Brain Break.......Simon Says

Hopefully we all remember the game Simon Says.  If not, Simon Says is a game that you instruct to your students, you give instructions saying Simon Says before each instruction.  For example Simon Says put your hands on your head, Simon says jump up and down, Simon says touch your knees.  Eventually you don't say Simon says and just give an instruction and students should not follow that direction.  In this brain break the student is not out of the game, its just a time to laugh at your mistake and move on.  This exercise is great for transitions from one activity to the next keeping the students in one spot. At the end of the brain break you can use Simon says to get students ready for the next activity for example Simon says get your book out to read.   This exercise engages the body and the mind, so Simon Says try the activity.

Inspiration, For a New School Year

     

I get so excited this time of year because of the opportunity that’s ahead of me.  I get to TEACH!!!   As a teacher we have one of the most impacting jobs there are in our society.  We are in constant contact with children to ensure they receive a world class education and will be successful after school in a career or college.  We should be proud of what we do on a daily basis.  We are amazing educators who care about our students so make sure you share that passion with everyone.  Let your voice be heard.    I wish more people had the opportunity to feel the thrill of teaching.  

 Before you get into full teaching mode take a minute and think about a teacher that impacted you.  What did they do, how did they make you feel, what made them different from all the other teachers you had.  Could you take on everyday with all of your students the same way that teacher took on everyday with you? 

Mrs. Nancy Burke was a high school physical education and health teacher at South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia. She also was an amazing athletic trainer.  There were frustrating days in high school where I did not see the value of my education.  There were times that I wished I was not a school.  I never went to Mrs. Burke for help, she just took the time when she saw me down to chat, check-in and see how I was doing, most of the time I would say I'm fine, even though I wasn't.  That did not stop Mrs. Burke she kept on asking and eventually I opened up.  She became an integral part of my education, she was a mentor.  Whenever life got hard, demanding or confusing she was there with encouraging words, failure was not an option.  She was also there in my accomplishments and triumphs celebrating with me.  Did Mrs. Burke have to take extra time out of her day to mentor me, no, but she did it anyway because she cared.  She wanted me to succeed in all aspects of life.  Because of her influence I have vowed to never let a student think they are a failure.    

I challenge you to reach out all of your students, make sure their voices are heard.  Give them the opportunity and resources to be successful. I truly believe its not about how smart our students are but about how hard they work and the ability to never give up.  I also challenge you to advocate for our great profession, we truly are heroes, sometimes even superheroes.  

Let's Talk About the Strengths in Education Policy

     I am in Washington DC representing the amazing teachers of Colorado at the Education Commission of the States, National Forum on Education Policy.  I have the honor to communicate to Legislators, Governors, representatives from higher education and businesses, and other dedicated professionals in education.  Please let me know your solutions to current education policy or ideas for new policies that would benefit our students, teachers, administration and community in our wonderful state of Colorado.  Let your voice be heard!!

Washington DC Celebration of All Teachers

Arriving in Washington DC as the 2014 Colorado Teacher of the Year

     Oh the anticipation of arriving in Washington DC for the recognition activities for the 2014 National and State Teachers of the Year.  I am representing all the amazing teachers in Colorado, wish all of them could be here too.  Thoughts going through my mind are I cannot believe this is happening to me and my family, what an amazing opportunity we have.  

     We arrive in the evening, the other NSTOY's are out on the town taking a night tour of the monuments, luckily I grew up in the Washington DC area and have already experienced the magic of the monuments at night. 

 

     The first full day was incredible, we started out at the Smithsonian Institute.  We took behind the scenes tour of different museums on the Smithsonian. Some went to the Air and Space, Portrait Gallery, American History Museum and I went to the Natural History Museum for a behind the scenes look at the insect zoo, soooo cool!!  My friend that accompanied me was Flat Stanley, he might be a familiar face.  I chronicled my insect tour with Flat Stanley and sent his adventure to my sister who is a 5th grade teacher in Rhode Island. Our guide was Dan Babbitt, Museum Insect Zoo Manager.  You can always tell how good someone is in their field by the amount of passion they have for what they do and Dan was as passionate as they come. Before my visit an insect was an insect, by the time I left the museum insects were incredible creatures which rule our world. I actually have empathy for insects now.

2014 NSTOY "insect group"

This room is filled with 5 million spiders.

Cataloged butterflies.

