Tuesday, September 16, 2014

A Trip Down Musical Lane

When I first decided to create this blog, I titled it "Thoughts on Education and Other Fun Stuff"; however, to date I have only written about education, and I feel as if "other fun stuff" is starting to feel very much left out--the last person picked for a junior high game of football.  So, here is my first post about "other fun stuff."

Not all too many people know that as an 18-year-old entering college, I was actually a vocal music major.  I spent my first two-plus years studying to teach and/or perform vocal music for the rest of my life.  Inspired by the emotional outlet that music provided, I wanted to share my soul with the world.  However, as time went on and this passion turned into a "job", I realized that it was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  That said, you would be hard pressed to find a day when I am not inspired by music, transformed by its power, and captivated by its passion.

This past weekend, dreams came true in the form of getting tickets to see Garth Brooks...twice.  Growing up, there was no artist whose sound I tried to emulate more, spending hours listening and then singing back (failing), and repeating the process for what seemed to be eternity (or until dad would call me to the table for dinner).  Ultimately, I realized that my voice wasn't really built for country music, but I, even to this day, thoroughly enjoy lying to myself and pretending it is.  However, something even more special happened this weekend, an unexpected walk down a foggy memory lane filled with pathways and tributaries that I didn't know (or clearly forgot) ever existed.

You see, I went to the Garth Books concert filled with child-like joy and anticipation at the thought of hearing my childhood musical idol live, but what happened was a continual and unending barrage of memories triggered by the power of song.  I was able to saunter back to my first real unrequited love (who ironically enough was the first person to play for me Garth's "Unanswered Prayers"--can't make that up) and remember all of the painstaking hours I spent trying to persuade her to go out with me.  As the songs changed, so did the memories; I was whimsically swept back to my first true love, frantically transported to those summer nights cruising around town with the boys, and serenely carried to a time when life had no worries.  Each song carried with it the inherent power to reanimate the past, to make fading and forgotten moments reappear, grabbing my soul's hand and leading it straight to the dance floor.

However, there was a puzzling yet beautiful duality to these surreal nights.  While my soul was dancing with moments from the past, my mind, heart and body were literally dancing with my wife (and friends), recording new memories. What wasn't clear, though, was if these new memories were being recorded over or next to the ones from days long gone?  And then, as if he knew I was pondering this great mystery, Garth reflectively narrated, as the opening to the next song, "circles have a funny way of completing themselves."  Aside from frantically taking out my phone to quickly record this profound aphorism, I realized why I love music so much and why it's so powerful; Music's power to create memories lies in the subtle ways in which a circle completes itself yet continues on forever. And much like circles, music has a way of completing us, connecting the past to the present while dancing us into the future.





Tuesday, August 12, 2014

10 Years in the Bank: a reflection to start year 11

As I was driving to work this morning, windows down, a little Zac Brown Band blaring (although I was probably singing more loudly than the radio was playing), it really dawned on me: I am about to start my 11th year in education.  Now I fully admit that in the grand scheme of things, that isn't really all that many, and in fact, I have learned more in my last two years than in the previous eight (which puts into preservative just how minimal 10 years really is).  However, this realization caused me to stop and think, reflect; I turned the radio off, slowed down just a bit to maximize my time before arriving at work, and (probably to the dismay of any driver's education teachers reading this) let my mind drift, to dance its way through ten years of students, curriculum, meetings, athletic events, smiles, tears, laughter, pain, and most importantly, FUN.  So, as I begin my second decade in education (it just sounds so much cooler to say it that way as opposed to year number 11), here is what I have learned.  Perhaps you have learned all this already; in fact, my guess is some (or most of you) learned all this much quicker than I.  That said, I hope that my time, my journey, can be of value to you as you navigate your way through the twisted and complicated maze that is teaching and learning.

1.  We are all the same...because we are all people.
I have worked in four different schools across three different districts representing a geographical stretch of 50 plus miles in the Chicagoland area (thankfully all because of my own choosing), and the one question I would hear the most each time I changed schools or districts was: "so, how different are the students here than your last school?"  The question would always, no matter how many times I was asked it, catch me off guard.  I would subtly pause, think fondly about all my past students, consider my current group of learners, and say, "I don't know."  For some reason that answer frustrated teachers; it was as if they wanted to hear that the kids at the current school, their school were somehow different--smarter, more motivated, better.  However, I have learned that kids are kids, and to that end, teachers are teachers. Deep down, regardless of how we go about our day and what we do or don't share with others, we all want to succeed, have dreams of being great, recognized; moreover, we all have our problems--our issues, our fears, our demons.  These may vary from kid to kid or teacher to teacher.  Some might be fighting depression and others domestic violence, while others are simply trying to deal with the pressures of being "average" in an "exceptional" school.  So, I have learned to get to know people, to truly seek out and listen to their stories.  Because people are people...and we are all people, students and teachers alike.

