A chat that offers middle school teachers a chance to have a collaborative discussion about a different topic each week. Our topics change from week to week, ranging from Common Core State Standards to Character Education. During the chat, participants exchanges ideas and resources. The chat group ranges in size each week from 10 to 50+ participants. Discussion can be general talking about instructional style or process to specific. Recently members of the chat group help each other create lessons.
I teach to inspire and be the positive role model that some Ss May never get in their lives. I also love seeing middle school Ss discover themselves and helping them along the way. #mschat
A1: I didn't have an adult to help me through school or acknowledge my abuse, so I work (teach) with youth so they have someone to turn to, if they need it. #mschat
A1: I had some good experiences in school with Ts, and I had some bad ones. I teach to make sure my Ss help my Ss have more good experiences than poor ones. #mschat
I think I was always meant to be a middle level teacher. I love the kids. I love watching them learn, and seeing the "ah-ha" moments. I love that they can be adult like one moment, and complete kids the next. I love that they are discovering the "gray area" in life #mschat
A1: kids rule. They are so inspiring with their creativity imagination and desire to understand and be understood. I want to be close to that. That’s why I love teaching. #mschat
I teach because of the historic inequities in our society -- I want ALL students to have the benefits that I had growing up (or have even more benefits!). Teaching is about social justice in my mind. #mschat
A1: I teach because it’s just ‘me’ - can’t explain it, it’s my passion, fire, and happy place. Even at my most frustrated, I love what I do, and I love those middle schoolers #mschat
A2 Teaching comes with much criticism and frustration. The negatives can come in loud and clear. Remembering our why helps get us through those moments. #mschat
A2: The nuts and bolts of teaching, though important, sometimes overwhelm us. Remembering the WHY keeps us centered and motivated. Keeps us going. #mschat
A2: Teaching is hard! We have to keep our "why" in mind so we can stay focused on our goal and give each other strength in hard times. #mschat#edmg9150
A2: Especially as we start of the year, it is important that we remember that kids are why we are there. (Almost everyone has mentioned kids!) Keeping that perspective, makes the stresses seem less stressful. #mschat
A2: we all have hard days. It’s easy to lose sight of your passion when things just aren’t going well - but one private chat, one glimmer of “Oh! I get it!” and all is well with the world. You have to remember that #mschat
A2: Remembering my why allow me to focus on working to help every Ss be enjoy their learning journey. It helps me focus on the Ss more than myself. #mschat
A2. No one has ever kept a completed test from a former student but I bet we all have a shoebox with at least a couple of letters written to us from former students thanking us. #mschat#edmg9150
A2. No one has ever kept a completed test from a former student but I bet we all have a shoebox with at least a couple of letters written to us from former students thanking us. #mschat#edmg9150
A2: as a leader I try to keep the why surfaced in the work we do at WeVideo education. Same for school leaders. Be the why in what you do. We all need to be reminded esp. in edu which is a mission
Remember where we are heading but love the journey cherish the process
#mschat
A3: The media scrutiny from government officials or doubters in education get me distracted. It’s important to remember that we can only control ourselves and put our best foot forward. Don’t let others bring us down. #mschat
#mschat A2 - Think people look for satisfaction too high up and too high away. Your why stares at you with 100 sets of eyes daily. Enjoy the chaos and be their why!
Experiences! I work for 4-H, which gives our students an educational outlet away from the classroom, while building on classroom norms.
#mschat#edmg9150
A3a: The mundane-but-necessary tasks, like paperwork & such, or even that feeling of never quite being ENOUGH...good enough scores, reaching a certain kid enough, contacting enough parents, being present at home enough, keeping my house clean enough... #mschat
A3 When too many expectations come at us at one time it is difficult to keep concentration on the important things in the classroom. I try to keep my energy focused on the things I can control. #mschat
A4 I try to bridge students interests, hopes for their future, and goals with skills we are learning in my class. Learning has to be meaning to stick. #mschat#edmg9150
A3b: chats like this, and conferences like #amle2018 really do re-center me. These connections, being part of this community, really does matter. #mschat
A4: For math, I like to use a warm-up "Where is the Math?" and bring in objects or concepts and ask the kids to come up with "where is the math?" At the end of a unit I will reverse it, and ask "Where is the math concept?" #mschat
A4: context. Community. Empathy. Authentic audience. Very often students can and do create their own why. But only if they gave that chance. Let new lines of inquiry be generated and followed #mschat
A4: Help students find their WHY by making our class as welcoming, safe, positive, supportive, surprising, fun, meaningful, ..., as possible. We are in this together. #mschat
A4: funny you should ask 🙄😂 My big push at curriculum night tonight was about experimenting and being brave-I shared my dream of kids never asking if it was for a grade-I told them that so many kids come to me already hating ELA, my first goal is to put the joy back in #mschat
A4: One of my favorite projects is a Career Project, where the students have to research a career they are interested in and find how math is used in that career (I like to argue that everyone needs 7th grade math!!!) #mschat
A5: District motto is to "Make it happen together!" Reminds us to collaborate for success and reminds us we are a team working together to achieve our collective WHY! #mschat
A5: Our Administrator’s give us the opportunity to try new things to see if we reach more Ss even if it might fail. The goal is to always find ways to reach as many Ss as possible.#mschat
#mschat A4 - Help them to realize that the joy of learning and exploring new things is not based on a grade but the desire to get better. There is no end or graduation. It’s lifelong.
A5: quite simply, they not only allow, but encourage me to be me. Admin know I’m struggling with a county textbook implementation, and they are supporting me as I strive to make this curriculum fit into a student driven environment. My admin rock #mschat
A5: We have spent an hour a day on advisory activities. The investment of time from our school counselor and the understanding of upper admin that this time is critically important, means so much. And our principal and counselor step up and in FAST any time we need them. #mschat
A5: Our schools/Admin support the Ss by just letting us be present (again, 4-H). There are so many other programs that could be there, but they let us serve the students because the Ss come first. #mschat#edmg9150
A5: My school allows me the opportunity to be experimental in my practice, as well. As long as I can explain why I’m doing it, they let me try it. #mschat
