An Open Letter to Dave and Elizabeth Conte

I met Elizabeth Conte about fifteen years ago when she was barely out of college.  She had graduated and gone to work for a non-profit (she could never know then how that experience would pay off later) and was working as a para at Chets Creek to get some experience while she finished her masters in Elementary Education.  I remember Dr. Stahlman, the Principal at the time, telling me to go watch her because she was "something special."  Elizabeth finished her masters.  Soon she would be an outstanding beginning teacher who embraced inclusion, and I would have the opportunity to work in her room every day as her Special Education Teacher.  She was indeed "something special."  During the next few years, she met and married Dave, had a son, Charlie, and co-taught with my very talented daughter-in law, Randi.   Once again, I had the chance to spend every day in their room as their Special Education teacher.  Along the way, Elizabeth became a Nationally Board Certified Teacher and soon became pregnant again and decided to stay home.  She even opened her home to my first granddaughter, Kallyn, for a year while Randi continued to work.  Soon...  Kate was born... and slowly... Kate changed all of our lives.

Last night I attended the fourth annual "Promise to Kate" fund raiser.  You see, Kate was born with myotonic dystrophy, a genetic disorder that would change the lives of every member of her family as they uncovered the depth of this disease.  It would also change all the rest of us, those of us who love Elizabeth and Dave and their extended family, because we would begin to understand what compassion and commitment can do.  Elizabeth and Dave founded an organization that raises money for the families in Jacksonville who use Wolfson Children's Hospital, the children's hospital that continues to serve the Conte family, when needed. The organization also promotes awareness and raises funds for research for myotonic dystrophy and is at least, partially responsible for the enlarging force at UF for research into the disease.

Today Kate is a kindergartner, full of grit and determination.  Mostly, she makes me laugh...  Elizabeth has returned to work and this year our roles have reversed.  I am the first grade inclusion  teacher and I see her each day as she so beautifully serves as my Special Education partner.  With great humility and respect, I write this open letter to Kate's parents...

Dear Dave and Elizabeth,
Last night you introduced us to new researchers who would be joining the research going on at UF for Myotonic Dystrophy. You have been part of bringing together this new team and you continue to put pressure in all the right places to make sure that the research germinates, produces and delivers.  Oh, we know there are lots of other people helping to make all this happen, but to us, your friends and family, you are the face of this disease.  We all understand... your urgency, this race against time to make a difference in Kate's lifetime... because of you. 

Last night, Elizabeth, you described yourself, as just a mom, and  you are, but you are so much more.  You are our inspiration, our hope, and Kate's future.  You are the light that illuminates the dark road.  I was reminded once again last night about the really insignificant little hurdles in my own life, because you face, what to some seem like impossible odds, and yet, you see the sunshine and are able to turn it all around to count your blessings.  As important as the end is, it's the journey that you are taking, that models for each of us how to live our own lives every single day. 

I blubbered through the videos again last night, even though I've seen most of them many times.  Kate's struggles and successes will always reach down, grab my heart. and then just squeeze.  She is a fighter, born from a long line of fighters.  I realize that your experiences are not entirely unique.  It could happen to any of us... but it's your response that has been so unique.  Not only did you and Dave turn your circumstances into a mission, but you took a Divinely crafted vision, and you acted on it.  Maybe the road is not always well lit, but with a servant's heart and a warrior's determination, you are leading the way and reminding us all that we too, have a promise to keep. 

Elizabeth and Dave, Charlie and Kate... you are a gift, beyond words. May your vision be clear.  May your fight be noble and may you always know that you are surrounded by a legion of those  of us who believe, and who will honor our own promise to Kate. Stay the course, dear friends.  There are great things to accomplish...

Making Words in Frist Grade

Making Words is a program the district bought and dispersed to first grade teachers without any explanation.  It's a shame there wasn't some explanation or professional development around the book arriving, because the program is good. It's based on Patricia Cunningham's work.  I had used the program many years ago and liked the concept but struggled with all the little individual letters that students were suppose to have and manipulate.  They got lost.  They got mixed up.  I just never found a way to manage all the little slips of paper.... but I liked the concept...

So when I found this updated program in my box, I wasn't impressed.  However, I kept looking at it on my desk and wondering how I could fix my earlier management issues.  I really liked the way it took a set of letters and built words.  It was suggested as a Tier 2 intervention for RtI, but I just didn't need "another" small group.  However,  I am very happy to say, I think we have found a great solution that uses the best of the program for several different group of students.

I introduce the letters and words.  For most of my kids, having them write the words on a white board works just fine.  When I say, "1-2-3 Turn." they turn their white boards toward me so I can do a quick check to see who has the word and who doesn't.

 For the majority of my kids, they don't really need the extra step of manipulating the letters.  For my highest kids, I challenge them to figure out the mystery word, which uses all the letters for the day, before I get to it.  They take this challenge seriously and you can see them trying out words in their minds and boards until they figure it out!  My co-teacher pulls a group for Tier 2 RtI intervention and has the students do the same words with the class sitting at a table and actually manipulating magnetic letters, while the ESE teacher pulls her students that need the extra manipulation to another table and has them do the same words with class with a set of paper letters (you can easily manage the paper letters with a very small group of students). 

We actually have four different groups of students using the same words and letters and meet the need of a vast number of students.   Woot!  Woot!

Silent Night

On a cold, wet night 400 miles from home I joined other families as they awkwardly approached the school patio of my granddaughter's school.  It was too dark to make out faces or expressions.  In the shadow of the school building, we gathered  for a candlelight vigil in support of the 26 lost in the Connecticut school shooting.  The young principal, about the age of my own children, opened with a few sentences and then turned it over  to a mom who said she just felt like she had to do something and had asked the Principal to hold the vigil.  Her husband's voice broke as he tried to express what was in each of our hearts.  We tried to light candles but the whipping wind snatched the glow quickly as each candle was lit, much like the lives of the 26 were snatched in the horror of gunfire last week.

Even as the candles extinguished we stood without leaving.  We wanted to leave... but just seemed glued to our spots, hoping to complete some sort of unfinished business that we couldn't even put into words.  Finally a parent suggested that we sing Silent Night. We did. The Principal suggested another moment of silence before we dispersed.  Even in the hard chill of the night it was hard to leave.  I think we had each come because we wanted to do more, but we just didn't know what to do.  We left slowly, heartbroken...

