Things a Good Mentor Does (30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 6)

What are some things that a good mentor does?

   by  AlisonQuine 

(Photo Credit)

I have been lucky to have several strong mentors during my life.   A mentor back in college encouraged me to run a half marathon (without my knowing I was doing it), by taking me on a well-planned jog, with water bottles placed along the way.  More recently, a mentor has encouraged me to "share my work" with others, suggesting that to do otherwise is a waste of talent and resources.

A good mentor helps you to become your best self by complimenting the areas where you shine and highlighting the areas where you are holding yourself back.  They don't offer unjustified praise, and they may ask some hard questions, but they are often reflective people who encourage you to be your most authentic and best self.

A good mentor shares their ideas and encourages you to do the same.  They encourage you to show your work, even when you think that it's not quite good enough to share with the world.  They encourage you to take risks and to step outside of your comfort zone.  Recently, a mentor encouraged me to teach a workshop about copyright for other educators.  I haven't done it yet, but I'm seriously considering it.

Good mentors listen well and ask open and honest questions.  They tell stories about their successes and their failures.  Informative tales of failure and uncomfortable struggle are not stories that just anyone will share, so having a mentor open up about the difficult times as well as the good times is incredibly valuable, humanizing, and rare.  If you've found one of these people, do your best to keep them in your life.

A good mentor is real.  They laugh and cry freely.  They aren't trying to show off or show you up.  They are happy to see you succeed, and they are not threatened by your successes.  They seem to have enough time to share with a large circle of people, even though they are usually quite busy.

A good mentor has a great deal of life experience.  They are not one-trick-ponies, but people who have had varied experiences to draw upon, making them experts at giving advice if you ask for it.

Classroom Comfort? (30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 5)

Today's prompt is to post a picture of my classroom and to reflect upon what I see and what I'd like to see.

Since I do not currently have my own classroom to reflect upon, I would like to reflect upon some random thoughts and observations that I've had about classrooms in general.

On Friday of last week, I subbed at a local high school.  The room was set up in several straight rows, and there was a roll of tattered maps bolted above a chalk board.  The temperature in the room was in the upper eighties for most of the day, even though four fans were intermittently blowing papers off of student desks.

   by  ~Twon~ 

At one point during the day, I had to project my voice over the rumbling engine of a riding lawn mower. Although I was doing my best to remain energetic, I was consciously aware of the sweat beading up on my nose, and I felt terrible for the students who were sticking to their hard, plastic seats.

I wish that classrooms were more comfortable for students and teachers.  I know that air conditioning is expensive and not environmentally friendly, but it is difficult to learn when one is uncomfortable.

I have also been thinking about the fact that for some students, it's difficult to find any solitude or silence during the school day.  Over the years, I have learned that a little bit of silence and stillness each day is vital for my mental well-being, and would probably benefit students as well.

The challenge of doing ones best learning in an environment that is noisy, crowded, and often stifling is one that I hope can be overcome by more flexible modes of instruction.  Online courses, community based learning, and personalized learning beyond classroom walls is looking more and more enticing to me.

What I Love Most About Teaching (30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 4)

   by  denise carbonell 

The prompt for day four is to reflect upon what I love most about teaching.  Since I have spent a great deal of time reflecting upon this question, over the past three years in particular, I appreciate this opportunity.

While working at Browns River Middle School last year, I found a home.   The drive in each morning was beautiful; the building is flanked by Camel's Hump and an abundance of open space and lush woods.  The students and the faculty are warm and welcoming.  Each day spent there was different from the one that proceeded it, yet each one was filled with meaning.  The relationships that I forged with my students were incredibly strong, and I felt like a valued part of something bigger.

In a nutshell, the thing that I love most about teaching is feeling like I'm making a difference.  It means a lot when a student expresses excitement about some new way of thinking that they might not have previously experienced.  It means a great deal when a student who is having a bad day can be made to smile through the exchange of a few kind words of encouragement.

Teaching can be difficult, because human beings have complex needs and desires.  We all desperately want to connect with other people and to be seen for who we truly are.  The best teachers that I have ever had were very good at taking the time to get to know me as a person and making an effort to reach me on a personal level.  It was that gesture of kindness that allowed me to take risks and try harder than I otherwise might have.   As a teacher, I recognize that I also wield this incredible power to impact lives.  That is a huge responsibility, but it is also a gift.

Teaching becomes most meaningful through the creation of relationships with other people, and that is what I love most about teaching.

