The Emotional Rollercoaster of Following Your Dreams

This post originally appeared on the MapleSyrupEdu blog

I used to really, really love roller coasters. I was one of those kids and teens who would hop off of a ride, only to run back into line, ready to ride it again. Some of my happiest days were those at theme parks, when the crowd was so small that the line was non-existent and I could twirl my finger around in a little circle to the ride operator, and they would send me through the coaster again.

In LA last fall, I rode a Universal Studios roller coaster four times in a row, just like this. I can’t believe I used to be able to ride all day. It took me hours to lose the dizziness I gained in four minutes of joy.

The last year of my life has been a real-life roller coaster, of the emotional variety. It’s been a roller coaster in the best possible way. It’s the emotional roller coaster of following my dreams.

You’re going to join me on a walkthrough of my ride, and the emotional ups and downs I’ve experienced. This is possible with the power of imagination, which I’m going to ask you to use for the next few minutes.

My ride started much like many roller coasters do. I had to slowly, laboriously walk up to the top, then trust the ride vehicle to take me safely up and down hills and through spirals and loop-de-loops. For twenty-two years, I walked towards the line-up for this rollercoaster. Along the way, I passed through schools and relationships. Then, I got in line for the ride. The line took me ten years. In those ten years, I passed through more schools, more relationships and got to bring hundreds of students with me on the journey up those stairs. I found a steady job, bought a house, got married, could explain my job in one word: “teacher” and felt pretty comfy.

Then I got to the front of the line. A few things happened to change my momentum completely. I got a book deal and my husband got a new job. The book deal took hold of the operating controls of the rollercoaster and sped up all my dreams. Captain Handsome’s new job was in a new city. I took a 100% pay cut and undexpectedly, found myself in the seat of a ride vehicle without a seatbelt. The ride I thought I knew was history. Getting to the front of the line, I realized the ride I’d planned to take many years down the road was now was the one I was about to embark on, but at a much faster speed and without the security measures I’d expected. I’d always wanted to write a book. I like new challenges and new adventures. I was ready to see where this ride took me.

My husband had already started his ride and, taking a deep breath, I followed.

The ride has taken me ten months so far. The first drop was stomach churning and heart wrenching. I had to leave my amazing grade ¾ students, The Gladiator Snails, two months before the school year ended.

Several months of the ride were incredibly boring to anyone watching from the ground, expecting screams of terror or joy. My rollercoaster was quiet, passing through coffee shops, libraries and cafes. I rode, laptop burning a hole in my lap, fingers flying over the keyboard as I poured my heart into 115 000 words of my first book. Days, weeks and months on the coaster were quiet.

There were bumps and turns as deadlines loomed, editors gave feedback and my Alpha and Beta reader teams dissected my words. Despite what looked so dull from the outside, my screams came. Some of them were silent. Some were witnessed by my most trusted friends and family. I screamed with frustration. I screamed with self doubt. I screamed with relief.

Some days, the coaster brought me high into the sky. I’d always wanted to share my stories and ideas, and my students’ stories and ideas with a larger audience. Getting to write a book allowed me to do that. Those days, all I could see what the big, blue sky.

My roller coaster has taken several long, low dips. I have had my breath literally taken away with really bad viruses that slowed down the speed of the ride and dragged me very low.

Some days, my stomach was in my throat, as I freefell. I questioned everything I did and everything I thought and everything I wrote.

Some days I dreaded having to face my computer and my thoughts. Some days I just wanted to get off the ride.

Some days, the tracks were heading upwards, yet I felt like I was being pulled downwards. I got mad at myself for not being grateful for the ride I was lucky enough to be on.

For months, my ride was intensely private, almost as if the tracks of my rollercoaster took me through dark, lonely buildings. I felt quiet and invisible. Sometimes I forgot the world. Sometimes, it felt like the world forgot me.

Then, the coaster would surprise me and I’d flip over, seeing the world in a new way. I realized that the coaster tracks were ones I’d built over the years and that, even though it felt unsafe and scary at times, that there were things guiding me on a strong path. I realized that the highest parts of my track were supported by people who love me and believe in me. I could see my former students and their families holding up the track. My husband was there to push my ride vehicle back up the tracks when it dipped and slowed. He could even lift it back onto the tracks when one wheel, or all of them, came off. My family and friends were there to build new supports as unexpected turns appeared. There were people there to believe in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself.

Suddenly, the roller coaster stopped. My manuscript was finished, but not yet a book. The writing process was over. I had time to steer the rollercoaster in a new direction. I reconnected with people and with the world. I got outside more. I went on a trip. I worked to build other people’s rollercoasters and cheer them on as they rode.

