Learning to Be Grateful

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In this profession, it is way too easy to fall into to the trap of being busy, overwhelmed, and quite frankly, exhausted. We get down on ourselves and sometimes even play the competitive sport entitled “Who’s Busier?!” Instead of stressing out, we all need to sit back, relax, and learn to take some time for ourselves. I have to admit that this is not my strength… I am the antithesis of relaxation and I have chronic headaches to prove it. However, it is something that I am working on.

Here are five things for which I am grateful this Thanksgiving season…

1. My dog. I love him. He’s adorable. No matter what happened at work that day, how late I come home, how sick I feel or how grumpy I am, he is always there. This weekend we took him to Campbell Valley Park and he was the happiest little guy in the world. I was not a dog person until we got him 2 years ago… And now I know the definition of unconditional love and (wo)man’s best friend.

2. Good food. I don’t think I realized growing up how lucky we were in my house. We didn’t have more than we needed, but we always ate good, healthy food. To this day, I am so grateful that my mother taught us the value of good food and nutrition. I am also thankful that I learned how to cook as a child; I wish every child got to experience the magic of creating a meal. An untapped source of creativity, I think…

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3. Education. We are so incredibly blessed to have access to free public education for all. Every so often, I try to imagine what it would be like to not have this access and it breaks my heart. The ability to read and write and learn is so incredible. I think sometimes we forget about the magic of stories and the wonder of free access to information. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn openly.

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4. Sunshine. There is nothing more amazing than a beautiful sunny day in the fall. Enough said.

5. Love and laughter. Although it is sometimes difficult to remember in times of chaos… I love my family, my spouse, my friends, my dog, my students… and I know I am loved in return. I am especially grateful for the amazing group of kids I have this year who have already shared so much joy and laughter with me. Everything is better with laughter!

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Try to take some time for yourself this year and remember to reflect on the positive.
What are you grateful for?

For the Love of Art

My students this year are very talented artists. They have consistently demonstrated creativity and a sense of artistic expression. They have used art to deepen their understanding and appreciation of particular artists, genres, and principles. I thought I would share some of the art projects we have completed this year as a tribute to my fantastic students! I’ll miss them!

Colour: Tints and Shades in Tempera Paint
In this introductory project, students practiced paint mixing techniques and experimented with the possibilities of tints and shades all stemming from an original colour. They also developed creative patterns in which to display their tints and shades. They were given freedom in the design.

Line: Exploring Patterns in Black Felt
This project was intended to allow students creative expression within the constraints of a line study. They were instructed to explore line in all its forms (e.g. curvy, straight, zigzag) as well as in a variety of widths. They used line to create pattern and the illusion of no beginning or end.

Georgia O’Keeffe: Giant Flowers in Chalk Pastel
This was one of my favourite visual art projects this year. We spent some time studying Georgia O’Keeffe’s flower paintings and describing their characteristics. For instance, students noticed they often depicted a bird’s eye view and that only a portion of the flower was shown. Using chalk pastel, students chose a flower and experimented with blending techniques and perspective. The results were beautiful!

Andy Warhol: Pop Art in Oil Pastel
One of our more recent projects involved Andy Warhol’s pop art. Again, we made observations as a class about repetition, colour schemes, and social implications of this style of art. We chose a coffee cup as our object of choice, but there was some liberty taken with style and size. Again, great results!

Although there are many things I would go back and change about our art program this year, all students were successful in exploring new techniques and principles. They were creative and engaged. They all tried something new or took a risk.

I don’t think there is enough emphasis currently placed on the arts in our schools. Fine arts give kids the opportunity to explore, take risks, practice creativity and personal expression. They can also act as a means of managing emotions. If creativity, innovation, and critical thinking are important skills to give our students, art should be a part of every single day we spend with our students, not an activity relegated to Friday afternoons.

I love teaching art and am always looking for new ideas… Please feel free to share what has worked well for you!

Inspiring Others to Flourish

On May 11, I was lucky enough to attend TEDx West Vancouver: Rethink Education. It was a very inspirational day full of amazing speakers. However, there is only one that I have not been able to stop thinking about.

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Katy Hutchison is an amazing, inspirational woman. Following the murder of her husband in 1997, Katy spent five years waiting for a conviction. Despite her tragic situation, where many would seek revenge, Katy developed a sense of compassion and a desire to support young people who, because of upsetting or unfortunate circumstances, end up making poor decisions.

Katy shared her story of how she met the man who murdered her husband, asked him why he did it, and then, when he began to cry, proceeded to hug him. She spent time visiting him in prison and getting to know him. She remained calm and compassionate. She used her tragic situation to practice forgiveness. She watched him recover slowly and re-enter society. She did what I am not sure many people could do. She gave him a “time in.” Katy is a remarkable woman for whom I will forever have an immense sense of admiration.