Focus for Future Observations (30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 3)

   by  Fred Seibert 

The third prompt asked me to reflect upon an area where I would like to improve upon in future teacher observations.  While I am consciously aware of the fact that there are always areas for improvement in my teaching, I believe that the area that I'd most like to focus upon is feeling more comfortable while having formal observations done. Although most people would characterize me as an energetic speaker, I sometimes suffer from stage fright.

I routinely create engaging lessons for students, and I expend a great deal of effort building relationships with students.  Nonetheless, I still feel intensely nervous during observations and interviews.  I wish that I could switch off the part of my brain that sends the fight or flight message that high-stakes situations signal for me. It's not that I don't value constructive criticism, because I have learned a great deal from the open and honest feedback that I've received from mentors seeking to help me improve my practice.  I just feel more aware of my shortcomings whenever I'm trying my best to perform for a live audience that is different from the one that I might normally perform for.  This RSA short on the "Power of Introverts" speaks to the issue I've addressed.

I'm not exactly sure how to go about making the mental shift, though.   Also, I wonder whether other teachers feel the same way I do, or if I am truly in the minority.

Update:  Susan Cain, the author of Quiet, shared this link on FaceBook.  It seems to offer some good advice for people like me.

New Technology: Lily Pad Arduino (30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 2)

Yesterday's prompt was to reflect upon a new piece of technology that I want to try and to explain how I might use it.  Although this post is a day late, I spent the afternoon teaching myself how to program a musical composition, using my LilyPad Arduino.

This summer, when I started playing around with an Arduino Uno, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoy the LilyPad Arduino. Perhaps it's because I like the idea that I can sew the components into art projects!  I'd like to learn more about programming with the LilyPad, because I want to integrate blinking lights into art projects that I'm working on.  I'd like to learn how to easily move between my Arduino Uno and my LilyPad Arduino to solve problems and increase my understanding of how to write my own code.

Today, I sat down with the book, Sew Electric, and I used it to get started on programming music. As was suggested by the book, I created variables for my music notes, because they were easier to work with than the numbers assigned to different frequencies.  Since I didn't want to be limited by the frequencies printed in the book, I found a lovely cheat sheet of Arduino frequencies and their corresponding notes online that helped make this easier.

Then,  I played around with the tones to compose my version of Sarah McLaughlin's song, "Ice Cream," which reminds me of my daughter.

Although this is not a visually engrossing video, you can hear the song if you want to.   In the near future, I will try to revise my code to match blinking lights with the song.

Goals for the Year (30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 1)

   by  Sweet Dreamz Design 

Even though I am not working under a contract right now (I worked under a one-year contract last year), and I don't currently have my own classroom, I have decided to embrace the 30-Day Blogging Challenge for Teachers.  Although I was hesitant at first, feeling a bit like an outsider without a school to call my own, I want and need to feel connected to other educators.

Furthermore, I remain passionate about teaching and hopeful that a position matching my qualifications will open up in the near future. So, while I continue subbing and working on my Educational Technology Endorsement, away from the frenetic pace that most of my friends are currently operating within, I think that it's fitting that I make the most of this gift of time by taking on this blogging challenge.

The prompt for September 1,  2014 asks that I write my goals for the school year, inviting me to be as specific or abstract as I want to be,

My Goals for This Year (I need to articulate my action steps).

1.  Take steps outside of my comfort zone to increase my confidence in presenting to large groups of colleagues and other adults.  I get very nervous when all eyes are on me.  One way that I may tackle this is by organizing and teaching a workshop for educators about copyright and Creative Commons.  Update:  I did it!

2.  Learn how to program my LilyPad Arduino in order to integrate programmed LEDs into my art projects. One way I plan to address this is by taking a workshop on Arduino at Vermont Fest 2014.  Update:  I did it!

3.  Become a Google Certified Educator.  Without distraction or procrastination, I need to commit to a few days of review and just do it.  Update:  I did it!

4.  Learn more about IVECA, perhaps by participating in a training session.

5.  Find ways to remain connected to other educators.  I plan to do this by participating in Twitter chats and volunteering at the Generator, in Burlington.

Code Camp

Yesterday at Code Camp, we learned how to create 3D spheres and boxes.  Using Processing2, we learned how to translate, rotate, and change the scale of our grid!

Here is what I created!

Today, we had time to build upon what we've been learning.  I feel like I am finally get the hang out this.

We also learned how to use Processing2 to create our our Andy Warhol inspired photograph!