TED Talks that Inspired My 2017

Quiet mornings allow me to prepare for the school day. I wake up naturally and am often at school before the hallways fill. During this time, when I am most creative, I review lessons, create new assignments and activities, and grade countless essays without distraction. When I'm not grading, I love to lose myself down the rabbit hole of TED - scanning titles and subjects for my daily dose of inspiration. TED talks are fantastic examples of public speakers who are passionate about their content, willing to show vulnerability, and excited to share their life's work. While I might not be knowledgeable in the fields of medicine or astrophysics, listening and learning from these excellent presenters is inspiring. This fall, the following TED talks have brought me through some challenging moments, motivated me to overcome adversity, and reminded me that no matter what is placed before me, there is power in the words and stories we share.

We Should Aim for Perfection and Stop Fearing Failure by Jon Bowers

After listening to Jon Bowers's talk on aiming for perfection, I am reminded that while we might fall short of goals or achievements, we should never stop striving to accomplish our absolute best. Yes, we will fail. No speech, lesson, work presentation, sales pitch, etc. is without some minor flub or flaw, but through a commitment to excellence, repeated practice, and aiming for quality in each communicative experience, we can create messages and moments that leave a significant impact on our audience. Failure is a powerful step in the journey to perfection - to becoming the best at whatever we pursue. Without failure, we cannot learn and grow. This talk does a beautiful job reinforcing the value of failure and not accepting anything less than our best. Without the learning that occurs from failing, we cannot truly know success.

What Makes Life Worth Living in the Face of Dying by Lucy Kalanithi

This speech is incredibly near and dear to my heart. The beauty that is shared through this speaker's vulnerability and genuine message is incredibly powerful and moving. We all have or will experience loss, and this talk does a fantastic job of showcasing both the joys and the struggles of living. On a personal note, this year I have struggled with understanding mortality and reflecting on what makes a quality life after learning about my son's diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. While there is so much hope related to his diagnosis, and we fully expect him to live a completely normal life (with work), this is the TED Talk that I needed to cope and put his life in perspective. None of us are guaranteed anything in our journeys. Living is a hazard in itself, and our lives are fleeting. We must strive to embrace the moments given to us in spite of the struggles we are facing because each moment is a gift. Dr. Kalanithi beautifully shares her story of loss and pays tribute to a life well-lived by empowering the audience to take charge of living the best life imaginable through her message.

The Happy Secret to Better Work by John Achor

Okay, slow down John Achor. This speaker talks fast, but his passion and information are powerful. He certainly is engaging and funny, and on top of that, his message is important. He talks about changing the lens of how we view the world. Our success in the workforce is closely related to how we view stress. When we view stress as a challenge, we can rise above any adversity to ascertain greatness. So often in our schools, we know students who are overwhelmed with homework, rigorous classes, and extracurricular activities. Our students, like us, feel overwhelmed. Instead of embracing the idea that the only way to be happy is to generate a list of accomplishments, we need to teach our students to view hard work as a positive challenge. This  talk emphasizes the idea that we can train the brain to focus on optimism, which serves as a primer for hard work and achievement. In a world that so often highlights the negative, this talk is a great reminder of how we can control our reality through our outlooks and perceptions.

Success, Failure, and the Drive to Keep Creating by Elizabeth Gilbert

I love Elizabeth Gilbert's talks. She is inspiring, and this TED Talk is particularly powerful because she self-discloses her feelings on failure. She discusses her rejections and losses, and instead of simply giving up, she highlights how she persevered. I used this talk with my speech team students during camp. When we put ourselves out in front of the world, we are sure to experience some form of rejection or failure. As artists, performers, speakers, writers, and creators, are work will not always be well received or be critically acclaimed, but the reason we create and share should not be for the praise or approval of others. Our work should be about expressing ourselves, finding our voices, and sharing ideas that matter. When we can find that intrinsic motivation, the rejection that inevitably occurs at a speech tournament or in some other real-world experience does not seem so daunting. Instead, rejection creates an opportunity to try again.

Age is Nothing; Attitude is Everything by Bobbie Hickey

This young speaker is such a source of encouragement. Even though she is young, she has such a powerful perspective on how to live a memorable life. In spite of surgeries and physical impairments, she views the world as a place to embrace and overcome obstacles. She believes the world is a place to explore and live fully. Her normal is different than most, but the wisdom she has acquired reminds us all to face adversity. Determination can allow us all to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Perception and a positive attitude enable us to take on the world. Her words are a great reminder that no matter what the world tells us, it is important to remember how capable we are.

