#RelationshipsMatter

#RelationshipsMatter
To #HEAL those hurting, it begins with us.

June 7, 2016 - I fell asleep, phone in hand, news app open before the 5th Dallas Police Department officer was declared deceased.  I woke up before 5 a.m. feeling numb and motionless as I read the updates that had transpired in a few short hours.  I’ve driven into Dallas for the last seven months of my life to receive medical care.  Today, many of those streets are closed.  Our state and country are grieving social injustices and being left with aching holes in our hearts when we seek truth to this question: Why?

Social media and news coverage are the cornerstones of my professional duties, but on days like today my personal sadness and disbelief override my educational duties, or do they? For so long, educators were (and often still are) encouraged to separate their professional and personal lives.  Today is a prime example of such, as we see all of the social media hashtags that have emerged in the wake of the heinous Dallas tragedy.  However, I’ve unconsciously done something throughout the day that didn’t resonate with me until now:  I’ve been viewing the national and local events of this week through the lens of an educator (both as a professional and a parent).  And this question continues to roll around in my head: What relationships failed you?

When our students don’t make the academic progress that we desire, we are supposed to evaluate ourselves, as practicing educators, find and design solutions, experiences and environments that help students achieve success.   Evidence of this exists throughout the myriad of program and publication companies, as they design curriculum resources to better meet our current state standards.  Ask any campus-level principal or central office curriculum administrator, someone is constantly soliciting us with the next “big thing.”  Whether it’s curriculum standards or assessment tools, the market and media are flooded with opportunities for change.  What does all of this have to do with #RelationshipsMatter?  New curriculum resources may contribute to improved academic results but I would argue that it’s the relationships between students and teachers that have a greater impact on academic AND life success.  Where is the push, the call for improved relationships, in our school systems?   When our students, current and former, show up in the media for poor life-choices, why aren’t we evaluating our practices and asking not if there is room for improvement but how many ways can we improve our relationships with students? Don’t misinterpret my message--academic success is unquestionably valuable but life success trumps that any day of the week.  Students need as much guidance (if not more) for the life market than the jobs-of-the-future market.  If they can’t successfully live and cope with one another, peacefully embrace differences, and positively approach conflict resolution, our job markets are then apt to fill with adults ill-prepared to live much less meet and exceed company expectations.  Our students need life preparation before skill preparation has a fighting chance to impact their lives.  Acceptance, love, and hope aren’t post-graduation givens--they should be equally (if not more) prevalent in our graduation requirements, just as core content courses. The quadratic equation, though valuable in a number of professions, has yet to advance me as a compassionate citizen.   However, the relationships that influenced me as an impressionable student still impact me and those lives that I touch daily.  We need the influence of strong adults in our students’ lives to prepare them to be the positive pillars of society.  It can’t happen by hope or chance.  Our impact must be intentional.

I spend an abundance of my professional and personal life building a foundation of genuine and positive relationships.  As an educator, I continuously evaluate my relationships with students, families, colleagues and community--each one matters. I speak to audiences, write about it, and live it.  It’s who I am.  The unspeakable events of this week made me think back to the thousands of students that I’ve taught and supervised in my 18 years as an educator...each a name and face of our future, not a notable statistic on a campus data sheet.  What I gave or didn’t give to each one rests on my shoulders.  Before most of our young students encounter service officers, they encounter their families and the most impressionable service profession on this planet: teaching.  We spend more hours on a weekly basis with students than families typically do, yet I’ve seen time and time again our focus on standards, not students--rigor not relationships.  Our influence ripples over the course of time, most of which we will never truly know, as our students touch lives and those lives touch others.  Knowing that the impact of our relationships exponentially influences the adults that our students become, beyond testing results, graduation rates and career choices), why aren’t we all--policy makers, administrators, and teachers, evaluating our far reaching practices and placing relationships at the forefront of everything that we do?

