Top Ten~ish Takeaways from 2014 - 2015.

1) Apparently having a passion for teaching reading and math is still considered weird.  I'm extremely proud to have both my Math classroom certification and my Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners and Educators Classroom Educator certification.  It is amazing how when I'm tutoring in math my OG training comes out:

• "What is this word?" 
• "Hundr... umm... I don't know that word."
• "What does 'th' say?"
• "/th/... oh hundreths..."

Most teachers I come across love one or the other.  I can't see one without the other.

2) It is amazing how much growth my students show on standardized tests when I'm just allowed to teach.  I wonder how my other placements would have gone if I wasn't as micro-managed.

3)  On that topic, I'm still amazed we live in a country where 100% of teachers need to prove that 100% of the students in their class showed over a year of growth.  No other profession is held to that standard.  No doctor has to have a 100% patient survival rate,  no police officer has to have a 100% crime free district.

4) Even after 18 years of teaching I still do not have a 'set' curriculum.  Each class is different, each year leads down a different path.  I have material that I integrate, but my lessons always change. This is not a bad thing.  It could also be because for the 9th time in 8 years I'll be changing classrooms.

5) Connecting to a Personal Learning Network  has been amazing.  Using twitter as an educational professional development tool allowed me to grow in ways that no other medium could have done. I was able to give and get feedback and ideas nearly instantly.  I went from never using twitter to hosting #MSchat discussion in less than one year.  Check out links on the right to see at all the awesome educators you should also be reading!

6)  I'm very thankful to the Association for Middle Level Educators to provide such a wonderful conference, as well as Marburn Academy for providing me the opportunity to go there!  I made so many professional connections, saw amazing presentations, and met truly passionate middle level educators!

Some #MSchat members at #AMLE2014

7) I LOVE presenting at conferences.  AMLE 2014 was my first national conference and I loved being able to share my ideas, thoughts, and techniques.  I loved getting feedback from participants and especially loved getting e-mails saying how they incorporated my ideas into their classroom.  Unfortunately it didn't work out for AMLE 2015, but this is a role I want to expand in the future. [ ADVICE ON HOW TO DO THIS IS HIGHLY REQUESTED :) ]

8) Teach a student how to solve a rubik's cube and their confidence in EVERYTHING goes up exponentially.  I have yet to find any exceptions to this rule.

9) Apparently I have a knack for coming up with a game for any topic and any grade level.  I seem to be the go-to person when someone needs a 'fun way' to do this topic.   What can I say, I like games!

10) I'm still incredibly proud of our division's Hunger Games Food Drive. Arguably one of my best memories as a classroom teacher.

Positive use of competition

11) Lessons are better when you teach like a pirate.  Get the students wondering about what is going on instead of 'what are we going to learn' :play some music, come in costume, rearrange the room, make up stories... use mystery and intrigue.  The learning occurs naturally from there.

12) After a dozen and a half years I'm still as passionate about teaching as I was when I started. I'm already reading PD books and planning big picture ideas for 2015-2016.  It's like it never turns off!

Thank you all for reading my blog this year - it has been quite an experiment for me.  I'm not the type that usually publishes my writing, but I hope you have gotten something out of it.  I really loved getting the comments, e-mails, and tweets about how my ideas helped you in your class.   I'll be posting a bit over the summer and will be back full time in the fall!

Michael :)

#amle = Amazing Mentors and Learning Experience!

So today was the day - Friday, 4:15 pm - presenting at a national conference.  Nerves and excitement abound, I went to the keynote speaker (amazing talk about drama vs. bullying) and my other sessions.

In the blink of an eye, it is 3:30.  I got to my session on time and set up all my materials.  Then of course, the waiting... for... participants.  I was so glad to see my new friend Jackie (@jbhanlon) as one of the first to show up!  Jackie had given an amazingly informative and vibrant speed session entitled Literacy Gone Wild the previous day.  She showed up to my session full of energy and one piece of advice... the ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE secret to giving an amazing presentation:

I just laughed as saw her and raised her my bid:

(never leave home without it)

My session began and I introduced myself to the participants.  I don't know if other presenters get this way, but once I got into the actual presentation I was instantly back in 'teacher mode.'  I was presenting on protocols and activities that I had done many times in class.  I was able to answer questions and help educators figure out ways to modify the protocol for their specific situation.   I was teaching educators and I loved it.  

I got to do the same 20 minute presentation three times.  I presented four different student engagement protocols to about a dozen and a half different educators, and all of them loved the activities I taught.  I got so much amazingly positive feedback - how simple and effective they are, how little time they take to prep, how fun they are, how this should have been a 75 minute session, how easily they transfer to any subject.  How I should turn these ideas into a book.

I love my background in education.  I value all of the different experiences I have had.  I have taught  3rd - 9th grades, all major core subjects plus PE, advisory, and health.  I have been in public, charter, and private schools,  and taught in three different states.  I have worked in the Montessori and Expeditionary Learning educational models.  I have training in games and facilitation.  I have a melting pot of ideas and I hope to continue to get these strategies out to anyone who wants them.

I ended last night in my first "official" twitter chat.  This came out of a fantastic session about building a professional network given by Todd (@blocht574).  I got to meet and interact with such a diverse group of educators - teachers of all subjects and experience levels,  published authors, principals, AMLE admins, and even a magician!  What I valued most about this session was that everyone's opinion was valued and nobody was 'the odd duck out.'  Even though many of these people had been chatting for months (or longer) on #mschat, I wasn't treated as a stranger.  

I love being in a community of educators and how willing we all are to share ideas to move education forward.  I'm looking forward to implementing so many of the 15-pages-of-notes I jotted down over the past few days.  

I LITERALLY came to this conference personally knowing nobody.  I leave with over two dozen contacts and so many personal connections.  Thanks to everyone that helped improve my teaching!  Talk to you online and see you all in Columbus next year!