empowerment – T.R.U.E. G.R.I.T.

The writing isn’t on the wall from the day that you were born. Your life, circumstances, privileges, hurdles, triumphant and tribulations are factors, but not the product. In my eyes, we are all born into a “role”, but the person you become is truly up to you! That role may be influenced by our family and it is likely impacted by the experiences surrounding it, but that does not become our defining role in life and we must be fully aware of that in order to take our best step forward at being ourselves. I not only believe this and live by it in my adult life, but I instill it in my students to teach them that life can be what you make of it… you must take your part and own it. T.R.U.E. G.R.I.T. is what I taught myself at young age, and continue to empower my family, friends, students, and PLN with it so that they can write their own story in life because it isn’t written on the wall.

My Person

Have you ever heard someone call you their person? Or maybe you have said it yourself. It’s that person that just gets you. Maybe they are a great listener or maybe they share a life experience that makes you feel just a bit less isolated. No matter what the situation may be, “my person” doesn’t just get thrown around with ease. As my phone rang, I listened in. A dear friend was talking about their day and how they felt they simply could not shake off a time period in their life that seemed to “reoccur as often as it wanted to”, making the situation out of their control completely. I listened. My person. They continued to feel as if their past was defining them and that it was inevitable that they would have to be attached to this situation the rest of their life. I listened. My person. Empathy, Understanding, Empowerment , ran through my mind.

Shape NOT Definition

There was a time in my life when I would look back and wanted to place blame, erase experiences, cut ties, or even run at sprint speed. Why? Because I truly felt those poor experiences defined me… what a helpless, restricted, almost imprisoned way of thinking that I had created for myself. I didn’t even realize that I walked around feeling so vulnerable… as if it was written all over me, defining me, my actions, my future.

Then there was a point where others did not see what I saw. They saw my smile, not my pain. They saw my strong will, not my defeating moments. They saw my grit, not my adversities. They saw me. Yes, that was it… my experiences had shaped me and I needed to embrace and own the person I was choosing to be because of and in-spite of my journey in life.

Only YOU Can Be YOU

I suppose in many ways we compare ourselves out of simple human nature. At times that may be in our role as a parent, child, friend, sibling, or professional. Comparison can bring awareness. It can light a fire under us. It can open a door to something that we had not considered. It can also be damaging. It can hold us back from our own purpose. It can weigh on us like judgement. It can defeat us if we allow it. In the end, only you can be you! You choose. Just remember, experiences will shape you, but never define you. Grab a marker and go write on your wall!

Domain 2: Classroom Environment, Personal Learning

The Writing ISN’T on the Wall

June 21, 2019 nankr1120

My Person

Shape NOT Definition

Only YOU Can Be YOU

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation, Domain 3: Instruction

Beyond The 5 Day Death March

March 20, 2018March 21, 2018 nankr1120

(Note to readers: this was the reality of a 3rd grade classroom… where readers go from learning to read (K-2) to reading to learn (grades 3+). From the viewpoint of one who has walked the walk and talked the talk… yes, this WAS my story, both as a teacher and a parent)

It started something like this… OK kids, lets open up to our new story (that is for those of you who have never read it before). We are about to read to self, read to someone, listen to, word work, write about, and then regurgitate all the facts after 5 repetitive days of this same story. We do this so that we can show “mastery” of all concepts that we didn’t have to use, let alone master, because we have now memorized the entire story. (all in one breath, ha!)

Monday-Friday… left, left, left, right, left…

The weekly reading story that was pulled from the Anthology… the one attempting to serve all students of all abilities and passions, as the one and only focus for reading. This went on for the duration of 5 solid days for years and years and years.

AKA… The 5 Day Death March!

Then I would say… Did I mention that there will only be 5 questions on your assessment. They will be super similar to what we have reviewed and discussed in length over the last 5 days. Let’s not forget the 8 vocabulary words that you may already know, but I still need to see if you can pick out the definition from 4 options. No worries… I won’t ask you to put them into context. Just memorize the meaning and you will be fine (DOK 1).

