AMLE CONFERENCE 2016
Part One of Blog Series
Austin, Texas
October 10-12, 2016
Introduction
This was a long shot—about as long as winning the McGlothlin Award for Teaching Excellence five years ago. What were the chances of being chosen to present at the 2016 Association for Middle Level Education? There were thousands who would apply, and when my principal, David Lambert, pointed out that I needed to grow professionally, I applied. The journey to reach this point in my work has been curvy and twisted, and a trip to Austin, Texas, was a huge right turn.
It is time to blog about teaching. Again. I am well enough, and I finally have a lot to say. Instead of tweeting all through the conference, I decided to “tweet slam” (is there such a term?) and post a take-away from each of the presenters—in rapid fire. Well, one a day, maybe. Then anyone who wants to, may read entire blogs about each of the sessions I attended. If that is not enough, I will gladly have an in-person or online conversation with folks. There is so much to share, and there is not much time to get it recorded in a physical sense where others can use this experience, whether they attended or not.
Day One
Opening Session
The main ballroom of the Austin Convention Center had swank. But the lighting, the stage, and the symmetry of table arrangements were not what grabbed my attention. It was the level of engagement of people who arrived, most well before the start to programming. As I usually do, I made may way to front and center so I could face the stage and give my undivided attention to what was going to transpire. And of course I got there early to make sure I had optimum seating for my need to NOT track everything happening in the huge room. I settled down, and then I looked around the table.
I knew that since I was the only person from my area in attendance, I’d not know a soul. What were the odds to the contrary? Recognizing somebody— anybody—was practically nill. But lo! Rick Wormeli was there. Life has a funny way of coming full circle, and the significance of that moment in time was not wasted.
In case you wonder why this moment is significant, here is some background information about my late-bloomer entry into teaching. My first year teaching in a middle school began in 2003. Being a change-of-career person gave me an opportunity to bring a different perspective about education. After all, I understood business, understood being a stay-at-home mom, and understood that I was NOT meant to “do what I wanted” when my daughters grew up and moved away. Before daughters EmilySarah and Amanda were in high school, I realized being a helicopter mom forever was a very dangerous ambition, so I chose going back to school to get a teaching license. That set into motion a series of events that landed me at Wallace Middle School, under the leadership of Belinda Mullins (now retired from the school system and the Virginia Middle School Association). She knew I was an odd bird, perhaps too driven for my own good, so she tried to channel my energy into some worthy adventures— Appalachian Writing Project, Schools to Watch, and the Virginia Middle School Association. The first two are near and dear to my heart, to put it mildly. Each deserves a series of blogs independent of this posting. (Cue: Look for a blog on those in the future.) Credit for my immersion in all things middle goes to Belinda. She took me to my first ever VMSA conference in 2004, and I will NEVER EVER EVER forget the eyes full of wonder experience it was. To be gone from the classroom for more than a day or two, to ride in a van full of veteran teachers and listen in on their conversations as I watched the Virginia landscape change from highlands to tidewater as math guru Erin Ruble clocked the miles from Abingdon to Norfolk. I don’t think I left the convention center, apart from running across the street to Schlotsky’s for lunch and to Starbucks for a good cup of piping hot English Breakfast tea with proper cream and sugar--and the conference social at the Nauticus. Every minute besides that was spent watching and listening to all the people in a room or in a concourse. I was so new I shamelessly listened in on whatever people around me discussed. I got to where I could drop a shopping conversation and home in on something up my alley—like “Did you hear what he said? I don’t care. I’m giving homework to my kids.” I remember thinking Everybody gives homework. It’s how we stick to the pacing guide, how we separate the scholars from average, how we do things because it’s always been that way, and homework never killed me. (Yeah, I know. New teachers, no matter now old they are, do NOT know squat!)
