Happy Saturday morning! Please welcome @Sara_Utecht our guest moderator and other educators as they enter our chat to be sure they feel the #BookCampPD community spirit! Also, share your name, where you are from and what summertime fun you're having.
Ooops! I was so excited about my coffee that I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Tami. I am originally from California but have been living & teaching down in Mexico since 2009. #bookcampPD
GREATLY appreciate all of these amazing educators who have jumped in and responded to the Questions of the Day and other activities posted at #BookCampPD this initial week!
A1. In my life as moderator of this chat, twice during the past year I struggled with whether or not I wanted to place so much of my newly retired life into leading #BookCampPD Each time I questioned myself, all of you showed tremendous appreciation which motivated me further!
A1. All who have participated in #BookCampPD have glorious gifts that they share. When I have reached out, asking for help, your sparkling gifts unfold.
A1. For me this has definitely been edtech. My first year of teaching I didn’t want to use technology, it scared and overwhelmed me. However, after diving into it- I couldn’t imagine teaching without it.
I would also add Twitter to this as well!
#BookCampPD
A1: Finishing this masters degree has been a headache, especially past few weeks of setting up oral exam. But my actual oral exam--what a wonderful experience! I made such wonderful connections w/my committee! I'm excited to keep connecting w/them! #BookCampPD
A1: I thought I hadn't, but perhaps a recent unfortunate event paved the way for new things to come. I went through something awful, but I need to remind myself to capitalize on the new opportunities it yielded. #bookcamppd
A1 Struggled with Grading this year. A LOT! I see how it demoralizes some, motivates others. Trying to find middle groiund. Learned a great deal about my teaching and expectations for a better Next Year! #bookcampPD
I feel your pain, Chris! This year I changed to mastery and standards-based grading, and it was amazing. Conferences were time consuming, but emotional stress disappeared! #BookCampPD
A1: I feel like Twitter chats are often serendiptious for me. As soon as I will start to explore a new subject I will suddenly run into someone who is trying out the same concept and we can learn and grow together. I love this. #bookcamppd
A1: For me, serendipity was found in the bottom of a cup of coffee!! :) I went to refill and ended up having the most meaningful of conversations w a colleague. It was the best of gifts! #bookcamppd
Oh, this is such a great jumping off point to discovering "non-graded" classes and how they change the way Ss learn! Many of our Ts went through this in the past year or 2 & it has been awesome! #BookCampPD
A1: I struggle balancing my personal and work life...I’m glad I have a threenager who constantly reminds me the beauty in outdoors experience
#bookcamppd
A2. The 3 choices: change what we want, change our reality or stay frustrated. I created this graphic of my son walking along the Mississippi River years ago when I was facing some of life's choices. #BookCampPD
Me, too!! So true! I was so intimidated by them in the beginning, but once I relaxed a bit and kept an open mind, I always seemed to walk away with something! #bookcamppd
A2: I like giving my students a choice on their seating arrangements (Flexible Seating).
I also give students choices whenever we do projects/assignments. Constantly assigning 1 size fits all assignments are tough on the kids and boring to grade. #BookCampPD
A1) I just learned that something I am trying 2 do(in my personal life) will take an additional 14-18 months longer than I originally thought.I went 2 a dark place for a week,then came back w/contentment&excitement. It proved I am more resilient than I thought. #bookcampPD
Balance is always a struggle for me, too. I have to remind myself that there is power in the pause. And a threenager certainly helps slow down our own agenda, right!? ;) #bookcamppd
A2: Perhaps it's all about resilience. You can choose to get back up again, or you can choose to accept defeat. If you can't get up in the same place you fell, get up somewhere else. #BookCampPD
A2) Explicitly teach them how to make choices & manage their reactions. I also intentionally give Ss the freedom to make certain decisions. They need that experience. #bookcampPD
A2 When we provide choice we open opportunities and remove barriers. Students need a pathway they can see as successful or we get compliance and and substandard work rather than exploration and growth. #bookcampPD
A2. I tell Ss all the time. You make choices everyday. Some will have positive consequences & some will have negative consequences. Can you live w/the negative? #BookCampPD
A2: I used quest-based learning that allows students to move at their own pace through lessons. Also, just having choice embedded into lessons always gives students some control over their learning #BookCampPD
A1: For me, it in the hall between classes. Find your people and make time for quick chats. They celebrate my successes and pick me up on crazy days! #bookcampPD
A1) for me last year was the first year in edu, there were lots of struggles, hard work, effort that went in resulting in lots of learning and gaining more confidence (the gifts- results) #bookcamppd
A2: This year I gave my students choices while reading independently. Some preferred reading online while others rather a book.