Oh, then I’m going to give you a cold read to show that you now know how to use all the skills that you didn’t need to master in order to memorize the story. I know you practiced them on a worksheet and excelled, but I have to say that I am a little concerned you can’t carry that over into other work.

Drum roll please… Take home the GRADE!

Scenario 1: “Let’s put that A on the fridge”, says that proud parent that does not realize their child put forth no more than DOK 1 to earn the grade that they put so much worth on… ugh! (false sense of confidence for child, parent, and teacher)

Scenario 2: “Oh no, what happened on this test?”, says the student, parent and teacher who sees the GRADE. How did you get an A on one reading test after reading it for 5 DAYS and yet you cannot do well on these weekly cold reads! (confidence plummets for child and now ____________ fill in a response)

Scenario 3: Oh, another “A”… I need to talk to your teacher to see if you can be challenged a bit more.

Scenario 4: “Did you just fail that test after we to read to self, read to someone, listened to, word worked, wrote about, and so much more? What do you mean you don’t like that story? It’s not your kind of genre? You were bored and checked out?”, says the teacher continuing to teach the 5 Day Death March!

Join Me… Push On! Be the Million Dollar Decision for every child! To know better is to do better… right?

I am a BELIEVER that all children should learn the skills to read and comprehend all text placed in front of them.

Focus in on student need with:

I am a BELIEVER in possibilities… the kind that can relate to all scenarios listed above!

So let’s switch up the scenario! Let’s level up the learning for all students. I know it can happen with a simple shift. Why isolate reading to an Anthology? Consider mixing together your resources. Blend together Science, Social Studies, and Math with reading skills through Project Based Learning (PBL) PBL shines the light on:

Let students march to their own beat. One day full of passion far surpasses 5 days of…

left, left, left, right left.

Domain 2: Classroom Environment

Guaranteed Impact: make it POSITIVE!

December 23, 2017June 21, 2019 nankr1120

When a child walks into your life, what thoughts race through your head? Are they thoughts of…

excitement? Excitement for the opportunity to have someone’s precious child in your life. A chance to make a difference. A gift of time to impact their life… to open doors and encourage them to walk through!

wonder? Wonder of who they are under that smile… frown… or look of fear. Wonder of how you will connect and build a relationship that will set sail the journey of learning together.

worry? Worried that you may not be able to connect. Worry that they may be the most challenging student you have had to date. Worried that their own life may hold them back from trusting you. Worry that you don’t have enough time in a day to make a difference.

judgement? Judgement of who they are…

When you walk into a child’s life, are their thoughts the same? Are you setting the stage for a relationship with EVERY child…

Do you make school exciting? Do you give them a reason to be there?

Do you create a connection to every child or do they wonder why they don’t fit in your world like others do?

Do you foster a caring environment? One that eliminates worry from their life… possibly the only stretch of time in their day to let their shoulders down.

Do your students feel judged? Or do you give every child a “Planet Fitness: Judgement Free Zone”?

This Christmas I received a very special gift from a very quiet and reserved child. A child that walked into my room withdrawn, with limited social interaction, lack of engagement, and little interest in school. None of this due to home life… as a matter of fact he comes from a beautiful loving family that builds him up and sets him off each day to conquer the world trusting that his teacher will bring out his best.

This precious child handed me a special gift. Then he did something that caught me off guard… he insisted on opening it for me, which warmed my heart to the core because he was so invested in the moment. He unwrapped a snow globe that took my breath away. It had a 3 dimensional silver snowflake with the words WISH*LOVE*HOPE that sparkled while music played and snow floated effortlessly within the globe. He said, “Oh Mrs. Nan, I know the snow globe is nice, but look what it says to you.” To which I looked at the inscription that read:

“Students may forget what you said, but never how you made them feel.”

