A Whirlwind of Great Learning

I'm really behind on posting some great things that have happened. It's been a whirlwind. I'll do my best to be brief but share some of the awesomeness and if you have questions or want to see more information, please let me know.

The week of Dec. 10-14 we had a lot of big/cool things happen. 

1. A committee came to watch me teach, interview me, and interview 3 of my peers and my admin to decide if I should be the Teacher of the Year for Brevard County Schools. At first I thought I needed to do something really big and amazing to show the committee that Media Specialists do more than just check out books but I decided to do what we do best...engineering stations tied to novels. It was an interesting day to say the least but our stations were awesome, the kids learned a ton, and we had a great day! The thing that sticks in my mind the most about that day (other than all the cool things our kids built tied to their books) is that my colleagues said the committee members asked them why I got picked instead of a "real" teacher since I'm just a librarian. I love that my awesome co-workers jumped right on it to make sure they knew that in this position, I get to teach everyone, including our teachers. It's a pretty incredible thing to work in a school where you are so supported. I wish everyone had what I have here. The committee spoke with my peers and my admin team, watched me teach, and then interviewed me last. They seemed to have really enjoyed the lesson that I heavily encouraged them to participate in and asked me all kinds of questions. My prayer is that I represented my profession and my school well. I know these kids did and I think it's pretty great that the committee got a glimpse into the great stuff that happens here on a regular basis. I think their view of what my role is and how it can impact a school has changed a lot. :) If you read the station cards you can see some of the challenges we issued to the kids.

2. Project Lit for December where we talked about Refugee by Alan Gratz. If you haven't read that book yet, you are making a terrible life choice that needs to be rectified immediately. Our book club kids are amazing! They had a Kahoot put together, tshirt designs ready to go, and completely ran the show. Our adult sponsors just had to show up. :)

3. We started the Jason Reynolds story contest with our GAPP students. It was in an issue of Scope magazine and it is an awesome contest! I can't wait to see what our kids come up with!

The next week (Dec. 17-21) I had:

1. Brevard Media Specialists Holiday Party which was super fun. It is so important to spend time with other people who do what you do and are passionate about it. It's also really important to cut loose and have fun sometimes. 
2. Maker space and book check out which are always some of my favorite days! Our maker space days involve design challenges for different stations. I usually set up 8 or so stations and the students have to complete at least 3 before they leave. They have a handout to document their work that walks them through the engineering process at each station. Sometimes these are general challenges and sometimes they are tailored to what is being covered in the content class they came with. Each teacher makes that choice for their kids and then I set everything up and walk them through it. 
3. The annual Ugly Sweater Contest and our faculty pot luck. Anything that involves costumes is my jam and I'm happy to report I am reigning champion. At our potluck, I used some of the games from our BPS Media Holiday Party and did it staff wide. We had a BLAST! We had a "snowball" (balled up paper) fight and we made some reindeer. We all laughed so hard. Everyone really needed that before the break. 

Over  the break I went to visit my mom and we went on a ski trip to Utah with my husband's side of our family. It was just what I needed to recharge for another big semester of activities. I also got to use all that travel time to read 12 really great books! 

Since returning to school we have:

1. Check out, announcements, and maker space with Ms. Ross's classes
2. A stupid cool vocabulary activity with Mrs. Watkins's classes. We had the kids take their vocab words, use Canva to create a graphic for it, and then posted it to a Padlet. I got the idea from my friend Andrea who is a high school Media Specialist in Alabama. It worked really well and the kids really liked it! Mrs. Watkins is going to print them and post them in the classroom as they continue their unit. 
3. I met with a furniture company to try and get all new furniture for our Media Center. I hope it all works out because this place will be AMAZING if it does. All of our tables are breaking or already broken and don't work for this space. We need flexible seating! 
4. I got to celebrate our ESE self-contained kiddos finishing two more books! They are at 8 books for the year. I could not be more proud of them! We built a motels from Home Sweet Motel and decorated rabbits to look like the main characters from Podkin One-Ear. 