My life is surrounded by teachers - my peers, of course, but also my husband, son and daughter, my daughter-in-law, my sister, niece and nephew.  I can't even think about what it would have been like to get that call that any one of them would not be coming home.  I do not doubt that each of them would have protected the children in their care at all costs...  and my family would never have been the same.  My first grandchild attends public school.  It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about her in a building with gunfire, and I can't imagine losing her to such a senseless act of insanity.

I can't change the events of the past.  I don't really want to go to a school with metal detectors and bars on the windows, being afraid of every stranger that walks the hallway.  On the other hand, I want to do everything I can to make sure that the children are safe.  I don't know what the political debate will be or what it will bring, but I know that I must find my voice and advocate on the side of the children - always on the side of the children.  I plan to make sure that my children feel safe and protected and that they know I will be there for them, no matter what.  I plan to make sure parents know that I will protect their child and care about their child, in the same way that I know someone is protecting and caring for my own precious grandchild, so far away.  I have always believed that the children that step through my door come by Divine appointment, so I will continue to pray for God's guidance as I walk this path with my children.  I will rededicate my days to making, not only their academics stronger, but their minds stronger, so that they do not find themselves so desolate and mentally sick that they have a need to strike out - that they are strong enough to understand those that are suffering and reach out before the moment of despair.  And... in every step I take from this moment, I will always remember... the 26.

National Tragedy

Like me, I am sure teachers across this country are heart broken at the school shooting tragedy this week.  There are just not works to express the outrage and sorrow I am feeling.  I am sure each teacher has imagined herself in that circumstance and hoped and prayed that she would have been brave and been able to protect her babies.  I can't even imagine how the families are coping with the situation and loss...

This tragedy reminds me once again why we do what we do.  A teacher wrote me a message at the end of the day on Friday - our last day before the holiday - because one of my former students had another complete emotional breakdown.  He has been struggling for much of the year and she, with a team of caring teachers, is bravely and consistently trying to do what is best for him and his family... and for the rest of her class, but it is wearing her down.  You know that child.  The one some teacher labeled as just "bad."  The one that tries your last nerve and sometimes makes you want to scream.  The one you cry over and spend sleepless nights trying to figure out a new strategy for the next day.  The one that takes all of your bag of tricks and frustrates you beyond what you think you can handle.   The one whose parents are either as exasperated as you are or as exasperating.  The one who is "odd" and who has as many problems with his peers as he does with adults.  The one who can't think past his own wants and who is often devoid of appropriate remorse.  The one that you still worry about when he leaves you...   It's the child that you worry about because you suspect he will make headlines one day - in a shooting tragedy like the one we just witnessed.

It's the reason that I believe in inclusion -that all children need an environment that is a microcosm of life - where they can practice and learn the lessons of feeling guilty and making it right, of standing up when someone is bullied, of sharing and feeling empathy, of knowing what is right and wrong and acting on those beliefs, of learning how to handle anger.  Academics may be the reason that schools are organized, but it's life skills that are the core of what we do.  If the difficult children are isolated, they may never learn the lessons that will make them contributing adults in our society.  We need to reach out to them with an urgency.  We need the resources to make sure that we can reach out to them.  We know that the family is breaking down - we see it every day - and that many of our children will not have the nurturing comforts of a loving, two parent nuclear family - that instead they will face poverty, abuse, hatred.  It is our moral - even Divine - directive as teachers to try to be the agent of change in this world filled with so much horror. We are the ones who must furnish the comfort and safety in this world if no one else can.  Is it too much to ask?  Of course, it is, but we will continue to do the impossible every day.  My heart goes out to the teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary who faced  the unbelievable and against unimaginable odds, will go on to teach another day.  My heart breaks for those who lost their lives... I hope their families know that they fought the good fight and will always be our heroes.  That is probably little comfort to families who lost mothers and sisters and daughters.  May their sacrifice not be in vain.  May we rededicate ourselves to those children who, without us, will be lost.  May be continue to find our voices, and shout to the rooftops our need to be able to support these children. And every day that we walk out of school drained, close to tears, wondering how we will walk into that classroom one more day, may we remember that we ARE making a difference.

Above What is Expected...

Sometimes things happen at our school and I am just blown away by teachers who go so far above and beyond.  Something like that happened recently.  I had a cute little pudgy, in that baby sort of way, towheaded munchkin in Kindergarten and first grade.  He struggled in a quiet sort of way and was identified for Special Education services.  In the process I met his Dad.  It was obvious that this Dad cared about his son dearly.  He reminded me of what I would call "a good ol' country boy," a little rough around the edges but he always showed up to let us know that he cared.  He tried to do the right thing, worked hard and did the best he could for his son.  I'm not sure where Darrin's (name changed) mother was but she was out of the picture entirely.  This was a Dad raising his son alone.

As the years went by I would see Darrin walking to his bus or would hear how he was doing from one of his other teachers.  He was a struggling student, barely making it through the maze of education.  Every now and then he would be in some sort of trouble but nothing serious - sort of "all boy" stuff.  Sometimes, in recent years, it would be a little more serious.   Darrin has moved on to middle school and I had heard he was beginning to get into some trouble.  Then, about a year ago, I heard that his father had cancer.  During the last year, our school reached out to the Darrin and his Dad - meals were taken, work was done on their tailer, a local church was asked to get involved.  This past week his father died... and his son is now an orphan.  The school, along with the church, stood beside this 13 year old boy, during a time of great crisis.  At the father's memorial our Principal delivered the eulogy at the request of the son.  The pew at the funeral was filled with almost every teacher the child had ever had at Chets Creek and some that just came for support.  The Media Specialist made a slide show of pictures that the son got together.  The church, along with our faculty, provided food and desserts for the small family and guests.  Money was collected to go into an account to be used for the son's needs.

I don't know what will happen for this young man.  Several of our teachers are involved with a family that is thinking about taking this young boy in.  Even though he had wonderful teachers at our school, we were not able to remediate all of his academic challenges but we did establish a relationship that reached well beyond the classroom.  As I looked around at the Memorial, I was just so proud of the people that I work with.  I feel so blessed to work with people who REALLY care about children and their families and who are willing to go the extra mile for each one of them...  You can't put that in an evaluation or even a pay check, but when you work in a school that walks the talk, it is life changing...  You can't expect any more from your life's work than that.

