The frustrating thing about being a teacher (perfectionist as we all are), is even when something is pretty darn good, you have trouble seeing the possibilities and focus instead on the flaws, the ends left untied, and the questions still to be answered. This semester I have been challenged to change my thinking about what makes a good project. I have learned through this experience that it isn’t just about the answers found, but the questions created and the thinking along the way. I’ve learned that a really good inquiry leads to more inquiry, research, testing, creation, and innovation. To teach through PBL or IBL is to teach students to learn how to learn.

              I chose to share this draft of a unit project with the new librarian at my school. In teacher leader/coach Trevor MacKenzie’s book, Inquiry Mindset Nurturing the dreams, wonders, & curiosities of our youngest learners his chapter on teacher-librarians really caught my attention. We have a terrific new teacher-librarian starting this year, who has already mentioned her plans to reinvent the old space of the library. My hope is through collaboration, we can create a library space designed with PBL and IBL in mind. She has already mentioned a need for a place where students can come and share the ideas and research, they’ve found (“watering hole”) in a post-COVID time, and a “campfire” type space where she can have students gather around to learn from experts from the community and guest speakers. I can completely see her being an ally in getting my local community-based project off the ground!

              I am choosing to share my project here on my blog in the hopes that like-minded educators and learners might be able to adapt and change this to suit their needs, as well as on Twitter to gain some larger perspective and critical eyes. Already, I’ve received wonderful, critical feedback from my colleagues and professor from this course with revision ideas for questioning and unique presentation ideas using puppets! I am excited to hear from others from my PLN to get this project off the ground this spring.

              At one point in the semester, Lucie wondered when kids stop innately asking questions and when do they need to be taught how to question. I think the answer is not a simple one (and perhaps would make a terrific inquiry for educators in itself). But I do think part of the answer lies in the explicit teaching we provide at the youngest grades. The biggest take-away I took from this learning was the importance of modeling and providing rich opportunities for kids to wonder. Like any other skill, it takes exposure, practice, and coaching. Our youngest learners need to be exposed to this style of learning if they are to continue a life of learning and inquisition. I am excited to revise and refine this project to share with my students this spring! Thank you to my wonderfully innovative and flexibly minded colleagues, Adam and Grace! And thank you further to my inspirational professor, Lucie deLaBruere who continues to lead the charge for excellence in teaching and learning.

IBL Draft Grade 2

Reflection 3

April 30th, 2020

Consider  “what other leadership traits and skills” you would look for in a leader. Consider readings, learning activities, and your own Covid-19 experiences. How have you grown as a leader?  Has your definition of what counts as leadership changed?  Have your aspirations as a leader changed? "
    

Surprisingly, this has been the most gratifying, humbling, and self-affirming school year of my life. This chance to reflect is not an ending but rather a step in the beginning of a very new and very exciting era in education. It seems almost indulgent to reflect on a time so rife with new experiences, new interactions, and new challenges. Never before have we had such opportunity and buy in to push ourselves and one another aiming for higher quality, equitable instruction for all types of learners. While some in our field may view this pandemic we are experiencing as a horrible and disruptive calamity, I have seen so much potential come alive in my colleagues and in myself. It does not matter what brought us to this precipice but it matters wholly what we do with this opportunity.

When I look back just a few short months to the beginning days of this new semester, it feels as though a whole year has gone by. We have before us new challenges of equity, not only of devices and access to technology, but of quality content and opportunities for learning. While in the beginning of the semester when we examined the archetypes described by Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point, I identified myself as a salesperson, able to sell researched ideas and best practices to even the most reluctant as I would a pair of chinos, I am finding in my new normal that we crave leaders who are multifaceted. Recognizing that I am just beginning to see myself as somewhat of a perfunctory leader, I know I have a lot of learning, watching, and reflecting to do. But I now have a higher expectation of myself. It is not enough for me to identify with one leadership style and stick to it. I must develop holistically, knowing that there will be times when I may need to flex into different styles and roles. Staying present in my PLN allows me to play the role of a maven with my colleagues, sometimes alerting them to new or emerging tools. I may need to be a salesperson to advocate for a powerful learning tool that I know I can use effectively with my own students. To a colleague, I may simply need to be a connector, helping them find tools or resources to answer incredibly thought-out or creative questions and ideas. I believe great leaders may prefer certain methods or ascribe to certain styles, but overall I believe great leaders should have the capacity to step into many roles, depending on the need. I have new expectations for leaders who I believe epitomize leading-they must be versatile in the roles they play, and they must be learners.