     I was reminded how many resources the Smithsonian has for teachers.  For teachers to build a collection of learning resources go to SmithsonainEducation.org, for experiential learning for the classroom and beyond go to SmithsonianQuests.org and if you are into science visit Smithsonian Science How? at qrius.si.edu.

     After the Smithsonian we were off to the Navel Observatory to have tea with the second lady Dr. Jill Biden.  We entered the house on a cool rainy spring day with the marine strings playing a wonderful greeting to us.  We walked around the ground floor of the house waiting for the Dr. Jill Biden to speak to us.  She is also an educator who currently teaches at a community college. What an inspiration she was, it was an honor to be welcomed into her home and an honor to hear her speak so passionately about teaching.

2014 NSTOY's at Dr. Jill Biden's house.

     The second day in Washington DC it was time for us to get to work, we headed to SMART Technologies to continue our professional development on the SMART boards we each got when we were given the honor of being the State Teachers of the Year.  After the long anticipation we got to play with SMART Amp which is the new software released in April 2014 that now let tablets, iPad, phones connect with the SMART boards.  This was very exciting for me because at Fitzsimmons Middle School our 8th graders all have school issued iPad.  My group created a lesson plan that had students compare and contrast the Vietnam Memorials in the US and Vietnam.  This lesson was an eye opener for me, if you have never research these two contrasting memorials I recommend doing so.

Instruction from the amazing support at SMART.

Planning our lesson. 

     Wow I feel like I have been in DC for weeks, the time has been filled with so many amazing experiences and I have not even met the President yet. On the third day we were off to the Department of Education to be apart of "Teach to Lead Initiative" a new proposed project that we got to see before anyone else.  Don't worry you can read all about it at ED.gov or at the teachtolead.net.  The Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, "Teachers have spoken eloquently about how important it is to have a voice in what happens in their schools and their profession -- without leaving the classroom." I have to agree I wish there was more opportunity for me as a teacher to work in leadership rolls in my school and this initiative is a great start. I will elaborate on the "Teach to Lead Initiative" in a later blog.

The Department of Education

Getting ready to take on the future with fellow NSTOYs

    After that exhilarating day at the Department of Education all the National State Teachers of the Year headed back to our hotels to get ready for the great gala.  The formal celebration of NSTOY's at the US Institute of Peace.  

Ready to celebrate with my husband Bill Miner

Arne Duncan the Secretary of Education

  We had many guest speakers all showed their passion in education and reminded us all that we have a very important job to do daily and that is to make sure our students get the best education.  Some of the wonderful speakers were Arne Duncan- Secretary of Education, Lorretta Johnson- Secretary Treasurer of American Federation of Teachers, Lily Eskelsen Garcia- Vice President of National Education Association and Sean McComb the 2014 National Teacher of the Year.  The evening was grand, moments I will never forget and to watch a friend Sean McComb take the honor of 2014 National Teacher of the Year was humbling.  The honor could not of gone to a better representation of what an amazing teacher should be.


     Our final day in Washington DC we spent the day at the Executive Building and The White House.  At the Executive Building we met with Roberto Rodriquez, Special Assistant to the President, Cecilia Munoz, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council to discuss President Obama's Early Education Agenda then the floor was open up to all the teachers to speak about what is happening in their states.  This was so exciting because I got to address the increase of cutting Physical Education, Music and the Arts and how important it is to make sure all states and district understand how important these programs are to the health and well being of our students.

Excited to have a voice. 

     Now that the important issues have been addressed, it's time to meet The President of the United States.  The recognition ceremony was held in the East Room so we had time to enjoy the dinning room, the green room, the blue room and the red room.  The ceremony was amazing we met President Obama had pictures taken then we were introduced at the ceremony.  President Obama spoke and then awarded Sean McCombs the National Teacher of the Year apple and then Sean gave an inspirational speech.  This award could not of been given to a more deserving person.  The whole week was unforgettable but to be able to share this monumental moment in my career with my husband was the cherry on top.  

2014 NSTOY

What an honor!!

Brain Breaks.......Exercise the Body and Mind

This Brain break is great for transition in the classroom.  It gives students a minute to move their body and then reengage their minds.