ELL

In Florida, because of a lawsuit many years ago, all teachers are required to take courses in teaching second language students once they have their first student.  I have been teaching for over 40 years and I have never been flagged for ESOL which means I've never been told I had to take the hours.  That's because I am a Special Education teacher and it used to be highly unlikely that a second language student would be identified with special needs in the early grades.  However, two years ago three little Hispanic children from the same family all showed up in my classroom on the same day (two were twins and the other had been retained).  They had already been identified as students of a second language and students with developmental delays, so...  I was flagged that year - the same year that I officially retired and entered DROP (our state's retirement program).  I was NOT happy.  I just couldn't believe that after all those years, that now, at the end of my career, I would have to take  college courses on strategies to teach second language students to continue teaching.

Most of my friends have had to take the courses and most described the time of sitting three hours a night as similar to that of any other poorly designed professional development.  The strategies they described were so similar to the ones that we are already using for our students with language deficits and other academic challenges.  They learned about diversity, but I come from the years when home visits were a regular part of a school year. How was sitting in those courses now going to help?  Then, as often happens (Divine intervention?),  I had the idea of doing an independent study and actually doing action research to meet the requirement. I was already spending time at the MARC (our tutoring center in our large Hispanic area).  Why couldn't I use those hours for ESOL certification instead of sitting in a classroom and simply reading about the problems. The time with the kids at the MARC actually requires me to apply the strategies and it forces me into the community where our tutoring center is housed.  It took several phone calls through the Ivory Tower to find the "right" person, Karen Patterson - someone to share my dream and my enthusiasm. 

As time passed, that simple idea began to germinate.  If it would be better for ME to meet the ESOL requirement through service, then why wouldn't it be better for the many other teachers at my school who were already involved in this volunteering effort?  It wasn't long before I shared that idea with KK Cherney, our dynamo Media Specialist.  She immediately realized the potential of this small idea.  She had already been thinking about spreading the idea of our volunteer tutoring center all over the county and this was one of the answers on how to help staff those centers.  Teachers from all over the county who needed ESOL hours could choose to spend their time applying the strategies instead of just sitting in a sterile classroom and reading about them.  It would put teachers directly into the community working with children and their families.

That "big picture" hasn't happened yet.  The dream has not been fulfilled but the dream has spread.  Karen and Sharon Patterson are helping us realize the dream.   Today, our first little wave of putting teachers into the community through ESOL hours, came to fruition.  A handful of teachers met with Karen and Sharon, our ESOL supervisors, and shared their written reflections and artifacts - pictures, blog posts, student progress.  Teachers not only participated in weekly tutoring.  They were in the community for Second Harvest food giveaways and hosted children while their moms worked through classes in English.  They participated as 50 families were helped through our Angel Tree project this week.  They helped host a huge Christmas party that included crafts and stories and even the big red man himself. 

Has this experience changed any these teachers?  There is no question that each of these teachers have logged hours in this community.  They have formed strong relationships with children and families.  They have been inside homes.  Some have shared meals.  They have had conversations, often through interpreters, with parents who would never have come to school for a conference.  They have been touched by the dreams that they have shared with the children.  This grassroot effort has the potential to mushroom into something beyond what we can now imagine.  Stay with us for the ride.  The best is yet to come...

New 2011 Teacher Evaluation system

I hadn't thought much about the new teacher evaluation system in Florida... until Thanksgiving.

As I shared the holiday with my family, I sat around the table with my family, teachers from all parts of the state - kindergarten and first grade teachers, high school teachers, PE teachers and Guidance Counselors.  As the topic of the new state-wide teacher evaluation system came up in conversation, they were fairly unanimous in their opinion about how hurtful and painful the system has been in their individual schools.  One of the kinder teachers talked about veteran teachers who were in tears as they were told after 12 and 18 years of teaching that they were "beginning" and "developing".  They considered it a slap in the face after giving 110% for so many years.  This seemed to be pretty common experience across the conversation.  The kinder teacher said that her Principal told her faculty that it was impossible for a K-1-2 teacher to get "highly effective" because it was impossible for students of that age to meet the highest level expectation on the rubric.  In every single incidence, these usually dedicated, committed teachers agreed that the system was out to "get 'em" and was designed to have few teachers at the top so they wouldn't have to pay them the top dollar when performance pay comes into effect across the state.  One teacher said that Principals in her county had been told that there would be repercussions for Principals who scored too many teachers too high!  The older teachers in the group talked about retiring early - now - and looking for other work to "get out."   The younger teachers talked about other professional choices - these are the same teachers who have been so excited about a career in teaching just a year ago!

I could hardly participate or even listen to the conversations because my heart was breaking...

I haven't had my first informal evaluation yet - that's scheduled for next week - but I have looked briefly at the rubric.  After 40 years of teaching, how will I feel if I am scored as "beginning" or "developing" in any area?  Will the fact that the students I teach struggle with language be a consideration on the level of conversation that they have?  I'm actually having the Principal come during a combination third/fourth grade intervention group - a Phonics for Reading, Level 1 group with 5 students with special needs.  The lessons are scripted and according to the developer of the program, Anita Archer, every word is researched, so I do not veer much from the text.  In fact, my challenge is staying with the exact wording, knowing that it stands on the shoulders of research. It can be rather boring, I guess, but it is what I do with that particular group of students, and the program is effective.  So... should I develop a "dog and pony show" instead to meet the little blocks on the rubric or should I plan to do what I really do?  I have opted to do what I do and just take the evaluation with a grain of salt.  Whatever the outcome, it is what it is.  I will try not to feel defensive or personally attacked and be open enough to see the learning that is just under the clouded surface.  I doubt it's any easier on my Principal - who is over 20 years my junior (I could have birthed her!) - to have to evaluate me than it is for me to sit through someone discussing my shortcomings!  I actually feel sorry for my Principal.  We have over 20 Nationally Board Certified Teachers at our school and another huge block of teachers who go above and beyond every single day.  I am sure telling any of those teachers that they may not be "highly effective" will be very difficult, especially if it is tied to pay.  To her credit, I don't feel the same sense of doom and gloom that the rest of my family seems to be feeling, although we are only at the beginning of this process.  If the culture at our school is nervous, they are also still upbeat and unbelievably committed.  It will be interesting to see how this unfolds across our state...

From a young teacher's perspective...