Peter Senge is a noteworthy researcher, writer, and strategist, author of The Fifth Discipline which is hailed by Harvard Business Review as being one of their “seminal” texts. As Senge puts it simply, “‘Leader as teacher’ is not about ‘teaching’ people how to achieve their vision. It is about fostering learning, for everyone.” His idea that a leader would inspire continued development and growth is not groundbreaking. However, the idea that this leader would help create a whole learning organization where the expectation for all members is that they are constantly moving towards personal mastery through learning is an audacious vision and one that we desperately need to maintain. Leaders of our new educational landscape must strive for this idea. Imagine a world where our educational leaders do not possess the answers, but rather the questions that keep us moving forward towards deeper understanding driving our education system forward.

This is a reflection. But it’s also a plea. Tomorrow’s future for learning has arrived early. We need leaders who are willing to take on the challenge and pleasure of creating environments where technology is leveraged to even the playing field and afford access to high quality instructional opportunities for all learners. We have been given this great gift of seeing what is possible when integrating technology in our instruction. We must make it probable that students will continue to grow their skill sets, their connectivity with one another and the world, and their zeal for new information. Help keep this momentum going by being a leader no matter what your role in your organization. Insist we use and maintain access to the tools we have worked so hard to get. Vote at your town’s school budget meetings. One thing I’ll adhere to is I don’t believe leadership is tied to positional authority. This year I have worked with amazing paraprofessionals who have advocated for our students to get them access to online books and read alouds. I have seen teachers who have never used technology in their classrooms use engaging and exciting science videos or have their students interact with a PhET simulations to process and experience scientific inquiry. We are no longer using technology as a babysitter, or substitution as described by the SAMR model, but rather to augment or even re imagine how and what we teach. Our destination postcard has arrived. We can see that truly integrated, blended learning is possible and necessary. Don’t give it up.

Peter Senge and the learning organization. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2020, from https://infed.org/mobi/peter-senge-and-the-learning-organization/

03/20/2020

Reflection 2

EDCI325 UVM

One week ago today, I walked out of my classroom laughing as my coworker said, “See you Monday, if we’re here!” I could not even fathom that within the week, we would be stuffing packets to go home for each subject and explaining to teary-eyed second graders that this is for the best and we would see them soon. Although we are in uncharted waters, more than ever I know I am in the right business-education. Knowledge is the thing that makes us less afraid. Understanding brings what lurks in the shadows out into the daylight. Teaching remotely has given me the gift of reflection and quiet; it has given me gratitude.

As I think about the leaders I have seen, I have been impressed by some and less so by others. At the beginning of the week, I had a natural tendency to compare my nearby home state of Massachusetts with the response from Governor Scott, here in Vermont. At first, I felt frustrated at his lack of action and decision making. Although I still believe he lacked the timeliness to close schools for Monday, I now believe it was a much more coordinated effort between the state and the Agency of Education. When I look at my colleagues in MA, I can see that they have not yet even begun the process of remote teaching. Many have expressed a feeling of languishing and worry as they know the situations some of their students are facing at home. While I completely agree that the first step is helping families adjust to new circumstances, I think providing some sense of consistency is really crucial to helping students socially and emotionally. Many of my colleagues here in Vermont have stepped up as leaders, providing resources to families, to one another, and reminding each other that we in fact are doing our best in an unexpected time. 