A few days before I expected it to, the rollercoaster abruptly started again. My book was released. People who I hadn’t heard from in years started to stand alongside the rollercoaster tracks and cheer me on.

After the months of a quiet, solitary routine, I was riding through a bright, noisy world. It was the scariest part of the ride. People could see me now. They could even see into my head and heart through the words in my book. My track was being built faster than I could comprehend and I couldn’t come to terms with the new ride fast enough. I felt like I was watching someone else on the ride.

Trusted family and friends stepped in and slowed down the ride. They hopped into the ride vehicle next to me and rode with me. Through their eyes, I began to see more clearly where I had come from and what I had accomplished. They pointed out incredible directions that my ride could take next. I started to feel some of the pride they felt for me for myself. I began to breathe more easily.

I was launched into the sky when I got the first photos of people reading my book. People shared what they were learning from my words. My students were excited to see themselves in the pages. Suddenly, I couldn’t describe my job in one word anymore. Now, I was an educator (out of the classroom) and an author.

The book finished, I was no longer actively authoring and I was happy to stick my hands in the air and be taken on a ride, celebrating what I had accomplished. Even though I was feeling more relaxed, there was no end to the ride in sight.

I had to start building a new track. I had to steer my rollercoaster to somewhere new. The first, defined ride of writing a book had finished, but my journey had not. Once again, I found myself facing a huge drop into the unknown.

Even though the first part of the ride had its ups and downs, I feel so grateful to have had the chance to get on. I feel so lucky that I got to the front of the line. I feel brave for having taken the risk of getting on a new ride.

Right now, I’ve taken the fast-track once again. My ten-year goal of opening a school feels to far away. I don’t want to stay on the same ride for ten whole years. Instead, I’ve skipped over the track I thought I’d ride and am creating a new one. Looking past the dip to the track of my new ride, I can only see a fuzzy picture of it. I know that there are lots of dips and bumps, spins and flips. I like the future I see ahead.

My job, once again, has become harder to describe. I’m becoming an alphabetical list of roles. I am now an author, a blue sky thinker, a consultant, a designer and an educator.

After a deep breath, the coaster starts again and I fly past the huge dip, stomach threatening to come out my mouth. Right now, I am riding directly up, looking into a big blue sky, seeing dreams begin to materialize in the clouds above me. I don’t know what will come next, but I can’t wait to see.

Finding Your Life's Purpose

This post was originally shared on Mari Venturino and Justin Birckbilcher's Teach20s blog. They are creating a community of young educators and mentors and share on their blog and on Twitter with the hashtag #teach20s.

The post below is edited and partially excerpted from Creating Classroom Magic by the author.

Justin and Mari used the process described below to discover their professional identities.

Invest a few minutes in yourself and your future right now. Take time to reflect on and expand your dreams; define your life’s purpose as a professional identity statement; and share this statement with others.

Consider what you want to do in this world and who you want to impact. Think about how you can have the impact you desire. Allow your imagination to run wild, come up with Blue Sky ideas (don’t put a limit on yourself, allow your thoughts to drift as high as a big blue sky). After you have imagined the possibilities, it’s time to make your dream clear so that you can communicate it to others. Many companies and corporations create a vision statement to provide a clear description of a dream.

The professional identity statement you will create today states your purpose. It includes a set of ideas that describe the future state of your personal or professional life. Consider what the best case scenario is for five, ten, twenty or more years from now. Dream big. That is your professional identity statement, or your vision statement. For many years, the Walt Disney Company’s formal vision statement was: “We make people happy.” In recent years, it’s been changed to a much wordier statement that defines that purpose in an unnecessarily extended way. Ask almost any Disney employee and they’ll still tell you the vision of the company is those four simple word: “We make people happy.” I think that’s an extraordinary vision. Not only is it clear and concise, but it describes everything that Walt Disney aspired to do.

I discovered my life’s purpose, my own personal vision statement, nine years into my formal teaching career. I watched the ambitiously named “How to Know Your Life’s Purpose in 5 Minutes” TED Talk by film producer, Adam Leipzig (who, incidentally was an executive at Disney at one point in his career). In his talk, Adam asks five deceptively simple, but remarkably poignant questions. They led me to define my professional identity statement as a vision. You can do this right now. It could even take you less than five minutes, especially if you’ve given yourself time to dream.

Write something down as soon as you’re done reading these instructions. If you don’t love it, come back to it later.

Ask yourself:

• Who are you?
• What is the one thing you feel supremely qualified to provide to other people?
• Who do you do it for?
• What do these people want or need from you?
• How do they change or transform as a result of what you give them?

With those five questions, I defined my life’s purpose: I’m Shauna. I create safe, inspiring places for kids. They need someone who believes in them. I help them become the people they never knew they could be.