2. One cannot do this job alone.
Early in my teaching career, I thought I knew it all. I was young, confident, well-prepared, and...STUPID.  I look back at my first few years and I am appalled at how often I worked in isolation (not only worked that way but found ways to avoid collaboration).  I used to tell myself that it was because I was busy (teaching, coaching, and working on a master's degree), that this was easier.  Sadly, those are years I will never get back--despite how much I wish I could.  I am now at the opposite end of that spectrum.  I have been lucky enough to develop a national network of colleagues with whom I am blessed to collaborate regularly.  People like: Barry Saide (@barrykid1), Lisa Hollenbach (@lisa_hollenbach), Val Brown (@ValeriaBrownEdu), Dorina Sackman (@2014FloridaTOY), Kip Hottman (@kiphottman), Brad Clark (@notbradclark), and SO SO SO many more.  These people keep me going, push me to constantly be better, and challenge me to think about education in ways I otherwise wouldn't.  Now, I am not saying that you have to go out and try to create a national network (I still cannot believe how blessed I am to have the one I do); however, I have learned that this job is easier, better for students, and flat out more fun when we break out of our silos of isolation, reach out to others, and work critically together, side-by-side, to help ALL students learn.

3.  Doing this job right sure isn't easy.
Odds are pretty great that if you are reading this, you are a teacher.  So, you don't need me to waste your time explaining this one.  Instead, I want to thank you for all you do.  The countless hours you put in YEAR ROUND to help your students (each and every one of them) don't get the attention, thanks, congratulations, or love they deserve in the national narrative, and I wish I could do more than this simple paragraph.  Alas, thank you--truly from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you do!

4.  A few bad apples don't ruin the bushel.
With the current national narrative littered with stories of horrible teachers and completely incompetent students (who are beyond the help of any teacher), I have learned this lesson number four.   I have worked with teachers who clearly shouldn't be in this profession, and I have had my handful of students who, no matter how hard I tried, simply and flat out refused my help; however, the overwhelming majority of teachers and students are great.  They work, both groups, tirelessly to improve every day with the goal of learning and sharing knowledge as much as they can.  So, I ask this: if you had a few bad apples in your bushel, would you throw all of them out?  I hope not, and the same goes for teachers, students, and education.


5. There is nothing I would rather be doing with my life.
I feel like there is a growing sense among educators that if they were just now getting ready to go to college there would be no chance they would go into education knowing the current dynamics of our landscape.  This saddens me because, more than anything else this last decade, I have learned that there is absolutely nothing I would rather be doing with my life.  Education is amazing; it is this rare balance of intellect and acting, reading and writing, caring and crying, laughing and encouraging.  It's the butterflies we still get on the first day of school and the sorrow on the last.  It is the challenges thrown our way and the way in which we triumph over them.  It is staying up all night before grades are due and going out for a drink with colleagues the next day to celebrate.  It is the phone calls home to push those struggling students and the calls home to brag about the rock stars.  Simply put, education is the perfect yet simple juxtaposition between frustration and success that, at the end of the day, allows our future to have a future.  So, would I go back in time change my path: not a chance!







Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Tips to a Terrific Year

"I think there is a profound and enduring beauty in simplicity; in clarity, in efficiency. True simplicity is derived from so much more than just the absence of clutter and ornamentation. It's about bringing order to complexity" (J. Ive, Apple Designer)

I recently stumbled upon this quote, and while I would say that most of my blog posts don't necessarily fit into the mold of this philosophy, Ive's words have inspired me to post my most simple post yet.  So, here are my Five Tips to a Terrific Year (just in time for the start of school) because let's be honest, having a terrific year should be simple!