When senseless acts of violence occur, it makes me wonder about the relationships that were present or void in a person’s life.  It makes me ask myself, what can I do differently to impact the world, starting with my own students and community?  We have an infinite amount of opportunity to establish and build positive relationships with students while they are in our care and even beyond.  We will not change the trajectory of our path with humanity unless we take action in our respective professions.  It goes beyond an anti-bullying campaign.  It’s not just a 15 minute block of character education in classrooms each week.  It begins with a culture, before students ever step foot on our campuses, that kindness counts, everyone matters, and that human life is precious.  It’s not merely a set of “soft skills” or a program and it may/may not result in better state assessment scores, but this culture requires the commitment of every single educator that serves our students. Whether they are on your class or campus roster is irrelevant.  The students that mature into the adults that commit violent crimes against freedoms and life belong to all of us.  Every #RelationshipMatters--especially the students and adults that appear hard to love.  They need us the most, for they are filled with unfathomable sadness, hatred, loneliness, and despair.

I chose one word to live by this year, just after my stage III ovarian cancer diagnosis was handed to me:  #HEAL.  It’s been at the core of my recovery, present in my social media posts, on campaign shirts, hanging on my home and office walls, spelled out on my desk, on my car window, and in the countless cards, trinkets, flowers, and gifts that I’ve received in the last seven months.  I never imagined that two weeks ago I would enter “survivorship” after multiple surgeries and four months of chemotherapy.  However, #HEAL has a whole new meaning to me tonight, as so many families are hurting across this nation.  We need to #HEAL from within, not as a reaction to tragedy but as a starting point for the investment that we make in one another. When we #HEAL physically and emotionally, including helping our students and struggling families do the same, we minimize the hate that surrounds us.  I will continue to live my word long after this year passes and pray that others will do the same.

As I end my words, please accept this as an invitation, a call to action to do more than what you already do in the coming school year.  Place relationships at the forefront of all of your planning decisions.  I’m convinced that empathetic students experience higher levels of success (life and academic) than their counterparts.  With a culture that values intentionally teaching and modeling empathy, compassion, and how to rise in the face of adversity, students have the potential to leave us better prepared for life.  Education isn’t solely about academics.  It’s about people.  It’s about relationships.  Please, for the sake of the communities and nation of students that we serve, make a change in your practices.  If we continue to do what we’ve always done, we will continue to get the same results.  We all have room for improvement.   None of us want to see our loved ones and communities turned into a terrifying and trending global hashtag.

"That" Teacher

“That” Teacher

As an educator, I’m often to asked to reflect on my childhood experiences as a student and identify “that” teacher--the one who made a profound impact in my life, “that” teacher who made me want to come to school, “that” teacher who made learning unforgettable, “that” teacher who noticed me, “that” teacher who inspired me, “that” teacher I’ll always remember.  For many of us, we don’t realize who “that” teacher is until we’ve passed through their doors for the final time.  If you happen to be “that” teacher for a student, the notification rarely arises while that student is still in your care.

What happens when the moment hits you and you realize that you ARE “that” teacher for a student?  I’ve thought about this post for over a year and could never bring myself to sit down and express all of the weight and joy that this realization carries, until now.  

It began in my living room floor, summer 2014, two months before I moved to a small Caribbean island.  After 17 years of combined teaching and administrative experience, I accepted an offer to teach first grade in a small private school.  Before packing the last of my moving boxes, I made pirate cards and wrote individual messages to each of my soon-to-be first graders.  I placed my school picture in each card before sealing the envelopes and sending them 2,000 miles away.  Many of you reading this have done similar practices with your incoming students.  It’s not uncommon for such to occur, especially at the elementary level.  However, I had the unique privilege to see something, seven months later, that I’ll never forget.