As an educator, your vision statement will likely reflect your desire to help others. “In order to make good on your chosen task, it’s important to have someone you want to do it for,” Walt Disney said, ”The greatest moments in life are not concerned with selfish achievement, but rather with the things we do for the people we love and esteem, and whose respect we need.”

Once you have a professional identity or vision statement, live it. Come back to it often. Share it. Post it - physically or online, or both. This week, share it on Twitter with the hashtag #teach20s. Consider doing what I did and using your vision statement as your profile description on your social media accounts.

  Your professional identity statement will help direct you when you’re feeling lost or don’t know what decision to make. You can refer back to it and modify it as your dreams change and grow. By defining your vision, you will find it easier to chart your path in life. Your vision is your definition of success. Reflect on your progress often and celebrate all the things you do to live your life’s purpose.

Reflect on your life's purpose. Guide your students to do the same. Share your thoughts below, on Justin and Mari's blog, on your own blog and/or on Twitter, using the hashtag #teach20s!

Imagineering in 2015 - Reflections on #OneLittleWord

Last year, I was invited, on Twitter, to select #oneword to keep me on track for 2015. Instead of long reflections on resolutions, I selected the word: Imagineering. I was mid-way through the year with my incredible grade 3/4 Gladiator Snails, and our class was known as EPCOTclass- the Experimental Prototype Classroom of Tomorrow. To keep us on track, I chose to consider designing our learning with Imagineering (Disney's term for imagination and engineering, and the most imaginative, innovative wing of the Disney Company). I applied this word to my personal life as well, and had results that surprised me, most of all.

Classroom Application: I loved the #OneWord challenge so much, I brought it to my class. To start our 2015, the Gladiator Snails selected #OneLittleWord by writing lists of things they are good at and things they are working on. Each student looked at the lists and selected one word that summarizes them and the things they plan to work on for the year. To practice, we made up #OneLittleWord for Norman, one of our class Muppets. Norman doesn't know any Math and sometimes gets down on himself for it. The word we selected for him was "Positive." Each student generated a list of three steps they would take to help them reach their #OneLittleWord target. Once they had decided on their words, we learned about how shapes and colours can represent ideas and emotions. Students created watercolour paintings representing their #OneLittleWord, and we took photographs of them thinking about that word. The photos were glued on top of the paintings and joined by their words, then hung in the hall to remind us of our targets every time we entered and left Room 209.

• On this final day of 2015, I am going to do exactly the opposite of what I described in paragraph one and write a long reflection about my Imagineering year.

Counting Down 15 Reflections About 2015, my Imagineering Year

15. Collaboration.

• I worked with the members of: 
• #comcon (a group of education bloggers who comment on one another's blog posts)
• Think Tank (a group of educators who met in person in Ottawa to discuss the future of education)
• #cdnedchat (a group of Canadian educators who lead a weekly Twitter chat for friends in Canada and beyond), who asked me to join them as a moderator this year
• The Edcamp Magic planning team, who I've happily joined this year 

14. I left my home.

• Captain Handsome and a handful of friends, family and I redid every square inch of our little home in Ottawa over the past 7 years. I love that little house, but the Captain got a great job opportunity in Toronto and we moved. 
• I've spent the last 7 months getting used to my new home, as have my remarkably resilient cats. 
• I have a long way to go until Toronto and I feel like we fit together, but I am very happy to explore the city with my zoo, aquarium, float club, ROM and Warhol Museum annual passes. 

13. I was part of one of the strangest Internet news stories of the year. 

• I blogged about what it felt like going vir-ish after discovering #deadraccoonto. 

12. I visited two Disney Theme parks.

• I spent a total of 15 days at the "happiest place(s) in the world" this year. 
• I was incredibly fortunate to spend 11 spring days at Walt Disney World in Orlando, many of those days with my Scottish BFF, Gillian Penman; my former student teacher, Stephanie Pimenta(and her awesome family of Peppers!); my former UOttawa student, Kiera Brant (and her incredible mom, Gail Brant-Terry). 
• In the fall, I visited (for the first time in my life) the park Walt actually walked (and lived!) in, Disneyland. I travelled with #DisneyCAST, my brother Charlie, his partner, Ashton and their friend, Travis. 

11. My grade 3/4s and I had an Imagineering Day to build a Global Citizenship Museum.

• Our school year was all about rethinking education and making sure that we created the best possible learning space and opportunities for all. 
• Together, we explored our passions, practiced design thinking strategies, improved our research and communication skills and considered ways we could change the world. 
• Students learned about citizenship in their own country and around the world and compared their lives to those of "Kid Citizens," children in a country of their choice. 
• Together with parents, other teachers, volunteers, student teachers, and of course, my students, we collaboratively created our learning unit and outlined the outcomes and success criteria for our project. 
• Our research culminated in a one day creation blitz, where volunteers (including members of my family, students' families and my former students) helped my grade 3/4s use their blueprints and plans to create models of their museum exhibits. 
• Later that week, we welcomed other classes and our families in to the Global Citizenship Museum and blew them away!

