The October Rush

My teacher friends know what I'm talking about. The October Rush. If you were to walk into an elementary school at the end of October, you would totally feel it.

The October Rush typically starts mid-October, but it seemed to start earlier this year. As the end of the first quarter approaches, teachers have grades to do and assessments to complete. Red Ribbon Week is always toward the end of October, and there are additional lessons and activities for that. The 50th day of school has become a new thing to celebrate in recent years, which falls in October. Our school is going through the accreditation process this year, so we have student surveys to do as well. Of course there's Halloween. And candy hangovers. Those are real. Every year, October feels rushed. It's one of the most beautiful months in our area of South Carolina, but we blink and it's over.

Although October has been RUSHED, we've had some pretty awesome things happening at our school. We started the month with our fall book fair and first family night. The Clemson Tiger Cub made an appearance at our October Friday Rally. About a dozen educators from our school attended Get Your Teach On in Charlotte. Our principal was attacked by a dog from the Oconee County Sheriff's Office in a Red Ribbon Week demonstration - it was planned. She's fine! LOL. All of this CRAZINESS is happening in the rush, but my favorite moment of the month happened with a group of first graders.

After Rock Your School in September, I wanted to work with teachers to plan a book tasting for students. Someone had posted a StarBOOKS Cafe for Rock Your School, and I just LOVED the idea. I worked with fifth grade teachers to identify genres from their standards students don't typically read independently. We settled on historical fiction, science fiction, and myths/legends (we combined this group to include more than just Rick Riordan). We planned hot chocolate in StarBOOKS cups and "coffee house" snacks. The fifth grade team helped make this experience memorable, and I loved having the chance to teach alongside them.

Fifth grade teachers scheduled their time in the StarBOOKS Cafe during their ELA block. With the room already set up, I wanted to provide an opportunity for other classes to visit if possible. With different grade levels, I changed out the books at each rotation to meet the demands of their standards and their students' abilities. With first grade, we used a table of fiction and a table of nonfiction books about Halloween-ish topics. We also had a third table of magazines. During my chat with students, they were amazed when I told them reading magazines is READING! So many students today think of reading only in terms of reading with a book during a specified time of the school day. Using explicit language to tell them, "Hey, lifelong learners read all the time... on their phones with text messages, on a website about how to use the newest vacuum cleaner (or whatever), in a tutorial about how to fix a leaky faucet.... Reading is everywhere. So find something you're interested in learning more about and READ THAT."

When the last group of first graders had to leave the StarBOOKS Cafe, the kids groaned. THIS was my GOAL. "UUUUUghhhh... do we have to leave?" My heart exploded. I mean, they did have to leave, but it was worth every minute of work and stress to hear that response. They wanted more time with BOOKS.

Although the StarBOOKS Cafe was open during a really hectic time of year, I'm so thankful we did it. I was able to work with 10 classes - approximately 200 students- to help open their eyes to the world of possibilities of literature and real-life literacy.

For me, The October Rush signals the beginning of holiday season. Maybe you've also noticed the Christmas Shoppe open at Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby? :) I can already feel the sense of urgency from holiday planning. The calendar fills up FAST.

On Instagram today, I saw a Thankful Teacher Photo Challenge posted by @exceptionalela and @melodysteachingadventures. I love this idea of asking teachers to slow down and focus on the positives.

I encourage us all to find a moment of gratitude, a moment to sit a little longer with a book, a moment to reflect.

Secret Society of Readers

I LOVE my Secret Society of Readers, and I love that so many educators have reached out to know more about what we're doing. This idea stemmed from several different sources, including Kids Deserve It! by Todd Nesloney and Adam Welcome. One of my top priorities this year is to simply spend more time talking with kids about books. The Secret Society of Readers is a small group of students in third, fourth, and fifth grade. We are meeting once a week before school for about 15 minutes to just sit and chat about books we're reading. 

