The #michED chat is a grassroots effort dedicated to giving teachers, students, and parents across Michigan a bigger voice in the conversation about education in our state. We welcome all voices through a variety of projects, media, and social networking. We’re trying to address educational issues through apolitical conversation, spreading ideas and stories of success from Michigan classrooms across the state, and helping teachers and students regain the courage to connect and demonstrate that schools in Michigan are creating amazing opportunities for learning. We want the face and voice of education in Michigan to be a mural of shared experiences and positive examples of connected learning.
Good evening #MichED! Let's kick off tonight's chat with introductions. Where you're from, position and whether your school has already been called off for tomorrow. #MichED
Let us know if you're here for #MichED chat. @jgross811 will be starting a live video introduction around 8:05. Follow him to make sure you don't miss anything!
Hi #miched, Joshua Rosenberg here, I’m a Ph.D. student @michiganstateu. Glad to be joining for first time in awhile. School, unfortunately, is on tomorrow :)
Chris from Allegan. I teach math and help with tech. We had our chance to be called off Wed and Thurs. We're going tomorrow. Just outside of every storm sys #miched
Hey awesome educators at @mylsps. Join the #MichED chat tonight as you're snowed in. We're talking about keeping our sanity in this challenging profession. #mylsps
#miched Rebekah Schipper from Holland...ED for a Opp Thrive. Interested in the conversation tonight bc I'm an educator and a nonprofit whose goal is to help educators build resiliency to avoid burnout.
#miched on the plus side my district promoted the Remind to get Snow Day updates. The negative is they JINXED THE SNOW DAY BY TALKING ABOUT IT. #fightclub#firstrule
I'm from Shepherd, Michigan, and work for the non profit org called @EduGuide where I serve as the manager of web services. Schools in my hometown have already cancelled for tomorrow. #miched
Let us know if you're here for #MichED chat. @jgross811 will be starting a live video introduction around 8:05. Follow him to make sure you don't miss anything!
#miched in Michigan alone, we lose over 7,000 teachers every year (6%) to burnout..impact on economy is sought $47,000,000. @jgross811 is so right. We need to be reminded why do this!
A1: As an admin, I fear that often I am part of the stress on teachers as I move us forward addressing curriculum gaps, data and instructional shifts. Relationships are ALWAYS most important, but believe we can find the balance. #MichED
A1: That students leave K12 and they don't have an image of what they want to happen next. It scares me when after 13 yrs, all they know is the next test. #miched
Wow, great question for #miched. What's your biggest fear about teaching? When I taught HS science, I think it was losing the interest of students - esp. those who demonstrated a lot of potential but I had trouble connecting with.
A1: Honestly, putting myself out there, but admin scares me too. I always have crazy ideas and try new things and sometimes that is not accepted. #MichEd
A1: As an admin, I fear that often I am part of the stress on teachers as I move us forward addressing curriculum gaps, data and instructional shifts. Relationships are ALWAYS most important, but believe we can find the balance. #MichED
From the T POV: When talking Big Standardized (BS) tests, let us see holes add address by dept. Do you like what you see in the class day to day? Let us tweak it then. Trust us that we are doing right by kids. #miched
A2: My belief is that evals and test scores are measures to use for continual improvement. For district, school, classroom, teacher and student. #MichED
#miched A2- Very difficult thing to do. Even after 23 yrs of teaching-evals still bother me even when in my mind I know I put my all into my lessons. Wish it was used for true improvement and not boxes to check
A2: Exactly, @AnnSmart17 ! I look to my evals as a learning tool. I would how that my admin talked to be prior to it.