10. I did stand-up comedy.

• No, there is no video. 
• Yes, it went well, which surprised no one more than me.  
• No, I'm not planning to do it again. It was for a project that I'll share more about soon.

9. I left my class with another teacher for two months.

• Captain Handsome headed to Toronto without me. Six weeks later, I had packed my classroom and house, and followed him. 
• My amazing Gladiator Snails were left in the very capable hands of a colleague, and I was lucky enough to stay in touch with them via email and Skype until the end of the year. I was so so lucky to teach that incredible group of students for nine months. 
• We did a lot of awesome things. I learned a lot from my youngest class ever and was consistently amazed by their incredible minds, work and resilience. 
• For the first September in thirty years, I didn't spend the first days of September in a classroom. 

8. I participated in international PD.

• I attended my first two international (as in, not in my home province of Ontario or neighbouring province of Quebec) education conferences. 
• I presented an Ignite presentation and led (with Melissa Eddington) a "Weirds of a Feather" session at ISTE in Philadelphia. 
• I joined educators from around the globe at the first ever Edcamp Magic in Orlando and got to co-moderate a Q&A with author Jeff Dixon. I helped out with collecting sponsorships and donations for this event and made a goal of gathering enough prizes so that every participant could go home with something. We accomplished this. 
• Attending these events were really incredible because I got to meet online friends in person and make brand new friends. It was so fun to see my online communities come to life. 

7. I played.

• I went to Comic Con Ottawa with my former colleague, Erin (before she moved to the Middle East, fully trumping my 4.5 hour move!). 
• Captain Handsome and I attended a ton of comedy, including the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal. We saw some of our favourites, including (among others): Norm MacDonald, Neil Patrick Harris, Mark Forward (several times!), TJ Miller, Louis CK, Sam Simmons, Rhys Darby, Chris Hardwick, Sean Cullen, James Harnett, the cast of Silicon Valley, Chris Hardwick and John Mulaney. 
• We saw four Broadway shows: Fish in the Dark (and met the star, Larry David), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (twice, starring Michael C. Hall and then the original Hedwig, John Cameron Mitchell, who BROUGHT IT despite a terrible knee injury), and the absolutely heartwrenching Constellations. We saw Madonna in concert. 
• Our six-year old nephew cheered his lungs out at a hockey game and got to meet his favourite player (and played it WAY cooler than I ever have when meeting one of my heroes). 
• We watched movie premieres, with their directors and stars, at the Toronto International Film Festival. 
• We were in NYC the night of the SNL 40th anniversary, and got to see so many comedy heroes before and after the show (which we watched at a nearby pub). 
• I played in six Escape Rooms, three of which my teams escaped. I considered how to use Escape Rooms in education and led an #eduescape chat, coached teachers in designing these challenges with their students and put together a model for creating educational Escape Rooms.
• My brother, our friend Tess and I created brand new ways to play Pokemon (including our, patent pending, Pokemeals). 

6. I celebrated the graduations of former students.

• I was invited to attend the high school graduation of my last class of grade 8s and cheered them on with tears in my eyes. 
• Via Periscope, I attended the grade 6 graduation ceremony of my last class of grade 5s. 

5. I thought a lot about what it means to be a leader AND a woman.

• Attending ISTE, I was shocked at the inequalities in male and female representation in the high levels of education leadership. Most of the best selling education authors, well respected education leaders and speakers are men. 
• There are many underrepresented voices in education and edtech and a change needs to happen. 
• I thought a lot about where I see myself in the conversation and how to amplify my voice and the voices of others. 
• I collaborated with an inspiring group of brilliant female educators to come up with ways to share our ideas and stories and help others to do the same. 
• We have a long way to go in this area and I will continue to help diversify the landscape in the coming year.  
• Why does this need to change? Because it's 2015. 

4. I felt the love.

• I am pretty uncomfortable being the centre of attention, but, thanks to some exceptionally thoughtful friends and colleagues, I was showered in love this year. 
• My friends and family threw me two birthday parties (which included Chinese food, karaoke, steak and a pub, some of my favourite places!)
• My Gladiator Snails and their families threw me a surprise going away party. As did the grade 6 members of my Leadership Club Executive
• My former teaching partner and dear friend, Tiiu, threw together an enormous going away party with former students and their families at my favourite place in Ottawa, a kids' arcade. 