1.  Go in with a plan...and be prepared to blow it up after the first week.
It is almost comical; we spend all summer, grinding away reading new books, exploring pedagogical shifts, researching technological additions, and planning the year...only for that plan to be blown up within the first week.  I am not saying don't plan; however, this is your friendly reminder that you can't really know if your plan is going to work until you know your students and dynamic of the class(es).  So, don't get upset or frustrated when you need to adjust your plan.  Instead, view it as a chance to be constantly reinventing yourself in real-time as the best teacher possible for each of your students.

2.  Let your students ask you questions, too.
So often we start the school year by asking our students lots of questions (their interests, passions, dislikes, family dynamics, etc.); however, not often enough do we let them ask similar questions of us. I firmly believe that, while teaches are dying to get to know their students, our students are dying to get to know us even more. Want to be their guide to understanding as opposed to their "teacher", then let them get to know you; let your students ask you questions, too.

3.  Reach out to a colleague you haven't collaborated with before
It is very easy for us to do one of two things: continue to collaborate with those whom we always have, or not collaborate at all because we never have and it has "worked" for us. My challenge is this: reach out to a colleague with whom you have never before collaborated and ask if you can do so this year. It doesn't even have to be someone from your grade-level or even your department. But go seek someone out with whom you can and will spend 50 min. a week (one prep period) or even every other week talking about teaching. Share your journey with that person and listen closely to his or hers.  It will do nothing but make both of you better!

4.  Find a passion-based project for the year
I feel very strongly about this and have begun to encourage the teachers in my department to do it.  We all have areas in education about which we are super passionate. For some that might be union leadership/policy work, for others it could be educational research.  For me, it has become developing and collaborating with my PLN via Twitter and my blog.  Whatever it is, having this passion-based project in your work life will give you something to pick you up when the chaos of education has knocked you down. When I am having "one of those days", I know I can turn to Twitter for encouragement or advice or even clear my head through writing on my blog.  So, find that project for yourself and invest in it: you will be a better teacher for it.

5.  Have fun
If you have read any of my blog posts before, you probably aren't surprised to see this one listed.  I FIRMLY believe that we must have fun.  We must take risks, we must embrace our failures with a smile and open mind, we must cry when things get really tough, we must laugh when things are funny...but we must do all of this WHILE HAVING FUN.  Teaching is more than a job or a profession, it is a way of life; in fact, it consumes our lives (who out there doesn't struggle with work/life balance).  So, if that is the case, we might as well have fun doing it. So, no matter what else, I challenge you...no I encourage you...no I IMPLORE you to have fun this year.

Friday, July 25, 2014

The Old Man and the Sea: why a veteran teacher is changing the way he teaches

I stood there.  Still.  Basking in the early morning sun as the salty water calmly rushed over my ankles with its rhythmic persuasion.  I observed...drawn in by the magnitude of the ocean. I saw waves fighting, racing to be the first to tackle the packed-down shoreline; others in no hurry to reach their destination.  There were some, even, that appeared to be yearning to collaborate with other waves, jaunting sideways and defying the logic of the current to find their partner. Regardless of their pace and process, each wave left its mark, it's stamp on the land.  These marks, like the waves, were distinct and unique, forming a tapestry of  individuality that was both beautiful and inspiring.  Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and I had done nothing but stand and observe, peacefully enveloped by nature and my own thoughts, realizing that these waves were all around me, reaching the horizon as far as I could see: beyond my reach yet right there for me to hold, to support, to encourage.

Not that I ever needed the ocean to convince me that differentiated instruction is the best way to help all students learn, but the realizations, lessons from the ocean, now washed over me with the force of a thousand PD books on DI or standards based learning--in fact, greater than that force.  You see, for some time now, I  have been thinking about re-imagining the way I teach, putting the standards at the core and the skills at the forefront.  I have been conceptualizing what it would look like to create a structure in which the first month of school is a skills boot camp dedicated to teaching all the major skills that, traditionally, my students would develop slowly over the course of the year.  It's sort of the "learning how to swim by just jumping in" philosophy. My frustration over the last few years has been that all of these skills (close reading, academic writing in response to text without a prompt from the teacher, presentation, developing personal voice in student writing, etc.) are so intertwined that I really struggled teaching them in isolation, and, despite my best efforts to keep all of these skills married via my instruction, I feel as if I often times failed--that the traditional model of slowly presenting new skills over the course of the school year made it challenging for me to show students how all of these skills are connected and even overlapping.

