Dipping a Toe into the Online Community Pool

      There are a myriad of ways to be a part of online communities as a teacher. Before taking ED676 I was aware of a number of them. The course has only expanded my field of vision when it comes to being present in a forum for teachers as well as sharing resources and experience. Today I'm highlighting one of the communities I have been a part of for years.

       Kappa Delta Pi is an International Honor Society in Education. I was nominated and inducted into my chapter as an undergraduate student at Arcadia University. As a college student it was a way to connect with future educators in my university and across the nation. As a current teacher it has become a completely different resource to me.

        While I have been more of a passive member of the community as of late, there are still many valuable resources that are available to members. The KDP website hosts an online forum where anyone can post at any time. Additionally, I receive weekly emails with some of the threads that would be of interest to me. Not only can you post questions about jobs or experience, but you can look for advice and resources. I also receive quarterly publications in the mail. (I could request them for a Kindle/Nook/etc as well) These publications include everything from beginning of the year advice and best use of data to highlights of teachers making a difference. Each of these quarterlies makes its way to my classroom by my desk.

A sneak peek at a current thread on the discussion board!

          Some of the additional resources that I look forward to utilizing more than I have recently are Webinars, conferences, and grants. I have participated in a few of their available Webinars and on the whole they have been applicable to my teaching. Not only are there moments for questions and interaction, but you can receive resources from the presenter. KDP offers conferences every year as well as the ability to apply for grants. These are the two areas that I do not have as much experience with. However, every year the email goes out regarding grants and I come so close to starting an application. I'm hoping to get over this anxiety and fear to just dive in and give it a shot. While I do not always have the time to travel to conferences the possibility is intriguing! I'm hoping that as I become more of an active member in their online community it will give me the confidence to attend in the future.

Current discussions and Webinars available!

           So, how do I access all of this? Yes, there is a fee, but as a contracted teacher now it is not breaking the bank! My yearly fee for the resources and community involvement is $45. It can be more than this if you decide to subscribe to certain publications or add chapter dues into the mix. However, so far in my career I have decided to renew my membership every year. In not hesitating to do this, I know that even if I'm not 100% involved, the resources and tools available to me are worthwhile.
           Do you all have suggestions of additional communities to be involved in? As teachers we are always on the look out for a way to dialogue with colleagues and share advice/resources/experience. Where do you get the most bang for your buck?

Mentors are Friends Too

     Every new teacher in our school district receives a mentor on their last day of New Teacher Induction. When my mentor walked in, I couldn't have been happier. In the time that I spent in my school leading up to my contract, I had fostered relationships with many colleagues. However, one had grown to be incredibly invaluable.
     Lisa and I have very similar teaching styles. We are super organized (sometimes to a fault) and create classroom environments that have a strong structure. Over the years we began to collaborate and became each other's support system. Our similar teaching styles allowed us to work well together quite quickly. We still joke around about how she pestered her way into getting us to be teaching partners. I don't think she could even count the number of times she said the phrase, "So when you hire Cori and make her my teaching partner…" to our Principal. Luckily for us, it was a smart move, regardless, because of the relationship we had established.
      Our partnership has truly become one of give and take. I am lucky to have her as a partner AND a mentor. While there are a myriad of ways that I have learned from Lisa, I want highlight a few of the most significant ways that she has helped me.

Rigor: One of the benefits of being partner teachers is the ability to lesson plan with someone. Lisa has  
           been a constant reminder to keep my teaching and assessments rigorous. "Are we ensuring at the
           end of a unit that our students can perform a skill or apply knowledge independently?" We plan
           a day at a time and use all of the resources available to us. When it comes time to assess Lisa
           pushes to make sure that our assessment doesn't just check to see if students know the content.
           We need to see that our students can apply knowledge in any situation without our support.

Flexibility: Every teacher eventually learns the importance of flexibility. Lisa has been a good reminder
          to reflect mid-class or mid-day and adjust. She "takes the temperature" of her room constantly
          and makes judgment calls at each turn. There have been many days when she'll stop by my room
          at lunch and say, "I don't think my kids will be able to handle this right now," or "I'm not sure if
          today is the right day for this activity." Her verbal processing of these moments have been a way
          for me to hear someone else's process and then learn from it. While completely reorganizing my
          plans would have induced sheer terror before, I have become more willing to be flexible and
          change things on the fly.

