End of the Year Luncheon

Clark's Fish Camp fit right in
with our walk on the wild side!

Each year, we close out the school year with a luncheon. We never pay for the luncheon (my husband had to pay $20 to attend his end-of-the-year school luncheon!) This year our luncheon was a gift from the Church at Chets Creek. Can't think of a better gift from the best business partner on Earth (their property is adjacent to ours)! The food at Clark's Fish Camp was delicious and of course, the décor of wild animals fit perfectly with our "Walk on the Wild Side" theme.

 Each year the presentation by the Principal is full of laughter and tears. It is always very emotional for me because I always do a lot of reflecting and that one hour reminds me of so many of the highs and lows of the year which is always a roller coaster of emotions. The Principal starts with letters she has received from parents and children and often staff members, and reads them out loud. Oh my! I wish I could post every letter so you could get a flavor for the type of people I work with! The Principal then calls many teachers and staff members up for awards - some funny, some serious, but always genuine. This year, as usual, you could feel the anticipation, the love and appreciation in the air.

The amazing kindergarten team

I am honored and humbled to work with an amazing group of women on my kindergarten grade level and this year many of them were honored. Debbie was honored for breathing new life into our long tutoring partnership with Landstar and for volunteering at the MARC. Maria and Cheryl were honored for having more visitors than anyone in the building. What an awesome duo to represent Chets Creek to the visitors that come to see what we are all about. Pam was recognized for leading with heart as she has given sacrificially to our teaching friend who has been battling cancer this year. Tracy was honored for her work at the MARC and she and Vicky were honored for living through the battle zone - or for making a difference in the lives of children - depending on how you look at it.  Each kinder colleague could have been singled out because they are, without exception, teachers who care deeply about what they do.  Most of our grade level are "eagles" and we take a lot of grief for that - too many Chiefs and not enough Indians.  We can be loud and demanding and more than one speaker at our grade level meetings has complained that they can't get a word in and that we all talk over each other.  We have been working on that, but on the other had, you never have to ask for a volunteer, because someone usually has the task completed before you ask!  They are doers - movers and shakers.  Yes, they are demanding and super critical, but it's because they expect perfection.  For me, the word that describes them best is passionate.  They expect results... and they get results.   I love this group of women.  Being with them really is like flying with the eagles!

One of the most joyful moments of the intensely emotional luncheon is the end-of-the-year video, prepared by our Reading Coach, Melanie Holtsman.  If this doesn't say it all!  Love closing up  a year... so, you can begin thinking about the new one!  Enjoy the video!

Each year at our end-of-the-year luncheon, the Principal unveils the new theme video for the following year. It's always such fun to guess what it might be. For the 14-15 school year we will be in "The Wonderful Land of Chets" because we know that "there is no place like home!"

Collaboration

I have written many times about how much I love working with my grade level.  We are a large group of different ages and abilities, but when we come together to work toward a common goal, we  do remarkable work.  I have always loved that about Chets Creek - that chance to imagine a project and then have others who want to make the journey with you.

Another way that I love to collaborate is when we have visitors in our building.  It's a chance to share our work, but it so much more than that.  When you share, when you are asked questions, it forces you to think through what you really believe. It forces you to put a voice to why you do what you do.  I hate teachers who check boxes and do what they're told without conviction or understanding.  I love to be around people that question and no matter how good they are, always want to reach higher and do it better. 

That's what I love about visitors, because they are usually there to ask questions and to learn and reach for that higher goal.  Thus, was my experience today.  I had three kindergarten teachers visiting from another school.  While they came to see my class, to just spent the time with me, they would have really missed the Chets Creek experience if they had not talked with my colleagues.  I work with incredible teachers who each have unbelievable skills and abilities.  The trouble is that you can't teach and be the tour guide at the same time.  It takes someone who understands the moral obligation we have to each other to be willing to carve out the time to make room for visitors in a busy schedule. 

Today, Suzanne Shall was that person.  She's technically the Assistant Principal and today the Principal was out- like she really has time for my little projects!  I had made arrangement for the visitors to review the RtI process while we had our Awards Ceremony (which I felt would be a waste in meeting their goals).  But at the last minute our RtI Coordinator was sick.  It happens.  Without a moment's hesitation, Suzanne stepped right in.  She gave the overview, toured the rooms and answered questions.  She could walk in any of our classrooms and pull out writing portfolios or explain what is in each child's individual reading bin.  She could explain  the Math Investigations program or where we pull our Science lessons, so by the time the visitors got to me, they were well grounded in our philosophy and already some of their most pressing questions answered.