After being with my “Firsties” (aka Pirates) for the better part of a school year, I was invited to join one family for dinner.  That evening I was my student’s guest of honor, his chosen incentive for participating in a local competition, something that his parents and I collectively encouraged and challenged him to do, despite his fears.  Little did I know, before arriving at his home, that a series of instances would happen that night that made me realize, walking through the moments--I was “that” teacher.  Even more incredible--I was “that” teacher for a 6-year old who had his entire education ahead of him.  

I walked in to find him preparing my dinner.  Yes, he had prepared two types of pizza for me.  I was taken on a tour of the house.  When we reached his bedroom, his mother pointed out something to me that still brings tears to my eyes:  the pirate card, the one that I had written and sent to him in June, was hanging on the wall by his bed with my picture displayed.  It nearly took my breath away.  I wasn’t just his first grade teacher… I was “that” teacher.  A while later we were back downstairs and I noticed three small handwritten notes taped to the kitchen island.  They were numbered and read: #1 I heart (love) you Ms. Stephanie!  #2  You’re the best teacher in history! (Maybe even person!)  #3 You’re the best person in all the other galaxies, including this one!  I was “that” teacher. Needless to say, my seat at dinner was chosen for me--right next to him.  As the dinner plates were being cleared, I was offered an assortment of ice cream flavors to choose from (he knew that I loved and missed ice cream from Texas).  Again, I was “that” teacher.  That night, unquestionably, was a top moment of my career.  It didn’t happen at school or even during school hours. There were no standards taught or assessed.  Instead, I took in every moment and was in awe as I reflected on our year together and every cumulative choice that I had made to connect with him, share my passions, know his happiness and insecurities, challenge his skills, and love him unconditionally.

Fast forward, less than two months later, I was invited back to dinner.  It was my last day as his teacher, two days before I moved back to Texas, and the mood was much more somber.  That card and picture still hung on the wall above his bed, as it had since June.  However, this was the last night that I would see him until our paths crossed again and neither of us knew when that would be.  He celebrated his 7th and 8th birthdays, many holidays came and went, and we Facetimed several times over the course of a year.  With each Facetime, I captured a picture of us on the screen and sent it to his mom.  Those pictures stay in my camera roll just like that card and picture hanging above his bed.  It was an emotional year because I knew what I meant to him, his mother too, and he watched me go through a challenging medical diagnosis and treatment.  Though his conversations through the year were often cautious (he was hiding the worry in his heart), he never stopped being one of my greatest champions.  The pictures that I received of him wearing my cancer shirt made me smile.  Every green (my favorite color and now his too) letter that he wrote and decorated with hearts made my heart happy.  He will never truly understand how he helped me heal.  He’s such a joyous, inquisitive, and thoughtful soul.

I truly believe that it’s no coincidence that his grandmother lives about an hour from my home.  Of all of my former Firsties, his stateside family is practically in my backyard.  Of all of the places on this planet that he could possibly visit this summer, his travels brought him here.  Although his mother and I made arrangements for us to spend a day together, we didn’t reveal that I was going to be at baggage claim when they arrived in Texas.  June 6, 2016, Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport, Delta Flight 0029 from Atlanta: Delayed nearly four hours.  Originally scheduled to land at 8:40 pm, my anticipation and excitement were pushed to 12:40 am, June 7, 2016.  I anxiously stood on the exit side of E15. His mom walked through the doors first and simply smiled.  She moved slightly to her right and just behind her was “that” sleepy-eyed student.  When our eyes met, neither of us spoke a word. The smile on his face said it all.  Thank you, Andrea, for allowing me to live that moment and capturing a simple picture that says it all.  Thank you, Dax, for teaching me what an honor it is to be “that” teacher.  Because of you, I get to experience the remarkable reward of sharing my passions with the world.  

Never underestimate the power of each and every choice that you make with students.  Something as simple as a handwritten note and a picture forever changed my perspective on placing relationships first, everything else second.