1. Friday I got to work with our Art students. I got to teach them some Langston Hughes poetry and they are going to illustrate a poem that spoke to them. I had them choose a poem, jot down the title and then make a list of any images or objects in the poem. Then they made a list of any colors represented in the poem and then started sketching out ideas. This is an on-going project that will eventually be displayed in the Media Center. They had some incredible sketches and ideas. I'm really excited to see how their projects turn out. 

This week? All the crazy. 

The biggest thing is that we are participating in the Follett Challange and my school needs YOUR votes. You can vote for us here. Our submission focuses on our #swms20bookchallenge and I'm so proud of the video we submitted. These kids are awesome! 

A Week Full of Visitors

A week in the Media Center is nothing short of crazy with a circus act. Always.

Monday morning we put the Media Center back together from Friday night's coffee house,  I had a book celebration/makerspace day with my favorite ESE kiddos (we celebrated 3 SSYRA books they've read, built whales and boats with Playdoh, made Popsicle bookmarks, and built tree houses), delivered Chickfila lunch to the winner of our campaign sign contest, and I had some pretty important visitors. Our Assistant Superintendent and my School Board Representative showed up at the end of the day to announce that I've been selected as a District Finalist for Teacher of the Year. There were six teachers chosen: one elementary and one secondary from the north part of our county, the central part of our county, and the south part of the county. I'm the secondary south area representative. Six chosen out of over 4,000. That's CRAZY!!! I can't even begin to fathom how I ended up on that list. There are so many incredible teachers here in our very large county. I'm so incredibly honored.

Tuesday I had Ms. Ross's classes scheduled for book check out and we were disguising gingerbread people as book characters. In the middle of the day, this group of professionals show up and sit down and get comfortable and our tech guy tells me the room is his from 12:30-3:00. Wait...what!?!?!?!
Yes, we had to relocate to her classroom and send kids two and three at a time to check-out books. Which means I had to tell those kids from memory where the books they wanted were and make suggestions for them off what I *thought* we had in. There was a South Area Tech Training scheduled in the Media Center that NO ONE told me about and was not on my calendar. It's was a misunderstanding and some miscommunication and everything is good, but it was definitely a curve ball. The worst part is that I have an autistic student that comes to see me everyday during his lunch and he couldn't find me and got really upset. I always warn him when I won't be there so he is prepared and knows but in the midst of all the crazy, I forgot to let him know. He had a meltdown and I felt really bad because that could have been avoided. I failed to take pictures of their gingerbread people but they are decorating the Christmas tree that's in the Media Center right now. Also, check out Ms. Ross's book log for this year. #readersgonnaread

Wednesday I had our amazing Tech Integrator and hosted Ms. Rich's Civics classes and we went on Google Expeditions to see all the places Alexander Hamilton was based on what they've been learning about. We traveled to Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. The kids LOVED it and thought they were so important that they were the very first group of students at our school to get to use this equipment this year. I was also able to get all of our administrators in there and participating throughout the day so they could see what a valuable educational experience it was. In the middle of the first group we also had to run an infrastructure trial for the testing platform. I was a little worried about a big group coming in for me to run a testing trial with them while the other group was doing Google Expeditions but it worked and it was smooth sailing.

Thursday was another infrastructure trial and set up for Career Day. I also got updates on the next steps for the Teacher of the Year process. Yikes.

Friday was the 31st Annual Career Day at The Great Southwest. We invite people into our school to speak to our students about their careers. We have so many guests that there is a speaker for every single classroom. All of our guests gather for breakfast and coffee and then a Keynote in the Media Center that is pumped out through video feed to all the classrooms. Once the Keynote is over, the speakers are escorted to their classroom location and the speak to the classes about their career, what they do, and what it takes to do that. We also treat them to lunch cooked by Chef Poole and Mr. Thorstensen and served by our students. I had a former NFL player, our School Board rep, a City Councilman, Police and Fire Rescue, Kona Ice, chefs, real estate agents, doctors, pilots, and all kinds of amazing people in my Media Center for our Keynote and then I got to host the Youth Pastor from my church and his intern, Dario. It was so cool for the kids to find out what kind of training you need to have a job like that and how he choose his career. It was so interesting!