In my own district, I have found my principal to be a very decisive and communicative leader. While previously I may have described him as a more authoritative leader, he has been swift to make decisions but has also enlisted and trusted his teachers to pull necessary materials for all kids. He is truly calling on mavens and connectors to help him fill teachers’ gaps around remote teaching with technology. I do wish we had more of a vision as is described in ISTE Standard 2B (Visionary Planner) regarding technology, but I know these are times that are unprecedented and unexpected. Perhaps, as we move forward out of this crisis technology will have more of a significant role in Professional Development. My final frustration is simply the unknown. Attempting to even the inequity some of our families are facing with lack of devices, our administrators have given the guidance that new material will not be taught yet, and students are to be given paper based packets for practice. Until we see if this dismissal goes beyond April 6th, we have been instructed not to provide new content online just yet. I am excited to get started but this gives me a chance to reflect, plan, test, and be intentional about the technology choices I am making for my second graders.

In an interesting turn of emotions I feel highly motivated, and to you, Lucie I am so grateful. I cannot believe how fortuitous it has been for me to be in your class at this juncture in my life and in the world today. You have been the kind of technology leader who helps us not only see potential gains from using technology but has also helped us with the critical moves of getting started. I will be forever indebted to you for your prowess and your exuberance in the field of educational technology. You are a true connector, helping me grow my support network. I have not felt scared about remote learning as many of my colleagues have been but rather invigorated by extra rest and intrepid, ready to share the knowledge you’ve provided. I have set up my first Padlet for my students (https://padlet.com/rledwidge/grade2ela) and await the go ahead to start teaching new content via technology. I’ve used ScreenCastify to show my students how to use Epic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oXGvxFl2sQ), and can’t wait to continue to reach them via online learning. It seems funny to have a hero whom you’ve never met in person, but Lucie you are a hero to me and to many who are benefiting greatly from your instruction. Be well, be healthy, and thank you.

February 23rd, 2020

Reflecting on the past five weeks immersed in my Professional Learning Network

Educators are passionate. They are selfless, they are intrepid, and they are clear in their objectives and convictions. Educators are also stubborn. This particular quality (and I am going to call it a quality) allows us to continue to search for ways to help our students be successful. It allows us to reach out consistently to even the most reluctantly involved families or other educational stakeholders. But it can also prevent us from shifting our path to achieve a clearly sought after destination. Over the last few weeks, my own thinking has changed drastically. I realize now I don’t just need more technological “tools” for my classrooms, I need to help us as a faculty move towards a more equitable and purposeful use of technology throughout a student’s day, starting...now! 

Seeing so many successful examples of “next practices” (R. McNulty, 2011) through the Twitter book chat on Learning Transported: Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality for All Classrooms has greatly inspired me to jump in and “unfreeze”. I recently read Mr. Thomas Daccord’s article regarding Lewin’s model of change after reading a Tweet of his on the #etcoaches book chat. In his article, he writes “In the first stage, termed unfreezing, individuals overcome inertia and an existing "mind set" is broken down.” (T. Daccord, 2018). This idea of unfreezing I found to be very much connected to the way the Heath brothers illustrate “motivating the elephant” in their book, Switch. Humans need to be motivated emotionally and feel the purpose for change deeply, if they are to try something new or change the way they currently do something. They need to overcome fear and take a risk when changing a practice or method. Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) can do just that. (ISTE Coaching Standard 2B) They can break down the psychological barriers teachers face, helping them overcome fears of incompetence, inadequacy, and fears of failure as they see their colleagues from around the country and globe jumping in and trying new things. My own PLN has included new Twitter lists, #etcoaches Book Chat, Reddit /rteachers threads, and literacy Facebook groups. As my PLN continues to grow, I have seen so many wonderful uses of technology, not just to deliver content but to create content with students. My colleagues’ exuberance and willingness to share their experiences has changed my mind about initiation. Implementation doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be initiated! Being a connected learner means continuing to stay curious myself, learning from others and researching new methods that are shared.