Thanks to the ocean's mesmerizing uniqueness, I now see why I have struggled so greatly.  In the model in which I slowly present new skills over the course of time, the arbitrary nature of the school's calendar is what dictates the progression of skill instruction, and while we all do our best to differentiate in that model, the calendar still is the foundation for that plan with the skills and students being the next level of consideration. Yet, these waves know no calendar. They are beholden to nothing but their uniqueness and desires. So, if I were to give my students all the skills they will need up front (providing all the discipline-specific terms, strategies, and maneuvers) and make the rigor and difficulty of the text and task the elements that slowly change over the course of the year, each individual student would be free to follow the path of his or her own wave in meeting the standards. Assignments and time with the material will vary by student based on where he or she is in relation to mastery of each skill.  Let's be honest, the discipline of English has a wide-range of skills, and, for the most part, each student is inherently strong in some and weaker in others.  This model will allow each student to spend the time needed developing their weakest skills without "wasting" time on skills they have already mastered.

Here is the catch: I don't know if this will work or not. But I do know that the traditional model of instruction could use a face lift--at least in my class.  I plan on working hard to ensure all my students have the best learning experience possible, and that is no different than every year I have ever taught. However, this year, the calendar will not be the foundation of that learning experience, their learning will be!  I am sure I will fail. I am sure I will learn a ton.  I am sure I will have a great time along the way.  But most importantly, I am sure that in trying new things, I will become a better teacher.  So I ask: what new things will you try this year?

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Teaching Literacy in 140 Characters: part II

Last November, after returning from the NCTE and CEL National Conventions, I wrote a piece called Teaching Literacy in 140 Characters. In it I argued that we, as educators, must start to teach writing in the Twitter space, and, if we don't, we are not only ignoring the future but actually ignoring the present reality of our students and world. However, when I wrote that piece, I had not fully immersed my students and class in the digital world that is Twitter, but now over a year later, I am here to share all that I learned from actually teaching my students to write for Twitter and using it on a daily basis for my class (check us out at #bronke2nd) each student had his/her own Twitter account for class). So, here are my top five takeaways.  I hope that they can be helpful to you on your journey to getting your students (or even just yourself) to write in the Twitter world.

1. Twitter = the F word:
No, it is not what you think.  While there were times when I wanted to curse technology for not working, that is not the F word to which I am referring here.  The F word to which I am referring here is even better: FORMATIVE assessment.  Let's be honest, collecting this sort of data in a fast, easy manner on a daily basis is something for which we all yearn (especially about student reading of text).  Well, Twitter did it for me.  Each night the class had a reading assignment, they also had to Tweet out what they would normally text-mark in their books (most did both--marked it in text and tweeted it).  We called it "Tweet-marking." I quickly realized that if I started my day by reviewing all that they Tweet-marked the night before, I had my lesson plan for the day. I knew the parts of that reading that they clearly did understand and those that needed clarification (without having to collect all their books or give a reading quiz). I knew the parts of the chapter that they really enjoyed and wanted to discuss, and I knew the parts of that didn't really excite them. I knew which students needed help with each specific learning goal for our reading, and I could create my base groups for that day based on that data. IT TOTALLY CHANGED HOW I LESSON PLANNED.  Every lesson plan was now adapted based on real-time formative data. I must now be honest: when I first got my class into the Twitter space, I had not thought about this benefit; however, I now cannot imagine teaching without having my students Tweet-mark and getting that formative data daily.

2. Writing in 140 characters isn't easy:
We struggled, together...a lot. Learning how to capture deeply intellectual thoughts about rigorous and challenging texts wasn't easy.  For me the challenge was making sure that Tweet-marking didn't push students away from making direct reference to the text (obviously a major goal of all English classes). So, we had to get creative.  Students started taking pictures of the quote from the book on which they wanted to comment. Then they could post that picture and still have 140 characters to comment on it. This became a very valuable tool.  But the reality is, like with any sort of writing, the more we did it, the better we got at it. Students really did become quite skilled at talking, in a very deeply discipline-specific ways, about literature in 140 characters; however, it didn't happen overnight.  So, my advice here: stay the course and help them fight through the frustration. It will be worth it. And, if you help them see the parallels, you will also see your students become more succinct (and less needlessly verbose) in their own "regular writing" (whatever that means in the 21st century--as if writing for Twitter isn't regular to the students or society today).