10K

10K tweets ago, I was in a mall food court, reluctantly being preached to about the limitless possibilities and professional value to actively utilizing my dormant Twitter account.  {I didn’t care, didn’t want to hear it.} It was like walking in 5 minutes past your curfew and instead of hearing your parent’s voice and words of worry and discipline, all I heard was Charlie Brown’s teacher-- “wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah.” A few prods about “Why aren’t you using it?” was all it took to send me over the edge, and blast this irritated message BACK to the preacher (aka Dave Burgess) and say, “I DON’T have time, DON’T give a flip about what someone is getting in their latte at Starbucks, and I DON’T care what the Kardashians are doing in Hollywood!” His response: “I get it. But did you know that there is an entire world on Twitter for educators?”  With my arms crossed, I reluctantly looked up and shook my head “no”.   He went on to say, “Stephanie, you’re moving to a small island in the middle of the Caribbean next month. Who will you connect with professionally?  As a principal, who have you connected with outside of your district?  You’re about to teach 1st grade. Have you ever taught 1st grade?  How many 1st grade teachers are going to be at your school.  Where will you find resources?  Who’s helping you grow?”  And in that moment, the scoreboard looked like this:  Dave Burgess 1, Stephanie 0.  He was right and I was completely ignorant and filled with misconceptions about one of the most powerful professional development social media tools on the planet.  Did I mention free, powerful, AND accessible 24/7/365?  

That one conversation changed my career. It changed my life.

Today, June 9, 2016, I hit two milestones in my Twitter journey: 10K tweets and 5K followers.  Neither were intentional, yet both sent my mind spiraling back to that mall food court and the people and resources that Twitter have placed in my path.  Even more memorable: It all happened as Todd Nesloney (@techninjatodd) was delivering his #KidsDeserveIt keynote to a group of educators at the Know Your Impact Summer Conference in Mabank, TX, just down the road from my small Texas town.  I’ve wanted to meet Todd since I first started following him, you guessed it, 10K tweets ago.  Today, I did.  In his keynote, Todd said, “Twitter is like Disney World.  You don’t get it until you’ve experienced it.”  Truer words have never been spoken, and, thank you Todd...I’ll be using that statement from here on out.  It’s remarkable to think that 10K tweets ago, I had never heard his name or been inspired by his countless accomplishments and drive to be an unwavering champion for kids and fellow educators.

My Twitter journey initially began as a timid lurking experience in the #tlap (Teach Like A PIRATE) hashtag. Quickly (as in about 2 weeks later), this changed to “Stephanie, I need someone to moderate the #tlap chat on Monday.” What? Moderate?  I barely know how to tweet and you want ME to moderate? I have no clue.  I quickly sent a DM (direct message) to one person that had reached out to me my first few times lurking, Matt Barry (@MrBarry628).  He didn’t make me beg too long before agreeing to co-moderate the upcoming #tlap chat and help me manage the responses that fly by the second on Monday nights, 8 CST.  Matt is now a close friend.  10K tweets ago, I had never heard of him.  

10K tweets ago I had heard mention of an up and coming author named Don Wettrick (@DonWettrick).  His book Pure Genius was soon released and I met him face-to-face at ASCD 2015. 10K tweets ago Don Wettrick was just a name.  Now he’s a good friend that I can call upon for inspiration and support.

10K tweets ago I didn’t know one of the most genuine and inspiring educators I’ve ever met, LaVonna Roth (@LaVonnaRoth). Her compassion for me (a total stranger) was evident the first time that she sent me a DM.  St. John was in the path of a hurricane and she knew that this Texas girl was well versed in tornado warnings but not hurricanes.  As the winds howled outside of our island villa, shutters shook and patio furniture flipped over, LaVonna took the time to message me, keep me company, and let me know that someone was there, still awake stateside, and cared.  It was 1:00 am.  10K tweets later, she is one of my closest connections and someone that I can’t imagine not knowing.