3. I failed. A lot.

• Taking a lot of risks this year led to both successes AND failures. 
• Due to over-exhaustion, I got really sick and had to miss the premiere of the final film in the Hunger Games series. For the past four years, former students have filled a theatre in Ottawa to watch the films on their premiere night. I was devastated to miss the final premiere.
•  For the first time, I participated in NaNoWriMo, with the goal of writing the first draft of a 50 000+ word novel in the month of November. I didn't come close to completing "The Last Camp on Earth." 
• I applied to go on an educator's discovery trip to Israel and to present at several conferences in the coming year. I got lots of lovely form and personalized letters of rejection in response.
• I applied to be a teacher in my new city. Similar outcome. 
• I participated in a Back to the Future scavenger hunt. I missed the big prize by minutes. That's the one that hurts the most.

2. I participated in the first Team Molly bike ride without our team captain.

• In Molly's life and since her death, her family and friends have raised more than $100 000 to help other kids with cancer. 
• The balloon release in the morning, signifying the incredible kids we lost this year, was highly emotional for all of us, but it felt great to be continuing the tradition, in Molly's memory.

1. I wrote a book.

• In March, I was asked by Bob McLain, of Theme Park Press, to submit a proposal for a book that incorporated Walt Disney and teaching. It was the book that I'd been searching for in my research on Walt and EPCOT and I was thrilled to be asked. 
• He accepted the proposal, and within nine months, I had my 1.2 lb 304 page baby in my hands. Creating Classroom Magic: Using Lessons from the Life of Walt Disney to Create an Experimental Prototype Classroom of Tomorrow. It's available on Amazon, both in paperback and digital versions. 
• Two of the most exciting things in the world are: seeing copies of my book on my bookshelf, reminding me of the result of the emotional rollercoaster of pouring my heart, soul and brain out; and getting messages on Facebook, Twitter and email from people as they discover the book and reflect on the ideas within. 

Reflecting on Reflecting

Reflecting on reflecting is a funny thing. It starts to feel like an Esher painting as you think about the importance of the importance of thinking about how you think. Even that sentence has my brain in knots.

I have learned that, for me, self-reflection is the key to my own learning. For years, I told my students it was key to theirs' and helped them do it, with some effectiveness. It isn't until recently that I realized I wasn't doing very accurate self-reflection.

The problem was, I wasn't practicing what I was teaching. I told my students to celebrate their efforts, not just their successes. I told them to internalize positive feelings and feedback. I told them to objectively look at themselves and their work and appreciate what they were doing. I told them to look for ways in which they could continue to improve and grow.

The only one of those that I was effectively, consistently doing myself was the last. I am really good at finding things I need to get better at.

All of the positive aspects of reflection that I taught my students were falling on my own deaf ears and mind.

Recently I realized that when I told myself I was reflecting, what I was doing looked more like the Magritte painting above. I tried to examine my actions and thoughts in a mirror, instead I blocked myself off. I looked at the back of my head. I was really good at looking back and terrific on focusing on what didn't go as well as I'd hoped.

When I would ask my "Mirror, Mirror on the wall" how I was doing, a very angry version of myself was more than eager to respond with criticisms and a tongue-lashing.

I discovered that, instead of treating myself as I would expect my students to treat themselves, with kindness and honesty, I was behaving as if I had a panel of judges commenting on every choice and action. Although the audience loves a harsh judge, like Simon Cowell, on a panel, if all we had were Simons, people would change the channel. My internal panel was filled with versions of Simon Cowell and they dictated to me how I "should" feel about myself and my work.

In Inside Out, things go very wrong for the protagonist, Riley, when Joy and Sadness leave the control panel to be operated by Fear, Anger and Disgust. In thinking about myself, I realized that I let those three take the reins for my self-reflection for far too long.

Realizing how inaccurate my perception of myself was ended up being the easy part. I acknowledged that it wasn't helpful or productive, but I had a huge fear (look who's driving again) that I'd over-inflate myself image. I worried that I'd become the house cat who saw herself as a lion.

Finally, I have begun to figure out how to be a better reflector.

Here is what I have learned.

1. Quit judging yourself for thinking about yourself. Everyone does it. No one thinks of us nearly as much as we think of ourselves. If you're worried others are judging you, they probably aren't. They're too busy working on themselves.

2. Balance being genuine and honest with being gentle and humble. I consider genuine as being truthful with others and honest as being truthful with myself. I have to be truthful with myself before I can truly be myself around others. Though I try to be genuine and honest, I am aware of the need to be gentle with myself and humble towards others. This has been extremely difficult for me. To help in gentleness, I picture myself as the four-year-old version of me and it's easier to treat her better. Humility is scary. I want to share my learning and successes, but worry that others will perceive what I share as bragging.