Taking a Look at the Data

We are so fortunate in Duval County to have Early Release Wednesdays every other Wednesday of the month.  These days give us an extra hour and a half for professional development every other week.  Usually we spend the time with our grade level and work on the work, but this past Wednesday the entire school worked on data.  The county has finally figured out a way to give us data that is user friendly.  Of course for 3-4-5, it's based on benchmarks that, in my opinion, are still questionable.  I would hate to see us put ALL of our faith in those tests but at least it's a starting point.  

In K-1-2 we had state-wide FAIR data to peruse. This past Wednesday we looked at the data against our lists of free and reduced lunch, lists of second language children, Hispanic students (which will probably be a high stakes assessment sub group or us for the first time this year) and other identifiers.  

So what did I learn?  Of course I know who my strugglers are by now (it's the end of the first nine weeks!) and I already had small groups and specific interventions in place.  I did notice that a much higher percentage of my strugglers are also on free and reduced lunch.  That has long been a trend but it just means that I have to work harder to make sure that they catch up in these early years.  It means that many of them are in homes where they are in survival mode and the children don't have the same type of support as their more financially comfortable peers have day in and day out.  That group continues to grow as our economy struggles and I want to give each child a fighting chance. 

I also identified which of my strugglers that I can touch at our tutoring center and want to make sure to  target those children and get them there for the extra service after school every week.  I also realize that I have a pocket of my Special Education students that have strong academic skills and will need to continue to be challenged at a more advanced level! Nice problem to have.  There is a responsibility to make sure that they continue to grow even though they are working above the aim line.  All in all it was a good reflection time - something that all teachers need on a regular basis.

Revisiting Retention

Today was the day in our county when you go to some type of county in-service.  At my school only one person in our Special Education Department goes, although it's meant for us all.  Over the years the message has always been "pretty boring" - certainly nothing to inspire you to be excited about a new school year. You usually come away stressed, wringing your hands or bored to the point of falling asleep. This year I drew the short straw... I arrived at the Convention Center and entered the appointed room - long metal tables with black lint table cloths, metal chairs in a room with two story ceilings and concrete floors.  Not exactly what I'd describe as warm and fuzzy.  The speaker was tethered to the mike and it was difficult to hear questions asked throughout the room.  I realized I hadn't attended this in-service day since 2004, but  from the sparsely populated room, I guess other teachers had heard some of the same stories of being bored over the year and just skipped the day.

Actually there was nothing in the presentation that I hadn't heard before.  The speaker tried to deliver the message in a calming, reaffirming way because really, with RtI there is a lot of disequilibrium.  There were really no new answers - just the same questions and frustrations.  The speaker, however, is one of my favorite speakers, one of the few in the department that I have really admired over the years.  She's knowledgeable, likable.

With all that said, there was one point today that really caused me to stop and think.  She quoted the well known research about retention - if a child is retained one year, he only has a 50% chance of graduating from high school.  If he is retained two years, there is a 90% chance he will drop out.  I have been aware of this research for years and even wrote a position paper for our faculty several years ago advocating against retention.  I have sat with many teachers over the years and implored them to reconsider retention in light of those statistics. I have asked them to consider how the child's program would be different if the child repeats. If it's just going to be a rehash of the same, then the retention makes no sense.  However, today I had to really think about if I believe that retention is ALWAYS so detrimental to our young Special Education children.  I have certainly recommended to teachers and to parents that a child delay entrance to kindergarten which would make them overage and have recommended that a child repeat kindergarten or first grade, especially a child that needs a stronger foundation in phonics or phonemic awareness because I am well aware that after first grade there is precious little time dedicated to decoding.  I think many of the Special Education teachers at our school have also recommended retention in the early grades, even though they know the statistics.  I would love to see the statistics for high school graduation of just retention data on students who are identified with special needs.  How many of the 50% that do graduate are special needs students who graduate because they had extra time to master those phonological skills in the early grade? I'm not sure that I believe that retention is ALWAYS an undesirable option.  Of course, I certainly believe there has to be a cap on the number of retentions.  There is no need for a child to be driving to 3rd grade!   I just haven't been able to get the conflicts I have about retention out of my head.  I guess I believe that retention should always be an option but should be considered very carefully, especially considering the research. 

There... now that I have dumped the words across this page, maybe I can finally sleep.

The Graduate

It's rare that a teacher gets to keep up with a young student throughout all of his school years, so I feel especially lucky to have watched Trevor bloom into such a strong young man. (That's his little inquisitive head poking up on the right of the picture!) Trevor actually entered my preschool class for children with disabilities as a two year old. It was a paper glitch because children could not come until their third birthday but once he was there, I just kept him. For ten years I taught a class for three and four year old children who were identified with learning disabilities, language difficulties, attention deficit disorder and children on the milder end of the autism spectrum. Often children were identified who were just delayed a bit, but it was a wonderful assembly of little ones who needed a strong educational start. Trevor was the cutest kid ever. I told his mom that his smile lit up the room... and it did. On the first day, his mom looked scared to death - more nervous than Trevor! I am sure she was questioning her decision. I am sure it was extremely difficult for her to hear that her handsome young son might have a problem, for her to trust him to someone she didn't know, and then for her to leave him in a class with children that all looked or acted just a little different. She knew Trevor was smart. It was evident from the first minute you met him, but he had difficulty making his needs known and that frustrated him. The frustration in this tiny two year old came out in the loudest tantrums ever! I'm sure his mom had been embarrassed on many occasions in the grocery store or at family outings by her son kicking and screaming. She probably stood her ground initially but his shrieks would wear anyone down and then when she finally gave in, it just meant that the next time, he would scream louder and longer (I told you he was smart!) By the time he entered my preschool class I'm sure he was pretty much running his household. His parents knew it had to stop and there was something wrong, but I'm also sure they really struggled with what to do. I so admire his mother for having the courage to do something to turn it all around. On that first day his mom's eyes pleaded with me for help. She wore her fear for her son like a cloak wrapped tightly around her heart.