Students were nominated by their teachers based on a love for reading. I specifically asked for students who always have a book in their hands, and I made it clear that reading LEVEL shouldn't be considered. I wanted to celebrate kids who loved to read, not just our "highest readers." Most teachers sent me one or two names. A few teachers didn't send a name at all, and that was okay with me. I wanted this group to consist of students who truly love reading, and those select few teachers told me they didn't have students that fit that qualification right now. Although this breaks my heart, it also gives me an additional goal: help these teachers and their students find books they will LOVE. 

I used this opportunity to finally wear my Harry Potter robe.
I walked around school in this thing for 30 minutes,
and nobody asked me questions. I guess
our students are just used to crazy things at this point. 

In the first week, we established a few ground rules: 

1. Keep an open mind about trying new books. 

2. Be respectful of others' opinions and abilities. 

3. DON'T TELL US THE ENDING! 

After we established those rules, I asked each student to talk about their favorite books. I wanted to know about their reading preferences. I was really surprised by the number of girls who told me they like to read Goosebumps books. I never read those as a child because I honestly was a scaredy cat. I had nightmares after watching the Goosebumps show on Nickelodeon, so the books definitely didn't appeal to me. Several students talked about how much they enjoy historical fiction, something I could connect with a little more. After listening to their preferences, I shared a few new books recommended to me on social media. Our media specialist joined in and shared some of the new books we just added to our school library. The whole meeting lasted about 15 minutes, but those 15 minutes were powerful. 

This select group of students also helped us celebrate reading as we opened our school's Free Little Library on Sept. 20th. Located at the front of our school, this library is another way to get books in the hands of children. I've already had to restock the library 3 times, and I've seen several families at the library after school hours. 

Our ribbon cutting as we opened the Little Free Library. 

I am looking forward to this week as we have the book fair and our first Family Fun Night of the year. Wednesday morning, I'll get to sit and talk about books with my Secret Society. My media specialist and I have a HUGE surprise for these kids this week. I can't wait to share it with you. 

Beyond levels and programs

It’s hard to believe it’s mid-September. This school year is flying by quickly, and I feel like I can almost put my feet on the ground. “Beginning of the year teacher tired” is a crazy level of exhaustion. The regular chaos of the start of school has been intensified by the new 21^st Century grant program at JMB. The afterschool program has exciting goals and possibilities for students, but getting a program this big off the ground is a major undertaking. All of the paperwork and drama is worth every minute and all of the stress to see how much our students are loving the program. 

Aside from our afterschool program, I do some literacy coaching. J As a coach and an advocate of literacy for life, one thing I want to do this year is help teachers enhance classroom libraries and expand student choice. Our school has a long history of providing ample reading materials for students, but students’ voices and choices have been limited by levels. Although I completely understand that students need to read material they can comprehend (reading IS making meaning), I believe there are authentic ways of teaching students to select books. A level or a color or a number should never define students as readers.

Approaching this topic is sensitive, especially with people grounded in a system. A shift in thinking about student choice in reading is a process, and I know it’s not something that will not change overnight. At the beginning of this school year, I had the chance to meet with every teacher and classroom assistant in small groups. I asked every group to describe a time when reading was successful for them and a time when reading was a struggle. Guess what? Almost every group listed being told what they CAN read as a struggle. The similarities across the groups were absolutely astounding. We have fond memories of reading with others, happy thoughts about social interaction around a text, feelings of confidence when we read something of interest or passion. At the close of our time together, I posed a series of questions. One of the questions was, "If XYZ made us feel unsuccessful or less than a reader, why are we continuing the practice?"

The most powerful question related directly to our school mission. Our school mission is “to provide an environment where students are loved and where students love to learn.”

My question: if we want students to love to learn, how are we encouraging them to LOVE to READ?

I 110% believe positive literacy role models and authentic opportunities for student choice are the answer. What are you doing to encourage real-life literacy love in your classroom or building?

ILA Austin & Back to School

It's been too long, blog family, but I hope you'll stick with me and continue to follow my journey. The experience of ILA Austin combined with family vacation back to back was amazing, but the scheduling took its toll. This post, however, will tell you more about me as a human and about my readiness to get back to the good work.