3. Projecting isn't the same as reflecting. For my whole life, I have projected confidence and self-esteem. People around me think that I have my stuff together and might be surprised to learn that what I project into the world does not match how I feel about myself. What I see reflected is described above. The best way I can describe it is dysmorphia, instead of seeing my body as something different than it is, I see my entire self in the most critical way possible. I am working on reflecting more accurately, so that what I project is more genuine.

4. Taking the time to reflect means accepting vulnerability. By honestly looking at yourself, your choices and your actions, you are open to all kinds of feelings. Seeing yourself as you truly are and accepting that you are in a constant state of becoming isn't easy. Even reflecting silently in a journal can rip you open. If you want to really feel raw, try making that journal public and blogging about it.

5. Despite everything, reflecting is one of the most valuable things I do. Thinking about my thinking, thinking about my progress and setting goals keep me moving forward.

Tonight, I'm co-moderating #cdnedchat with the amazing Dana Ariss. We'll be talking about reflection in education.

30-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 19: Student Reflection

Day 19: Name three powerful ways students can reflect on their learning, then discuss closely the one you use most often.

Without reflecting on their learning, learners are missing out on metacognition, the way that we become actively involved with our thinking. Metacognition ensures that students are more independent and effective learners.

Three ways students can actively engage with their learning by reflecting through:

• goal setting and monitoring
• reflecting on their own and others' work
• written reflections

In my classroom, we:

• set goals and monitor our progress
• we collaborate to create SMART goals that are individual
• we post our goals in places where we'll see them often
• last year, we tracked our goals online using lift.do daily
• because it is a social network, we could give one another encouragement and celebrate successes
• reflecting on our own and others' work through planned reflection and dialogue
• from the beginning of the year, we provide constructive feedback to one another, focusing on successes and areas for improvement
• students learn to phrase their feedback for peers as, "I liked it when....Next time...." and the person receiving the feedback simply replies with "Thank you". 
• in this way, we are constructive and supportive and the we don't argue with feedback, we simply take it in the way it was intended, to support us and push our learning further
• we watch one another trying new things in a "Fish Bowl", where a small group sits in the middle of a circle and practices a new skill (such as group work)
• the observers outside the "Fish Bowl" watch, when we are finished, we offer feedback about the process to help us all
• we show "Examples" and "Non-examples" to prepare all
• students get to act out great work habits as a model as well as undesired behaviours and methods
• we are inspired by the Daily 5, where this strategy is written about extensively
• reflect on our learning in writing (and drawing) to know ourselves as learners and push our thinking further by asking questions and making coneections
• students think about "What Stuck With You Today?" and share it aloud, in writing or in drawings
• students reflect on different elements of their learning through 321 organizers
• For example: 3 things you learned, 2 things you're still wondering, 1 thing you are proud of

I am still deeply in the process of learning, and I find I use a number of different strategies to reflect. The two I use most often right now include seeking feedback from my PLN (online and in person) and writing on this blog.

30-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 1: My Goals

A principal who I really admire and who had a huge impact on my summer through his #SummerLS challenge and EduAllStars podcast (but I've yet to meet in person), Todd Nesloney, tweeted out a link to a 30-day blogging challenge. Despite the fact that I have an alphabetical list of at least 30 posts I'd like to write, I feel like this would be a good way to keep me on track. Plus, once I write one post, I'm always inspired to write another.

Reflective Teaching: A 30-Day Blogging Challenge for Teachers

Day 1:
Write your goals for the school year. Be as specific or abstract as you'd like to be.

I'm going to have to be specific. I have a LOT of goals and have spent a lot of time this summer reflecting on what they are. For ease of organizing my thoughts, I've split them into sections: Values in my Grade 3/4 Classroom (goals for my students and I); Professional Goals (things I'm going to work on as a teacher)

Values in my Grade 3/4 Classroom - EPCOT

Be Brave
Overall, my goal for the school year (for myself and my students) is "Be Brave". Day 1 in the classroom (tomorrow!), that will be our only expectation. As we form as a team, my students and I will work together to co-create roles, responsibilities and expectations.

I ADD EGGS
Last year, my grade 5/6 Rainbow Eggheads and I lived by the recipe for success: ADD EGGS. Initially, I created this recipe, but my students completely bought into it and owned it. They could reflect effectively on their choices, the choices of others and how to improve by using the language in ADD EGGS.

Last summer, I wrote a list of qualities I want to help develop in my students, qualities I'd like them to leave my classroom understanding and practicing every day. I came up with ADD EGGS - accountability, dynamism, drive, engagement, grateful, generous and supportive.
The Rainbow Eggheads lived these values last year. They could rhyme of the acronym easily and came up with "The Rainbow Rule" ("Be an ADD EGG, not a BAD EGG" - they even decided what BAD stood for)! In their end of year Ignite presentations, most of them referred to ADD EGGS and what a difference it made to their learning.