 They visited other kindergarten classes and saw some of the best we have to offer.  They asked a zillion questions and we answered everything that they asked.  I hope that we opened a line of communication that will be far reaching because in this group of teachers I found kindred souls.  That's what collaboration is about - being willing to open your classroom and be vulnerable and being willing to get out there and see what else is going on.  The seeds that we planted today between these two school will reap huge crops over the years. 

Thank you Suzanne for being the catalyst to make it all happen.  Thank you colleagues for never saying no and for always making me so proud.  And thank you to teachers who strive to be the best they can be.  I LOVE my job!

Flying with the Eagles

I work with a group of talented, dedicated - dare I say passionate - educators in a school we sometimes call Disneyland!  Some of these teachers I have worked with for over ten years.  A few are new to our group and several float in and out on any given year as we mostly loop from kindergarten to first and then back again to kindergarten.

Through a personality survey we found out this year that we are mostly "eagles."  A few "peacocks" among us, no owls and a dove or two,  so you can imagine that we are opinionated and move fast.  That sometimes gets us into trouble, because we move so quickly to get things done that we don't always take the time to hear everyone's voice and occasionally we forget to make sure the newbies understand and have a voice.   We also have to give our opinion, whether anyone listens or not, which means we have had problems with talking over each other, but I have to admit that I REALLY like flying with these eagles.  They are hard working. They get things done - might trample on a few feelings every now and then - but for the most part these are eagles with heart.  They would do anything for the children in their care and for each other.  They enjoy each other and often spend their off time together.  We are a large group of 14, different ages and different places in our lives, but we had a TDE this week and one of my colleagues said, "You know I think we've matured as a team."  Today, we did stop to listen to those who are quieter.  We did take the time to explain to the newbies.  We did try hard to wait for the silence before speaking.

We were working on Pow Wow - a kindergarten tradition that takes lots of planning and time and collaboration. It was such a pleasant day and I felt so prepared and ready when we finished that the stress just evaporated.  I have always loved what I do, but I haven't always loved the people I worked with or the administration at other schools where I've taught.  I haven't always felt valued.  I haven't always felt like I was part of a team and that we could accomplish anything together.  Maybe that's why I appreciate it so much now.  I just feel... blessed!

The Difficult Side of Building Relationships

One of the things that Chets Creek is known for is its collaboration. It's not that we just started with a group of teachers who amazingly liked each other and who shared common goals! From the very first day the doors opened, the leadership intentionally worked on school culture and built a collaborative environment one brick at a time. It's also not like the hard work was done early and so now we just coast - always hiring all the right people and putting each one on the right grade level so we all live happily every after! Some have the perception that we all just get along and work together seamlessly! Oh that life were so easy!

Although we are very intentional about the interview process and are very particular about the people that we hire (after all we want them to be as happy with us as we want to be with them), we do look for diversity in style, talent and experience. We would never grow if we all came with the same set of skills. I think what we have figured out over time is that teams that work well together don't just happen and aren't always just magically compatible. It takes WORK and the key ingredient is finding people who are honestly willing to do the work and who understand that building relationships is the foundation!  It's really not about the age or experience or degree or any of the things you might think are the most important.

In fact it is the story of this year's Kindergarten Team. This is a highly talented group of 13 women! They each came with their own talents and strengths but it was not love at first sight for this group. Some of this team had worked together before - cliquish? Not exactly... They perceived themselves as a well oiled machine who easily shared responsibility. They were used to jumping in, getting right to work, and getting it done. They had built a mutual trust and respect for each other. They had accomplished amazing things together. Add to that some new players - a mix of interesting personalities, budding leaders, both perfectionists and those with laid back styles. Most came from other grade levels and experiences. Most had had great experiences in the past and felt they had lots to offer to this group, but really floundered to find their place in this unusual mix of teammates. As rumors swirled about a split team, drama and discontent, this group could have turned on itself and imploded, but instead they honestly addressed their concerns and frustrations. They decided to build rather than destroy. Last night those that were available got together over good food - laughed, played games, and just enjoyed being together. Some came early before other engagements. Some had to leave early because of other commitments, but the feeling of comraderie was there.

I'd like to say that now they all love each other unconditionally and will live happily every after. The truth is that they are doing the work that makes teams successful. They are finished with the "storming" process (common to many new teams) and have moved on to building bridges. They are investing in relationships and are recognizing and respecting each other's talents and abilities. I'm very proud of this team. I am sure there will be other bumps in the road, but I am also confident that this team will weather the storms.