Tears of joy streamed down my face. Not the first time my students have seen my emotions. Why? Because they impact my life!

Over the months we connected. We found his passion of art and embedded it into his learning through sketch-noting (THANK YOU Carrie Baughcum @HeckAwesome in my EDUAwesome @Twitter PLF) This child is now engaged. He is building relationships stemming from the one that we created together. He is happy to be in school and moving his bright mind forward with each given day. He is a #LeadLearner with Sketchnoting, #MakeyMakey and #Osmo in class. He has found relevance in learning and a purpose for being a part of a learning community. He is empowered!

I start my Christmas vacation with heart full… of love and joy for I know that I have lived by my own advice…

You WILL have impact on EVERY child… it is up to you whether it is POSITIVE or negative!

So with that I leave us with my favorite George Couros quote from one of my favorite books, Innovator’s Mindset:

Merry Christmas! May your holiday be as bright and beautiful as YOU!

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation, Domain 3: Instruction

less us… MORE THEM!

December 5, 2017December 31, 2017 nankr1120

Hot Topic!

Education Reimagined!

Small Shifts!

Questions/Comments are circling like a shark around its prey. How have students learned up to this point… before the “new wave” in education? You know, the new wave of student centered learning. Are teachers not important anymore? What is the role of the teacher now? What will happen next… students won’t even need a book? (well, let’s talk about that another time with Matt Miller)

Maybe the question to get you thinking right now should be…

Who wants to wake up every day knowing that the place you are going to is about to talk your ear off for 7+ hours expecting you to absorb, process, and regurgitate that knowledge to show competency? Oh and by the way, look like your having fun AND stay out of trouble!

Better yet, do you want a cap on your learning? Do you want to be directly instructed without any choice? Instruction based solely on age and grade?

Ummm, not me! I honestly sit baffled by the practice of teaching at times. Do you think that direct instruction is the key to success? If I tried to learn how to tie my shoes through lecture, I would no doubt fail and fall (over my shoelaces)! Give me a shoe! Let me use MY shoe! Show me the laces and create a sense of curiosity and understanding that becomes purposeful and relevant to the task. Then I may be able to apply myself differently. Direct instruction leaves a learner feeling:

bored
small
stagnant
data defined
frustrated
misunderstood
isolated- like their answer most likely is not the ONE that you are looking for
invisible

Or would you like your learning to factor in your ability? your needs? your passions?

So let’s shift our mindsets to student centered. Let’s leave our learners feeling:

empowered
relevant
purposeful
supported
wondrous
connected
open-minded
competent

Today’s session on “Education Reimagined” ( Randy Ziegenfuss and Lynn Fuini-Hetten #SASInstitute2017), left me feeling more empowered and energized. Acknowledging that competency is not capped off by a grade level. Empowering learners to grow beyond their mastered skills. Isn’t that what you want from a day of professional development… a day of learning! This was relevant to my classroom. This serves a purpose to my students so that when I return to the classroom I can continue to connect learning and interests, fighting the fight for growth in every child… facilitating the learning of all students! Learning has 27 different definitions for my class this year… empowering 27 students to find their passion and light the world on fire becomes my purpose each day.

My go to “take-away” for quick implementation of this approach is:

… inquiry-based learning that generates this shift. One that spawns curiosity. One that requires critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication, and the reward of relevance! One that requires the focus on students and not the teacher!

An excellent way to shift the center of teaching is through Project-Based Learning. It is an in-depth investigation of a real world topic. It is tailored to each student’s passion, which in turn fuels their learning. It is then driven home through the creation of a student chosen project that will then be shown to their chosen authentic audience. The voice and choice embedded in this alone is the creator of small shifts.

less is more

less teacher centered

more student centered

small shifts for the greater good

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation, Domain 3: Instruction, Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

Creating Change Agents

November 28, 2017December 31, 2017 nankr1120

Most often people choose teaching as a profession because they want to create change… change for the better! Some will even tell you that their own experience was so negative they felt compelled to become “the change” that children need in the classroom.

