Not only a Principal, now I'm a parent.

So, my oldest son started Kindergarten last Thursday. When Thursday morning came, my oldest son rose out of bed, walked into my room and said "Mommy, I'm in Kindergarten!" He was so excited. Mind you he has been asking if "tomorrow is his first day of Kindergarten" for about a year now. He has so much excitement about school and learning. I hope this excitement lasts forever. Since we live so close to his new elementary school, we walked there. Walking the four blocks to his new school allowed us to meet all the other neighborhood children who would be Kindergarteners too. All of us parents and guardians walking together with our happy, soon to be first time school aged children. My son's campus is a closed campus so all of us Kindergarten parents stood behind the fence and watched their five year olds enter their teachers classrooms. We took photos, waved, and said our goodbyes. I cried. Not just because my son is getting older and starting Kindergarten is a representation of him getting older and the first phase of parental release into the wild that is growing up, but more so a representation of my greatest fear: how effective is my child's teacher? Children come into the world hungry for knowledge. They are on fire for learning. Will my son's Kindergarten teacher extinguish or fan that flame for knowledge? I don't know. I thought how scary is this situation? My son's Kindergarten teacher, a woman, albeit quite nice, a person I have never spent much time with is responsible for my son's first experience with school. She will set the tone for whether or not he finds school enjoyable. If school means you'll be heard, taught with care, and treated with kindness and respect. She is basically a second mother to him. Mom who speaks Education as her love. While I am afraid of what the future holds in terms of my son always loving Education, I can finally say I am on the other side of the desk now. My sentences to parents speak from empathy now and not just experience. Feels weird. But it makes me push for excellence for my students in our high poverty school even more.