3. Students enjoying reading? What???:
Regardless of your view on the balance between student choice vs. assigned core novels, the goal (and probably biggest challenge for English teachers) is to get students to enjoy reading, to become, hopefully, life-long readers.  Well, I cannot sit here and say that all students enjoyed every reading assignment or that I know for sure that I helped produce 28 new life-long readers, what I can say is that, by and large, it was clear that students enjoyed the reading because of Twitter.  When reading became a social act (and let's be honest, isn't that why the concept of the book club still plays such a prominent role in society today?), students found much greater joy in the task.  The ability to "talk" with others while reading--ask questions, challenge one another, or just share a favorite passage--opened up a new enjoyment that many students had not previously had with reading.

4. Engagement = classroom management
"Oh my...but you can't have students with their cell phones out in class; all they will do is check their fantasy football lineups, text their boy/girl friends, or be searching Facebook."  I get that thought/fear--I do, but we are not a 1:1 school, yet. So, I had no choice if I wanted Twitter in my class.  And the reality is, that fear is just not valid.  When used in meaningful ways that allowed things like having students from different base groups interact, or allowing the outer circle of a fishbowl discussion to chat, or surveying my entire PLN on a specific English topic/questions, students were engaged, on task, and super productive.  In fact, as I reflect back on it, the times they were not engaged with Twitter via their cell phones in class were the times when I didn't structure the day's activity in a purposeful enough way thereby basically inviting them to check out other content on their phone. So, if you have concerns about the classroom management piece, reflect on your lesson plan and the purpose of Twitter during the class first.  It will work great if you have a targeted and specific use that helps bring discussions and content to life in ways that aren't possible without it.

5. Learning and fun...say it isn't so:
I know that there is a school of thought out there about the use of technology in the classroom that, loosely summed up, believes that technology should never be used simply because it is fun--that if it just to add bells and whistles, don't do it.  While I don't totally agree or disagree with that, I can say that I learned that  Twitter made class more fun.  It made homework more fun.  It made discussions more fun.  It made learning more fun.  I don't know about you, but I like having fun.  Whether or not it directly impacted actual student learning, I don't know (however I would strongly argue that it did--just don't have the data to prove it yet); however, I do know that fun is good and that, all too often, there isn't enough fun in learning. So, I challenge you to add some more fun into your students' learning experience...add Twitter to your class.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Year-End Reflection: what I really learned this year

As I sit here writing this, the end of the school year is a mere two days away.  All the end-of-the-year drama is slowly coming to a close, finals are being graded, students are cleaning out lockers, and summer vacations are so close we can taste them.  If you are at all like me, that also means that the time for self-reflection is upon us.  The end-of-the year brings with it the opportunity for us to honestly reflect back upon the year in an effort to celebrate our successes and identify our areas for growth for next year. Recently, I asked my students to write a blog post (follow the class and individual student blogs through the hashtag #bronke3rdhour) on what they REALLY learned during 9th grade.  So, I decided that I should go through the same exercise.  Below are the top five lessons (in no specific order) I learned this year.

1.   ALL student really can thrive if we provide them the conditions and opportunities to do so.

This year I experimented with taking away prompts for end-of-novel essays, refrained from being the one to provide the focus for reading (teaching students how to create their own focus instead), assigned a wider range of writing tasks than I have ever, allowed students to consistently interact with technology to enhance learning, and even allowed students to craft their own writing assignment and then write them.  All of this led me to realize that given the correct circumstances and conditions, all students can thrive in their own, unique (but academic) ways.

2.   Collaboration is WAY more than simply getting along and sharing materials.

True and mutually productive collaboration is a journey of frustration created by cognitive dissonance. It is a group of teachers, regardless how similar or dissimilar their beliefs are, working together to solve a problem, to achieve greatness.  It is challenging one another's views on the matter at hand and listening openly to all points of view regardless of how they may or many not mesh with one's own.  It is so much more than e-mailing some materials for a common prep or sharing revisions to a common final exam.  Many people call their departments, classrooms, or schools places of collaboration, but are they?

3.   Writing is powerful.

This has been my first year writing a blog, and it has been one of the best decisions of my professional life.  Between this blog and other blogs to which I have contributed, I have published around 10-15 pieces this year; however, I have written (started, finished, and/or dabbled around) nearly 40.  And all 40 of these writing experiences have helped guide me to new understandings (about myself, my job, and education).  I encourage you all to write...write a lot...

