Being the Match

I am happy to report that Jordan is exiting his grumpy phase. For the past two months, Mr. Jordan has mean-mugged or given the stink eye to anyone who approaches him that isn't one of his grandmothers (or his grandmother's twin sister). Developmentally, separation anxiety hit him harder than it ever hit the girls. Thankfully, the "Stink Man" has started to smile again just in time for another CF appointment. The phrase "so salty" will once again refer to his sweat and not the dramatic expression on his face.

Recently, I was asked how Jordan's diagnosis has impacted my perspective on life. Reflecting upon a year ago, when I felt greatly lost and apprehensive of what might be in store for my son and family, I can say that increased knowledge about his disease has aided me in empowering my family. Permitting myself to grieve the loss of the life I initially imagined for Jordan has also allowed me to gain insight into how precious and fleeting life is, which has made this past year joyful in ways that I could not have ever expected. Of course, I am not grateful for Jordan's disease, nor will I ever entirely be at peace with the genetic cards dealt to him, but I am working to make meaning of this situation and enrich the lives of my children and those around me every day as a result.

As an educator, my instinct is to seek answers to questions through extensive research and reading. Scouring the CF Foundation's website for information on trials and promising new drugs being released continues to provide me with hope and comfort. Listening to podcasts about health during the holiday season and how to keep germs away has heightened my awareness of how to bolster immunity and protect Jordan from colds and other common illnesses that might damage his lungs and overall health. Connecting to the CF community through social media posts and reading the stories of young adults who thrive in spite of the many challenges that CF has placed before them brings me tremendous comfort as a mother. Jordan will grow, love, and contribute to this world in amazing ways.

I know that in spite of the truly horrible illnesses and struggles that Jordan may face, he will have a much larger family of people behind him who can empathize with him, encourage him, and love him... from five feet away (check the CF Movie's trailer). CF people are encouraged to avoid contact with other CF patients because of the highly contagious nature of the bacteria that grow in their lungs. Even though they should not physically touch each other,  the ways in which I have witnessed people with CF touch the hearts of other people with and without CF is inspiring and incredibly encouraging. We are blessed with this community of people who are so willing to love, listening, and support - all further reminders of how important these attributes are to convey and share with anyone who crosses our paths.

In my quest to understand his disease further, I came across a bone marrow donor website. While bone marrow has nothing to do with CF or treating Jordan's disease, I continued to read. Initially under the impression that this process required a substantial recovery period and invasive surgery, I was surprised at how relatively simple the procedure is, albeit the procedure is alleged to be painful. After thoroughly reading about the process and the Be the Match organization, I have officially submitted my DNA to be part of the bank of donors to give my bone marrow should I match with a person in need of this life-saving procedure. While I cannot save my son from his genetic fate, perhaps I can help to save someone's son or loved one who suffers from numerous blood diseases and various types of cancer. We are all called to serve our fellow humans. For me, serving in this capacity brings me a sense of renewed hope that medical advances can improve the quality of life for many people. While the diseases may be different, someday I may walk in similar shoes of a parent whose child might be struggling and need a life-saving treatment. Momentary pain of donating bone marrow in this instance can bring a lifetime of happiness for another family, and for me, that brings comfort.

Each day I continue to believe more deeply that everything does not happen for a reason. There is no reason for suffering; tragedies lack logic. However, we choose to learn and grow from what is placed before us. Without obstacles to overcome, we might never fully feel the true depth of love or understand the solace that can be found in sacrifice and serve. I continue to actively choose to create meaning in the life that has been given to me and will continue to challenge my children to do the same. Through our actions, we can choose to be part of a positive change in the world around us, and while each day will not be without pain, our attitudes and strength that we will draw from each other will make it the best day possible. We will live happily, and we will seek ways to serve those who walk alongside us. And for that, the days granted to us will be full.