Why every teacher should take an acting class

Shakespeare once said "All the world is a stage..." This is especially true of the classroom. The more experience I obtain as an Instructional Leader, the more I think of Pedagogy as an art. I mean, it takes an artist to repeat the same performance several times per day fine tuning the performance to the nuances of each audience. There is no other performance art greater or more organic than that of a classroom teacher. Same with actors... while actors are not afforded the same intimate knowledge of his or her audience, the art form has striking similarities to teaching with one prevailing factor that lends itself to the art to make the artist great: FEEDBACK! Recently I met a friend of a friend who is an acting coach. He's worked with some pretty famous actors. When I met this acting coach, he said..."hey, you should totally come to a class to check it out." I love learning. Always have, always will. So I decided to take him up on the offer. I've always wanted to be some sort of performer. And while being an administrator does have its fair share of performances, it is simply not the same as the bright lights, glitz/glam and autograph signing life of a TRUE actor...LOL. So off to L.A. I go. I tell myself I will go to do some "observational work" (fancy actor term for studying a character or subject matter). Exit to Wilshire Blvd. I arrive at my destination and enter the valet parking only building (L.A., go figure) to attend my first ever acting class. I walk into the office of the coach...his office was very similar to that of a classroom teacher: wall of accomplishments (autographed posters from movies that he's worked on with signatures from the obvious stars)...for a teacher this would be like wall of degrees, awards, etc...; bookshelf full of content related material that is all geared toward self improvement in the field, and of course... the class. Attached to his rather quaint office was the classroom: Several chairs facing a window. In front of the window was a curtain. In front of the curtain there were two chairs... two chairs for the experience. Also in the room was a television, a big beaming, bright light and a camera. After some chit chat and celebration of successes among the actors who came to class, it was time to dive deep into what I came to observe: raw talent. Each student in the class was given a small script to study. They were given time to go over lines then they all had to perform in front of one another with the teacher not saying a single word. After the performance, the actor/actress watched their performance on camera. Then it was time for what I was mesmerized by: FEEDBACK! These actors were hungry for direction. They ate the words of the acting coach because it was providing sustenance for craft improvement. The feedback, I must say, was pretty darn valuable too. It helps that the coach knew the strengths and areas of growth for each of his students, but it was more to it than that...it was the beautiful dance of sharing information to help one another get better so EVERYONE could reach their own level of perfection deemed acceptable by industry standards. So I got to thinking... why can't Educators do this??? ******************************RECORD SCRATCH***************************************************** I know, I know...feedback requires walkthroughs or peer reviews, right? Who wants a bunch of pesky administrators or colleagues coming into your classroom writing down stuff while you are teaching, practicing your art, right? Wait. Feedback isn't a gotcha game. I promise you its not. If used effectively, it can be a very wonderful, valuable tool to help you see better results from your students. That's what it is all about, right? Our students? The little people whose parents, guardians, and loved ones send to us daily to help prepare them for their next stage of life. Remember them? I do have VERY strong opinions about teachers who refuse to adopt new instructional strategies, but feedback is a critical part of being a classroom teacher...if not, it should be. I will be the first to admit it, when I first started teaching, I too did not enjoy administrators walking around my room with a pen and pad writing down things. It felt odd, invasive, like they were waiting for me to mess up... but that wasn't it at all. What was shared with me was very valuable. "Did you know you called on Steven four times during class?" "Did you know there was an entire three rows to your left where children were raising their hand and you did not call on them?" "Did you know you have a tendency to call on girls more than boys?" It was all true. Indisputable evidence from more than one set of eyes telling me the same thing. I could take this information and call it criticism (which clearly it was not) and improve, or I could CHOOSE to do nothing... but at the end of the day, there was no denying I was now AWARE of how to improve...it was due to the valuable feedback I received from my administrators and peers who observed me teaching. See in one Middle School I taught for, the feedback process was a natural part of the culture. You just HAD to do it. Period. There was no bucking the system. There was also group accountability. As a teacher at that school, going against the culture of feedback would not have gone over well with my peers. It would have evoked a "who the hell do you think you are" attitude. Who wants that? This was very much like what I witnessed in the acting class. If someone said "no, I'm not going to take that advice that you ALL are giving me", that person, more than likely, would be asked not to return. You see one can only grow AFTER one is made aware of where they need to grow. Growth does not imply deficit, it means you need to get stronger. How can any TRUE EDUCATOR deny that we all need to be stronger? Are all of our schools with a 100% graduation rate? Nope... growth. Are all of our schools decreasing their suspension, expulsion and dropout rates? Nope...growth. Are all of our schools prepared for Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the higher order thinking instructional strategies that will need to be implemented as a result? Nope...growth. You see feedback doesn't arrest development, it fosters it. Actors, at the end of the day, are only as good as their last performance. And if your audience (students and their grades/scores) are giving you bad reviews, its time to take a couple of acting classes (feedback from peers) to see what you can do better. If you aren't quite comfortable with that process yet... I know of a very good acting coach you can see to help you get there. This acting coach is really good by the way: www.dustinfelder.com Tell him teachingwhileblack sent you.

"That's why they pay you the BIG BUCKS" and other admin fallacies

                                         

                                         



I know this looks crazy folks. Sorry, id it on my iPad. Blogging whilst on the pad is very limited... that or I don't know the tricks of the trade yet I often hear teachers, classified staff, and even parents say... "hey, that's why they pay you the big bucks, right."   My usual response to this comment is a smile.  While I'm smiling, my mind is thinking, "If you only knew."

Here's a revelation I bet you didn't know: TEACHERS ARE PAID MORE THAN ADMINISTRATORS! I know you're thinking, "Blog lady, usocrazeee!" No, its true. Let me tell you why TIME equals money and how teachers win every time. First let's start with the 9th ring of Dante's Administration known as High School. You see High School administrators spend the most time out of all campus administrators. Why you ask? Well all those lovely clubs, dances, sporting events, and meetings...someone has to be present on campus to supervise and make sure things don't go haywire. An average work day for a high school administrator is 10-12 hours...that's average. If there is an after school activity, you're talking 12-14. My personal running record is 18 hours thank you very much. Hey teacher, you knowh ow you like to leave at 3:30 or whenever your contracted duties end? Yeah, divide your salary by your 7 hour work day and divide mine, you will see one hell of a difference. Still not convinced? Okay,here are some reasons the "BIG BUCKS" don't really add up when you think about it. ___________Let me insert a disclaimer right now___________ I am happy to be employed. I love my occupation and my current position. I wouldn't trade my current station in life for ANYTHING...um*thinks to self*, okay, yeah, I wouldn't. Let me continue. Other than the ridicously long hours, here is what the "BIG BUCKS" amount to:

                                       

1. Complaint department. That's right. Everything from how bad the school lunches are to how poorly you are preforming at your job come across one mile per minute in this world of management. Oh, people are vocal too. They want what they want when they want it. That means right now. Here's the funny thing. That sense of urgency with requests isn't reciprocated whatsoever. People will unload, vent, and EXPECT you to fix their problems. Some problems are small and easily resolved. The big ones... well, I guess that's why they pay us the big bucks, right... sheesh! 2. You upset at least three people on any given day. Let's see, just this week alone I was spit on, yelled at, and eye rolled to death. No, not from kids, FROM ADULTS! Shocking right... not really. But hey, that's why they pay me the big bucks. :-) 3. Juggling 85 tasks at once. Here's a little excercise to keep your mind sharp. Tell yourself you're going to complete one task fromo beginning to end without any interuptions. If you're an administrator, you can hang that up. A typical day starts off well meaning. I yearn to get in classrooms and do walkthroughs. Then a kid cracks his or head open on the concrete and the school site can't get ahold of anyone at home. I hop in my car and accompany that kid to the hospital until a relative, guardian, probation officer, SOMEONE is there to make medical decisions on behalf of the poor kid. I return to campus... then there is a fight, then another, then dress code, then four pop up parents who are all upset DEMANDING to know why you suspended their little angel. You get the drift yet Then you look up and its dismissal time (for students and teachers), then you maybe get a chance to use the restroom and eat whatever junkfood you can find. Then a mere four to six hours after dismissal, its time to leave, go home, brush your teeth, sleep for al ittle while then get up and do it all over again. 4. You have TONS of people to answer to. Dear teachers, you have parents, your Assistant Principals and your Principal. Us poor administrators have to answer to: the community, parents, students, employees, unions, random citizens, the newspapers, board members, Superintendants, Assistant Superintendants, HR Directors, the Business Office (scary folks), grant coordinators, Construction workers, Police department, Probation Officers, Social Workers, Accreditation Committees, The County Board of Education, the State Department of Education, and the most important people: our families. Yeah... family. If you are a parent and an administrator, times get tough. You walk a fine line between being present and being financial aid. This is what worries me. Teachers complain that some administrators are overpaid desk jockeys but these same people are telling this to their spouse at dinner time. My babies literally can go days without seeing me for more than a collective couple of hours. But hey... I guess that's why they pay me the big bucks, right?

SMILE! You're on candid (iPhone) camera.

                           
                  Teachers, are you aware at ANY given moment, you're being "watched?"

Tis the season of beginning of the year training.  For you Education civilians, August is the month where districts typically conduct PD or professional development. Today we had an investigative group present to my district's administrators how to properly conduct an investigation.  The group, quite professional mind you, had a PowerPoint presentation filled with useful information and examples.  Yes, teachers LOVE examples. Two of the four examples of when an investigation should be launched featured teachers on film via cell phone cameras.  Often, these films were uploaded to Facebook or YouTube for all the world to see.

Watching these videos instantly took me to my "Education School Law" class at the University of San Diego where my professor, Lawyer turned Principal, told me that California Education Code states that when a district is accused of wrong doing and the wrong doing is done by a teacher, often districts will CYA (Cover your a****) by saying the person accused was "acting outside of the scope of duties."