Writers as Writing Teachers

I have always thought that teachers who were writers would make better writing teachers. As writers teachers would understand the difference between writing to a prompt - something that they had to think about on the spot - and writing from their heart about something they feel or remember or know lots about. As writers they would know, as author Jodi Picoult says, that you can edit something that is bad, but you can't edit a blank page. As writers, they would understand that if you just get started, the words do begin to flow. As writers, they would understand the sheer joy in editing something and making it sound like music. The problem has always been how to get teachers to write, if they were not already writers. As a literacy coach, I've done all the normal things, like giving teachers journals, or reading something that I knew would emit emotion and then having them write their responses or having them respond in a journal to a question and then asking them to read their response to a partner and sharing so that they would understand how it felt to their students. Teachers that already enjoyed writing loved these sessions and were usually proud of what they could write on the spur of the moment. Teachers who didn't really write hated them. Oh sure, sometimes they surprised themselves and wrote something that they liked, but mostly they just dreaded the professional development days when they were required to write. I never really turned a non-writer into a writer with those well-thought out professional development sessions...

Finally, I think I have found the vehicle that makes teachers really WANT to be writers, a way for them to get feedback, and a way for them to write for a real audience - blogging! Take Maria Mallon, for example. Maria is an exceptional Kindergarten teacher in every way. This year she decided to blog and she writes an entry several times a week - usually a single picture and an explanation of why the activity is important or the fun the children had. It's an on-line journal of the community life in her classroom. Her kids read it every day. Her kids' parents read it every day. The kids' extended families all over the world read it every day. Her peers read it every day. I read it every day! I can't wait to see what's going on in Maria's room. It's a benchmark for me to make sure I'm moving along with her. Of course, I drop by her room all the time, but the blog entries tell me even more - things I might not have seen when I drop in. But more than that, Maria's own writing gets better and better. She may have already been a good writer before she started blogging, but now she knows she has a limited space to get an important message across. Her entries are thoughtful and entertaining. They teach. Through blogging she has really found her voice. Over this holiday break she wrote our Florida Congressmen because there has been talk of eliminating National Board money, and she believes going through the National Board process made her a better teacher. Would she have written that letter if she had not had so much success with writing on her blog? Would she have had the same confidence? I don't know, but I know that as I read her letter, I could clearly hear her remarkable voice. She is doing all that I would ever hope that a writing teacher would do - she writes. Blogging may not be for every teacher but it certainly is a way for teachers of writing to enter the international conversation...

Service to Others...

Kindergarten teachers this year wanted to do something to teach their youngsters about more than academics. They realize that our children are being raised in a time surrounded by it’s “all about me.” Haley Alvarado made the first suggestions about using the platform we have as teachers to show our children that relationships, that caring, that thinking about other people is one of the great lessons in life. Even though Haley was the first to bring it up, the kindergarten teachers were instantly of one mind in their desire to make her vision a reality.

The first of these “projects” is “Alex’s Lemonade Stand.” Each teacher will invite her class to host a Lemonade Stand during one of our parent events during the course of the year. The Timmonte Team was the first to host at our Annual Parent Night. The Mackarado Team hosted at our annual Pow Wow Make 'n' Take and had over a hundred people come through for a cup of lemonade! Alex was a 4-year-old child stricken with cancer who hosted her own Lemonade Stand in her parents' front yard to raise money for research before she succumbed to the disease. All year our kindergartners will be raising money for childhood cancer research as they sell their lemonade.

The Timmontes used their lessons at the Lemonade Stand for this month’s bulletin board. To reinforce non-fiction writing they read to the children Alex’s story on the Internet so they would understand the purpose behind what they were doing. In their unit of non-fiction writing, the children wrote about “How to Make Lemonade” as they learned in preparation for the night event. Others who participated in the selling wrote about “How to Sell Lemonade.” The class even integrated math as they kept tally marks to make sure that they knew how many cups were sold. All this learning for such an authentic event! Does it get any more real than this?

Relationships

We understand that when teams work well, they are successful in solving problems. Teams are about harnessing the collective talents of a diverse group. In order to provide teams with opportunities to build strong relationships, Chets Creek provides events such as holiday breakfasts, collegiate days, and other celebrations at school, but we also encourage outside events such as Happy Hours after work and team parties and showers, engagement celebrations, etc.. Team leaders are trained on the dynamics of teamwork and are expected to be the one to make sure that no one on the team feels left out. They are expected to provide for opportunities for the grade level to meet outside of school to get to know each other better.

We realize that strong social relationships are the leading indicator of our overall happiness. From Vital Friends we learned that if you have a best friend at work you are more likely to: "engage, get more done in less time, have fun on the job, innovate and share ideas, and feel informed and know your opinion counts."
The Kindergarten Team is an excellent example of how organized events have spilled over in time so that the team directs its own social connections. Tonight the Kindergarten Team met at a local restaurant for dinner after school to celebrate one of its own being named Teacher of the Year. They laughed. They shared stories about each other. They reminisced about other times when they had been together. Sure, they all have families and outside responsibilities, but they know that spending time together is meaningful. Being balanced may be about having great friendships that extend between work and home. These teachers really like each other. They trust each other. They depend on each other. They are not willing to let each other down or to let the Team down. This personal foundation provides the trust that is needed for teachers to truly deepen their work - for teachers to begin to ask for help from their peers and to give honest feedback to each other. They say that many teachers leave the profession because they don't have a friend at work. It's important that we make sure that each teacher has that connection. Each kindergarten teacher has a friend at work that she can go to and ask an embarrassing questions. She has someone that will help when its needed and that will lift her up when she has had a difficult day. And all that makes Chets Creek a GREAT place to work - a place you NEVER want to leave.