In the space you are standing stretch yourself, loosen your muscles, and make sure you are taking deep breaths as you are stretching.  Now a little spring skiing.  Using a little hop and rotate your hips, like going down a mogul hill.  For a modification eliminate the hop and just bend at your knees and rotate your hips.  Now add your arms.  Once you have gotten your heart rate up for a minute we will move onto the brain break.  Now moving onto the brain break.  We usually only use one side of our brain, if you are right handed the left side of your brain is mostly engaged and if you are left handed the right side is mostly engaged.  Let’s get both sides engaged.  Working with the person sitting next to you, one of you cross your hands and interlace your fingers, then bring your hands back through your arms.  Have the person next to you point to a finger and try to lift only that finger.  Try to go through all the fingers and then switch.

Hopefully you will see how re-energized your students are.  

TEACH.......

I had the honor to speak to some wonderful groups in the last couple weeks.   I went with something inspirational.  Hope this inspires you.

TEACH

What does this word mean to you?  By definition it means to show or explain to someone how to do something.  To me it means so much more than the definition.  It means getting up each day knowing that I have a really important job; I have an opportunity to guide my students down a path of good health, active bodies and strong minds.

TEACH

It means being a professional, knowing my standards and how to incorporate them into the curriculum I have created.  When I started teaching I tried to expose my students to as many sports as possible thinking this would help students find something they liked, I wanted all students to enjoy being active.  As I spent more time teaching I realized that teaching sports was not going to help my students be successful in the future.  I change the way I taught by incorporating my standards into a curriculum that included lifelong sports like; hiking, running, basketball, aerobics, softball, weight training, yoga, cross training and more.  Now when I look at what my students are learning I am confident that they will have the tools to be successful when they are on their own.  Also included in my curriculum is reading, writing and math.  I make a point to meet with other teachers in my building to see where our students are struggling, and then I take those skills and incorporate them into my classroom.  If my seventh graders are struggling with composing complete sentences and thoughts I need to make sure they have a chance to practice those skills in my classroom.  A great example of this is when my students play a game I created called fly swatter.  This game includes physical activity and problem solving when it comes to drugs, alcohol and tobacco.  Spread across my gym are the answers to the questions being asked.  Once I present the question students have 30 seconds to discuss the question with their team.  They then have a count of 10 to find the answer, if they don’t find it they go back to their team and someone else tries.  While students are trying to find the answer their teammates are doing an exercise like jumping jack.  This continues till the correct answer is found.  But it does not end there, then students have to explain why their answer is correct, using critical thinking and complete sentences.  If our students are exposed to the skills needed to be successful in every class then they will understand how important those skills are.  The more exposure to the skills being taught, the more likely our students will learn and value them.

TEACH

Being an advocate for physical education.  Making sure that students, teachers, parents, administration and community members understand how important physical education is because it guides students into a healthy lifestyle, which affects them physically, mentally/emotionally and socially .  With childhood obesity rate rising every year I think it’s very important that we emphasize how crucial it is to get our kids out of their chairs and moving.  Research shows that an active body has an active mind.  Exercise cues building blocks of learning in the brain, it affects mood, anxiety and attention; and guards against stress.  Physical activity sparks biological changes that encourage brain cells to bind to one another.  Exercise provides stimulus, creating an environment in which the brain is ready, willing and able to learn. I have implemented 1-3 minute physical activities for all teachers in my school to use in their classrooms to re-energize their students, get their students minds engaged so there is more time on task which ensures more learning.  It’s a win, win situation.  Students get a small break from their rigorous learning and teachers have active minds to teach to for a longer amount of time.  I had a parent approach my principal last fall and told him she really sees a difference in her kids when they are in my physical education class, they are able to concentrate longer, withstand the rigorous 55 minute classes and she sees an increase in their grades.  Physical activity really does have an impact on our student’s minds so let’s make sure every student gets the activity they need.

TEACH

It means caring and supporting my student’s through their educational journey.  It’s the relationships we create with our students which is an integral part of their education.  I work with kids at every level, physically and mentally.  Physical activity allows students to deal with frustration, stress, anger, sadness, incompetence, failure, happiness, elation and success.  I guide my students through their weaknesses and strengths, and I find that a significant bond is formed between me and my students.   Some of my students believe that my class is the only class they are successful in.  They say “school is not for me Mrs. Miner”.  They see themselves as great athlete’s not great students.  I see them as hard working, competitive leaders that could take the knowledge they know in my class and apply it to the rest of their classes. What they need is someone to show them the connection.  I would say “if you worked as hard on your math work as you practiced on your basketball skills you would see how successful you could be”.  Sometimes it is not about how smart you are, it’s about hard work, applying yourself and not giving up when school gets challenging.  I remind students that all parts of school are important and I tell them that my class is just one aspect of their education.   I discuss with them that in order to be successful not only do they have to train their bodies but they must train their minds.  If they want to go on in life playing sports they have to understand the balance between being a student and an athlete.  Both aspects of their education are equally important.