After reading about Nearpod in our text, Learning Transported, I knew it would be a terrific tool to help our young people in rural Vermont see parts of the world that they might not otherwise get to experience. In a mostly racially homogenous setting, I seek to help my students see other parts of the world and other cultures. After one of my students very curiously asked, “Wait, Mrs. Ledwidge, you’re asian? Then why do you live here?” I knew it would be imperative that I help them see our own country is made up of incredibly diverse communities and individuals. The first step in doing that would be to help them see the world. But how? How could I possibly afford to take all 48 (two sections) second graders on a trip around the world? And yet, how could I not? I saw a post on Twitter that one of my colleagues had used Virtual Reality (VR) to take her students on a field trip. I had already tasked my students with researching a country they were interested in, practicing the use of an online encyclopedia coupled with the plug in ReadWrite for accessibility. But after seeing her Tweet, I thought to myself, “Wow I could have them each ‘travel’ to these places and see first hand what it looks like.” 

Nearpod is a wonderful tool but it is a little out of our price range for all 48 students to select different countries. My incredible technology integration teacher and I sat down and explored other options for our school. We found 360cities which is a free tool our students can use and together, we have created an idea to help our students go from consumers to content producers. Our second graders will use 360cities along with a green screen and tablets to create their own news segment, highlighting their country of interest with the VR behind them. We hope this will spark our students’ curiosity and help them develop a sustained interest in learning about our ever-increasingly connected world. Without this powerful Professional Learning Network of educators, innovators, and leaders, I would not have even known that this was possible. 

I am scared. When I think about filming in the next coming weeks, my palms are noticeably moist. But my excitement surrounding this project far outweighs my nerves. It is enough to help me “unfreeze”. I know it doesn’t have to be perfect the first go around. As Raymond McNulty states, “Focus on being different first and then on being better,” (R. McNulty, 2018) Our students will be collaborating and competing on a global scale. They will need to take academic risks to be true leaders in whatever field they choose. Therefore, we need to coach them and be agents of change who help all learners access these important and perspective changing tools. (ISTE Coaching standard 1b). They will need to be the kind of citizens and digital citizens who know how to make difficult, ethical decisions and empower one another to change our world for the better. I am grateful to my online PLN for the innovative ideas and bright spots from which I continue to learn and be inspired. 

Links to Evidence

https://wke.lt/w/s/WF2vl9

https://wke.lt/w/s/DODXI2

https://wke.lt/w/s/oqPXRR

https://wke.lt/w/s/i0Ji0Z

Work Cited

Daccord, T. (2018, April 5). "Unfreezing" Teachers:  Why So Many Technology Initiatives Are Stagnating. Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://www.tomdaccord.com/home/2018/4/4/unfreezing-and-freezing-teachers-why-so-many-technology-initiatives-are-stagnating

Donally, J. (2018). Learning Transported: Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality for All Classrooms [ePUB].

Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2013). Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard. Random House US.

McNulty, R. (2011). Best Practices to Next Practices: A New Way of “Doing Business” for School Transformation. International Center for Leadership in Education, 11–12. Retrieved from http://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Solutions_Jan2013_13.1_next_practices_white_paper.pdf

This week, we were charged with sharing a "destination postcard" of what we'd like to see in the future for our students. Please see my rational and link to my postcard below.

Destination Postcard

After watching and reading the Essential Elements for Digital Citizens, and hearing young students and participants share how they are using  technology during the live cast #DigCit conference, I have been completely inspired to change my thinking about digital citizenship and participation. I started this course thinking students needed to be proficient in their technology use to find information and connect with others. Now, I can see they need much more.

I believe our young people need to see themselves as owners and active evaluators of their digital production and consumption. Creation of responsible content needs to become a practice and skill our young people learn. After reading Chapter 7 in Learning Supercharged, the shift from just utilizing and evaluating content to creating and innovating aligns with the highest levels of thinking and understanding in Bloom's Taxonomy. 