10K tweets ago I was on an island, literally and figuratively.  Ironically, my time on that little Caribbean island propelled me forward and forced me to either completely disconnect or connect globally.  Guess which one I chose?  I built my PLN from the ever-changing and spotty wi-fi connectivity  on St. John, USVI.  I taught, lived, connected, and shared like a pirate, but I wasn’t alone.  I had teachers, specialists, curriculum coordinators, campus and district administrators, authors, and so many more at my disposal, at my fingertips, each and every day.  [Until I was forced to sink or swim in my pool of professional development, I hadn’t been challenged to reach beyond what was familiar and nearby.  Twitter became a game-changer.]

10K tweets ago I had never connected with any of these individuals or people like Todd Whitaker, Ron Clark, Kim Bearden, Julie Smith, Matt Miller, Brent Clarkson, Daniele Massey, Jay Billy, Dr. Wendy Claussen, Lori London, Beth Houf, Manuel Scott, Quinn Rollins, Ryan McLane, Lisa Milstead, Andi Kornowski, Hal Roberts, Dr. Adolf Brown, Ben Brazeau, and the countless educators who have impacted, inspired, pushed, and supported me through my connected educator journey.   As a connected educator, I’ve been a teacher, campus administrator, professional development speaker, and district communications coordinator.  However, on Twitter, it doesn’t matter who you are or what title you hold--we are all better when we contribute, learn, and grow from one another.  

10K tweets ago, my island students had never Skyped or followed the global travels of a NYT Best Selling Author.  Twitter made that possible.  10K tweets ago, I had never promoted or shared the story of my classroom/campus to the world.  Twitter made that possible.  10 tweets ago, I wasn’t half the educator that I am today. Twitter made that possible.

It’s amazing how Twitter places people and opportunities in your path that would have otherwise been missed. I’m forever grateful for the lecture and persistent push that I received in the summer of 2014. We all need a PLN and at least one relentless individual to kick us out of our comfort zone.  The best professional development decision that I’ve made in my career, with the greatest impact, can be summarized in 7 letters: Twitter.

If you’re not already connected, start today.  Eliminate the excuses.

26 Days to Speak Life

26 Days,

624 Hours,

37, 440 Minutes

2, 246, 400 Seconds

Twenty-six days. That’s how long the educators in my district have to speak life into our students before summer winds scatter us.  As part of the district’s communication team, I partnered with our high school SMAT crew/teacher and embarked on a project inspired by Community ISD (Texas).  We embraced their challenge and have forever changed educator and student lives because of it.  Our mission: Tell students that we believe in them and why. Simple enough, right? But how many days, hours, minutes of missed opportunity have we neglected to do this?  

My initial role in this motivational campaign was to be the liaison between the filming crew, campus principals, and the superintendent.  My reality: A backstage pass to what each and every impressionable mind should hear and know from the adults entrusted with their education.  Each campus was asked to select a few teachers who would each, in turn, select and deliver a message to one student, beginning with these words: “I was asked to pick one student that I believe in and I chose you.”  With more than two dozen teacher/student interviews on the camera rolls, this is clear: Pin drops can be heard from miles away after those 15 words are spoken. Each interaction takes its own direction but the bottom line message is the same: I believe in you. Believe in yourself.

Each interview has ended with a four-word, goosebump-raising, take your breath away moment where the student looks directly into the camera and says, “I believe in myself.”  It stops me every time because I know that this may be the first time that he/she has ever thought or said those four words.  Powerful, perhaps. Life-changing, yes.  Nearly each exchange ends in a hug, handshake, tears, smiles and more words of affirmation between the adult and student.  The film crew and I are repeatedly told “thank you for doing this” and we’ve heard countless stories of how the ripple effect of this project will spill over into their classrooms.  Let me make this clear: This was not our original idea.  We collaborated with district administration, viewed another district’s video, and knew then and there the profound impact that you can have on a student’s life when you stop, reflect, and share your words with them.