Let's start with my experience in Austin, TX. When I submitted the proposal to ILA, my principal and assistant principal of instruction were designated to present with me. After a few conflicts and changes in schedules, I ended up on the plane to present solo at an international conference. In my preparation to leave, I imagined the drive to Atlanta and parking at the airport would be my biggest nightmares. Once I got on the plane, I realized my greatest fear was really being in a place alone where I knew NO ONE. Talk about stepping out of your comfort zone.

Doing the presentation alone crossed my mind a few times and caused me a little sweat, but thinking about how to spend 3 nights in city that far from home without someone to talk to caused me a lot of anxiety. Let me be honest about myself here. I love presenting and talking about topics I'm passionate about (school, books, literacy instruction) to any audience. Where I feel uncomfortable is making small talk. I seriously thought about going to the conference sessions and going back to my room everyday because I was self-conscious about meeting new people and being my typical awkward self in a social setting. Example of awkward self: I tried to give a fist bump to someone at the gym yesterday when they were CLEARLY high fiving me. My response was, "I'm sorry. I make things awkward." Insert emoji of girl shrugging her shoulders here.

That sounds crazy, right? Let me stand up and speak to a room full of people I don't know at an international conference, but then I need to run straight to my room and hide because I'm scared to talk to people.

I made it a personal goal on this trip to ILA Austin to reach out and try to have casual conversations with people I had never met. The first night I was there, I had dinner alone at a tourist "must see" restaurant. I made small talk with a few people, but I still sat alone with at least one seat in between me and all the world. After dinner, I walked back to hotel, thought about going to bed at 7 PM, and then decided to sit down in the crowded hotel lounge beside a woman who was talking with a group of people across the table. I sat there for almost 30 minutes listening to their conversation (I know, that sounds crazy). Listening to her conversation with the server. Finally, I said, "Hey, I think we might have some things in common. I'm Erin." OH THE ANXIETY. But it turned out to be an awesome step, and we spent the rest of the conference visiting sessions, talking about our careers, and visiting local tourist spots.

On the flight home, I was prepared to listen to Harry Potter on Audible and close my eyes (introverts that want to be extroverts understand this). As it turns out, I was moved to an exit row. Tall people, that's the best thing ever, unless you can pay for first class. I ended up next to one of the most genuinely nice people I've ever met. He was headed to a family vacation on a lake in Georgia, and he taught in a high-poverty area in California. We talked the entire flight about education, the desire to make lives better for our students, and horoscope compatibility. I know very little about horoscopes other than I am a Leo. I would hop on another flight by myself to anywhere if I was promised to be seated next to someone with such a good soul.

Once I got home, it was time to disconnect and focus on my family. We took our first family of four vacation to Gatlinburg, TN, and we spent most of our time swimming in the resort's pool and relaxing in the condo. We did journey out to the wilderness of Cade's Cove and to the showmanship of Dixie Stampede, and I'm amazed at how much my little family connected and laughed during those few days. I unintentionally left my computer at home. I had planned to spend a few days catching up grading assignments for the course I'm facilitating this summer, and I was devastated when we crossed the state line to realize I left my entire bookbag at home. Leaving my laptop was one of the greatest blessings of my life. It was so nice to reconnect with my family. More than anything, I loved sitting by the pool and watching my husband play with our two little ones. He is so much a child at heart, and that is one of his greatest attributes.

We are home, and we are in week one of me going back to school. Our little girl started her new daycare this week, and it's been a HUGE adjustment. I have been working frantically to make sure I have all my ducks in a row for school to start back. My leadership team at James M. Brown has been amazing at accepting my crazy ideas and willing to help the ideas come to fruition. If you need proof, see our Carpool Karaoke video on YouTube. We found this idea in Lead Like a Pirate by Beth Houf and Shelley Burgess. After attending GYTO in San Diego, I knew I could make the lyrics happen, but I needed the crew to buy in and SING! We had so much fun bringing the idea to life, and I can't wait for one of the teachers at my school to ask me to come sing a song with content lyrics. I will bring the mic.