The destination I hope to see for our young learners will be to have  student created online portfolios as early as grade 2, with family access to portfolios from school age on. These student created content portfolios could be shared with one another and a broader outside community as students get older, eventually showcasing growth and dedication. If students chose, they could link their portfolios to an ongoing service project that could include their own destination they might seek at the end of their k-12 career. I believe this would be highly motivating for our students to track their own progress and reflect on their learning in an authentic way, while helping to teach them in a semi-safe context about online etiquette when commenting on another's work or collaborating with someone on a project. Knowing the human behind the ideas as a peer they go to school with, students would grow with technology always bearing in mind the real person behind the words. Responsible discourse would be a school wide expectation, and hopefully become a habit by graduation. Of course, this would be linked to their appropriate developmental level with teachers helping to scaffold what they keep in their portfolios at a younger age.

The first shift towards this venturesome goal would be to find the bright spots. In our school district, students are expected to show evidence of proficiency of VT standards. They are moving towards an online portfolio at the high school level so many are already on board with this idea for older students. Also, as young as 5th grade, students are choosing Capstone projects to follow a particular interest outside the academic schedule.

The bright spots then lead me to the Critical Move, which would be to suggest that each grade level teacher begin to collect 3 pieces of writing (or storytelling in the youngest grades) a year, at the beginning, middle and end of the year. The collection could be kept in a student's file on Google Drive and submitted through a platform like Google Classroom. The writing or storytelling could be done orally, pictorially, handwritten and photographed, or typed. But this specific and attainable expectation could help shift people's minds and alleviate some trepidation surrounding starting this collection task. My hope would be that as students' curiosity and access to new programs and ideas grows, their projects and submissions to this portfolio would become increasingly sophisticated and apropos to their own interests. Our goal, after all as educators, is to create lifelong learners. 

It would be challenging to shift this thinking with a staff without being able to see immediate results. We'd have to go through the shift from "best practices" to "next practices". But I believe this would really allow our students not just to have a collection of their work for each year, but to help them see their growth and reflect on their thinking.  Perhaps, if we as a faculty become inspired, we could shift towards more interactive content collection tools, such as RSS feeds. No matter what the platform, hopefully as our students grow, they would have increasing opportunities to collaborate with one another, seeing the benefit of sharing ideas and learning from one another's work and content. This will build their capacity to see others' perspectives, gain them empathy, and help them grow as digital consumers, creators, and ultimately citizens.

On Bright Spots Utilizing Technology:

"Can I get my red thing?" my student asks when it is time for Reading Workshop. Today, our learners read nonfiction texts, mining them for main ideas and supporting details. Some will write these ideas in the form of boxes and bullets in their precious Reader Response notebooks, and others will type them into Google docs designed for immediate feedback with Literacy and Library/Technology teachers. Nothing about this technology is groundbreaking, except everything about it evens the playing field and helps everyone lift the level of their learning.

A few years ago, a learning specialist I worked with asked me if I knew much about Dragon Software. It was new, it would help some of our students with writing because the handwriting was so laborious for them. We tried it; it truly did feel like a disruptive innovation since one of my young friends couldn't resist shouting into it during Writing Workshop. At the time, I was very new to teaching, working in an independent school. I felt scrutiny burn hot on my neck when this student's parent seemed still dissatisfied with the writing her child was producing. I abandoned the technology after one trimester, citing that it seemed too cumbersome and frustrated the student. Truthfully (and regrettably) I was frustrated. I couldn't find the bright spot that another student had been, using the software to write a beautiful letter to her grandmother for Grandparents' Day. I couldn't examine why it worked so well there because I could only see the dark spot where it hadn't worked as well.