Priorities: This one may seem silly, but one of the most important lessons Lisa has taught me is to
          remember my priorities. There are times when I need to stop and take care of myself. We talk
          through "what needs to be done immediately, and what I can let go for another day." It is hard
          for me to let go of control and there have been circumstances when it was absolutely necessary. I
          am a workaholic for sure and I am still learning to say no to certain responsibilities. I have
          absolutely needed to hear the following reminder not just once, but a few times. "At the end of
          the day, school is not the absolute most important thing in life. You will not regret taking a day
          off. You WILL regret not taking care of a family member when they need you." There have
          been days when she has had to practically push me out the door and tell me that it's ok to need to
          go and take care of my grandmother.

     I wish I could do justice to tell you all of what I have learned. It is hard to put into words just quite how appreciative I am for her. But I will leave you with one of the funnier reminders that Lisa gives me. As teachers we all have those days when you think you might pull your hair out. On those days, when I walk into her room, she can see it. She smiles, chuckles at me and calmly says, "Just don't kill them!"

Wait…There are Grown Ups Here Too???

     If you teach elementary school, I'm sure you can sympathize with me. There are always those days when you walk out of your classroom at 3:00 and it's like culture shock. You mean…I could have…like…an adult conversation?! I won't have to repeat what I said 17 times?
    All joking aside, I want to write about the importance of those adults around you. As teachers, we can forget about the wisdom and experience of the colleagues around us. In reading through the first few chapters of Meenoo Rami's Thrive, I am reminded of the importance of building a community that is centered around support and mentoring. When I think about the word, mentor, there are a few main people who come to mind. However, the more I read, the more extensive the list becomes.
     I have been in the same teaching position now for four or five years. However, the running joke up until now was that I had done every job in our school building except for being the Principal. To some extent, it was quite accurate. I have been in long term positions as an Emotional Support Teacher, Special Education teacher, Gifted Teacher, 6th grade teacher and 5th grade teacher. That doesn't include a few days where I stepped in as a pseudo-disciplinarian and ran lunches in the cafeteria. I write all of this because, I would not have been capable of doing any of it without the teachers around me.
     Each time I stepped into a new position I had to learn the ropes from someone. I would run around and get as much advice as I could from whoever had answers. What has resulted is a whole cohort of people that I can go to for a variety of types of advice. You would be surprised at the numbers of mentors you have when you really sit down to think about it! Here are some that I have been thinking of throughout this process:

     *The GateKeeper: It seems funny, but the school secretary should be one of your best friends in the
       building. She truly is the gate keeper to the building. If you need to know where something is, or    
       who to ask what question; she knows everything. Very frequently, if you smile pretty, and ask a  
       question sweetly you can get an answer to any question. I'm lucky enough to have the most
       awesome school secretaries in the world!

     *The Creative Mind: When I worked as a Gifted teacher, I frequently collaborated with the other
       Gifted teacher in the building. She is always thinking about the next engaging unit of study that she
       can create. We worked very well together as I functioned as the 'organizer' to her creative ideas.
       The relationship becomes even more fruitful when there is give AND take.

     *The Lesson Planner: My official mentor as an incoming teacher has become a very close friend and
       colleague that I trust. Besides going over the required list of topics, we began to plan together and
       bounce ideas off of each other. This is also a relationship that has great give and take. When one of
       us is not on their "A" game, the other is able to compensate. There are also the times when I am at
       my wit's end and she is able to help out with behavior management tips as well.

     *The Former Union Rep: There will be times when you need to say exactly the right thing or send
       an email that is worded in precisely the right way. I can always run over to her to see if an email
       looks ok. She has a talent for putting words in such a way that what needs to happen is able to  
       happen. The other benefit to the former Union Rep is that they know our contract inside and out. If
       I am unsure of how something works contractually she has the experience of dealing with it
       previously.

There are so many more that could be included, but this is a sampling for you. When you start to look around, the number of mentors that you actually have is probably much higher than you would have predicted. The more you build a community of support, the better the community becomes. Stop back here shortly to find a more up close and personal look at one of these mentors!