How to Gain Control of Your Free Time by Laura Vanderkam

Managing time and finding work-life balance are two topics that intrigue me. This speaker does a wonderful job of reminding us that we have a limited amount of time. We live in a culture of busy. We are encouraged to feel the stress of busyness, but busy and full are two synonyms that can change our attitude. When we say our lives are too hectic to complete a task, it is not that we are too busy. It means that whatever activity is being placed before us is not a priority. A single week is comprised of 168 hours. We can make those hours full by prioritizing what we value. We can find time to read, run, spend time with our family, etc., but we must actively choose to focus on what matters. As I attempt to teach my speech team kids, busy is an attitude that means we are not living in the moment. Whether it is studying for a test, attending a practice, or spending time with friends, we need to be present and attentive - making the most of the time we have. Our society has taught us that full schedules mean we are embracing our lives as we should, but no matter what the calendar says, we should always remember that we do have time for what we deem important - we might just need to shift our priorities or our attitudes to embrace those moments and opportunities.

These TED talks have affirmed in me the value of our fleeting moments and reminded me that I need to prioritize time with loved ones, reshift my lens and attitude, and embrace obstacles as minor bumps in the road to make my life better. As I sit quietly at this moment drinking coffee (and a diet coke because my coffee was too hot), I am so grateful for the time to reflect on 2017 and look forward to everything 2018 has in store personally, professionally, and everything that falls in between.

Certified

Less than five percent of teachers in the state of Illinois have attempted and successfully completed the National Board Certification process. This process first sparked my curiosity when I was a high school student when several of my teachers, coaches, and theatre directors had attempted to pursue this distinction simultaneously in a cohort that I often heard them discuss while at practice after school. A teacher would frantically run into the room talking about his/her portfolio, and they would lament about the challenges presented. While several of them did not complete the process, what I admired about their endeavors was that they worked together. Even though they were under stress and pressure to finish their portfolios, which at that time had nine components, they shared in that undertaking together.

Fast forward five years, and I found myself student teaching at another high school in the same district, in which several English teachers had earned their National Board Certification. While I did not fully understand the process, they likened it to a student teaching portfolio or a Master's degree experience; it was also a challenge that several of them pursued collectively. Looking at teachers who had attempted and completed this process - teachers who were accomplished, creative, passionate, and talented - made me interested in one day joining them in saying that I, too, was National Board Certified. Again, I saw mentors and teachers who I aspired to emulate take on this challenge - solidifying its value in my mind.

Over a decade has passed since my first experience with National Board as a student when an opportunity for a National Board cohort presented itself in my district. Having just finished my Masters+60, I was looking for a new challenge. While I did not need this cohort for lane advancement, a subsidy would cover the costs and a coach would be provided to guide the process. In addition, several of my colleagues were also enrolling in the program - thus making the arduous tasks ahead a little less daunting.

So I enlisted for battle, along with several of my colleagues and friends. We sat together in the basement of the district office once a month for two years, crafting our portfolios and preparing for components that were still being created by the National Board (not the best time to be pursuing this distinction). As my predecessors had done before me, we lamented, we ran into each others room, and we experienced a significant amount of stress worrying if we actually submitted all the components correctly. At the moment, it was difficult to identify exactly how this was improving my craft, but in hindsight, the National Board process encouraged me to open a dialogue with my peers about how we teach, opened me up to observing others and allowing them to observe me, and encouraged me to seek feedback on lessons and ideas. I also came out of it with a few fun lessons that involve nonprint texts.

Would I recommend pursuing National Board? My initial reaction to this question is no, not necessarily. In the thick of it all, I did not fully appreciate the purpose of the process. I found the lack of clarity in the instructions and the time it would take to receive minimal to no feedback frustrating (We submitted our components in April/May with no feedback until December). Now being out of the process and away from some of the frustrations, I realize now that this is not a process that is for the faint of heart. This is not a process for people seeking a straightforward path or guaranteed completion, and this is not a process that is always going to make the most sense while it is being completed. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. With the passage of time, comes clarity and perspective. In hindsight, I was forced to examine and gather data, analyze my students' growth, and reflect upon it. I was required to glean meaning from 20+ pages instruction manuals, which only encouraged me to open up to my colleagues and rely on their insights and perspective.

The value of this certification is not that I now hold this title; it has come from the fact that I share this title with my colleagues and friends. Would I recommend pursuing National Board with a cohort of friends now that I have completed the process and have gained perspective on its value? Yes.

...

"What's next?" my husband, who understands my struggle with stillness, asks me as we drive with our older two daughters to Brookfield Zoo to see the holiday lights. For right now, it's time to take a breath and experience the ride that is teaching, raising a family, and living to find that balance.

Pursuing Happy

Starting school after a maternity leave is certainly emotional and bittersweet. This return was more difficult than with my older daughters - because the time went too quickly, because this is my final maternity leave, and because this time, my child with CF needs me more. While the mixture of emotions I have felt this past week have been taxing, I have felt overwhelmed with joyful moments. The kindness and support of the school community has reminded me that we are in the business of people. Interspersed with mastering reading strategies and polishing writing techniques, there is a humanistic element to academia; from each other, we teach and learn how to live.