Trevor was a challenge. Often other teachers and parents walking down the hall would peek their heads in to make sure everything was all right as Trevor's screams pierced the air. However, with time and consistency Trevor found ways to make his needs known and ways to ease his frustration. With speech and language infused into every moment of his day, he began to use his words. He was eventually identified with a learning disability in language but because it was identified so early - because his mother had chosen early intervention, we knew there was a good chance that he would learn to compensate for those early challenges. After two and half years in my class he left for a kindergarten class in another school. It was no surprise that he did well and learned to read on schedule. After a year I transferred to the school where he was so I ran into him and checked on him often. During those elementary years he tested out of the program (we all celebrated!) because he no longer needed the extra support. I ran into the family again as his younger sister entered school and was in an inclusion class where I had students. His family spoke out eloquently as I went through the Teacher of the Year process. I cherished their voice. Their words still bring tears to my eyes. Over the years, I would run into Trevor, his sister or his mom. This year I ran into Trev at a local fast food restaurant where he had an after school job and he reminded me that he was a Senior. Last night I had the thrill - the absolute thrill - of watching him receive his high school diploma. I was so proud! He will go on to college. His mom told me that he'd really like to work in theatre and had been bitten by the acting bug. I know that whatever he does, he will be successful. I have to credit his mom's courageous decision so many years ago, to do whatever she had to do to make a difference for her son, for his success now. Early intervention put him on the right road but it is his family's dedication and commitment along the way that has made the difference. Thanks, Trevor, for giving this teacher such an incredible gift! And yes, your smile still lights up the world!

The Trio That Stole Our Hearts

Last year I was called to the office. The principal informed me that we had three first grade ESE students registering at the same time! Oh my! My shock at having three from the same family enrolling in the same grade (twins and an older brother that had been retained) was immediately overtaken when I saw the three adorable, but desperately sad children. In broken Spanish and with tears, the mother told us that their teenage brother had been shot in a drive-by shooting just days before and that she had moved to our area in hopes of a safer place to raise her children. The little ones had been very close to their older brother and were heart-broken by the events. Although we decided to place all of the children in the same class, it was a difficult few weeks for them. They had to be pushed into the classroom each day and mostly stood at the back of the room. If one was having a hard time, I think they each felt like they needed to stick together and have a hard time too. I remember one day one of them tried to climb into a cubbie at the back of the room and then they all tried. There were meltdowns and tears and just the saddest eyes that I have ever seen. It was difficult, but slowly the teacher with her magic belief coaxed each of the children into the classroom. Her love and support radiated.

As the year progressed you could see the children coming out of their shells. The teacher, who is fairly fluent in Spanish began to push with an empathetic tone that they  began to trust. Our Behavior Interventionist invited the children to attend a weekly support group for children who had lost someone they loved. There were very few smiles that year, but with the help of our second language assistant and the teacher we were able to help the family in many ways outside of school. At the end of the year, the teacher recommended that the brother twin stay back and even with the mother's support and comparison information from the sister twin, the ESOL Office believed the problem was basically language and refused to let the bother twin stay behind.

As we ventured into the second year the boys looped to second grade with their same kindergarten teacher and the girl went to another first grade class with the ESE teacher. The teachers felt like she would blossom if she didn't feel like she had to take care of the boys - such a heavy load for such a young child.

The boys blossomed too. The teachers secured a counselor who saw the children weekly during the school day and the mother made sure that all three children were at the ARC (outside tutoring supplied free by the school in the children's neighborhood) every Tuesday to receive extra help. All of the children began to speak more and they all became readers! They were so proud of themselves.

Last week the teacher brought three blue balloons to the playground and invited each of the children to write a special message to their brother. It would have been his 18th birthday. After they wrote their message they stood together and released the balloons to the sky. There was a momentary hush that fell over the playground as all the children turned to watch the three balloons disappear over the building. The children smiled. There wasn't a dry eye among the adults as they watched this precious trio who had come so far. The older brother and sister twin will go on to second grade next year, both strong readers. After another meeting the brother twin will remain in first grade to strengthen his skills. Each child will be in a different class for the first time and will have the opportunity to shine on their own.

This doesn't mean that all of the problems for this family are over. They have another older brother that has had trouble with the law. They still suffer from many of the same problems that are inherent in poverty and being citizens of a second language navigating a highway of language subtleties, but I am just so proud of the way that individuals in my school responded to the needs of this family. The caring individuals - the teachers, the second language assistant, the Behavior Interventionist, and so many other people along the way who reached out their hand and said, "How can I help?" This is what "school" and "learning" are all about.

Douglas Wood, Children's Author

One the best traditions at Chets Creek is the Author Visit each spring. I don't know where our Media Specialist KK Cherney finds the funds and the authors, but she always manages to bring the faculty and children a most awesome adventure. How fortunate are the children at Chets Creek to be able to meet an author/ illustrator each year? Douglas Wood is an author with 40 books and also a songwriter. The day started with the faculty meeting for the Principal's Book-of-the-Month. I would think it would be a little intimidating for a principal to read a book in front of the author, but Susan Phillips is a master at reading aloud. I'm sure Douglas Wood enjoyed every moment of hearing someone else read his book! She chose the beautiful The Secret of Saying Thanks. The lyrical text and imagery are a perfect blend for appreciating our beautiful world. This is a book the children will love hearing.

Douglas Wood then entertained each grade level. He told first graders the story of The Rabbit and the Moon which is Native American (Cree) folklore. It will be such a great addition to our Kindergarten Native American collection of books. It's one thing to hear a teacher read a book, but it's something very special to hear an author tell his own story. I once heard Bill Martin, Jr. tell The Ghost-Eye Tree and I will never forget the impression that it made- much like the impression Douglas Wood left on me on Friday! Being a song writer he then taught the children two different songs and answered so many of their questions.

He also told us that he had ADHD and that it was hard for him to think of just one thing at a time. As a result he had ten new books in his mind all the time! He talked about how difficult it was for him to learn to read. Finally a second grade teacher helped him to understand that the squiggles and blots on the page really held a message. He said he didn't learn to read immediately - it took some time - but that teacher made the difference. He wrote that story in Miss Little's Gift.

Douglas Wood's first book was Old Turtle. The books has sold a million copies and won many awards. Douglas Wood told the students that they too, are authors and encouraged them to dream big. He left us with the message that it's good to have dreams, to never give up and to not be afraid to ask for help. What an inspiration!