Katy now travels the world sharing her story about how her experience has taught her that restorative justice is the most effective way to deal with poor behaviour and decisions. I was very much impacted by her story and I began to think about how her philosophy applies to our education system. Rather than reprimanding bad behaviour, shouldn’t we spend time trying to get to know our students and why they may be making poor decisions? Shouldn’t we try to understand their perspective? Perhaps if all educators were a bit more like Katy, we could help students grow into the people they were meant to be.

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AlicePopkorn via Compfight

Katy influenced me to reflect on my everyday interactions and experiences both with my students and with everyone else I come across in life.

Perhaps if everyone were just a little more like Katy, our schools and our world would be better off.

When did you last help someone flourish into the person they were meant to be rather than what they appeared to be on the surface?

 

Stepping Just Outside Our Comfort Zone

Last night, I moderated a Twitter chat for the first time. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, and it wasn’t really, but it was a new experience for me. As I sat there anxiously at 7:59, I was reminded of how vulnerable we all are as human beings. This was the first ever #sd36learn chat, and I was worried that people would be expecting something wonderful and that I somehow wouldn’t deliver. They would be wondering why my questions weren’t thought-provoking enough, or why I was moderating a chat anyway. For 10 whole minutes, I was shocked at how anxious I was about something so small. I’ve participated in lots of Twitter chats and I know how they generally work; however, I wasn’t prepared for trying to read everyone’s ideas and assess the conversation as it took place.

Having said that, I think it is so important that we do step out of our comfort zone on a regular basis. We need to be reminded of what it’s like to be slightly uncomfortable, briefly out of our element. It is only then that we can continue to develop as learners. It’s the only way that we can be genuine when we tell our students that risk taking is a critical component of learning. We need to model what we ask of them. It’s not about being terrified, it’s about slight discomfort and the right amount of challenge pushing us just a little more outside our box.

cc flickr photo shared by gillicious

Thanks to everyone who joined in the first #sd36learn chat! It was great to see so many supporters of the work that we all do, both from within and outside of our district. I’m sure these weekly chats will lead to many more meaningful conversations. Join us for the next one on Sunday May 5th at 8 pm PST!

You can check out our conversations here.

Good leaders inspire leadership in others. That is what George Couros (@gcouros) did for me this past week, for which I am very thankful. We all need a kick in the butt once in awhile (especially if we’re still working on putting ourselves out there)!

Why I Became an Educator

We all have our reasons for becoming educators. Whether it is an inspirational teacher in our own lives, a desire to inspire the world’s future leaders, or a frustration with the school system, any reason that makes us passionate is a good one.

My reasons fall into the third category.

I wouldn’t normally think to share my inspiration to become an educator, but thanks to two wonderful pro-d opportunities with @gcouros today, I am inspired to share my story.

I was always a “good” student. I fit the mould of what everyone thought a good student should be. I listened in class, I (usually) completed homework, and I always had a knack for knowing what would be important in test situations. I found school easy and I also enjoyed it. I wasn’t much of a concern one way or the other.

My siblings, on the other hand, did not fit this mould.

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Teachers thought my brother needed discipline; what he really needed was a challenge. Honestly, he was BORED. There was nothing motivating about completing trivial assignments he already understood. So when he didn’t see the point, he didn’t bother.

My sister suffers from ADHD as well as other mental health issues and has struggled with self-regulation all her life (she is also one of the most caring, sensitive people I know). Labeled early on as a “difficult” student, she was never well supported by the school system. Being 11 years older than her, I have always played a sort of mother role in her life, so it has been difficult to step back and watch the lack of resources and innovative solutions time and time again. She is still struggling to get through the school system today.

I chose a career in education because I was frustrated with the system. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of those who didn’t fit the mould. Music Education was my first real passion in university; I thought music would be the way to connect with all those struggling, misunderstood students. I’ve not yet had the opportunity to teach Music, but I will be forever grateful for the creativity and innovative thinking that I developed over the course of that program. I’m not sure that I would be so willing to take risks if it weren’t for exploring Music Education.

I became an educator so that I can reach those kids that other people can’t or won’t. I make it my mission to touch base with those kids who need me most every single day. I like to think it makes a difference. I hope I will always uphold my mission to engage the unmotivated, inspire the uninspired, and encourage those who have lost hope. I believe that our role as teachers is not so much about teaching as it is about listening, loving, and engaging. It’s about developing relationships with our students and inspiring them to want to be the best they can be. Whether they are struggling or needing a challenge, it’s about helping them discover their strengths and their passions.

Morguefile photo shared by Scarletina

In some ways, it saddens me that I don’t have a nice little story about an inspirational teacher in my life. It’s not necessarily that those stories don’t exist; they do. But without my frustration with the school system, I likely would not have become a teacher. I likely wouldn’t have the passion for change in education that I do today. For that, I will be forever grateful. As long as kids need an advocate for change, I will always be inspired to be an educator.

Why did you become an educator?