Flash forward a few years and at the behest of a highly engaged parent, a colleague and I went to an Assistive Technology training and learned about simple tools such as the bone conductive headphones with built in microphone (the "red thing" aforementioned). Along with the Google Read& Write plug-in, this student would be able to access high quality written articles at grade level and beyond, and communicate his comprehension and connections with the text through speaking. Of course, the first day of implementation my supervisor came in for an observation. Again, I felt that uncomfortable feeling of being judged but this time, the joy that erupted over the student's face completely shut out any trepidation I might have felt. He was reading. He looked as though he could fly. As he saw his own words light up on the page, I realized how powerful and necessary this technology would be for students like him. It nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Of course, this is an obvious bright spot. I can see it now. As I grow in my profession and as a human being, I will try to be the kind of person who will choose to see the bright spots and study them. I know there are incredible educators who put themselves out there, trying new technology win or lose. I know that the willingness to innovate far outweighs any negative outcome. I hope to join those leagues of unabashed professionals who know that the "best practice" has to be blended with the ever-changing "next practice" that is yet to be tried. Our children deserve it.

Even at 15 I was a salesperson. By the time I could take the driving test, I had sold over $100,000 worth of clothing at the popular retail store at which I worked as a kid. I even received a special award from the company, which at 15 was quite an honor. In a matter of minutes of meeting a customer I felt this incredible power to put them at ease, predicting quite accurately what made people feel special, seen, and beautiful. Selling self-confidence was what I saw it as, until I realized it was superficial. Now, at over double that age, I realize that this manipulative behavior can indeed be used for a much better cause and leveraged with others who possess different strengths from which to draw.

Malcom Gladwell describes three types of people who influence social movements or epidemics. The Connectors I have known in my life and career have been able to take action quickly, build consensus with ease, and drive upward momentum. They have been tremendous advocates for our district, finding funding for special projects and grants through unexpected avenues. In the education world, those connectors help bridge the world of benefactors and stakeholders with educators and schools. 

My first principal I worked for at an independent day school was quite a maven. He was abreast of new changes in approaches to planning, technology use, and differentiated instruction. He was persistent in his weekly emails about new and underused technology, and his sheer exuberance for any facet of educational development made his staff eager to try new methods of instruction and assessment. Often ahead of the curve, he faced some opposition from some staff members. Some felt he saw their strategies and methods of instruction as anachronistic and were threatened by his new ideas. I often wonder what would have happened if he had leveraged the "salespeople" educators in our building. I continue to learn from him through my PLN and the things he posts at his new school. Had I been farther along in my career, perhaps I might've been the one to help his visions and knowledge gain social momentum and build consensus within our team.

Salespeople like myself do best when we believe vehemently in the things we are selling. Stuart Ablon, PhD at Mass General Hospital believes, "All kids do well if they can," and what he is selling certainly "sticks" with me. After seeing him speak at a conference, I truly do believe in his message that we as educators must provide the conditions for our kids to succeed. I'm buying what he's selling and I'm going to sell it anywhere people are available to buy in. In my own professional context, I need to find mavens to continue to be inspired by new and cutting edge ideas. I need to find connectors who can bring me people to whom I can sell this idea that all kids can succeed. I need to be the kind of salesperson who manipulates what our kids see in the mirror so they may see the potential self, the future self. I need to capitalize on our kids' hopes, dreams, and interests. I need to sell them that product of self-confidence, only this time not through an overpriced pair of pants but through a deep rooted belief that they are amazing, innovative thinkers with the world at their fingertips. How do you see yourself as an actor within the social context?

January 19th, 2020

My husband asks me, "But how long will this be?" as I put my reading glasses on early this morning. He is trying to gauge how long he has to do an activity before I will want to do something together or task him with something once I've "finished" on my computer. Today, I am wondering about balance and efficacy. I have listened recently to a few podcasts and read a bit on the ever-elusive work/life balance and am curious, does one ever really reach it? And, is it good if you actually achieve it?

I enjoy learning. I thrive when given new information with which to interact. I feel recharged and invigorated when I am engaged in trying something new. But I know this is not the case for everyone. I know for some, new things or new ways of thinking about old things can be daunting. How do skilled leaders build a community where those in their charge don't feel exhausted and drained by new initiatives, but rather empowered and excited?