So what's next?

Monday (!!!!!!!!!!!) a committee of people will come watch me teach for 45 minutes, interview me, three of my peers, and my principal to see if I'm what everyone says I am. I was told that there has never been a winner from my school and I don't think (but I might be wrong) that there has ever been a Media Specialist win. Someone came in and mentioned to me that I have one shot to show them everything I do. It's a lot of pressure. A lot. How on earth am I supposed to show them everything I do with kids and teachers in one 45 minute lesson and some interviews? I can't. That's the answer and I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to teach exactly how I normally would and answer their questions as honestly as I can. I've chosen three teachers that I think can show the collaboration that my position allows and that I'm a real teacher too. It will either be enough or it won't. I'm not here to prove I'm better or worse than anyone else. The only thing I care about them seeing is engaged learners. I want them to see what a Media Center really looks like. I want them to see the classes in there, the collaboration, the random stray students that come in for all kinds of things throughout the day, the teachers that stop by and need me on their planning. I want them to know that WE (not just me) work hard and are doing good things for kids. I want them to see I have the greatest job at my school and why Southwest is The Great Southwest and not just another middle school.

Tuesday I'm on a field trip with our music students (yay!!!!!). Wednesday I finish and submit our Follett Challenge video and application. Thursday I have a SAC committee meeting and Lara's kids for checkout and makerspace. Friday I have the GAPP kids again for checkout and a Jason Reynolds story contest, and our front office luncheon. Oh, and District Communications is coming to video me teaching Friday. It's also my oldest daughter's #EpicEleventhBirthday next week which has nothing to do with school but definitely impacts my week.

I told you. It's a circus, always. But it's my circus and I love it!

Also, if you could be so kind as to let me know how one dresses super professionally but in a way that you can still crawl in the floor with robots and not have the kids ask why you are dressed so fancy, I'd love to know.

Author Visit, a Big Honor, & Daddy

This past week was actually pretty low-key for the Media Center.

Monday: double classes for book check-out
Tuesday: afternoon book celebration for our self-contained ESE students who just finished the 3-5 SSYRA book Wish. We watched a book trailer, had a discussion, and made lunchbox notes for each other because the main character always wanted to get a note in her lunchbox. It was pretty awesome!
Wednesday: I was supposed to have Girls PE but they rescheduled so I didn't have anyone and ended up covering for a teacher who had to leave early. I got all caught up on 20 Book Challenge responses and we were able to get the report run. I mean, look at these amazing numbers! We are almost 300 books ahead of where we were this time last year and we broke records last year.

Thursday: I got to take some of our students to Hoover Middle School to see author Pablo Cartaya who wrote our SSYRA book The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora and he also wrote Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish.  Mrs. Watkins teaches a Reading class that has all of our ESOL students in it and most of them primarily speak Spanish. She read Epic Fail with them which was really cool because it is a bilingual book. I got with our ESOL District contact and told her about the opportunity to take these kids to go see Pablo and why it was so important and she helped me find the funding to take them. You see, how often do these students get to see someone who looks like them, speaks like them, and writes characters just like them who is very successful in person? How often in our school system do they have the opportunity to ask questions in their native language and get answers in that same language? How often do they miss out on opportunities because of the language barrier? I knew it was important to take them but I didn't realize until we got there what a life-changing moment it was for some of these students. They were SO engaged! Pablo is really funny and a great storyteller. He switches back and forth between English and Spanish. Our students asked some really amazing questions and all of them made it a point to tell me how much they enjoyed the visit. A few of the girls told me their favorite part was when Pablo had me dance with him. Our book club kids also got to go with us and they had a blast too. It made me so happy to see how an author can deeply impact kids who are so different and come from different walks of life. It was a powerful day! I'm so thankful to Ana Woodbrey, Hoover's Media Specialist, for putting such an awesome day together!