The first few days back to school were awesome and energizing. I can't wait to see what this year brings. I spent all day today spray painting and making vinyl labels for my office. I hope the labels will really help me stay organized, but we'll see. :)

blood, sweat, tears, books, & NEW LOOKS!

A quick post for today because I'm too excited not to share what's been happening the last few days.

1. Blood - I cut myself opening this EXCITING SHIPMENT!!!!!!!!! Too excited to care.

I've been hoping and wishing to establish a Little Free Library for our students and families for so long, and it's finally here!!!!!!! We had a gracious donor purchase the kit for our school, and so it's coming, to JMB, y'all! My son, Sully, helped me unpack it all. Since this photo, every single packing peanut has been thrown across my house. Just saying. It's not always this cute and sweet at my house.

2. Sweat - It's not terribly hot in SC today, but it's so humid. I was trying to get this wood stained before I left for the International Literacy Association Conference tomorrow in Austin, TX. **Secretly hoping husband will assemble it while I'm gone, okay? ** This walnut stain is looking AMAZING! 

3. Tears - This morning watching The Good Dinosaur with my almost 2 year old, facing the fact that she will start preschool in three weeks. She has been staying at home with a former teacher since she was 6 months old, and I just can't process letting her grow up into preschool age.... but moving on... 

4. Books - I have read more this summer than I have ever read in my whole life! A shipment of children's literature arrived at my house yesterday. A copy of Michael Bonner's book arrived today. I need a break from Harry Potter, mostly because I can't justify taking up half of my carry-on luggage with The Goblet of Fire when I board for Austin tomorrow. 

5. NEW LOOKS!!!! Y'all, first, can you please spend a second appreciating the new look of the blog??! Say farewell to the 80's teal and purple that I tried to make cool again. I found AlbemarlePR on Etsy for the template for the blog, which is perfect for me! AND THIS LOGO from Math & Glitter (mathandglitter.com) makes me feel official. 

The Pink House and Physical Environments

Decorating your classroom in a way that pleases you is not selfish. It helps you build relationships with your students by sharing a bit of yourself with them. And when your environment feeds your passion and sets your soul on fire, how could that flame not carry over to your students? Enthusiasm spreads like wildfire. – Hope & Wade King, The Wild Card

I must admit I am guilty of not being fully invested in the physical environments of past classrooms. To be honest, when I was in the classroom, the décor wasn’t a major priority point for me. Within five years of teaching, I taught at two schools. I always felt like I was just getting my feet wet before I moved. I’ve been out of the classroom a few years now serving as a literacy coach, and decorating my office has never crossed my mind. Until now.

After reading several professional development books this summer, mostly from Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc., I feel convicted to change my physical space. I also honestly feel compelled to apologize to all my former students for the hodgepodge mess they endured, but hey, I’ll choose to focus on what I can control right now.

Decorating my coaching space may seem like a selfish endeavor, but after reading The Wild Card, Kids Deserve It!, The Limitless School, and Lead with Literacy, I know that my physical space sends a message. The physical environment sends a message about our passions and our values. Your physical surroundings have the power to refuel you and inspire you. As Hope and Wade King describe in The Wild Card, it’s not selfish to infuse your personal interests and passions into your space. You spend more waking time in your school space than at home most days, so make it a place you love!

As a coach, I try to spend more time in classrooms and with teachers than in my office, but there are times I have students visit or meetings with teachers in my little space. My environment this year, I hope, will be appealing to me and welcoming to the teachers and students I serve. I also hope my environment sends a message about the things I value.

The theme: shabby-chic beach.
The inspiration: The Pink House by Kate Salley Palmer.

I’ve always loved Kate Salley Palmer’s work, and The Pink House brings back so many happy beach vacation memories from the South Carolina Lowcountry. If you’ve never been, Edisto is one of the most peaceful, beautiful places in the world. GO!

Table goals:

Found this cute table on Pinterest! The vibrant colors take me to warm, southern coast breezes. I already have an oval table in my office, but it needs a makeover.