I don't stress abt tests. My focus is on learning not on the bubble sheets. #miched
A2: I'm with @AnnSmart17 ... I do my job, work hard every day & keep up on the current practices. If #'s aren't where I want them to be, I change, adjust, try something diff. #miched
A2: most eval systems place what the STUDENT is doing at the highly effective level. But, teachers often focus on what THEY:RE doing. Shift that needs to continue. #MichED
A2 - I do what I do, hope that the kids believe in me and that I care about them. Hopefully, they buy in and we have some fun learning along the way. #miched
But I also don't really focus on the numbers. I focus on student growth and improvement and honestly some of my students are not ready for the SAT. We knew this already. Tell them to do their best and I'll be proud of that. #miched
This is a challenging Q for me. A2: Build trust with admin & students so we can take tests seriously but recognize they’re not most important thing we’re doing - focus on learning. #miched
Yes - growth is a better thing to look at. I'm thinking #'s for overall topics and/or #'s that are/aren't proficient. Always something to work on! #miched
Agreed. I don't quit on the kids even when they want to quit on themselves. I know sometimes I don't show that well enough, but it's true. I want success for each kid. #miched
Well, you can still be a great teacher. Students could choose an elective with a teacher that wasn't as invested and the experience would be great. #Miched
Mary Whiteford (my Rep) doesn't call me anymore after I got upset with how she loosened requirements for Detroit teachers because of the lack of teachers. I suggested paying more, but what do I know?! lol #miched
A3: This year is the FIRST year I have been teaching that I have put my health first. I spend every day after school at the gym helps physically and mentally- down 54 pounds and I deadlifted 145 today! #MichEd
A3: Trails, trails, trails. #naturetherapy. Living the practice of gratitude and simple abundance. And, have my community on those days I need human connection. #MichED
A2: We all do the best we can with what we have, most go above and beyond. It’s the small moments that matter to me, the relationships are important and the scores will follow #miched
A3: As a Ph.D. student, these can be hard for me! Cycling to and from @michiganstateu has been a boon for my health (physical fitness & reducing stress). Can’t say it does much for financial health, though! :) #miched
A3: Mentally, yes. Keep my close circle of friends & spend time w/ them. Can always hit the gym more, but do fit it in. Bought my 5 yrs, husband did too. On track for retirement in less than 10 :) #miched
A3 I try to staying moving, with two boys under 4 that's fairly easy to do. Now getting sleep that's not so easy. We just moved to our dream house which has a great view and places to roam #miched
A3: How I keep mentally healthy at work. I come in and I get to play with my students with math. It is so cool. I love helping them find their own path. I love helping connect the dots. #miched
A2: I had a mentor teacher tell me to go home with a “full cupcake”. This is, don’t let the negatives of school lick all the icing off your cupcake so that you go home with a sad, frosting-less cupcake for your family. #miched
A2: I had a mentor teacher tell me to go home with a “full cupcake”. This is, don’t let the negatives of school lick all the icing off your cupcake so that you go home with a sad, frosting-less cupcake for your family. #miched
A3: The thing about meditation is that people think you aren't "doing" it if your mind isn't clear. Just like anything, it's a process! Acknowledge what comes in, pass it along. It won't stay :) #MichED
A3 I try to staying moving, with two boys under 4 that's fairly easy to do. Now getting sleep that's not so easy. We just moved to our dream house which has a great view and places to roam #miched
#miched A3- The only time I get to do this is when I do mindfulness with my lunch group of "naughty" kiddos. I want to start to do this with all the groups I pull and then it will benefit me too! Deep breathing/exercise can be found at https://t.co/BqyC69LSz2 too
A3 I try to staying moving, with two boys under 4 that's fairly easy to do. Now getting sleep that's not so easy. We just moved to our dream house which has a great view and places to roam #miched
People ask why I teach MS. Where else can I go act like I'm 13 years old and get paid for it?! ... Have to LOVE what you do and have fun doing it! #Miched
I started my first 2 yrs in MS. My 2nd year was a blast. It wasn't the kids that was my stress. My eval had things like "parent contact adequate" evne thought that had my call log of 30 calls/month! Time to move on. #miched
Great idea @jgross811 ! Have a drone pic of staff on first day and make into a puzzle. We are all a piece! Everyone has a place or the puzzle isn't complete. Love, love, love. #MichED
#miched A4- I use Voxer to connect with my circle. The staff at my school are incredible and also a group of teachers who I do State Teacher Leadership activities with who are INCREDIBLE. Keeps me sane! You have to have people to share the craziness with
A4: My former teaching/coaching partners are my confidants in all things venting. They're now distanced enough from my day to day that I can be totally honest with them and they provide outside perspective #miched
A4: YES! I don't like the adage about the staff lounge being a negative space. in ours we vent. We laugh. We ask how do we reach ______. We keep each other moving. #miched
Hah hah hah.....I actually had every intention of getting on earlier. Was spreading the word of #miched to my staff and even wore my shirt today! The snow day tweet reminded me ;) #flakytoddlermom
A5: Because we're trying desperately to catch up with all the family/home obligations that get shoved to the side during the rush of the school year! #qualitytime#miched
#miched A3. I cycle through phases. Coaching football helps socially, physically, and mentally. Having a young family adds some challenges to 4 am workouts.
A5: I think I struggle the most because I just feel so so so sad for some of my SS and I worry about them being home for 2 weeks and they worry about it too! #MichEd
A5: Know that there are seasons that are more difficult. Now that my son is an adult, I have more "me" time. But...miss those early morning practice drives and mom duties! #MichEd
I think I also hit a low on breaks b/c I really do enjoy my job. I enjoy seeing the kids. I love watching them grow up. I love getting random messages from the adults they've become. Sometimes I'm like "now what?" Not always, but sometimes. #miched
#miched A6- My adoptive brothers with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome showed me what it was like to live with struggles~ I wanted to give a chance to others like them!
#miched A2: Common sense and a positive attitude. I know that my actions are seen as caring and professional. Admin work with those are trying to make a positive impact in lives of students.
A6: Because I want to help make the the world a better place, and supporting/teaching those who will dictate its future is a good place to start! Plus, kids are awesome and energizing! #miched
A6: I tutored a student when I was on tour with UM Men's Glee Club. I still remember showing this kid a different way to factor and why it work. It was such a lightbulb moment. Wanted to do that for a living. #miched