I loved EVERY single minute I was at that conference. Belinda introduced me to the VMSA president, introduced me to her friends Betty Dore and Sandy Dutemple as well as others. She led me down a specific path, and I have never asked her if she did it knowing I would stay there even if she went down another pathway. I heard some amazing things at the conference, and I went to a Rick Wormeli session where he told everyone he wore Hawaiian shirts and had a surf board in his room that served as a dry erase board for the day’s agenda and assignments. Whoa! Virginia Beach teacher all trendy who has written some books. So, being an adult educator (with a background riddled with a nomadic childhood that had me in 17 different schools before age 18, a child with a unique slate of dis/Abilities and talents), I paid attention. This talk about Summarization and other strategies to get all students learning had my attention. I realized it would have helped me cope and excel with greater ease. Even with my issues, I was never satisfied with less than an A. Well, maybe a B in math was acceptable because I had too much trouble decoding teacher-speak to figure it out on my own. Anyway, I bought the book on the spot and had it signed. It was then I heard about his presentation about grading that would take place the next day. Impromptu, improvised to test people’s reactions to it.
I went to that the next day. Rick Wormeli had this idea that grading should be standards-based. I checked a handout he gave me. I wondered. I remembered the ladies in the concourse saying that homework was a tradition they intended to perpetuate. Hmmm. Well, I did listen. I listened to his affirmation that I should give full credit to a learner who redid the work after failing. I didn’t like it! Not one bit! I remember working my tail off as a kid to get the A the first time, and something in me snapped! It wasn’t fair to me for that kid to get the same grade as mine—especially since I sacrificed, studied, and struggled to make that A. What about grade point averages? I put up a wall of so many reasons to reject his ideas, it wasn’t funny. I left the room with his words echoing in my brain. “Let go of reasons to not do it. Remember your job as an educator is to facilitate every student’s success. If a student has learned the material and knows it, does a C reflect his understanding? Giving a kid who makes a A on the final test and Fs on homework a C is unethical.” I played this seemingly harsh comment over and over again. It took me a long time to see it, to understand it. When I did understand what Rick Wormeli was saying, and I buried my own anger at how I had suffered as a kid, I changed. Today any student can redo until mastery and get full credit. And when my students have As on the report card for English and lesser grades in other core classes, I get “looks” because it is not fair to inflate grades. Isn’t that what other teachers and parents call it sometimes? I call it giving a true grade and infusing self-confidence in my students that they can achieve. Sometimes I have a B student fail an SOL test, but that does not mean they do not know the material or how to apply it. I have to realize while it would be nice to think my students’ grades predetermine their SOL test scores, it will not always happen. Frankly, it is hard to fail my classes now. And I always give students multiple opportunities to shine. I learned this way back in 2004, took several years to accept into my teaching practices, and now share this concept with the many student teachers who come to my classroom for guidance in their pre-professional teaching.
Anyway, back to the 2016 AMLE Opening Session in Austin! Excitably Excitable Rick Wormeli greeted me, and I reminded him that we had had a good discussion about AMLE when he came to our 2011 VMSA Conference at James Madison University at the end of October. At the end of the day, it was snowing rather hard, but it didn’t cloud the clear message that he shared with us. Everything you need to know about middle school you can learn from the Sound of Music. Seeing this in 2004 impressed me. Seeing it again in 2011 blew me away. I realized how far I had come, and I knew I still had far to go. I reminded him that we had talked about my presenting at an AMLE conference sometime, and I kept thinking that it would be a dream come true.
And here I was in Austin, talking to Rick Wormeli about that day and about life in SW Virginia. I am so used to people not knowing where my hometown (Abingdon) is, I was surprised when he told me he had been to Abingdon and to other parts of SW Virginia to help run camps for kids. Wow! I felt understood, immediately told him what a miracle it was to even be at the conference—to present. He was happy for me. Truly. At that moment, the feel of the room shifted from swanky to comfortable.
That’s when AMLE President Pam Millikan came to the table to introduce herself. On October 4 she sent a tweet to somebody urging them to introduce themselves in Austin. And here she was doing what she encouraged others to do. How amazing! It says a lot about the President of our organization, don’t you think? I shared my story about how I got to Austin, and I have her card in case I ever want to contact her about an idea or a concern. (I have it scanned into my phone in case something hits me and I’m not at home where I can get to my Rolodex.)
Pam Millikan set the stage for everyone with her welcome and the statement that “What you can accomplish is limitless!”