Do you feel our children deserve more… do they need more? If so the question is… are we delivering instruction in a way that will create this opportunity?

I often wonder why so many graduates are cramming for interviews. Literally, I have witnessed interviewees grab hold of books such as Innovator’s Mindset (George Couros), Teach Like A Pirate (Dave Burgess) and STEAMMakers (Jacie Maslyk) right before interviews in order to gain the edge on hiring.

Why are they cramming?

Do you feel our future teachers continue to prepare the same way as teachers did 5… 10… even 50+ years ago? Are we helping to create change or are we still teaching and learning in a way that is no longer relevant in today’s society?

If we are given the opportunity to create change in education why wait until teachers are graduated and in the trenches to fire them up with incredible learning opportunities?

Let’s look at what current educators are doing to move the world of education forward and in turn pass this practice down to our future educators.

Let’s connect with future teachers.

Let’s make change.

Dave and Shelley Burgess of Dave Burgess Consulting Inc. have gifted education with a platform that works as a springboard for innovative teaching. Are these revolutionary resources accessible to every college student preparing to be a teacher?

If not, we must ask ourselves a very important question… Why are we preparing our future with the same mindset we are trying to alter?

Are we creating experiences for our students? Are we still using the traditional checklist that no longer reflects the future of our students or better yet the future of the work force!?

What is guiding our future teaching practices?

In my opinion, you cannot advance a student’s depth of knowledge with a five day death march of a story that was taken from the required/chosen anthology.

Has anyone asked their students? Do students really want to read the same story over and over for mastery? Mastery of what? Who needs skill when you can memorize the central idea of a story by reading and rereading day after day?

Don’t get me wrong, we are all in tune with Bloom’s Taxonomy and how to embed higher level thinking into the traditional way of learning, but that is simply not good enough anymore! Our children deserve more… they need more and we must deliver our instruction differently to serve them the best possible way. Our children need to be engaged in their learning where by they are empowered to move their education forward by choice and not through compliance.

It is not a free for all… there is accountability for all of us. There is definitely a place and purpose for philosophy, domains, and pedagogy. But who ever said that it had to come from the same mindset and discipline that was used all those years ago. We must have accountability to change with the times! As George Couros of Innovator’s Mindset so eloquently states,

“Change is an opportunity to do something AMAZING!”

Over the last two school years, I have had the privilege of being a virtual cooperating teacher for future educators of Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Education majors are required to take a technology course their freshman year. One of the professors is Dr. Sam Fecich and she is a change agent! She is connecting our future teachers to classrooms while instilling skills for both the future leaders in education as well as the current classroom teacher. Her students are building their PLN (Professional Learning Network) on twitter and engaging in meaningful learning with a variety of resources including books posted above. Dr. Sam, along with the education department of GCC, is making change in current practice… investing in our future!

If we really want to educate future teachers to be AMAZING CHANGE AGENTS we need to communicate at all levels. Colleges, universities, public and private school systems, along with the community and work force… we must sit down at the same table and break bread together. We need to share in the same meal, prepared by the same hands, and with immense compassion and understanding have the conversation that WE share in the responsibility to MAKE CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!

Why?

Because…

When you know better, you do better!

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation, Domain 3: Instruction

Student Voice Shines with Project Based Learning: Igniting Empowerment and Instilling Empathy

November 18, 2017December 31, 2017 nankr1120

Increasing student empowerment and engagement is wrapped up and delivered in “Life Changing Lessons“. The gift of Project Based Learning (PBL) is one of intense impact… the kind that continues to give, as if you are unwrapping it for the first time throughout the entire journey. It creates a student driven environment that is begging for more… more opportunity… more hours in a school day.

