her grandson was so excited because he had a teacher he liked – and who he felt liked him.  Last year was a rough year for him – he came home often saying “my teacher doesn’t like me”. Why would he follow directions or try his best to learn new things? I sure wouldn’t – especially not for someone who I knew didn’t like me. What a difference for this child after only a few days of school. Feeling that his teacher likes him made all the difference. Who knows how far this child will go this year? And kudos to that teacher who took the time to find out more about that child, have a conversation with that child and parents, and send the message that, “yes, I like you and I believe in you.”

As I begin this new year, I want to make sure that every child who enters our room feels loved, respected and special. I feel like I owe it to the parents who trust me with their children – and to myself. After all, isn’t that why I went into teaching?

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A blank canvas

August 22, 2009 by kkeier

One of the most wonderful things about being a teacher is the chance to start new every year. I welcome the opportunity to have that fresh start – that new beginning – every September. I think about it like an artist might,  having a huge, blank canvas in front of me and deciding what to put on it. Unfortunately, in many schools, a lot is put on that canvas for us. Standardized tests. AYP. Crazy schedules. New curriculum. Stricter standards. And so on. And so on.  Plus more “must-do’s” than are humanly possible. In doing some pre-school planning, I realized how easy it is to focus on all of these external things, rather than what really matters – the children who will be eagerly beginning first grade (for me), or any grade you may teach, for the first time.

So I decided to take a look at what I would like to put on my “canvas” and what really matters to me as a teacher. I truly think it’s time that we focus on the children. What kind of children will leave us and go out into the world? Thinkers? Problem solvers? Creators? Risk-takers? Leaders? Or test takers? As Ann Pelo writes in her powerful book, Rethinking Early Childhood Education, “Early childhood is a time in our lives when we develop our core dispositions – the habits of thinking that shape how we live; our work as early childhood educators is to nurture dispositions in young children towards empathy, ecological consciousness, engaged inquiry, and collaboration.”

These “habits of thinking” are critical, and we are so lucky to have a hand at helping children develop them.  But what exactly are we helping them develop? Here are my thoughts for what’s going on my “canvas” this year, and what I hope that my new group of first graders will develop. I’m thinking of it as my set of standards:

*Children who are kind to themselves and each other, and who take care of each other in their community.

*Children who discover new things and wonder about everything, by being given time to play and learn what’s important to them  - daily.

*Readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists and artists who realize how reading, writing, math, science and art is all a part of our world and has a purpose – they are not just things we do in school, but rather things we learn that make our life worthwhile and allow us to have a voice in the world. (and not for the sole purpose of meeting a benchmark or passing a test!)

*Questioners – kids who question everything. Including their teacher and “the way things have always been”.

*Compassionate children who realize their actions impact others, and that they can make a difference.

*Children who work and play together – solving problems through conversation, collaboration, failures and successes.

*Children who celebrate the planet we live on, and realize they have an important job in keeping it a beautiful place to live.

*Happy, healthy children who see school as a fabulous place to be.

What standards do you want to create for your canvas?

Enjoy!

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Summer – A time for reflection & rejuvenation

July 8, 2009 by kkeier

“Out of the strain of the doing, into the peace of the done.”

Julia Woodruff

Lost RiverA card bearing this quote arrived in my mailbox on the same day I finished all of the end of the year craziness at school. What perfect timing. After this school year, I was ready for the “peace of the done.” Summer was here.

I find myself feeling so very fortunate to have summer as a distinct transition between one school year and the next. Yes, the days at the pool and getting caught up on the stack of “fun reading” is great, but what I really treasure is the time to reflect. To quietly look back on the previous year and look closely at what didn’t work, what did work, and to begin to form my vision of how I want next year to look. While I’ve only been out of school for a little over two weeks now, the reflection I’ve done has been immeasurable. I’ve also realized how much I let myself get caught up in the “strain of the doing” during the school year, and often forgot to stop and reflect on what was actually happening. I’m taking advantage of these long summer days to reflect and rejuvenate, and to promise myself to make “peace in the doing” next school year. It really doesn’t have to be a strain. Stopping often to reflect and to rejuvenate, within ourselves and supporting others in doing so, just might help bring a peaceful calmness to our lives as educators.

But for now, summer is here.

Enjoy!

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What would you like to change?

January 22, 2009 by kkeier

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. 

-President Obama

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I found this quote recently and absolutely love it. Often, I find myself wishing things were different…or waiting for someone or something to change the way things are…or  wondering why things are the way they are. But I know deep down, that wishing, waiting and wondering won’t change a thing. It is action that will create change. We are so fortunate to have many ways to act on things we would like to see changed. I must say, I haven’t met many educators who think things are great like they are. Everyone would like to see something changed. Luckily, there are many organizations who have organized themselves around creating change. ASCD is one of them.

I have been a member of ASCD for quite a while. Their journals and website provide much food for thought in regards to education. However, their latest Whole Child Initiative really speaks to me. If you agree that children must be: 

healthy,

safe,

engaged in learning and their community,

supported by caring adults,

exposed to a challenging curriculum that includes arts, music and other essential courses,

then be sure and visit the Whole Child website, and sign the petition to go to your state board of education – making your voices heard about what we value most in education. Unfortunately, there are too many schools where none of the above are a priority. We need to take a moment out of our day, and act on our beliefs – and the change we wish to see.

