Reflections of an Educator

In the ever-changing world of social media, your child may be engaging in online interactions with friends and strangers alike.  As quickly as you can learn about what apps your child may be using, new ones may appear.  Therefore, it is important you regularly examine your child’s electronic device and speak to him/her about making safe and responsible decisions and words – both online and offline.   It is crucial to engage with students about responsible and wise behavior, communication and interactions - not just restricting access to the Internet or to specific websites and apps.  Certainly, there needs to be supervision;  supporting adolescents is all about providing a safety net - but engaging in online communication is now part of becoming an adult.  Let's help students traverse this world, instead of allowing them to dive into it alone. Remember, kids may have access to these apps on his/her phone, droid, tablet, handheld device, computer – or that o...

I recently had a conversation with a phenomenal teacher, former colleague and friend, @mausigal , about staying above the fray, avoiding burnout staying pumped up in our last month of school, taking a deep breath, and getting rejuvenated over the summer.  It got me thinking...as educators, we can feel like there are too many initiatives, insufficient resources, not enough time, and too much to get done!  How do we stay focused on the most important thing: student learning? 5 Ways Avoid Burnout : Get pumped up.  According to a Boston Globe article by  Deborah Kotz , recent research states that when you are feeling stressed, don't get subdued, go get pumped up.  And who better to get Get pumped up! you pumped up than Richard Simmons?!  Seriously: shift your paradigm to view a challenge as an opportunity and turn on some " Runnin' Down A Dream" by Tom Petty . Exercise.  Take care of yourself - mind and body.  Give yourself a mental break ...

During #satchathack weekly chat this morning, which occurred in lieu of #satchat (which was on vacation), my PLN had a lively conversation about 21st century education, how to get there, and the risk of edtech being a facade of achieving a 21st century classroom. Today's discussion continued to confirm for me that we are currently preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist.  What?!  How is this possible?  A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post on "Your Child's Job," where I referenced a recent Boston Globe article that examined current employment trends, and made some predictions for the future job market in Massachusetts.  To understand more how we are preparing our children for jobs that don't yet exist, go to: Your Child's Job . Another point that was made by participants surrounded this 19th-20th-21st century dichotomy.  Some argued that we are living in a 19th century school curriculum and agrarian structure; others lamented living 20th century p...

What I Learned At #edcampBOS 2014 by: @sguditus Have an open mind and an open heart.   Several times throughout my day, I entered a session, and it wasn't what I expected, and I stayed.  And it was awesome.  I learned something new.  I expanded my PLN.  I met fantastic educators.  I formed new ideas.  Other times, I moved on, and hit up a few sessions, until I found the one that resonated with me - that I hadn't expected it, but there it was: the session that connected with me. Trust your instinct.  Have you ever felt: It is just me, or do other people feel the same way about this?... More often than not, educators forget to follow our instinct and our gut.  I wonder: Am I in this alone?  Am I the only one who feels this way?   Education is a blend of both science and art, and #edcampBOS reminded me to trust my instinct, trust my gut, and to remember that the network of people out there who are forging forward, progressi...

One year ago, I wrote the following blog post to share resources with educators and parents/guardians - to help work with students and to help adults themselves work through this tragedy that hit Boston, Massachusetts and the world.  In the spirit of seeing the good after a tragedy, we teach our students to focus on the leadership and human kindness that emerges from dark, tragic times.  The 2013 Boston Marathon bombing was one such time, but Boston is resilient, and so are its people.  In addition to the resources below, some heroes of the Boston Marathon bombing are profiled one year later, which is a positive follow-up to either start or conclude a reflection on the Boston Marathon bombing anniversary: http://www.aol.com/article/2014/04/14/4-heroes-of-the-boston-marathon-bombing/20868687/ http://www.necn.com/04/14/14/BMC-honors-victims-heroes-of-Boston-Mara/landing.html?blockID=865065&feedID=11106 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/13/boston-stro...

While discussing stress with his students, our building's Health Teacher invited me up to discuss students' concerns - at their request.  Students felt strongly enough that they wanted to speak about stress, homework and academic pressure with the principal.  Seventh graders!  I popped up to his classroom, and what I heard was alarming, upsetting, and a bit sad.  Students reported things such as "there is so much pressure, that sometimes I have to decide between playing with friends or doing my homework" and "I'm thinking about dropping out of playing on my sports team, because I don't have time to be on a team and time to finish my schoolwork." I polled the students, and on average, students have over two hours of homework a night, often not including studying for tests and quizzes.  What does this tell me?  We need to do some work with students around study skills, backwards planning and executive functioning skills.  In her article from the fa...

Melissa Schorr of the Boston Globe wrote an article in the Globe's March 9, 2014 issue on Learning and Earning 2014 entitled " Where The State Labor Market Is Headed This Decade ."  Schorr reports Massachusetts-specific statistics about the future of the job market, helpful for current job seekers, college grads, or parents and guardians who are interested in persuading their children to plant roots in The Commonwealth later in life.  If you have ever asked me my thoughts on 21st century skills or heard me speak publicly to parents/guardians, student or staff, you know that I believe we are in a time where our Where the Massachusetts job market is headed next. public education system is preparing our students for jobs that don't yet exist.  In her infographic-style article, Schorr states: The work we do is ever-evolving - some jobs emerge, others fade to black (think film projectionists).  The Labor Department's list of occupations, which has g...

The Olympics is such a great event for so many reasons...but as an educator, I can't help but view the events unfolding in front of me through the lens of "how is this an authentic way to teach students?"  Though this list is in no way comprehensive, The 2014 Sochi Olympics has provided several great ways to teach our students.  A few lessons to learn from the Sochi Olympics: Be courageous.   Hopeful to medal after winning the US Championships a month prior, Jeremy Abbott crashed to ice in his short men's ice skating program, within just 10 seconds of starting.  What he did next said more about his character than the performance itself: he stood up, and continued skating.  And he went on to skate one heck of a performance.  Jeremy Abbott might not have medaled, but he demonstrated picking oneself up after falling.  To read more: http://es.pn/1fiqMvL  Be determined.   Charlie White and Meryl Davis, the American Ice Dancing Team that won ...

The amazing #SatChat strikes again.  On Saturday morning, January 25, 2014, I participated in the weekly #SatChat with colleagues from around the country and world.  Not only does participating in #SatChat challenge me personally and professionally, it allows me to stay current and gather best practices to share with students, parents/guardians and staff.  The topic on 1/25/14 was "Supporting All Learners," and as participants were asked to share resources used to support all learners, I couldn't keep up with the great list supplied, collectively, by educators around the world.  What follows is the start of a list of apps, programs, websites and programs used by educators to support learning.  Please comment below to add additional ideas to this list!  If you have questions about how-to or implementing effectively in the classroom with students, I would suggest you tweet a message to the idea's author: their Twitter handle is next to the resource. Live...

There has been an uptick in recent use of anonymous, unmonitored social media websites by adolescents.  One website in particular, Ask.fm , is cause for serious alarm.  What makes this website so dangerous is the fact that it provides a forum for adolescents, who may already be feeling isolated, to be victim to receiving and responding to anonymous messages - sometimes from strangers and oftentimes from peers they already know, but who want to post anonymous (and frequently hurtful) messages.     Ask.fm is a Latvian-based company that requires users to create a homepage, which others can view and comment upon anonymously and without registering or logging in.  This website allows anyone with internet access, anywhere in the world to view one’s Ask.fm profile, post information, ask questions, and communicate with users – all anonymously . Other social media outlets such as Instagram, Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter require all users to regis...