I've been tagged!

Okay... I've been "tagged" by Melanie Holtsman!

I had to look this up because I had no idea what it meant to be tagged. If I read this right, it looks like a chain letter (aren't some of those illegal now?) in e-mail. As I thought about how I could use this in my own blog, I thought it might provide a good way for readers of this blog to get to know the Kindergarten Team at Chets Creek - since they will be reading about them all year! First I will state the rules for tagging and then I will tag each of the kindergarten teachers and ask them to leave their own information at their blog or if they haven't set up a blog to leave it as a comment. You will love reading about this fascinating team!

First, the rules:
1. Post the rules before you give the facts.
2. List 8 random facts about yourself.
3. At the end of your post, tag 8 people.
4. Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they have been tagged.

My 8 facts...

• I am a first-time grandmother to the most beautiful child in the world, Kallyn Lily Timmons. Being a grandparent is the absolute BEST!
• My son, Wes, plays for the AAA Atlanta Braves during the summer and teaches Physical Education at my school during the off-season. His wife, Randi, is a kindergarten teacher at Chets. We often get to eat lunch together. We keep it all in the family!
• I have been married to my high school sweetheart - love of my life - for 37 years! Jimmy is a Physical Education teacher at Mayport Elementary School and coaches baseball at Fletcher High School.
• My daughter, Courtney, is a Senior at Florida State University (Go Noles!) and is majoring in Special Education. I think she likes being a student because she wants to get her Masters degree before she finally gets a job! I don't blame her - this is a great time in her life!
• I LOVE to read, especially on the beach in the late afternoon.
• I did my undergraduate work at a small Methodist girls' college (Columbia College) in Columbia, SC and it's the best thing I ever did! Being in that small, supportive environment fostered leadership qualities that I didn't even know I possessed!
• My mother had a dancing school while I was growing up so I began teaching dancing when I was 16. I even had a scholarship to teach dancing in college and supplemented my early teaching salary by teaching dancing classes on Saturday (made $6200 that entire first year as a Special Education teacher!) I have long retired those dancing shoes but I am still moved by music. My favorites are goldie oldie "beach" music and contemporary praise and worship music. Music touches my soul.
• I have written my name in lower case letters since the 2nd grade. I had a teacher, Mrs. Gilmore, who loved the poetry of ee cummings. cummings is known for his lack of capitals and punctuation. Mrs. Gilmore had such a profound influence on my young life that I began replicating her favorite poet and have continued the practice every since as a tribute to that life changing agent. In the early years writing my name in lowercase letters reminded me to believe in myself but now it reminds me of the difference one teacher can make in the life of a child. I know... because it happened to me!

So now, I tag Haley Alvarado, Elizabeth Conte, Cheryl Dillard, Julia Lewis, Debbie Harbour, Meredy Mackiewicz , Maria Mallon, Karen Meissner, Chevaughn Sasso and Randi Timmons.
Getting to know you... Getting to know all about you...

PLC...and the beat goes on...

Our Summer PLC (Professional Learning Community) met again today. Six kindergarten teachers continue to study vocabulary and write activities around their favorite read-alouds that they will field test next year. Haley Alvarado displayed her work today so that we could all discuss activities and make suggestions. As we already knew, six heads are so much better than one! The only problem, of course, is that collaboration is much more time-consuming that working alone. After we discussed, clarified, and brainstormed, we will once again work alone to make the best use of limited time, coming back together as we complete more of the work. Debbie Harbour would really like for us to have pictures for each of the words, which makes sense as we think about all of our learners. She has been searching the web for just the right pictures. It's not unusual in this group for someone to have an idea and be willing to do the work to make it happen.

What is so inspiring about this work is that it's easier when we work together. It is helping each of us learn more about vocabulary which is turn will make each of us a better teacher next year. This is a group that has been learning together for a while so this is a trusting, safe place to learn. It's okay to say that you don't know or you don't understand. It's okay to ask for help. It's okay to really like working because you are passionate about getting better so that your students get the best possible you that you can be. I guess what I love the most about this group is that they are each trying to be the teacher that they would want their own child to have. It doesn't get any better than that!