Project Based Learning is a connection beyond your four walls… a chance to open up the windows, blow off the door to learning, and ignite global impact with student empowerment!

I recently posted “A Walk In My Shoes” (One Ah Ha Moment within the Voice PBL) on twitter and have received countless DM’s asking how to get this VOICE PBL started. So this one is for YOU!

The Voice PBL that I teach is one of great magnitude. It covers concepts from every subject in a depth and understanding far beyond a worksheet. This is a way to take Common Core Skills/Standards and light a fire under learning! Before the Driving Question is even asked, I hook them in like a pirate …

It starts with the universal language… MUSIC!

Students are given a choice to write/draw/sketch their interpretation on a variety of music shaped cutouts or use of poster paper to sketchnote

Allow students the freedom to personal space in the room… on floor if desired
Quiet space… lights out… reflection time!
Copy and paste each URL into google for each song
I do not show videos. This is auditory only!

This is a quiet journey that typically lights up quickly because the students (UM… and ME) cannot contain ourselves… we end up singing and dancing… moving to the beat of our own hearts!

First up:

Man in the Mirror-From A Joyful Noise (It’s shorter than Michael Jackson’s version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9paJyh8t_sE

This is a WOWZER! Students stop in their own tracks when they realize that looking in a mirror can give them so many answers… so much POWER! (C-H-I-L-L-S)

Count on Me- Bruno Mars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc6T9iY9SOU

Every student responds to this song thinking of a time they needed someone or were there for someone. This is the moment most of them start putting the pieces of their voice together.

Firework Kidz Bop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2s-9Kyumgo

Thank you Katy Perry! What happens when you don’t light a firework? That’s right, NOTHING! Let that speak to each of us… we must light learning up if we want to see what is inside! Fireworks splatter their drawings with thoughts and ideas coming from within!

Fight Song Rachel Platten https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8qDOGLCSFo

Drop the Mic… this song allows every student and every teacher to connect! This is the song that opens up their little world to you. Are they struggling? academically? behaviorally? socially? Is there worry on their mind? Are they scared of something? Do they lack self-esteem? Are they the “little girl with the crooked pigtails?” (Getting R.E.A.L. with Tara Martin)

I actually play 7-10 different songs and it is never enough, but the song pick changes from year to year because my students change and I need to make sure that my choices will resonate with each of them.

So about that Driving Question…

DQ: Why Might Having A Voice Matter?

Empowerment/Empathy/Citizenship/Government/Family/Bullying/Debate

Where do we go from here?

Students pick a song and add creative movement to the lyrics. They now understand that they can express themselves in many ways. This is one more life changing moment for them.

This is a video of my amazing students from last year interpreting “The Fight Song”. (My current class in interpreting “The Man In the Mirror” which they will definitely post on YouTube soon!)

Is this “just a free for all” Ahhhh… NO! This is a creative way to connect an incredible amount of skill in a unique way to impact all students. Skills are endless!

ELA:

Books from Dr. Seuss’s My Many Colored Days to The Invisible Boy by Trudy Luwig
- This is where “Walk In My Shoes” was created. This very lesson is a blog in itself… soon!
Choosing a book that shows your voice in a way you haven’t been able to… we end up reading 30+ books in a 4 week time period!
Use song lyrics to discuss parts of speech (highlight nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.)

Math:

Creating Conjectures and Arguments
Collaborating and critically thinking to solve a problem
Writing and reasoning

History:

Choosing a person of impact such as Rosa Parks, Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King Jr., President Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, and so many more.

Government:

Voting
Being a Good Citizen
Debate

Let’s not forget that doors are blown off to this process! Students learn (to):

blog
code
design
create
paint
draw
dance
sing
poetry
build
invent
4Cs

This list is endless because students CHOOSE their own project that in turn answers the Driving Question. They also choose their Authentic Audience to which they powerhouse to impress! My former students created this video showcasing ALL of their voices and then chose YouTube as their “Authentic Audience”.