Friday: My sweet GAPP kiddos were there for book check-out and it was such a relaxing day. Fridays are short days because of early release so we returned books, renewed books, checked out books and then the kids could either work on their 20 Book Challenge (logging or correcting responses) or they could sit and read. I got to sit with them and read too! I finished Lu by Jason Reynolds! It is SO good! Definitely my favorite one in the Track series. I always have such great conversations about books with these kids. I always walk away encouraged and with a full heart!

The other big thing that happened this week is that on Monday, my admin team and all the front office people came in with flowers and a balloon and made an announcement over the intercom that I had been voted (by our staff) as the Southwest Middle School 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year. It's a really, really big honor. So many teachers and so many students stopped by to congratulate me. I've never imagined what it would feel like to win but it is so surreal. I'm so very honored and at the same time, I feel a bit like I'm taking credit for everyone else's hard work. Everything I do is part of a team effort. I don't do anything alone. We do some cool things but we do it together. I work with the best people!

After finding out, on my way home from school I called my husband and then I called my mom. As I was talking to my mom, I got upset because it was such a punch in the gut that I couldn't also call my dad to tell him. I've always been super close to my dad. Always. Two years ago, right as I was starting out in the Media Center, my dad died of Cancer only 4 weeks after diagnosis. My dad is the one who convinced me to be a teacher. I didn't want to be a teacher. I wanted to be anything BUT a teacher. He is the one who sat me down and told me that I was made for this and that he would support me no matter what, but that teaching is what he thought I should do. When I graduated college, he was clapping the loudest and cheering his heart out as I walked across that stage as the first college graduate in my immediate family. When I got my first teaching job, my dad built me a bookshelf for my classroom, helped me move all my stuff in, and bought team bags for the Girls Basketball team I coached. He came to their County Championship game and was so proud. Both of my parents have always, always supported me and pushed me to do my very best. My dad was a really hard worker. If there was something to be done, he wouldn't rest until it was done. If a kid needed something, he didn't care what it took, he would make sure they had it. My dad grew up in extreme poverty in a single parent home and made sure I knew what it was like to live like some of the kids I teach everyday. He told me to make sure that I was their champion, to be the light for them; that I was there fighting for them every day because some of them wouldn't have anyone else that would do that for them. He is the reason I'm so driven. He is the reason I give everything I have to these kids. He is the one who told me that if anyone could make being a librarian cool and get kids to read, it would be me. It is bittersweet to be given such an incredible award and not be able to share it with him.

I used to think that winning Teacher of the Year was an award you win and then that is it. I'm learning there is so much more to it than that. I had an application due early this week to be considered for Brevard County Teacher of the Year. I had to give a description of my job responsibilities, list all the awards and recognition I've received in the last 5 years, explain how I demonstrate all 14 traits of an excellent teacher in 250 words or less (they were serious! Have they met me? I don't say anything in under 250 words), and I had to write what I love the most about teaching. That was my favorite part. Not this coming week, but the following week I'll have to go sit in front of a big committee and interview. I also have to schedule to go have my photo taken. I've heard some teachers complain about everything it involves, but I'd like to share my thoughts with you. I don't have expectations of winning anything, BUT if I'm going to do something, I'm going to do the very best I possibly can because that is who I was raised to be. I want to represent my family well. I want to serve my school well--they choose me for this and I plan to give it my best. I want to represent my profession well. It is a job that is always on the chopping block by politicians and board members because they seem to think that all we do all day is check out books and anyone can do that. My job is so much more than that and I want to do it justice.

This coming week is going to be a really big week! I'm doing something so cool I couldn't have ever even dreamed it was possible. Stay tuned for details!