Texas Commissioner of Education—Mike Morath—greeted everyone and shared his thought that we are like neurosurgeons with hearts filled with love. He pointed out that teaching in middle education is a CALLING, and he challenged us to keep raising the bar so students go beyond what we originally expect of them. He said, “How we treat education sets the future of the nation.” I think he knows that we are going to teach our students no matter what—and teach them well.
Dru Tomlin came onto the statge in his suit and tie—and famous red athletic shoes. That Good morning, great day greeting we got is now in my play book. I am a poacher! My big take-away from his eloquent talk is this: “Every adult has a middle school teacher who stepped up for them. Step up!” and “Fill your cookie jar!”
Debbie Silver urged us to be with kids, to not multi-task them. Humor is her secret weapon, and she used it to make some very serious points about teaching. She said, “When we are stretched too thin is when a kid in crisis feels like the last straw.” How TRUE is that?? Experts, as she pointed out, come and go. They may think they know how to do our job, but they don’t.
Melina Taylor (the EduGladiator) asked us to “Believe enough in students till they learn to believe in themselves.” She reminded us that we should always do what is best for kids FIRST. (I fully intend to drlll down to the core of her EduGladiators ideas because I am certain there are inspirations and nuggets of knowledge that I can use in my classroom and share with educators in Southwest Virginia.)
Derek McCoy and John Bernea (both National Digital Teachers of the Year) shared the stage and told us to ask ourselves Are my kids excited about coming to school? Excitement and energy do not come from the place, but from the people at a school. The implored us to make the introduction and the entire year EXCITING—to redesign that syllabus, redo the look of instruction, topics, technology, and whatever else we have in our teacher toolboxes. They reminded us that October is Connected Education Month.
Lucas Dix of Teach 100 shared how he uses rap music to teach a concept. He also entertained us with one of his songs…I won’t give up…I want to try even though I could fail… (Needless to say, Teach 100 and Lucas Dix are on my list of things to investigate because I know my students will enjoy listening to something new. They make fun of my 70s and 80s music fairly often!)
Break-out sessions in an upcoming blog. I promise! Starting with Marcia and her fun Dendrites Lessons.
Part One of Blog Series
Austin, Texas
October 10-12, 2016
Introduction
This was a long shot—about as long as winning the McGlothlin Award for Teaching Excellence five years ago. What were the chances of being chosen to present at the 2016 Association for Middle Level Education? There were thousands who would apply, and when my principal, David Lambert, pointed out that I needed to grow professionally, I applied. The journey to reach this point in my work has been curvy and twisted, and a trip to Austin, Texas, was a huge right turn.
It is time to blog about teaching. Again. I am well enough, and I finally have a lot to say. Instead of tweeting all through the conference, I decided to “tweet slam” (is there such a term?) and post a take-away from each of the presenters—in rapid fire. Well, one a day, maybe. Then anyone who wants to, may read entire blogs about each of the sessions I attended. If that is not enough, I will gladly have an in-person or online conversation with folks. There is so much to share, and there is not much time to get it recorded in a physical sense where others can use this experience, whether they attended or not.
Day One
Opening Session
The main ballroom of the Austin Convention Center had swank. But the lighting, the stage, and the symmetry of table arrangements were not what grabbed my attention. It was the level of engagement of people who arrived, most well before the start to programming. As I usually do, I made may way to front and center so I could face the stage and give my undivided attention to what was going to transpire. And of course I got there early to make sure I had optimum seating for my need to NOT track everything happening in the huge room. I settled down, and then I looked around the table.
I knew that since I was the only person from my area in attendance, I’d not know a soul. What were the odds to the contrary? Recognizing somebody— anybody—was practically nill. But lo! Rick Wormeli was there. Life has a funny way of coming full circle, and the significance of that moment in time was not wasted.