I can’t wait to see what this year’s students choose!

While leading my book chat on “Teach Like A Pirate” by Dave Burgess, I posted this reflection for my fellow colleagues to ponder:

Untitled presentation — Teach Like A Pirate Book Chat #tlap

If there were a “Life Changing Lesson” that “I could sell tickets for” I believe this is the one! I hope that this was what YOU needed to get started…

Go light them up and find out what’s inside! #VOICE and #CHOICE

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation, Domain 3: Instruction

Don’t Agree With Me! it stunts my growth

November 10, 2017December 31, 2017 nankr1120

My growth mindset is perpetually developing to the point that it becomes a relentless voice in my head. I find myself rereading books and blogs, buying more books, listening intently to keynotes and conversations, and connecting with others outside my experience. Still, I sit wondering about the unknown. The unknown that creates an excitement of learning something new!

The excitement is what intrigues me about

others,

teaching,

students,

LIFE!

A growth mindset requires thinking beyond isolation. Collaborating is essential… if done correctly. It is not a matter of grouping a handful of people together and assuming there is balance. It takes action. Action on the part of those facilitating and those collaborating. Empowering the collaborators to bring their game… contribute, listen, question, and create.

col·lab·o·ra·tion
[kəˌlabəˈrāSH(ə)n]

NOUN
the action of working with someone to produce or create something:

So when others agree with me, I cringe. Not so much if it is a give and take conversation, but more so when I throw an idea out and it is jumped on without hesitation. Taken and run with as if there is no room to grow.

It is simply a thought… an idea… a lightbulb moment! It is one raindrop in a very big puddle. One small fish and in a very big sea. One crayon in the Ultimate 152 Pack! So why are we just going with it? Let’s create a rainbow of colors. Let’s create a collage of ideas!

This is where my frustration gets the best of me. Where I shut down and don’t want to give. Not because I am the educational hoarder that must sign my name to every idea so that others give me credit, or worse yet don’t get to use at all (Not that I have ever been around that type… sigh). Oh no, I am the giver of ideas. I want to make things happen together. I want others to toss their idea into the ring, grab my hand, and take me along for the ride! I want to create life changing experiences together!

As Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like A Pirate, would say,

“I want to bring it!”

I am an idea generator. My mind accumulates ideas faster than I can write them down. I am not the best refiner by nature. Execution of plans becomes a hot mess of moments that fall apart if I don’t stay on top of my game. I NEED OTHERS! I need balance and I NEED GROWTH!

Bottom line is…

Our classrooms are no different. We need to remember that we have all types of learners and they all need to grow. There are the idea generators, the makers and creators, the refiners, and the executors. Collaborating is at the forefront because it creates a better overall learner. Collaboration isn’t about one type of learner tossing an idea into the ring and the group takes off without feedback, discussion, and questioning. Students would have little success being wrapped up in an isolated idea that simply needs more!

I am a student.

We are all students.

We need one another to grow!

Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

#IMMOOC Week 5+: When You Know Better… You Do Better

October 28, 2017December 31, 2017 nankr1120

When you know better, do you actually do better? Or do you tell yourself that somehow, some way you have been given this gift that supersedes all knowledge and experience of others in your path? Who is it that you imagine will show you a better way? Is that person older, wiser with age or experience? Are they new to the scene? Do you have an image of better in your mind whereby all others are unable to get in?

Do you allow all creators of “better” into your world?

Do you let others break you down?

Better yet, are you willing to break yourself down in order to build a better you? To repair with gold or silver knowledge and experience.

I look back at the last year of my life and I sit in awe! The people that have come into my life are absolutely remarkable! Let me rephrase… the people I opened my life up to are remarkable! Professionally, I have connected with over 700 other educators through twitter alone. But let’s get real, they weren’t knocking down my door… I was pounding on theirs! I wanted more! I wanted better! I needed them in order to find the better me!