Computer Math

While I don't think that computer programs - no matter how sophisticated - will ever take the place of a good teacher, I do believe that are some computer programs that can reinforce what we are doing in the classroom can make a difference with some students. I have seven computers in my classroom and most days at least five of the computers work! Some are really slow but some were new this year and work at a medium speed. Of course in order to login on a computer a kindergarten student has to remember or copy a ridiculous string of unrelated numbers and letters as their username and password. It's hard, especially for kinders and first graders, to recognize numbers from letters. Is it the number 1 or a a lowercase letter l? Is it a number 0 or an uppercase letter O? You do have to spend some time teaching the children when to use a shift key because some of the letters are uppercase and some are lowercase. If the child can login without your help (and that's a really big IF), it takes about 10 minutes! What usually happens is that they spend 10 minutes trying to get in and then get frustrated and come get you for help anyway! The good thing is that once a child learns his login, he uses the same login for his entire school experience. Right now, however, the login system only makes sense to someone that's not in the classroom using it!

With that said, our county has invested quite a bit of money on site licenses for a few sophisticated, comprehensive computer programs. We've had the programs all year and while we've had some overview of the programs, we've had very little time to actually enroll our students in the programs and figure out how to use them. What we have needed is time! Today - finally - we used one of our Early Release days to sign up for one of the programs. I was thrilled to have the time to enroll all of my students in a math program that I think can support both my three at-risk math students and also my four students who mastered the Math Diagnostic at the mid-term. It will give me a type of differentiation that I don't presently have. The computer program can be used during class, although that time is so precious, but it can also be used at home, during Extended Day, before and after school. I can't wait to get started. I just assign all my students to first grade and the program actually gets to know the student and continues to move the students up and down in the different Math strands as the student responds. I can then print out a progress report each week to see how the students are doing. The program seems especially easy to use and does count as a RtI researched intervention!

Tomorrow I have a half day to do the same thing with Destination Success, a program that I am hoping will do the same thing for Reading that Number World is doing for Math. Will let you know how it goes!

Update: While these programs were implemented, real success was never realized mostly because of a lack of time and a lack of professional development.

Queen Cara

I had the absolute honor of being invited to join a former student at our professional development center this morning to speak about the amazing story of how she became the Homecoming Queen at Fletcher High School this year. I wrote about Cara last fall after she was crowned. This morning I joined Cara and her mother to speak to teachers. Both Melanie and I had the same message, just packaged in different ways. The message to teachers was simple - Keep an open mind. Don't pigeon hole kids because of some label they might carry or because of the color of their skin or their socioeconomic class or what someone else may tell you about them. Believe in the possibilities!

Melanie knew that Cara would be born with Downs Syndrome while she was carrying her. As soon as she found out she tried to read everything that she could. She quickly put down the reading material because it was just so depressing. She decided that she would simply try to give Cara every opportunity she could to become the person that she was meant to be.

I was not invited to be with Cara and her mom this morning because I was THE teacher that made a difference in Cara's life. I simply represented a long line of teachers who had touched Cara's life - some with a caring, positive influence, and I'm sure some with a challenging influence! I remember my time with Cara as having many bumps in the road! But what Cara had on her side was a family that believed in her. Melanie surely is the hero in this story because her ability to advocate for Cara in the most persevering and yet realist way, opened doors at every turn. Melanie said her hope for Cara when she entered high school was simply for her to have a single friend that she could sit with at lunch! Imagine her surprise and delight as Cara was named Homecoming Queen. There wasn't a dry eye in the stadium that night.

Cara is going on to UNF next year in a special program. She is happy. Her face shines and she is a testament to what can be done when people just believe. Melanie told me that God has been whispering in her ear that He is not finished with Cara yet, so this may just be the first chapter in the amazing journey ahead. What I have come to realize is that Cara did not change because she was in my class. The truth is that I am the one that was changed forever because her life touched my mine! I am proud and honored to have been one of Cara's teachers and I can't wait to see what the rest of her life has to hold!

It's All in Their Heads! Creating Mental Images

Debbie Miller refers to it as creating mental images. Elin Keene refers to it as using sensory images to enhance comprehension and in her newest work Lucy Calkins calls it envisioning. Regardless of what you call it, good readers create mental images as they read. For many readers, it’s more than just visual images. They also pay attention to the other senses by noting “smells, textures, sounds, mood and ambiance”. The images change as the words change. The pictures are fluid. Readers revise their images as they add new information, as they read new information, or as they discuss their images with others. Good readers are able to look at a movie of the actions in their mind or they are able to step into the book by stepping into the “skin” or “head” or “shoes” of a character. Good readers understand that visualizing the action of the story helps them understand and comprehend the words. Good readers use their mental images to draw conclusions, to make inferences, to fill in spaces. The images clarify their thinking. They combine the words from the text with their own schema to create their pictures. The images may come from the five senses and the emotions but they are anchored in the reader’s background knowledge. Good readers draw on those images to recall details after the text has been read.

Tracy has been doing lessons for several weeks trying to teach our children to visualize. We displayed two different activities on our bulletin board this month, one where the children visualized the scene from a passage in a book and another that showed how an image can change as a child talks about her image. Below are some pictures of our bulletin board and the thinking of the children and our thinking about the children's work.

It is important that children see action in their minds. If they don’t, they will never fall in love with reading because they won’t see the movie that other children enjoy. They miss the action and the details and wonder how other children can figure things out.  As a Special Education teacher, I know that for many of my children, the reason that they struggle with comprehension and even with math word problems is because they can't visualize what is happening in their mind. The way that students "see" text is what Tracy and I are were trying to capture with this month's bulletin board.

Homecoming

Tonight Cara Stieglitz was named Homecoming Queen at Fletcher High School. High Schools all over the country are naming Homecoming Queens this time of year but what makes this story so very special is that Cara is a young lady with Downs Syndrome. Twelve years ago Cara's mom, Melanie, sat with Kerry Rogers and me and suggested that she wanted Cara to be included in our Kindergarten class full time. Although inclusion was the new buzz word, it was not really being done in Duval County at the time - at least not with students who had the significant challenges that Cara had. As we sat there, Melanie honestly explained Cara's abilities - and her challenges - and laid out her plan. I guess Kerry and I could have said no but I think we all knew that the legal system was behind Melanie if it ever came to that - not that she ever pushed or demanded. She was the perfect blend of "let's give it a try" and "I'll be there to support you every step of the way" - and she was. Kerry and I never hesitated. I think we knew even then that it was the right thing to do. Every time we stumbled - and we did - we simply went back to the drawing board to figure out how we could rearrange things so they would work.