What would you like to see changed? And how can you take action? 

Enjoy.

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Choosing Our Focus

November 16, 2008 by kkeier

Fall LeavesWhat a week. Full moon, rainy days (indoor recess!), disruptions in the schedule, me being sick…whatever it was, I wondered if we were back at the first week of school! I know we all have days or even weeks like this, and can easily take it all home with us – really letting it bring us down and making us wonder if we really have what it takes to teach. At least I do. My saving grace this week was a monthly TAWL (Teachers Applying Whole Language) meeting with some of my favorite friends. It reminded me of the importance of taking time to do something I get tremendous energy from – talking about teaching with colleagues who love, respect and honor children and our profession. In our discussion, we talked about how teachers must love themselves while loving their students. We reflected on Paulo Freire’s words, and pondered how teachers are perfectionists, over-achievers and oh, so passionate about what they do every day. And how this can wear us out. We talked about our challenges and how we must focus on what IS working and be easier on ourselves with the things that don’t work.

While the week was a challenge, I was able to see the value in finding the little hidden gem in our day. That time when I am “in the zone” – passionately teaching something I love, and feeling fully present in that moment. I was able to put the spaghetti throwing at lunch, the crawling under tables with markers in our mouth, and the slide accident that knocked out a permanent tooth out of my mind and focus on the magical moment as I shared Cynthia Rylant’s In November with 19 first graders spellbound in the magic of Rylant’s beautiful words. I focused on the children begging for me to read it again, and the way they repeated some of the wondrous words in the book. This is why I teach, and I am so thankful for friends and colleagues who remind me of this. I walked out of our meeting that day with a bit more spring in my step and a hopeful outlook for more magical moments next week. There will certainly be more not so magical moments too (hopefully no more teeth knocked out)…but it’s my choice what I focus on and what I choose to take home with me. And I will certainly look forward to those monthly meetings as a breath of fresh air in my busy teaching life. 

What will you choose to focus on each day?

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Loving children…and children loving us

November 8, 2008 by kkeier

“I love children. I may be wrong, but I think children also love me a lot.”  

Paulo Freire

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I have to believe that people who go into education love children. And I think the ones who stay in education have children who love them – a lot. I recently finished a week of parent-teacher conferences in my classroom. It was wonderful to hear families say that their child loved coming to school. It’s so important that children love their school and want to come every day. Creating a space that we all love to live in for the year is something I work at from the very first day of school. But I admit, it made me especially happy to hear families say that their child loved me. Now, I’m not saying that in an arrogant way – in fact, I often wonder how in the world they can love me – after I’ve given the hundredth reminder to put the caps on the markers or had a child do yet another think sheet about their behavior. I guess that’s all part of it though. Loving someone means seeing a future for them that they perhaps don’t yet see – and supporting them in doing what we know they are capable of. 

I can only hope that loving me means each of these kids will also learn to love some of the things I love and try to teach each day – learning, reading, writing, asking questions, taking risks, being adventurous, standing up for what they believe, speaking their mind, and taking care of the planet. I know the teachers that I loved made the most impact on me as a person. They are the ones I strive to be like, and it is their voices I hear in my head as I take on a new challenge or struggle with a problem. 

I remember being told the old adage, “never smile before Christmas”, and thinking NO WAY – I’ll smile the very first second I meet my kids, and will continue to smile throughout the year.  School should be a place where children love to be, and where they feel loved, safe, challenged and nurtured. It makes me realize how much impact I have on the lives of these young children, and makes me more aware of my actions on days when I don’t feel well, am grumpy or have seen the very end of my patience. 

We’re all happier when we feel loved. Students AND teachers included. I’m going to take the words of those families with me into my day-to-day teaching life, and make sure that I am being someone worth loving…even when the times get tough.



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Education Advisors to Debate

October 13, 2008 by kkeier

Education and the next president: McCain and Obama advisors to debate

On October 21, the education advisors to the presidential candidates will face off in a debate at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City. The debate will feature Lisa Graham Keegan, former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction and advisor to Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and Linda Darling-Hammond, the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University and advisor to Senator Barack Obama (D-IL).

The debate is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. EST and will be webcast by Education Week. Susan Fuhrman, president of Teachers College, will moderate. People who want to examine the candidates’ education platforms before the debate can do so by visiting the following websites:

Senator McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues

Senator Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/issues

To register for the webcast, visit http://www.edweek.org/ew/index.html and look for a banner with information on the debate in the upper-right-hand corner of the page.

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What keeps teachers in the classroom?

October 5, 2008 by kkeier

Last week I was asked how I was able to stay a classroom teacher for the seventeen years that I have been teaching. It was an interesting question, and one that has stayed in my mind for several days. When I think about the classroom teachers I know, most of them have been teachers for less than ten years. The majority of teachers that I have known since the beginning of my career have eventually gone into a specialist role, an administration role, a part time role, or have left teaching completely. Why is it that I remain a classroom teacher?  