In case you wonder why this moment is significant, here is some background information about my late-bloomer entry into teaching. My first year teaching in a middle school began in 2003. Being a change-of-career person gave me an opportunity to bring a different perspective about education. After all, I understood business, understood being a stay-at-home mom, and understood that I was NOT meant to “do what I wanted” when my daughters grew up and moved away. Before daughters EmilySarah and Amanda were in high school, I realized being a helicopter mom forever was a very dangerous ambition, so I chose going back to school to get a teaching license. That set into motion a series of events that landed me at Wallace Middle School, under the leadership of Belinda Mullins (now retired from the school system and the Virginia Middle School Association). She knew I was an odd bird, perhaps too driven for my own good, so she tried to channel my energy into some worthy adventures— Appalachian Writing Project, Schools to Watch, and the Virginia Middle School Association. The first two are near and dear to my heart, to put it mildly. Each deserves a series of blogs independent of this posting. (Cue: Look for a blog on those in the future.) Credit for my immersion in all things middle goes to Belinda. She took me to my first ever VMSA conference in 2004, and I will NEVER EVER EVER forget the eyes full of wonder experience it was. To be gone from the classroom for more than a day or two, to ride in a van full of veteran teachers and listen in on their conversations as I watched the Virginia landscape change from highlands to tidewater as math guru Erin Ruble clocked the miles from Abingdon to Norfolk. I don’t think I left the convention center, apart from running across the street to Schlotsky’s for lunch and to Starbucks for a good cup of piping hot English Breakfast tea with proper cream and sugar--and the conference social at the Nauticus. Every minute besides that was spent watching and listening to all the people in a room or in a concourse. I was so new I shamelessly listened in on whatever people around me discussed. I got to where I could drop a shopping conversation and home in on something up my alley—like “Did you hear what he said? I don’t care. I’m giving homework to my kids.” I remember thinking Everybody gives homework. It’s how we stick to the pacing guide, how we separate the scholars from average, how we do things because it’s always been that way, and homework never killed me. (Yeah, I know. New teachers, no matter now old they are, do NOT know squat!)
I loved EVERY single minute I was at that conference. Belinda introduced me to the VMSA president, introduced me to her friends Betty Dore and Sandy Dutemple as well as others. She led me down a specific path, and I have never asked her if she did it knowing I would stay there even if she went down another pathway. I heard some amazing things at the conference, and I went to a Rick Wormeli session where he told everyone he wore Hawaiian shirts and had a surf board in his room that served as a dry erase board for the day’s agenda and assignments. Whoa! Virginia Beach teacher all trendy who has written some books. So, being an adult educator (with a background riddled with a nomadic childhood that had me in 17 different schools before age 18, a child with a unique slate of dis/Abilities and talents), I paid attention. This talk about Summarization and other strategies to get all students learning had my attention. I realized it would have helped me cope and excel with greater ease. Even with my issues, I was never satisfied with less than an A. Well, maybe a B in math was acceptable because I had too much trouble decoding teacher-speak to figure it out on my own. Anyway, I bought the book on the spot and had it signed. It was then I heard about his presentation about grading that would take place the next day. Impromptu, improvised to test people’s reactions to it.
I went to that the next day. Rick Wormeli had this idea that grading should be standards-based. I checked a handout he gave me. I wondered. I remembered the ladies in the concourse saying that homework was a tradition they intended to perpetuate. Hmmm. Well, I did listen. I listened to his affirmation that I should give full credit to a learner who redid the work after failing. I didn’t like it! Not one bit! I remember working my tail off as a kid to get the A the first time, and something in me snapped! It wasn’t fair to me for that kid to get the same grade as mine—especially since I sacrificed, studied, and struggled to make that A. What about grade point averages? I put up a wall of so many reasons to reject his ideas, it wasn’t funny. I left the room with his words echoing in my brain. “Let go of reasons to not do it. Remember your job as an educator is to facilitate every student’s success. If a student has learned the material and knows it, does a C reflect his understanding? Giving a kid who makes a A on the final test and Fs on homework a C is unethical.” I played this seemingly harsh comment over and over again. It took me a long time to see it, to understand it. When I did understand what Rick Wormeli was saying, and I buried my own anger at how I had suffered as a kid, I changed. Today any student can redo until mastery and get full credit. And when my students have As on the report card for English and lesser grades in other core classes, I get “looks” because it is not fair to inflate grades. Isn’t that what other teachers and parents call it sometimes? I call it giving a true grade and infusing self-confidence in my students that they can achieve. Sometimes I have a B student fail an SOL test, but that does not mean they do not know the material or how to apply it. I have to realize while it would be nice to think my students’ grades predetermine their SOL test scores, it will not always happen. Frankly, it is hard to fail my classes now. And I always give students multiple opportunities to shine. I learned this way back in 2004, took several years to accept into my teaching practices, and now share this concept with the many student teachers who come to my classroom for guidance in their pre-professional teaching.