Kindergarten is a good time for inclusion. Children at that age are very accepting of differences. It was easy to get children to partner with Cara. Most of them enjoyed being selected to be her helper. That's not to say everything went smoothly, but when we did have bumps in the road, Melanie made it easy to call her and sit down and work through solutions. By the end of the year, Kerry and I were very pleased with the outcomes. Although Cara had not mastered all of the kindergarten academic skills, she had made good, consistent progress and she had certainly matured socially. She had learned to navigate the kindergarten classroom and playground. She had friends. And the other children in that class had learned from Cara. In fact they had learned the most. They had learned how to be helpful without doing it for her. They had learned empathy.

I kept up with Cara on and off as she went through school. I would run into Melanie every now and then after I left Alimacani for Chets Creek. I remember she called me once and told me that Cara had been invited to her first sleepover. I think we both cried. As the years went by, every year had its challenges, but Melanie stood strong as Cara's advocate. She was never unreasonable, but she would not be pushed around either. She stood firm when she needed to and compromised when she needed to. She actively sought out the best teachers and the best programs for Cara and left no stone unturned to help her along the way. When I got Melanie's e-mail that Cara had been nominated by her bowling coach to serve on this year's Homecoming Court, I cried. I couldn't have been prouder.

My hat is also off to the students at Fletcher. Many of them have known Cara since that first year at Alimacani. They have watched her grow and mature. I am sure they have seen her fall too, but they have also seen her pick herself up and with more determination than ever, take the next step. Many of them must have been willing to forgo a vote for a friend in order to make this dream possible for Cara. That shows a group of students who had the maturity to understand the bigger picture. The smile on Cara's face tonight says it all, but this is not only a victory for one little girl, it is a victory of an entire community. The Stieglitz family serves as an example of what can be accomplished when families and educators work together - when they can put aside their own personal needs and wants and do what is best for a child! Congratulations Queen Cara! May your reign be an inspiration to us all!

Read this follow up article.

Catch Readers Before They Fall

Catching Readers Before They Fall: Supporting Readers Who Struggle, K-4 by Pat Johnson and Katie Keier has been my summer read and it's been a good reminder of some of the things we need to look for when a child is struggling. One of the things that was particularly interesting to me is how the authors discussed teaching individual comprehension strategies. I think since Elin Keene's work has come out that teachers have tended to teach the strategies in isolation instead of making sure that children understand that the main purpose of reading is comprehension so that one of the strategies that you explicitly demonstrate and think-aloud might be a way that a student could add to his own system of comprehending. In other words, more emphasis on the integration of strategies instead of just practicing a single strategy. The authors even say that it is not necessary for students to name a strategy - only that they are able to use the strategy! For me, this is a slightly different way of looking at strategy instruction.

Another strong chapter is the explanation of using running records as a source of information to show a teacher how a student is solving words, including examples of what struggling readers might do and how teachers might respond. I think this is a chapter that would be good for the K-2 teachers at my school because I am not sure that they always understand how to analyze a running record in depth. For me one of the interesting discussions in this chapter was how teachers immediately correct a struggling student when they make a mistake. This technique doesn't always give our students a chance to self-correct. When we interrupt them, they don't have a chance to hear for themselves that the sentence doesn't make sense. I am certainly guilty of this because it is a technique taught in my early Direct Instruction training. However, I have noticed that I have students that become dependent of me correcting their mistakes instead of becoming students who hear their own mistakes and self-correct so I think this is a technique that I will give a try when I start to see this happening.

At our school, we have a separate 30 minutes Skills Block. The book explains how all phonics instruction needs to refer back to connected text and meaning so that our students do not get the idea that the phonics instruction is separate from reading. I think this is an area that I could improve so I am going to make a conscious effort to make sure that all of our phonics instruction this year is taken from a read aloud of in some way refers back to connected text.  Realizing this is probably why Fountas and Pinnell call Skills Block Word Work and it follows the guided reading session.

I think this is a book that would make a good book study for K-2 teachers. It's not that there is so much that is new, but it does give strong instruction that would make good discussion among early childhood teachers.

Summer training?

I just sat through two days of professional development. The trainer was actually really good - very knowledgeable with classroom experience, good pacing. The problem was that the content, Reading Mastery, is something I've probably had a half dozen times in my career as a Special Education teacher. "Someone" decided that this year in order to get supplies to teach that teachers in my county would have to go through training in order to get their materials-regardless of how many times they had already had the training. Who makes these decisions? This is the same training whether you have never taught Reading Mastery or whether you have been teaching it for 20 years! Most of the teachers in my group these last two days were seasoned and had taught the program. They were there for the same reason I was. They wanted to have materials to teach their children on the day school started. They didn't want to wait until school was in session for a month, set up a training and miss days of instruction, and then wait for the materials to come until... maybe Christmas! Sure, there's a new Reading Mastery edition so the pictures are in color now and they've added a few new pieces, I'm sure to align with state requirements, but two days of summer vacation - just to have materials to teach on the first day. The truth is I have gotten a little rusty on the Reading Mastery signals and connection procedures over the years but that's because I haven't actually taught my own small groups of Reading Mastery in the past ten years. I have one of the most masterful paraprofessionals in our building teaching my groups, so I sat through the training knowing that I will never use one second of the program! But my para needs materials so we can start interventions on day one. The children are already behind. We don't have a moment to lose!

The parts of the program were ordered in bulk, so regardless of your needs, one size fits all and everybody gets the same thing. Efficient, I guess, if you are the person ordering and I suppose you get a better price if you order all the same pieces for everyone but how many pieces will sit on shelves and gather dust because teachers know they will not use specific pieces. I, like almost every teacher sitting in the room today, made a decision as the trainer described each piece we would be getting if we would use the piece or never plan to open it. If I had had the chance to customize my order for my needs, there are certainly pieces I would have omitted. I never plan to use them. However, there is a vocabulary piece where we are getting the Teacher's Guide but not the books that make it possible to teach the program. Many of the books may be ones that you might be able to find - if you take all that additional time to find them - but for me, it would have been a perfect supplemental program for a group of second language Special Education students. It's based on the same research of Beck and McKeown that Text Talk is based on which we use to supplement the Core with our general education students. I guess it's the waste - and the trees - that bother me so much - and the waste of taxpayer money and, of course, the waste of my own time... on my "vacation." As much as I love professional development and learning something new, this was my idea of how NOT to do PD!

It's all about me!