I have read over 10 books affiliated with education in one year. May not seem like a lot to an avid reader, but for me, 10 books is like producing, filming and starring in my own movie! It takes time!

That wasn’t enough though… I have built an in-house PD platform for colleagues to borrow books from me. I am leading my first book study on #tlap in 10 short days for my district. This study will once again connect me with educators to help create the gold glue of knowledge that fills my better person.

I took the leap from lurker to full fledge #IMMOOC member with leading educator in innovation and author of Innovator’s Mindset George Couros! I have read, reread, chatted, tweeted, blogged, and found myself in passionate conversations about this life-changing experience. I have colleagues that have turned into friends… ones that have pushed me to push myself.

“Get R.E.A.L. … tell your Kristen Nan story!”, said Tara Martin

This gave me the desire to look for conferences that could connect me to my #IMMOOC #tlap family. Which takes me to the most incredible, powerful, unforgettable, “better me” transformation I could have asked for… yes, my last 2 unforgettable days with New York’s Time’s best-selling author of Teach Like A Pirate, DAVE BURGESS!

Let me tell you about this POWERFUL experience…

in my next blog! #hooks

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation, Domain 2: Classroom Environment, Domain 3: Instruction

Um, Are We Dancing to the Same Music?

October 22, 2017December 31, 2017 nankr1120

Did you ever start dancing and before you knew it you were stepping on toes? Or yours were being stepped on. Just watch a room full of kids dance… are they really dancing to the same song? One is rapping, one is flailing about, another looks like they are doing a new twist to the tango, while someone else is flying solo… sitting in a corner just moving his head up and down. But wait… isn’t this what it’s all about? So why is everyone shooting the look of… um, are we dancing to the same music?

EMBRACING DIFFERENCES-EMPOWERING THE SOUL

Growing up, I was different in many ways. I was a ball of energy in a room full of compliance. I saw magenta when everyone else was talking about red. My questions and ideas were racking up in my head faster then I could keep track of them. I was the kid that failed the history class when the only thing I had to do was stay awake to maintain the A that was gifted to me. The kid who put a new spin on a project that didn’t match the teacher’s vision.

Not to mention my RED hair… which was not my favorite attribute at all. I was a kid that just wanted to fit in. How do you do that when you are so different? My differences outweighed my similarities. Why was this so scary for me… for everyone? I was the 80’s kid with a different last name when divorce was still taboo. I was the kid that picked out school clothes in July so that my parents could lay them away at Hill’s Department Store and hope (work hard enough) to pay them off by Labor Day. Most often they no longer fit and the outfit I looked forward to was no longer available. My family tried. My family was different.

My family danced to the same music as everyone else so why did it feel like my toes were always stepped on?

Does anyone hear me? Do I have a voice?

Maybe I was the rebel searching for the next cause.

If you won’t listen, maybe I need to show you. That I did!

You said zig, I tried out the zag.

You said I could only do one, I tried 10.

You said I can’t and I proved I can!

You showed me a statistic and I created new data!

I love interpreting music. Understanding my students. My favorite opportunity to do that is with Project Based Learning. Playing songs and allowing my students to let it reach down in their soul… to write what they feel it means to them. Not their friend. Not their family. I want to know them! Do they see magenta?

With passion projects I feel their voice is heard. I feel I create an atmosphere of respect and trust. We each have a different story so why is it that 8 hours a day we must “act” like we come from the same mold? Our students must trust us in order to gift that to others. Is our teaching meant for the moment or for a lifetime? I choose lifetime.

My journey is real. Never easy. Created by other hands, along with my own. I am a dreamer. A believer in all good. I am a fighter. Um, and yes, I am dancing to the same music… just my own beat!

Are you a fighter? How do you interpret the lyrics to this incredible song?

Rachel Platten-Fight Song

The Ingenious Lab interpretation #voiceandchoice