I am not ashamed to admit that I love schedules and to-do lists, and as a teacher, I do not think I am alone in finding comfort in a full calendar. Routine and the sound of a school bell bring subtle comfort. Pavlov himself proved that we could be conditioned by a bell, and upon hearing that sound, my life has returned to normalcy. While still tired from caring for an infant (and a three-year-old and a precocious two-year-old), I am re-energized by the people I interact with each day. Instead of having too much time on my hands to worry and plan for a future that may never come to pass, I am challenged to live in the moment and be present while with the students, the lessons, and yes, even the grading that require my attention now.

How does anyone return to the usual grind after an extended break - especially at the end of a semester and in the middle of the holiday frenzy? How does anyone maintain happiness while transitioning from a family-focused life to a work-life balance regime? 

When anxiously attempting to find a solution to this problem around Thanksgiving, I called upon a colleague for help. Relying on others to help provide feedback and share quality lessons that are effective and engaging can only enrich my students' experiences in my class while allowing me to maintain some semblance of sanity. 

This semester, I packed 12 weeks of work into the first eight weeks of the semester. Knowing that I would be gone motivated me to provide multiple writing experiences and opportunities to gain both formative and summative points. With an accelerated approach to the semester and a fantastic maternity leave substitute who kept the kids burning for learning, I knew I could ease up on introducing new content and instead, focus on reviewing essential writing and analysis skills. 

At the advice of my friend and colleague, Karah, my students watched The Pursuit of Happyness and focused on essential themes that will help students transition from first-semester content to the second semester I-Search Research project. The project's central focus and purpose is to challenge students to determine what will bring them happiness in the future, making exposure to this text a valuable conversation piece and resource for their future writing and research. Analyzing a digital text allowed students to forge deeper connections and analyze the characters and their experiences. After taking notes on the themes in the film, students were then tasked to create an Instagram (on Google Docs) for one of the characters, which allowed them to creatively capture the experiences and lessons within the movie. After captioning several photos and creating a digital story, students then analyzed their pictures and established how the pictures illustrated a major theme from the film.

While a little less conventional, challenging students to use multimedia texts to draw conclusions, make connections, and define key course themes are valuable and meaningful as we culminate a semester's worth of learning. Students then used argumentative writing to prove how three of their six pictures illustrate a theme from our discussion, which allowed them to practice and implement more formal writing skills. This activity not only provided an opportunity to be creative with the photos they took, but it also asked them to write and identify themes that we will continue to discuss next semester. Karah is a rock star teacher, and I'm so grateful that she talked me through and shared this idea!

Returning to this project on HAPPY has not only allowed me to focus on reconnecting to my students and ending the semester on a positive note, but it has also challenged students to apply critical skills using multimedia texts. I am so grateful for friends and colleagues who inspire and support this working mama as I transition back to my happy home away from home. Upon my return to my real home, though, it is always nice to be greeted with a hug.

Matters of the Heart

This semester, I have started several blog posts but left them unfinished. I continually abandoned my ideas over the past few months because each time I write, the content continues to stray further from the formal and academic discoveries made in the classroom to more personal matters. As educators, our lives outside of the brick walls in which we teach are often entwined with our occupation. Our academic lives come home with us and so too do our personal lives when we enter our classrooms. Teaching is, after all, a matter of the heart, and thus, we cannot help but give our hearts fully to our students and our professional-related pursuits.

This school year, I struggled to maintain a smile on my face, to keep pace with my former self, and to explore new instructional methods, concepts, and technology tools that normally consume my free periods. For the first two months of school, I was in the final weeks of pregnancy with my third child and in a significant amount of discomfort caused by his position on a vein that sent shooting pain down my right side. Often hiding in a faculty bathroom to cry during free periods, I fought to keep a smile on my face and deliver the best content to my students - all while coaching a lively team of passionate and energetic group of high school public speakers. It is not in my nature to show shortcomings or to project any sort of negativity, and so I tried to conceal my struggles. As with anything, the notion that a momentary discomfort is temporary kept me motivated and focused on teaching and giving my best to each student I encountered through the end of my pregnancy.

And I did. Teach until the end - about three hours before I gave birth. My son, Jordan, was approximately 2.5 weeks early, and while I knew I was having contractions, I was in denial that he would dare come before the end of the school day! 😊 With only one academic class left to teach, I succumbed to his eagerness to make his appearance in the world and left school, attempting to be as subtle about leaving as possible. With that, my third child was born at 3:33 PM, poetically marking his place in the world and our family.

Since his birth, life has changed. With the birth of each of my children, my disposition has calmed. Spending quality time with each of my children, making memories, and bonding has caused me to pause, embrace stillness, and breathe. With my son, the final chapter in our family of five who was born with a genetic disorder, cystic fibrosis, I strive to treasure these moments even more dearly. Amidst a house with three children age three and under, two dogs, and what some might refer to as pure chaos comes a desire to find work-life balance, to find greater meaning in each experience, and to make relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and most significantly, my students stronger. My world grew brighter with the addition of my son, and as a result, I am sure that it will be an amazing year in which I strive to maintain perspective, gain understanding, embrace positivity, and above all else, remember to just breathe.