It’s not about the backdrop or your speaking skills.  It’s not about the cameras or the lights.  It’s about breathing and speaking life into our students while we have them.  I urge each and every person reading this post to view Community’s video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9vc5WLls7k , find your inspiration, and make this project your own--annually.  Each and every moment that our crew says, “rolling” I hear these lyrics in my mind:

Well it's crazy to imagine,

Words from our lips as the arms of compassion,

Mountains crumble with every syllable.

Hope can live or die.

So speak Life, speak Life.

~Toby Mac, Speak Life

Students have entered the filming room timid and mumbling, “I don’t like this. I don’t want to be here.” Many have left smiling, crying, hugging and thanking us.  Students perceive what we think of them, whether we tell them or not.  Unfortunately, far too many have the wrong perception of what we truly believe about them--simply because we don’t stop often enough (or at all) to tell them that we do believe in them.

It is humbling to be a part of this life-changing project. We have asked teachers to bare their souls, one after another, as we film their most heartfelt words and thoughts with their students.  For this, we thank you for trusting us.  We’ve heard confessions, words of comfort, raw and real words...words of hope.  We’ve hugged and cried with them. We’ve laughed and smiled, too.   More importantly, we’ve inspired so many teachers to capitalize on their time left this school year and speak life into more.  One student is a start, but it’s never enough.  #IBelieveInYou

Disrupt. Education. Please.

Disrupt. Education. Please.

ASCD 2016 Annual Conference Educators Demonstrate The Dividends When You Disturb

ATLANTA, Georgia, April 3, 2016 -- It doesn't take a Pure Genius to recognize that author and educator Don Wettrick pushed the boundaries on 20% genius hour time when he developed his first Innovation class in 2012.  He tossed a pebble into the placid, glass-like face of traditional classroom norms and sent a ripple effect across the globe. Don dares his students to debate, dream, and develop products and services that will not only impact the world but also give these students intangible 21st century skills.  Their collective innovation is funneled into community platforms and global marketplaces where they are the makers and movers of their own products and services. In his session titled Genius Hour Throw Down:  Separating Fact from Fiction, Wettrick  made it clear, "A whiteboard is the most important piece of technology that you should have in your classroom." He reminded us that technology doesn't make learning happen. Instead, students learn life-lessons when they are empowered with resources, connections, time, unconventional educators, global entrepreneurs, and an unceasing determination to make change happen.  This learning isn’t reflected in a standardized assessment. It is revealed in life as they purposefully focus their effort and networking on what matters most to them.  Though many of the student products are considered high-tech, the path to innovation is lined with low-tech pavers, each with a indispensable role in the process.  Outlining the six traits of innovation, Wettrick didn’t begin with the latest smart device or application. Instead, he kicked off his list with one of the most potentially disruptive practices: Collaboration.  Wait a minute. Collaboration in classrooms is rarely described as disruptive (unless through the lense of poor classroom management), but it should be.  Collaboration allows students avenues to discuss, disagree, partner, create, modify, reflect and more. Are educators allowing disruptions or blocking them at the door?  Wettrick’s message and work are an inspiration to students seeking meaningful avenues to learning and educators pursuing unconventional approaches to classroom standards.  To find out more about Wettrick’s innovation path, how he not only advocates but invariably seeks opportunities to help students innovate and infuse their passions with their learning, pick up a copy of Pure Genius.  You can also connect with Wettrick on Twitter @donwettrick and TheInnovationTeacher.com.