What exactly is "acting outside of the scope of duties"?  See... in the examples we viewed today, many of the teachers were being, somewhat, baited by the children.  Key word, children.  One teacher told a special education student he would "kick his ass" and "find him" even after he graduated.  Another teacher said "this class is full of bright kids, except for you four idiots who ruin it for everyone."

Yeah... how can you not know when you lose your cool in the classroom that some sort of smart phone is not going to be capturing your meltdown?

In today's world of "TMZ" that records celebrities when they explode and tabloids dishing the latest dirt, how can you NOT think that students, whose lives you directly impact, would not take this same stance?  Students are people too, and people LOVE meltdowns.

If you've ever read my blog you know that I advocate for staying "PRESENT IN THE MOMENT."  What is that you ask... it means not taking things personally.  You just can't.  Students come to school, much like adults who come to work, with many, too many often, family of origin issues.  Do not let a child steal your livelihood because they've angered you.  I KNOW... sometimes a child is (kind of) asking for it.  I understand.  I feel that way with adults sometimes... but in the grand scheme of things, can you really afford the cost of going off on a kid because it feels good at that moment over losing your job?


You worked hard to be a teacher. Don't take ANYTHING a child says personally.  If you feel the kid is out of control, call your school security, call your administrator...BETTER YET!  Call the kid's parent and tell them what happened.  You don't want your outburst to go viral... Sometimes no union in the world can protect what public opinion has deemed an offense.  Public opinion rules.  Especially in the politics of Education.

Three reasons why teachers should only have TEACHER friends.

Hello teacher friends... and enemies (you know who you are).  Summer has officially begun and we are dead smack in the middle of our golden month: July.  Why is July the golden month for the teacher?  Well in June we are winding down getting ready for July, our month of freedom, and in August we are gearing up for the school year.  Yes, some overachieving teachers will say they spend their entire six weeks off prepping for the upcoming school year.  I applaud those hard, dedicated, soon to be burned out souls. These hardworking souls are the forgotten, the lost, the people who other people outside of the world of Education deem a myth because people always,without provocation, will say: "It must be nice to be a teacher and have the summer off, I wish my job allowed me to do this."


__________________________RECORD SCRATCH----------------------------WHAT???????

How many times must an Educator debunk this myth of this supposed "free time?" 

Okay, I will admit this, teachers do get, maybe, a little extra breathing room in our profession than other people who are desk jockeys, ooopps, did I actually type that? 

You see, as Educators, we PAY DEARLY for the precious time off that you, yeah you, non Educators, seem to think we get as a perk of being the lowest of low on the professional totem pole. 

This is why no one can understand a teacher, like a teacher.  There are factions within this strange fraternity called Education as well.  

For you see, no one gets a teacher, like a teacher. No one gets an Administrator, like an Administrator.  No one gets an Instructional Aide, Classified office support staff, custodian, etc... like another.  Seems logical, right? 

Well here are three reasons to validate the topic at hand. 

Teachers, after reading this, it is your choice as to whether or not you want to cut off your  non Educator associates.  For I am not responsible for any broken friendships, marriages, or severance of ties. 

1. If all of your friends were teachers, you would NEVER have to explain your break: 

Need I say more?  I mean seriously.  When you say things like "God, let me make it to December 13th, and I will be okay", you don't have to unpack that statement.  You don't have to justify why at this point in the school year, some children, and adults, are simply getting on your nerves.  No, it doesn't mean you're unhappy with your profession.  No, it doesn't mean that you hate children.  All it means is that you're tired.  I mean like they act as if you don't leave work until 6 p.m. but arrive at 6:30 a.m. You are tired.  Tired like you were up all night grading papers or writing evaluations.  Tired like you have to go to a football game, parent night, and board meeting this week... SO, GET OFF OUR BACKS you judgemental non Educators.  