"When you're doing something you love, you never work a day in your life," is what they say. It seems this sets people up for unrealistic expectations for their chosen careers. So far, it seems when you do what you love, you work on it every day of your life, whether it is for a paycheck or not. How do we avoid becoming jaded and exhausted with new initiatives? How do we seek to find and help others find the new nugget of information often hidden in "retro" ideas? Being young and early in my career, I know my perspective is highly skewed. When you're in your thirties, everything is new. You haven't been around long enough to experience the pendulum swings of education first hand. 

However, how do we continue this momentum towards self efficacy once we have reached a more senior moment in our careers? I think it involves choice. Choosing to sustain your curiosity and passion for what you do and extending your career into your life isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think building a community at home who care deeply about your learning and work seems paramount when balancing work and life. After all, reading something and learning it is one thing but the real joy we get is from sharing and interacting with that information (oh, hi Twitter). So, I'd say to build more balance into my life, I'm going to engage on my learning intentionally and collaboratively not just with those in my field, but with those who love me. No longer seeking to keep the two worlds apart. I'll let you know how it goes. Looking to learn from you, reader.

asks balance build career choosing chosen community drained early education efficacy empowered engage ever-elusive everyone everything exhausted far feel gauge glasses help information initiatives interact joy keep learning life love necessarily nugget oh paycheck pendulum reach reading seek seems skewed skilled something task things think thirties today twitter wondering work

created at TagCrowd.com

January 13th, 2020

He'd never know it, but the leader I have in mind has made a powerful impact on me as an educator. "I'm on a teacher's contract, I'm not here to evaluate you," is what he'd say each time I'd stutter with trepidation to reflect after he would observe my minilesson. He was the kind of leader who did not need positional authority to influence educators. A true example of a Simon Sinek leader, he could get you to believe what he believed with his sheer exuberance and unequivocal belief that all kids could access the challenging math program set before us to teach. This leader was calm and patient in his questioning with both with students and faculty alike. Eliciting higher order thinking and reflection each time he conferred, adults and children learned in a safe and exciting space with him.

Often he'd lead the minilesson and allow me to both watch and critique the work of the children and of himself. He was honest in his experience, sometimes admitting the result was not his intended outcome. Empathetic and trustworthy, I was not afraid to ask him for help and he became enthused just discussing a difficult problem set or topic. His passion was matched by his competence and I felt he was continually learning himself as he'd show a new technique he learned from another teacher. This willingness to adapt, change, and reteach allowed me to have the freedom to make mistakes, learn from them, and share my experiences with my own students. This coach was a tremendous leader in many ways, but overall helped me refine and shape who I want to be as an educator and coach to our students.

January 12th, 2020

I suppose I am a little late to the game, as I begin my very first blog. A member of the general masses. Not early adopter or innovator type behavior. However, I'd like to think that as I begin this important work of including technology into my learning and own pedagogy, I am the kind of leader who is not afraid to be new.

Although I am only in my sixth year as an educator, I have been a learner all my life. I am not afraid to try something new or to be the new person on the block. In my short career, I have worked at three different schools, moved to a new state, and learned many lessons from each position I've held. I suppose if I were to describe myself as a leader, I'd describe myself as new. I am humble in my interactions with my colleagues. Listening more than speaking has been my modus operandi. However, recently what I've found is that when I do contribute, things happen. People listen. They ask me questions about my thinking and want to see how I've done something. While this is obviously flattering, it is humbling too. I am humbled by the educator who has taught 16 years and wants to watch my Workshop lesson. I am humbled by the department leader who came to see me teach, and left asking if I could visit him to provide feedback. I am finding as a new leader within my learning and teaching communities, I communicate best by listening first.

Being a relatively new "leader" means my focus is on our students. Framing every contribution and interaction with my colleagues with the idea that we all have their best interests and success in mind helps me empathize and work to help my colleagues. My goal is to build a team of people who have similar goals for our students and seek to build a culture of trust and respect between staff members and students. I hope to someday be the kind of leader who helps new become comfortable for more of my colleagues. I hope to have the tools to provide support and resources, but also allow members of my team to experience and thrive in the new opportunities and risks our field affords.