I recently completed a master’s program in Literacy Studies. Part of the degree was an endorsement as a reading specialist. However, I can’t see myself as a reading specialist, and currently have no desire to leave the classroom. The one year that I was a librarian made me realize how much I liked being a classroom teacher. I missed the community we built together. I missed having “my kids”. I missed the day to day routines, rituals and connections that are a part of being a classroom teacher. I missed celebrating a lost tooth, mourning a lost pet, and getting sticky hugs after lunch. There were some things I didn’t miss that year…report cards, testing (!!!), and collecting money for field trips, to name a few – those fun things. But overall, I missed being a classroom teacher, and went back into the classroom after only one year of being a librarian.

So why do I stay in the classroom? It’s a hard question to answer. But I think the bottom line is that I love what I do. When I talk about my job, I rarely call it a “job”, or say I’m going to “work”. I say I teach and that I’m going to school. I can’t imagine doing anything else in my lifetime. Sure, there are days when I come home after a 14 hour day, and wonder what it would be like to have a 9-5 job where I could walk out with only my purse over my shoulder. There are days when I think there is no way I can go back in that building the next day and do it all again. But when it comes right down to it, I love lugging my professional books, my children’s books, my markers, post-its and planning notebooks home each day. I love to learn. I love thinking of new ways to engage, excite and reach those hardest to reach kids. I love seeing my kids empowered and feeling that they make a difference in the world. I love that I don’t leave my job at school – that it’s a part of me all day, every day. I love being “Ms. Keier”. I love the kids.  I love that my day can be full of reading, writing, painting, exploring nature, playing and listening to stories. (how can you beat that??) Even the most difficult days leave me challenging myself to think of a way to have tomorrow be better. (sometimes it takes a few hours of tears to get to that point, but I always get there eventually!) Teaching is an incredibly stimulating, challenging, creative profession to me. I guess that’s why I choose to stay in the classroom. It’s a passion for teaching and learning. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

I could name hundreds of reasons why teachers leave the classroom. And that makes me sad. We lose so many good teachers each year who come into teaching with a vision of making a difference, and are disillusioned by the realities of NCLB mandates, unsupportive school systems, and challenging kids and parents – to name but a few. But there are a few who stay in the classroom, year after year. If you are someone who is a classroom teacher, why do you remain in the classroom? Please share your stories. Perhaps what sustains you, and what keeps you teaching year after year, could make a difference for a young teacher debating whether it’s worth it or not. 

I look forward to hearing about what keeps you in the classroom!

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Joy

September 17, 2008 by kkeier

“If the experience of “doing school” destroys children’s spirit to learn, their sense of wonder, their curiosity about the world, and their willingness to care for the human condition, have we succeeded as educators, no matter how well our students do on standardized tests?” – ASCD Smart Brief

The current issue of Educational Leadership is titled “The Positive School”. I was particularly drawn to an article called “Joy in School“. The author explores why many of our schools are not joyful places to learn – and looks at how we can bring back the joy to our schools.

This year has been a particularly challenging beginning for me, and many days I’ve found myself exhausted and frustrated – certainly not in a place to facilitate a joyful learning environment! Reading this article helped me reflect on what I believe in. Creating a joyful space for children and adults to learn together is at the top of my list. Not only do I want my students to find joy in our learning experiences, I want to find joy in my teaching. 

“So teachers must strive in whatever ways they can to own their teaching so that each morning they can enter their classrooms knowing there will be golden opportunities for them—as well as for their students—to experience the joy in school.”

I am making a commitment to “own my teaching” and enter my classroom each day ready for joyful teaching and learning. How can you bring back the joy to your teaching? Perhaps this article can be a departure point to help us all reflect on what we can do to make our schools and classrooms places that encourage the spirit to learn, enhance wonder and curiosity, and cultivate a sense of caring and compassion for the human condition. 

Enjoy!

katie

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Questions

August 29, 2008 by kkeier

“It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot, irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it.”

                                                                         –  Jacob Bronowski

Yesterday we had Open House at my school. It’s a time when families come in to meet the teachers and see where their room is. Our principal had asked families to write their teacher a letter about their child over the summer, and share these with us so we can get to know the kids a little better before the first day. I received one letter from a parent that I just loved. In it, the mother told me that her child questioned everything – and she was concerned that he would continue this habit in his new first grade classroom. I can’t wait to reassure her that he is in exactly the right place, and will be a role model for others. I certainly hope he continues this habit! What a great thing that he questions, wonders and doesn’t believe everything at first glance. Our world needs more of this! I want a classroom full of questioners and thinkers (with a bit of that “ragamuffin, barefoot, irreverence” thrown in!). And if they don’t come in that way – my goal is that they leave our room that way. 

I also think teachers need to question more – and not worship what we are told or what is supposedly “known”. (and remember to have a bit of that “ragamuffin, barefoot, irreverence” in our teaching lives)  I post this lovely quote in my room and it reminds me of this daily.

Here’s to a year of wonderful questioning!

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