Anyway, back to the 2016 AMLE Opening Session in Austin! Excitably Excitable Rick Wormeli greeted me, and I reminded him that we had had a good discussion about AMLE when he came to our 2011 VMSA Conference at James Madison University at the end of October. At the end of the day, it was snowing rather hard, but it didn’t cloud the clear message that he shared with us. Everything you need to know about middle school you can learn from the Sound of Music. Seeing this in 2004 impressed me. Seeing it again in 2011 blew me away. I realized how far I had come, and I knew I still had far to go. I reminded him that we had talked about my presenting at an AMLE conference sometime, and I kept thinking that it would be a dream come true.
And here I was in Austin, talking to Rick Wormeli about that day and about life in SW Virginia. I am so used to people not knowing where my hometown (Abingdon) is, I was surprised when he told me he had been to Abingdon and to other parts of SW Virginia to help run camps for kids. Wow! I felt understood, immediately told him what a miracle it was to even be at the conference—to present. He was happy for me. Truly. At that moment, the feel of the room shifted from swanky to comfortable.
That’s when AMLE President Pam Millikan came to the table to introduce herself. On October 4 she sent a tweet to somebody urging them to introduce themselves in Austin. And here she was doing what she encouraged others to do. How amazing! It says a lot about the President of our organization, don’t you think? I shared my story about how I got to Austin, and I have her card in case I ever want to contact her about an idea or a concern. (I have it scanned into my phone in case something hits me and I’m not at home where I can get to my Rolodex.)
Pam Millikan set the stage for everyone with her welcome and the statement that “What you can accomplish is limitless!”
Texas Commissioner of Education—Mike Morath—greeted everyone and shared his thought that we are like neurosurgeons with hearts filled with love. He pointed out that teaching in middle education is a CALLING, and he challenged us to keep raising the bar so students go beyond what we originally expect of them. He said, “How we treat education sets the future of the nation.” I think he knows that we are going to teach our students no matter what—and teach them well.
Dru Tomlin came onto the statge in his suit and tie—and famous red athletic shoes. That Good morning, great day greeting we got is now in my play book. I am a poacher! My big take-away from his eloquent talk is this: “Every adult has a middle school teacher who stepped up for them. Step up!” and “Fill your cookie jar!”
Debbie Silver urged us to be with kids, to not multi-task them. Humor is her secret weapon, and she used it to make some very serious points about teaching. She said, “When we are stretched too thin is when a kid in crisis feels like the last straw.” How TRUE is that?? Experts, as she pointed out, come and go. They may think they know how to do our job, but they don’t.
Melina Taylor (the EduGladiator) asked us to “Believe enough in students till they learn to believe in themselves.” She reminded us that we should always do what is best for kids FIRST. (I fully intend to drlll down to the core of her EduGladiators ideas because I am certain there are inspirations and nuggets of knowledge that I can use in my classroom and share with educators in Southwest Virginia.)
Derek McCoy and John Bernea (both National Digital Teachers of the Year) shared the stage and told us to ask ourselves Are my kids excited about coming to school? Excitement and energy do not come from the place, but from the people at a school. The implored us to make the introduction and the entire year EXCITING—to redesign that syllabus, redo the look of instruction, topics, technology, and whatever else we have in our teacher toolboxes. They reminded us that October is Connected Education Month.
Lucas Dix of Teach 100 shared how he uses rap music to teach a concept. He also entertained us with one of his songs…I won’t give up…I want to try even though I could fail… (Needless to say, Teach 100 and Lucas Dix are on my list of things to investigate because I know my students will enjoy listening to something new. They make fun of my 70s and 80s music fairly often!)
Break-out sessions in an upcoming blog. I promise! Starting with Marcia and her fun Dendrites Lessons.