Isolation is inexcusable. Social media ignorance, coupled with personal idiosyncrasies do not advance our students or educators. Connections are essential. Whether you are comfortable (or not) with the tsunami of social media options is irrelevant. Our students began developing a digital footprint before they reached the schoolhouse doors. We can no longer afford to dismiss the opportunities to strategically engage and connect with them and their families. If educators want to relevantly reach their stakeholders, they must first reach one another. In their session titled Oh, The People You'll Meet If Only You’ll Tweet, Dr. Wendy Claussen Schoolmeester and Dr. Sonya Vierstraete, both professors at Southwest Minnesota State University, defined the power of one disruptive tool: Twitter. They suggested that the mere willingness to "lurk" in a Twitter chat, explore tools like web-based Tweetdeck, follow educators, share resources, expand PLNs (Professional Learning Networks), and tell your story show a proactive attempt to rethinking how we gain and give to our colleagues near and far.  Educators are no longer restricted to resources in print and attending remote and often costly face-to-face professional development. At the ASCD 2016 Annual Conference, there was compelling evidence to support this: badges printed with Twitter handles, rapid sharing on the #ASCD16 hashtag, nightly "Tweetups" (where fellow followers congregated face-to-face), strangers asking one another "What's your handle?" and a networking buzz that spanned downtown Atlanta streets, restaurants, hotels, and event centers.  Tucked away into a small session room, veteran educators yet novice Twitter users like Jenny Edwards and Cathy Timpone remained after this session to learn Twitter 101 basics and how to advance their usage to incorporate Tweetdeck’s features. As an active participant in this session, it was my responsibility (not I’ll offer support if it feels right) to recognize their desire(s) to grow, connect, and shatter their comfort zones. One an author and the other a district-level administrator, both women realized that being a Twitter account holder was no longer sufficient. Disrupt communication and stagnant connections at the professional development and central office levels? Yes! It's necessary and overdue.  An avid Twitter user and advocate myself, it ceases to amaze me how many educators are still unaware of this professional and personal life changing catalyst. As an educator, it's insufficient to be a Twitter consumer. Educators must also be the producers that disrupt the stagnation of stale instructional practices and professional growth opportunities. Want change in students? Be it first. Use Twitter to advance your learning, increase your pool of resources and improve the educational experiences that students and communities deserve and expect. You can connect with Dr. Wendy Claussen Schoolmeester and Dr. Sonya Vierstraete @kiddielitprof and @DrVteacher.

Chime in. Grace Dearborn had everyone doing this in her ASCD session titled Engaging Kids Isn’t All Fun and Games--Or Is It?  Schools and educator prep programs need progressive educators like Dearborn to once again show that the use of innovative practices, including technology, doesn’t translate to high tech.  Grace’s session technology (which she presented to a sold out crowd of hungry educators from around the world): chimes, musical playlist, and a modest slide presentation.  She had the entire room at “Ahhhh.” No frills or gimmicks, but the practical truths about lab rats, brain research, and how educators can shake up what happens in their classrooms if they will disturb their routines, push the old and tired methods aside, embrace laughter as a pathway and not a deterrent to learning, and tweek (not twerk) their current practice(s).  I applaud any educator who can pack a session, maintain full capacity, and completely engage adult learners after lunch and during the afternoon lull of conference day #2. At the onset of the session, Dearborn stated, “When you are willing to couple laughter with learning, the retention rate can increase by up to 50%.  Laughter increases circulation, which stimulates the brain.” Absent from that statement is mention of a high-tech gadget or app, yet a solid foundation for disrupting the way that traditional classes engage and manage students.   Laughter compliments learning; learning while laughing has potential to raise retention. It’s a testament to both Dearborn’s speaking reputation and the session’s title that educators are hungry for “stuff you can use.”  Grace challenges many of the traditional (and outdated) methods and pedagogy presented in traditional educator prep programs.  Connect with this funny, practical, and game changing educator by email at grace@consiousteaching.com and on the web at http://www.consciousteaching.com/.

Innovation is inescapable if we want to develop 21st century learners who will cast a ripple of influence worldwide for years to come.  Connecting is no longer optional.  It’s the lifeline that will sustain educators as they face the moving targets of increased accountability and ever changing student populations. Engaging students, it’s inexcusable not to. A call to action: Disrupt your current practices. Start small but more importantly: Start now. You can’t get yesterday back.

Contact:

Stephanie Frosch

Communications Coordinator

Kaufman Independent School District

sfrosch@kaufman-isd.net

@steph_frosch