I am getting ready to make a change - a big change. For the past 10 years I have split my day - spending half being a Special Education inclusion teacher and half a day as a Literacy Coach. When Dr. Terri Stahlman first designed this job to lure me to Chets Creek, I thought I was the luckiest teacher in the world - and I was! To be able to have a foot in the classroom and at the same time to have a foot in the professional development field was just too perfect. Over the years, I have sometimes felt like I was actually doing two full time jobs and that I was being pulled too thin in too many directions, but for the most part I have absolutely LOVED every minute of both jobs. I will always love my time in the classroom because I believe it is what I was called to do, but the chance to influence teachers and even to help direct the course of a school has been an unexpected thrill. I am also really proud of the teachers who over the years have chosen to walk this learning journey with me.

Ten years later, many things have intersected to change the direction of what I think I should be doing. The teachers who ten years ago were new and, oh so young, have now matured and are strong teachers in their own right, many who have unbelievable leadership ability. While I have tried to find opportunities for each of them to lead, many of them have now come to that place where they are ready to spread their wings - some of them are ready for much more than the few opportunities that I can arrange. Today Chets Creek attracts teachers who are risk takers, who are willing to think outside of the box and who are deep thinkers of our work. So many of these teachers are ready to lead in a substantial way and I sometimes feel like I am the stumbling block. With me standing in the doorway, it must be hard for them to ever imagine - to ever see beyond - to see that they will have their chance. It is time for me to step aside - you know that whole idea of training someone to be better than yourself - and let them use their skills in leading, training, and coaching. I'll always be there, of course, to support from the sidelines, but it is time for them to shine. They have been trained for a time such as this...

And so...I will not be in an official coaching role next year. Instead I have decided to return to my roots, to the classroom that has been the most satisfying part of my career. Next year I will be trying a new twist on an old idea -something different - something that I have never actually done before. I will be co-teaching in an inclusion classroom where I will also provide the Special Education services. The advantage will be the opportunity to stay with the same students for the entire day. Being a half time Special Education teacher always leaves me with the feeling that I need to do more. On most days, I leave feeling guilty that I have not done enough. However, I haven't been a full-time homeroom teacher for many, many years, and have never played the role of the homeroom teacher and the Special Education teacher at the same time... but there is something that just feels right about this.

Of course, I walk this new road with some fear and trepidation. I think it might be easier to simply sit on my reputation and regally wait for retirement! I think this truly is the road less traveled (and I figure there are probably plenty of reasons for that!) I will lose much of the flexibility that I have come to enjoy such as not having to find a substitute or write sub plans. While I totally enjoyed the control I had with having a class of my own, I didn't really miss much about being a homeroom teacher, except the control I had, when I became an inclusion teacher 13 years ago - such as having to keep a receipt book (they finally took mine away because they said I just didn't take it seriously enough!), and taking up money for everything from lunch, school pictures, tee-shirts to every fund-raiser in the world. I doubt I'll be very good at taking attendance on the computer by 10:00 each morning (I often get distracted with teaching!) and I was never able to get all the forms at the beginning of the year to the right people. Having watched other teachers struggle with the computerized grade book this year, I doubt that's something I will entirely celebrate and enjoy. I'm not much for making books out of pumpkins, designing wreaths, packing Spring baskets for the silent auction and all of the other homeroom-type expectations (although I've always loved the traditions as long as I didn't have to do them!), and I'm pretty boring in a skit! It's the thought of co-teaching with someone that I really like and who has a heart for children, especially those that struggle, that more than makes up for any anxieties that I may have about the homeroom role.

All in all, I think it will be a really good move for me. It's time. I guess I will have to prove once again that I can really teach or maybe I'm just proving that to myself! I do think I will feel more satisfied at the end of each day- knowing I have given all that I have and knowing that I'm making a difference. Having one of the lead roles in the classroom instead of a supporting role is much more responsibility but also much more satifying. I really think I will welcome each new day with a smile. I think I will laugh a whole lot more. And I think I will dance. The clout may be gone, but the heart will be pumping away and I guess that's what I've decided is really what I want it to be all about.

From Inclusion to RtI

I have been a Special Education teacher for my entire career. I have seen all kinds of models come and go in popularity. They all have their great hope and challenges. When I first started teaching in 1970, all Special Education students were slowly moved to self-contained classes. When the efficacy studies showed that students did better socially in those classrooms but didn't do as well academically, Resource Rooms became the new fad where Special Education students were pulled out for part of the day for some of their academic work and remained in their general education class for the rest of their day. After years of that model the efficacy studies once again showed that the Special Education students didn't fair well because their day was too chopped up with little coordination between what was going on in the Resource Room and what was going on in the general education classroom. As a result the students were often just confused. Then inclusion swooped in with its push-in programs. We left kids in the classroom and the Special Education teacher worked with struggling students in their classroom. The idea is that you offer a "continuum." In other words you offer all of these options, but in most schools - even our best schools - that is more dream than reality.

Recently in a conversation with an inclusion teacher, we decided that this analogy best describes what it is like to be the general education teacher in an inclusion class. You come upon a lake and you see three boats. In one boat all of the children have paddles and they are all paddling in different directions, making no progress. In another boat there are enough paddles in the bottom of the boat but the children are all looking around trying to decide what to do. They don't know what the paddles do or how to use them to move forward. The last boat is empty, but around the boat, children are drowning. The first boat represents those students that are at the highest level in your class who all think they know what to do, but without a teacher to help direct the course, they will continue to go in circles or to not move at all. The middle boat represents the normally developing children who have all the tools but just don't know how to use them without a teacher to develop their skills. The empty boat represents the students that are struggling - the ones who are drowning without your help. As you arrive on the scene, who do you help? On your worst day, that is the way teaching feels, as if you can't possible get to every student and that without your guidance and intervention some students will not make it. If there are too many children drowning in your class, you can only save those that are about to go under and you wonder if you will ever have time to guide the rest to safety. It's a scenario that keeps me awake at night.

In the ideal world there is rescue and balance so that while one person is saving those that are drowning, another is practicing with those who don't know how to paddle and still another drops in to get all those that are paddling rowing in the same direction, but that is so much easier said than done. The only people who say that can be done easily or effortlessly are the ones designing the programs, not the ones living it. On the best of days, there are enough hands to touch every single child and you leave at the end of the day with a smile on your face and a skip in your step. Doesn't every single child deserve an education like that? It's just a matter of figuring out how to make that happen... Is RtI the next great model? Will it be the answer we've searched for all these many years? Will it provide the life preservers and compass that we are looking for?