2. If all of your friends were teachers, you would have daytime fun buddies during the golden month of July:

July, this is the month of rebuilding, rejuvenation, FREE TIME, for the teacher.  Some of us teachers have our own children... So instead of happy hour like you regular 12 month employees, teachers have to make the best of the free DAYtime we have (assuming your little ones are in preschool.)  As Educators, we certainly understand the dedication to your job, but yes, I really am going to the beach tomorrow and its Wednesday.  Thursday, maybe I'll catch a movie.  Friday, a little shopping, late lunch, maybe a casual stroll... then enjoy the time I have left to relax.  Does it suck that, usually, teachers do this alone, ABSOLUTELY!  Does it suck that we get this short window of time to do these things, NO!  You see the beach, we couldn't go to the beach during our non break time because we were too busy grading papers.  The movies, HA!  The summer time is the ONLY time as Educators we can burn two plus hours of our day and not let a ball drop somewhere else in our lives.  Casual strolls, a late lunch, you know all the stuff you non Educators get to do anytime, relatively, not during the summer months? Yeah, let us have our fun. This bragging that you seem to think we are doing will end soon, believe us.  Then you'll resume your bragging rights about a concert on Thursday evening when we were on campus at parent teacher night.  

3. If all of your friends were teachers, you would not have to explain all the collateral duties that come with the profession: 

Before I elaborate, let me define what the term, often used in the military, "collateral duty" means: 

 What is a collateral duty? 

 Work assigned on a temporary basis by appointment 

 A minor duty (performed 20% or less of the time)

 Work that is periodically rotated among employees  

In other words, the unwritten rule of extra work makes you a team player.  

Here is the truth of the matter, if you're an Educator, there are "other duties as assigned". This language can be found in your contract.  You will have to report to some type of morning, lunch, after school, or sport supervision duty.  You will have to attend garden variety meetings, set aside time to speak with parents (if you're an effective Educator), and have impromptu parking lot meetings with ANYONE.  Sometimes the ONLY, and I mean ONLY,  person who will understand WHY you can't meet up this evening, or spend more time with them is another Educator.  Here's a harsh reality: the field of Education used to be pretty secure. In the past teachers were highly sought, easily employed, and able to secure longevity within a school district.   Those days are over.  More and more the field of Education is paralleling the politics of our business world counterparts.  The earliest to arrive, the latest to leave, the one who shows up to every meeting, the one who assists the superiors, these people are the ones who are ensuring that they will be a viable candidate for a promotion. Additionally, these people are ensuring that if the decision to reduce  staff arrives, they will not considered for the chopping block because they've made themselves too valuable.  Only a teacher gets that.  Sad reality, but its true.  No explanation needed (unless you have slacker Educator friends).  

It feels nice to have someone understand. 

Teachers, do you feel the same?  Please feel free to comment below. 

Organizational Alphabet: two organizations true Ed. Leaders belong to.

WASC- Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Ask to be on a visiting team ASAP. You learn so much, network, do some reflection about your own best practices (or lack thereof), and eat like a King/Queen for three whole days. If you want to advance, having "WASC visitng team member" on your resume will help immensely. ACSA- Association of California School Aministrators. Guess what? Both Classified and Certificated staff can join. Great networking opportunities. You will know all the movers and shakers in your region, guranteed. Try it, it does have a membership cost but it is so worth it. Will expand on later. Just got in from doing mock interviews with students at a local Cal State school. They want to be administrators. They were smiling so hard, I didn't have the heart to tell them that the pokerface will be their best look from now on. Major shoutout to Dr. D. for being a female role model in this crazy world of administration. Major shoutout to Dr. L. for considering granting me contribuitng rights for publishing. I've got to get published. USC Ph.D., here I come baby. After the babies are older. I'm thinking of doing a post on female Secondary administrators with small children.

I think I have thoughts that should be shared.

Since I can articulate thoughts better in writing than verbally, I'm back.

I hope you're still interested in my perspective on "at-risk" students in our Public Education system.

Russia and Germany, I hope you're still there.

Sorry I left you.