4.   It's okay to admit you need help

I wrote a blog about this earlier in the year, but I want to come back to it now because this became very personal for me at the end of this year.  For some reason, I have always been someone who just would "figure it out on my own."  I didn't let stress get to me, kept my head down, and just kept grinding (like I could work my way out of my own stress).  However, this year stress got the best of me.  I got to a point where it was really hard to focus on my work because I was too worried I would never get it all done (a feeling I really had never had before); however, thanks to the help of great friends and wonderful mentors, I was able to admit that was how I was feeling and allow them into my world to help get me refocused.  This was a huge realization for me, and I thank my friends and mentors for their support. 

5.   I am lucky

I know that most all teachers will say this about their jobs, but I really am so very blessed and lucky. I get to work, each and every day, with 21 of the best teachers around.  Each of them, on a regular basis, teaches me so much about teaching, kids, and life.  They do amazing work with kids and for one another.  Furthermore, I got to spend the year with the amazing #bronke3rdhour class.  These 27 students took risks, challenged one another, embraced frustration and failure, and had fun doing it.  I couldn't have asked for a better class, and I thank my lucky stars every day for the opportunity to work with the teachers in my department.


So, as your school year comes to an end, I challenge you to ask yourself, what did YOU REALLY learn this year...and, if you have time, write about it.  We can all learn from one another. 


Monday, May 12, 2014

I Need Help: three words educators must be more comfortable saying

This past Friday (May 9, 2014) was one of the most enjoyable, open, honest, caring, warm, and productive professional development experiences of my career, and I want to start by thanking the District 99 Literacy Coaching Team (Dana Briggs, Jennifer Hernandez, Barb Mazzolini, Kathleen Skinner, Kathy Smith, Elaine Simos, Amy Stoops, and Marjorie Thomas) for allowing me to be a part of this special day. Each and every one of you helped make me a better teacher, leader, and coach through your open and honest dialogue.

You see, the literacy coaching program in District 99 is well-established, has presented on multiple occasions at several local and national conventions, and is staffed by eight brilliant and well-seasoned coaches.  As such, each coach could easily rest on her laurels, close the door and do her thing, and work in isolation all the while continuing to provide high-level literacy coaching to the district.  In fact, that is, sadly, how so much of education currently functions; however, that was no the case on May 9th.  Each coach was asked to come prepared to share a major challenge/struggle from the year with the rest of the team.  I don't know about you, but I have been in education for ten years now, and I have never been asked to admit my struggles in front of a room of brilliant and successful peers, not to mention my direct supervisors.  And yet...that is exactly what we were asking them to do, and they did it with grace, compassion, and skill.

What resulted was a two-hour session (and a lunch afterwards) in which, in small groups, the literacy coaches shared their struggles with coaching and then processed them with their peers, looking for support and help. The conversations were real, raw, honest, and pointed.  On many occasions phrases like "so, I am not really sure what to do" or "I could really use some help" were expressed openly and without fear of judgment.  Furthermore, coaches could be heard saying, "oh I LOVE that idea; that will really work here", or "thank you! I hadn't thought of that; I cannot wait to try it."

So, what did I learn as a result of all this.  Well, let me share:

1.  If these eight, amazing, talented, and skilled coaches could open up and admit that they could use help, can't we all?  Ask yourself, with what do I need help and then go seek it out; it will only make you better!

2.  Greatness requires two things:  failure and risk-taking.  Without these, one cannot become great.  I am blessed to work with coaches who embrace both.

3.  Schools MUST find the time to allow teachers to have these sorts of conversations.  I understand that it is a two-way street in that teachers have to feel safe and want to share in these sorts of conversations.  However, if schools don't carve out the time for these conversations to happen, they never will, and genuine opportunities for authentic growth will be lost.

4.  Trust and honesty take time and building them is hard work; however, it is well worth it. You see, this sort of open sharing of challenges did not just happen over night.  In fact, this District 99 Literacy Coaching Team had been meeting for two years before having these sorts of conversations.  That said, it was two years of team-building that was well worth it.

5.  Difficult conversations about challenges and areas for growth can be fun.  What made this day so special was that these conversations were filled with laughter and smiles all while being focused, open, honest, and challenging.  In short, we had fun and grew personally and professionally; not a bad way to spend a Friday in May.

So, regardless of your role in education ask yourself, when was the last time you said, "I need help?"  As the literacy coached proved, it is much more a sign of strength than it is of weakness.