After lots of reflection (and discussion with my trusted colleague, Tiiu), I've decided to KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly) and share ADD EGGS with my incoming class. However, there is one quality that is missing from ADD EGGS, so this year, the acronym is changed to "I ADD EGGS" (I've added innovation to fit with another big class goal this year).

Imagineering and Blue Sky Thinking
Throughout my life, I've been inspired by Walt Disney, and lately, I've been reading a lot about his life, his innovations and his legacy. I can't help but think about how well his philosophies and his message tie into my dream classroom and teaching methods.

This year, my students and I will use Walt Disney (the person, not the brand) as a model. The way he, among other things: listened to all ideas while seeking the best way to do things; looked towards the future; learned from and embraced the past; told stories; thought about creating memorable and educational experiences; questioned everything and was open to change, will be essential to the way I think about teaching this year.

I will encourage my students to embrace Blue Sky Thinking by thinking big, following their dreams and believing in themselves.

We will think of ourselves as Imagineers as we use imagination to engineer our learning.

EPCOT
Because of my interest in all things Disney, I am inspired by Walt's vision for EPCOT (an experimental city, that, after his death, was repurposed as a theme park - my favourite as a child!). It breaks my heart that his vision never saw the light of day, but, learning from his passion and purpose, I thought about what I think a classroom should be.

I think a classroom should be a place where everyone can try new things, share successes with others and embrace change. Teachers should be futurists as we are preparing our students for a future we can't possibly predict. With that in mind, I've called my new class blog and twitter account EPCOTclass. In this case, EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype CLASSROOM of Tomorrow. The name and vision will help to keep me on track with all of the ideas, values and dreams listed above.

Goals for my BEd Students

Bringing Language to Life for Life
I'm thrilled (and nervous!) to be teaching my first BEd class (Language Instruction in the Primary and Junior Years) this term. I have outlined goals for my students and I as "Big Ideas" in our week 1 slideshow. What I am really aiming to do is ignite (or kindle!) a passion for teaching (Language in particular) in the pre-service teachers who I will have the pleasure of working with.

I've subtitled my course "Bringing Language to Life for Life" and look forward to working with the students in class, on Twitter and through blogs to do exactly that, bring Language to life.

I want my students to leave my class better prepared for and more confident to teach Language to students of all ages. Because of that goal, I have worked very hard to create a comprehensive course and ensure that all assignments are authentic and applicable to the classroom.

Professional Goals

Balance and Wellness
This year, our admin is committed to helping staff find balance in our lives and ensure our wellness. I'm excited to see what this looks like.

Over the summer, I've tried to work on balance, something that has always been a challenge for me. In order to really understand what it looks like, I've created a list of my roles and set goals for the amount of time to spend on each during a day. Since late July, I've been tracking those. It's been enlightening for me to see how my goals align with what I actually do. Also, I see that I only have 24 hours in a day and have to set priorities, one of which is myself as a worthwhile human being. I'm going to work hard to remember that during the year. I will make it a priority to do happy-making things. I'll even work hard to make sure that some of those have nothing to do with my job!

Ongoing Feedback Communicated to Students and Families
In the survey I shared with Room 209 families last year, parents told me to learn to say no (they recognized that I tried to do too much!) and that they'd like to get more ongoing feedback about their children.

Tiiu and I created an Annual Learning Plan for students, which will be a working document that is shared with students and families (an individual one for each student) and developed throughout the year. The link I shared is absolutely a work in progress and I am planning to meet with each family early in the year to set goals and make plans.

Developing my PLN
People call it different things, but I think of my PLN as my Professional Learning Network and I am lucky to include lots of people I know in real life and online in it. I love to collaborate with other educators to bring interesting experiences into my classroom. I will continue to do this through twitter chats, planning and collaborating via Skype and the Google Drive.

An element I am adding this year is to work with inspirational, passionate educators in formal and informal settings. I have started an Educational Think Tank (with Amy Bowker) and the Comment Consortium. Because of getting to work regularly with amazing people, I know will continue to be challenged and pushed me.

Sharing My Learning
I'll be presenting at some upcoming conferences this fall and love to share what I have learned and what I am passionate about with other educators.

By committing to the Comment Consortium and this 30-day blogging challenge, I will regularly share my process with others. More importantly though, I will actually be creating instead of just consuming and I will really take the time to reflect on my practice.

Alternative Education
I teach at an alternative public school and we operate based on a series of tenets that make us different from other sites. A group of us met regularly last year and discussed our school philosophy to celebrate our successes and build upon them for the future.