TEACH

Teaching is very rewarding to me because I know that I am preparing my students to be successful in their academic and non-academic futures.  I also cherish seeing that smile of accomplishment when a student accomplishes a goal. One of my favorite experiences as a teacher is when my students have to run the mile and those who struggle push themselves and reach the goal I have set for them.  For some, this is a big challenge.  Watching the students who have completed the mile go back out on the track and support those that have not finished, with encouraging words, always brings tears to my eyes.  These are the times that I take a moment to relish the fact that all of these students are amazing people and I can say that without a doubt I have found the career I am meant to be pursuing.

My Teacher's Perspective: Colorado Academic Standards

Part of the honor of being Colorado’s Teacher of the Year is the opportunity to be a voice for educational issues I am passionate about. I recently attended a Senate Education Committee hearing at the Colorado Capitol and gave my perspective on the Colorado Academic Standards, including the Common Core State Standards.  The bill being heard was advocating for pausing implementation of our new standards. I wanted to show support for continued implementation of the Colorado Academic Standards because I believe they are the right step forward for our students. Here is the testimony I shared at the Capitol:

The wonderful thing about my role and teaching physical education is I teach lifelong skills and knowledge that affect our students’ every day.    I teach communication skills, cooperative skills, problem solving skills, reading, writing and math skills on top of the fundamental skills of staying active and healthy.  This knowledge will help make my students successful adults in our society.

Common Core State Standards are a unified set of standards for English language arts and mathematics created to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to prepare our students for college and careers.  The standards reflect real world skills and knowledge, helping to make our students successful in the future. The Colorado Academic Standards provide standards in 10 content areas, two of which are blended with the Common Core.  As a teacher I take these learning expectations and use them to design my own curriculum. For example, I do a vocabulary review halfway through my nine week curriculum.  During this physical exercise my students get to practice short hand note taking skills.  Students are still getting the physical activity they need and are also gaining more exposure to a skill that will enhance their education.  I truly believe the more exposure a student has to essential common skills the more likely they will see the relevance and learn the skill.  

With the Colorado Academic Standards guiding our curriculum, all teachers are working together toward the success of our students. Not only are we teaching our specific curriculum, but we are all teaching critical skills and knowledge like reading, writing and math. For example, the teachers in my school are great at collaborating with the language arts and math teachers. We find out where our students are struggling and then actively incorporate those skills into our classrooms.  As a physical education teacher I found out our 6^th graders struggle with graphing data so I began having them graph after fitness testing. This allowed students to see their progress in fitness over the quarter and gave them extra practice graphing.  Our 7^th graders struggle with composing complete sentences so all teachers in our school expect students to answer questions verbally and in writing in complete sentences.  Students are getting more practice which helps teach the skill.

I believe the Colorado Academic Standards are working, are an improvement over past standards and are good for our students. Are they perfect? No. But what is perfection when you are setting guidelines for thousands and thousands of students?  Our school has already seen tremendous growth in our students when it comes to English language arts and mathematics because all of the teachers are supporting the essential common skills in their lessons.  With more exposure and practice our students are learning the skills.

Change is hard but I believe this change has been a beneficial change to ensure the success of our students.  My question to those who are in doubt is, if we don’t use these more rigorous standards, what do we use?  What learning expectations will we have to help guide teachers to teach what our students need to know to be college and career ready? 

Additionally, the Colorado Department of Education has done a great job working with teachers across our state to create voluntary resources for this transition.  Available on the CDE website are sample curriculums lined up with the content standards, examples of lesson plans and assessments for different grades and content areas.  I’ve found these resources to be very helpful.

I also think these resources will have a huge impact on retaining teachers from novice to expert.  New teachers coming into our profession have great guidelines to follow until they are confident in creating their own curriculum, lesson plans and tests.  Also our expert teachers who have been teaching for many years can change their curriculums to keep up with the specific skills students need today, which can be very different from what students needed say ten years ago.  The times are changing and I am very excited to see how students succeed with the Colorado Academic Standards in place.