A colleague had some wooden chairs on the cheap, so I bought these beauties and sprayed them with bright colors. The yellow spray paint was not my friend. Two cans later, there are still areas that need another coat. I hope to get this finished this week. 

A few of my finds...

 

Target and Hobby Lobby are danger zones for my wallet, but I found all of this on sale. Apparently, retailers need to make space for Christmas decorations in July. :) 

  

These LED string lights are adorable, and they have a built-in, 4 hour timer. I'm pineapple obsessed, and the cactus is just cute. I know I won't find a cactus growing in the wild on Edisto, but I needed a color pop, okay?  

Mandy Ellis, author of Lead with Literacy, describes so many ways to provide books- no strings attached- to students and teachers. One thing I know I want to include after reading her book is a small book nook with cozy seating for the times I have students visit and for my personal children. I’m envisioning a pair of tiny Adirondack chairs in coordinating beachy colors. I also want to find a way to frame the cover art from some of Kate Salley Palmer’s books to hang on the walls, bringing the attention back to literacy. For more awesome ideas, read her book and follow her on Twitter, @mandyellis.

To close, I have seen a lot of posts on social media from teachers about the guilt of not spending money and time decorating your classroom, especially in the summer. I’m not shaming anybody here, just sharing what I have felt inspired to do. Like I said in the first paragraph, I never felt the need to embrace a theme in my physical environment aside from my Clemson rocking chair and purple and orange book bins those first few years because.

Just make sure your space includes something you love.

A New Adventure

At an early age, I fell in love with writing. I still remember opening my first diary, a glittery rainbow fish diary with a tiny lock and key, for Christmas when I was 8 years old. My neighbors, I'm sure, never realized the impact this small gift would have. I've kept a diary since then. Since having two kids, my entries are much more sporadic, and sometimes entries merely consist of short happy lists or gratitude lists. Nonetheless, I write. 

For a good laugh, I've included a few images from my that first diary. Y'all, I loved to write. I never said I was great at it. It's a perfect example of progress! 

Today I lost 3 dollars. I found it "walago" - southern for "a while ago." 

Please note that my 8 year old self writes to my diary like it's a person with human senses and feelings. *Insert dramatic eyeroll emoji. 

 I'm dying laughing while reading some of these diary entries, but it reminds me of the importance of modeling writing for our students. I had some crazy childhood ideas, and my mechanics weren't the best. Let's focus on the journey. And, in case you're wondering, that sick dog didn't die after all. :)

After two amazing conference experiences in June, I have decided to start this blog as a place to share ideas, happenings, and experiences. At both conferences, I heard speakers reiterate the need for teachers and leaders to share what they're doing. By sharing our ideas and experiences, we build a wider community focused on our great mission: serving children. My hope is for this to serve as a place for collaboration and inspiration. 

One of my graduate courses in literacy highlighted the importance of setting personal professional development goals. I know educators have to set goals on paper all the time, but I'm talking about setting real, meaningful goals. What is it you want to achieve this year? What is something you want to learn more about?

This past year, my personal professional development goal was to present at a conference. I finished my administrative certification in August of last year, and one of my big passion projects during the program related to family involvement. With the support of the leadership at my school, I submitted proposals to two conferences, one at the state level and one national conference. I was full of self-doubt and really didn't think my proposal would be accepted to the International Literacy Association's conference, but here we are .... preparing for the conference in Austin, TX in a few short weeks. 

I write about this goal for three reasons. One, I'm pretty proud of this accomplishment. I think it's a big deal, and I'm really excited to share the work we've been doing at JMB with colleagues on a national platform. Two, personal professional development is important! Personal PD goals can help you refuel. Find something you're passionate about and set a goal to learn more. Be intentional in finding something that will inspire you; don't set a goal because it's something you MUST do. That turns into a burden instead of a goal. Three, my personal PD goal for this upcoming year is to maintain this blog. I love to write and to collaborate with others to share ideas. This blog will allow me to do both. 

With the first post done, hopefully I can get to work on the layout and the "cute" factor. :) Anybody have any suggestions for spicing up the blogger format?