If as adults we get to choose our books, so should our kiddos
#bookcamppd
A3. This slide from @joyce_hostyn is helpful in gaining a deeper understanding about feelings. "What's behind their actions" is something I frequently reflect on. #BookCampPD
A3: Listen to your inner voice and follow your intuition. "I can't control this." "Oh, I CAN control this." Both are valid, but only if we are honest with ourselves. #BookCampPD
A3 Some times the most difficult process is peeling the layers we know are going to make us cry. Serendipity, growth, strength, and reflection. Model it with the students. be genuine. When its done, we get to the sweet parts. #bookcampPD
A3. When seeking the origin of the graphic below about 'reflection,' using Google Image Search, I came across these FANTASTIC resources --> https://t.co/x9ShBv0aN2 by @langwitches This is one you will want to bookmark to use in the future! #BookCampPD
A:2 I constantly talk to students about choices and how they are the only ones that can control their own actions. The path you take and the outcomes you have are a direct reflection of your choices. #BookCampPD
A2: I let students choose their seats and who they work with during free work time. They choose the problems they practice and determine when they feel they have mastery. They love free work time. #bookcampPD
A3: I blog, journal and tweet. I also talk to my husband about it but I’m pretty sure he tunes me out.
There was a time a few weeks ago where I was continuously on the edge and couldn’t do anything right. Thankfully I had listening friends and my husband to help me!
#BookCampPD
Someone recently told me something aggravating, and then said, "Don't react. Just think." In the moment, it aggravated me even more, but it was the truth. #BookCampPD
A3: It’s not easy to be original and transparent. The fear of judgment sometimes gets me.
However, being who we are sets us aside. Our uniqueness (peeling the onion) and letting others see who we are is core for thrust building 💕
#bookcamppd
A3 In my class talk a lot about understanding motivations behind actions, first with book characters, then when trust is built we talk about ourselves. I try to see what my students aren’t telling/showing me #BookCampPD
A4: For me, it's a catalyst. After I wallow in self-pity, something serendipitous occurs and I'm like... "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Obviously." #BookCampPD
Allyson talks about taking one layer at a time, emotionally speaking, to analyze how our feelings do/don't contribute to our current reality. It's a way of slowly self-reflecting. #bookcamppd
A4: I try to see serendipity as a process, a journey. I work on being mindful and in the moment, and if I do that, there's far more joy than always thinking about what's next #bookcamppd
A4: You can’t technically plan serendipity, but you can certainly improve your outcomes by intentionally making the right choice. The outcomes will be better if you consistently work hard for them. #BookCampPD
You're SO RIGHT! I hadn't' thought about it like that - yes! Peeling onions often make us cry. But that's OK! It may be part of the process. #BookCampPD
A3: I do this with my gifted Ss. We conference daily about progress and where they are in terms of moving forward on skills. They often think they need to do every problem in order to master a skill. We also do Mindset Monday activity to set them up for the week. #bookcampPD
A4) I a process, but something we have to be intentional about. If we let every experience (good or bad) pass us by w/out analyzing it, we'll miss the factors involved that helped make it what it was. Then we won't always know what to replicate, or what 2 avoid. #bookcamppd
A4: You can’t technically plan serendipity, but you can certainly improve your outcomes by intentionally making the right choice. The outcomes will be better if you consistently work hard for them. #BookCampPD
A2: Choice, even a small choice empowers us and moves us in a different direction. I just finished a speech unit with my students and it was amazing to see the students who discovered they were speakers and performers. Wow! #bookcamppd
Absolutely AMAZING! Just like I knew it would be. You rocked #bookcampPD today, friend. Thanks for the thought provoking questions and for guiding the ship.
We hope, during the weeks ahead, you will make the choice to join us in sharing your thoughts daily to the Questions of the Day and items posted at the #BookCampPD hashtag. Sharing is caring!
A4 Plan, not sure. Plan FOR, YES! Be ready to have those discussion. Know the moments and be ok with the diveregent lesson. It's ok to deviate from the plan to strengthen the learning and help Grow people. Kids first, content second. #bookcampPD
MANY thanks to @Sara_Utecht for being our guest moderator this morning!! She is such an amazing leader in being the 1st to guide us during FAR - Friends and Reading on our summer professional learning path. #BookCampPD