The idea for Tree Families was born from this collaboration. Each staff member and student in the school will be placed in a "Family" represented by an Ontario tree for their entire time at our school. Families will meet regularly to work together on character education, anti-bullying initiatives and develop skills. We are starting Tree Families next week and I look forward to seeing how they help to build a real sense of ownership and community in our school.

Overall Goal

You Matter
After listening to and reading Angela Maiers this summer, i am thinking in terms of her movement, "You Matter". All of my other goals can be boiled down into this one. Each of us is a genius and it is our duty to share that genius with the world.

By reframing my thinking and remembering that I am significant, I can meet my professional (and personal goals) and let go of issues in a non-judgemental way, using them to move forward and make life better for myself and others. To remind all my students that they matter and help them find their passions and "follow their heartbreaks", I can help them achieve their goals.


It's a good thing this prompt encouraged me to be as specific as I like! As always, I had a lot to say!

Thanks to those of you who got all the way to the end of the post.

What are your goals for this school year? How are you committed to meeting them? What small and large actions are you taking to achieve them?

#summerLS

Instead of focusing on how I had such good intentions for my blog and haven't even come close to posting regularly, I'm just going to get started on this post and make a goal to post more often. That shouldn't be hard, as I have written exactly four posts in a year and a half.

This is what relaxation looks like! I rewatched the entire first
season of Orange is the New Black with my mother-in-law.
She loved it.

In the middle of June, Todd Nesloney (@techninjatodd), the principal of Navasota Elementary in Texas, tweeted out an invitation to join his staff in a Summer Learning Series (#summerLS). Although I am totally wiped from a crazily busy year, I thought I should give it a try. As it turns out, I'm really glad I did. It explains my return to this blog!

For those of you who don't know me in person, I am a BLOG LOVER. It started out with a little Will Arnett research project (for those of you who know me, keep the details to yourself!). After several months of blogging on my own, I realized the awesome educational potential of blogging, and blogged with my grade 7/8 classes at Fielding Drive Public in Ottawa. Access to the school's one computer lab was always an issue, but the blog work students did was incredible and in 2009, I moved four History classes totally online. You can check out my History Blog and the amazing student blogs. The year after that, I changed the name of my blog to a Digital Classroom and have integrated a class blog that I host ever since. Despite, or perhaps because of, the success of using a blog to help direct my students and celebrate our learning, I have let a personal/professional blog go by the wayside. However, I get so many wonderful resources, ideas and inspiration from blogs I read, I figure that I really need to commit to writing one.

One of the challenges from Todd was to reflect on our teaching practices. I do this all the time, in Twitter chats, with amazing friends and colleagues and, most importantly, with my students. I have very little record of my reflections and am unable to share them with others except in quick 140 character bursts! Maintaining this blog will let me do that.

I could add some profound idea about how my life is like a puzzle - fitting all the pieces together. But, instead, I'll brag - we completed this puzzle, all 1000 pieces in mostly bad lighting - even the super tricky part that is open and blank in this shot.

The past week, I was at my in-laws' cottage on Lake Champlain in upstate New York. Being in a cabin in the woods gave me a lot of quiet, reflective time. Even though I had my laptop, phone and Kindle with me, they spent a lot of time tucked away, unlike at home, where my devices and I are joined at the hip (or lap). I slept well, swam, boated, read (for fun and PD), watched 4 fireworks shows over the lake (one of which had more than 10 people firing off fireworks at the same time - awesome!), participated in only a few Twitter chats, and, with the help of my husband (Captain Handsome) and mother-in-law, completed a 1000 piece puzzle. Going out on the boat gave me reflective time, as it's too loud to have a chat and difficult to multi-task. Like when I am in the shower or the car, I had time to just think.

Not a bad place for sitting and thinking.

There are a lot of things I am doing in my classroom that I am loving. In fact, there are very few things I don't love. That's the problem I'm having. A huge topic of discussion in my life right now is Work-Life Balance and because I am passionate about my work, it's often hard to do anything else. Almost everything I see, read, do or hear gives me an idea for the classroom. A goal for next year, which is reflected in my family and friends' feedback, as well as the feedback I received from my students and their parents, is to scale back. Pick a few things and really focus on those. That will be really hard for me, especially when I hear about the incredible things that are going on in classrooms around the world. I hope that regularly reflecting here will help me. By sharing more of what I'm doing and really taking the time to explain the reasons I'm doing it, I hope that I'll slow down my thinking a little bit.

This has very little to do with this post. It's
just my favourite pic from the week at the cottage.

I am very grateful to Todd for his innovative and inclusive #summerLS and look forward to sharing more about what I learn while completing them.