Milken Award

How can one respond to being honored with a Milken Award? I am still feeling shock. Yesterday seems quite blurry at this point. I do remember that when I heard my name the only thing I could think was that I suspected I needed to stand up and walk to the stage and was not certain I had the power to do so. I could not hold back the tears. I know several people spoke after that - including me - but I have very little recollection of what was said! My Milken bio needs updating, but it is online.

I am struggling a bit with how I was the one in our state that was chosen for this award. I know teachers all across this state and there are so many amazing ones. I know how much I love what I do and how much I love working with "my" kids. This year, however, the switch from being a computer teacher to an English and Social Studies teacher has been extremely challenging. (English teachers work really HARD!) I do a number of additional duties at school, mostly because I can't help myself. When my principal asks for volunteer, my hand just shoots up. I have no control! (Okay, I admit - I enjoy the extra stuff!) I spend a lot of time as the building technology leader, too. I am so happy when my teachers start using technology. I had one teacher this morning drag me over to look at a PowerPoint he put together. He was so proud and I loved that he was using visuals in his class.

I had a room FULL of students after school today. They were making sure they were caught up and some asked to see a video I had shown today with Vincent Price doing the Tell-Tale Heart. I was surprised that they would want to see it again.

Excited teachers, engaged students - this is why I come in each day. The Milken Award - Wow! what a bonus! Does life get any better than this? I doubt it!

Media Coverage
The Rapid City Journal
Sioux Falls Argus Leader
KEVN TV - Fox
KOTA TV - ABC
KNBN TV -MSNBC

Busy, busy!

I know I have thought it before, but English teachers work hard! I feel like I am always scrambling to get things done! I keep hoping that it will get better when I find my groove, but I am not sure. I know it hasn't helped that I have had pneumonia. I am feeling much better, even though I still have a bit of a cough and I am exhausted by the end of the day.

My students spent the last two weeks working on a historical person project. It culminated Friday with them dressing in character and giving speeches about their person to judges. We played games and had a movie. Since this is the first year I have done this, I was a bit apprehensive as to how the kids would respond to this. So I told all my students that the other 8th grade English teacher is bragging that she always gets 100% participation and that she doesn't think I will manage the same. Kids love that kind of competition. Several of them told me that they "had my back" and they have all been working on their projects like crazy. Jackie - the other English teacher - has gotten a chuckle about hearing about her "talking smack" as they have strolled down the hall. She is all for whatever works. I guess the competition worked. I had one that didn't dress in character, but gave her speech and just one that refused to do either. Jackie had two that didn't participate. The project was exhausting!

We are working on Edgar Allan Poe now and the kids really are excited about it. Who knew!

16 Days Until Students and Counting

I hate internal struggle. I can be my own worst enemy. I have – once again – spent the last two days filled with self-doubt. I have engaged in conversation regarding blogs. I really listened to those participating and then sat back wondering if I have ANY clue as to what I am doing.

Starting two new curriculums is pretty nerve-wracking. I have taught English in summer school before and have been doing a lot of reading. The other 8^th grade teacher uses Writer’s Workshop and I am learning as fast as I can. I am meeting with her tomorrow to go over a number of things I am still learning. I am also teaching Social Studies – US History. I have NEVER taught that before and had to take the Praxis in June to be certified. So, in my spare time, have been reading the textbook (which is SO boring!), as well as fun stuff like “Gone With The Wind.”

I passionately believe that I need to teach my students in the world they live in and the world they are heading to. For me, that means I need to integrate technology. I have truly listened to the conversation on blogs, but I really believe my students need to post some of their writing on class blogs. The writing process will take a while with each piece, so I don’t see us posting daily or even weekly, but I do want them to be thinking of a wider audience. I also want my students to read other students blogs. I am finding some that I am going to have them read and comment on. I want them to learn how to appropriately respond to others and how to engage in a conversation with the writer. They will also have the opportunity to respond to each other and all the students in our CORE. This will give me the opportunity to talk to my students about how they represent themselves on the Internet. I really can tie this all together and work to make them understand how they need to be responsible with what they put out there.

I have started setting up a wiki and will use that for English and Social Studies. I am adding resources that students can use and will continue to add as we find more sites to use. I want my Social Studies students to also work in groups and put together their own wiki pages for some research they will be doing. I am looking for interactive web sites to add to their learning experience. I have been told there is no way I can cover all my curriculum without using the textbook, but I just know if I put that boring book in my students’ hands, they will resort to HATING US History. I HAVE to make this interesting. I know this is 8^th grade, but these kids will be adults in a few years – voting and some will be leading this city, county, state, or even country. Hating history does not bode well for that. I think we can do better.

Am I idealistic? Probably. Will I re-evaluate as we go? Absolutely. I see a lot of research and work in my future, but at least that part doesn’t bother me. I teach in what is considered one of the toughest middle schools in Rapid City. (Okay, it isn’t inner city Chicago, but we do have our own problems!) I love my kids. I never leave for the day without believing I have made a difference. Because of that, I take this very seriously and never mind what I have to put into it. I have nine days until we are officially at in-service and 16 days until we have students. I am nervous about the whole curriculum thing, but really excited to have my students back.

While the conversation about blogs caused me to re-think what I am doing, I don’t mind that. I am going to re-think everything I am doing anyway – that’s the kind of person I am. I still believe in myself and in what I am doing with my students. We’ll see where I am in a month or two!