Leaving a Legacy: Speaking on Special Occasion

With only three weeks left in the first semester, I find myself reflecting on what was learned. In disbelief that the calendar has so quickly turned, I want to make the most of the precious few weeks that we have left. Teaching seniors is a very rewarding experience because I have the opportunity to bear witness to the major life changes and choices they make during this season of their lives. With so much excitement and hope for the future, I strive to create memories and moments that will help them find their voices and purpose in life. As they question what is in store for them, I hope to anchor them to the lessons learned in their past, challenge them to define their beliefs, and find the passions that will guide them to their futures.

During the final unit of the semester entitled "Legacy," we explore special occasion speeches. The culmination of the unit involves students choosing an occasion, either present or future for which to give a speech. Often, students elect to deliver tribute speeches to honor coaches, teachers, and family members who have helped them reach their senior year of high school. Some students choose to craft wedding toasts and eulogize their classmates, who inevitably have reached some untimely and fictitious demise. 

Before we deliver our final speeches, I spend some time exploring different speech exercises, including watching TED talks that relate to gratitude and listening to "This I Believe Essays" to glean inspiration from as students are asked to express their values and beliefs in written and oral formats. After students listen to a few essays, discuss their contents, and have an opportunity to explore the website, they craft their own essays, which they will read aloud.

Following the essay exercise, they begin to draft their special occasion speech, which will take us through the end of the month and into the holiday season. Expressing gratitude, reflecting on joyous occasions, and dreaming of the future allow students to apply their speaking prowess in a culminating and memorable way. 

On the very last day of the semester, I surprise them with one last impromptu speech - a tribute to their classmates. Walking into class, they will select a name. They will have five minutes to prepare a speech about a classmate, celebrating that person's success and growth as a speaker. The student who was the subject of the previous speech becomes the speaker, a process that continues until everyone has received recognition. There is quite a bit to cover in these next few weeks. I look forward to guiding my seniors as they find the words to express their gratitude and share their passions with their peers and the world beyond my doors.

Thank You For Debating

My speech students are currently preparing for a debate.  One class will debate the effects of technology on our lives as they seek to prove or disprove that technology is a divisive agent in our society. The other class has taken on a much more political topic in which they will address society’s sensitivity and use of politically correct terms all while utilizing their persuasion and reasoning skills. Seeking to prove whether our society is too sensitive or not, students have taken on the challenge of using facts  - not opinions or personal values - to prove their claims. While I see one class struggle with a more controversial topic, I am proud of their focus on decorum and credible research to substantiate their claims.

Structuring a debate used to be overwhelming to me. I used to struggle a great deal with formatting, roles, and timing. Over the years, a few tricks and strategies have helped take debates that could incite unproductive arguments to quality conversations that lead to respectful discussions. I have even made decorum a significant basis for grading. Bottom line, if you’re sassy, you will inevitably lose points. My overarching learning target is to teach students to actively listen to others - especially those who disagree with them. In a turbulent political climate and world in which our leaders cannot respectfully listen to perspectives that differ from their agendas, this communicative skill is more crucial than ever.

The use of technology to unify teams, create standard definitions, and share information has aided in improving the quality of the arguments that students present. Critical research tools such as the topic finder in Opposing Viewpoints (a Gale Research product), NoodleTools group projects for source sharing and citation purposes, and Google Suites products have made collaboration easy and transparent.

To prepare, students receive direct instruction on all things persuasion. They then apply the Illuminati triangle of argumentation, a phrase I use to emphasise the power of ethos, pathos, and logos, to their own lives. In addition, they read an excerpt from an excellent book Thank You For Arguing by Jay Heinrichs to further reflect on the application of persuasive techniques in our daily lives. After completing that reading, students engage in a graded discussion, apply course content their own experiences while focusing on how these skills could be useful to them in the future.

As a means of furthering the relevance to their lives, students are then given a mini-speech assignment called “Admit Me,” in which they convince a college recruiting panel to admit them to their dream schools, military positions, or other careers as applicable. Simulating a community scholarship panel that students may choose to interview within the spring to earn scholarships from local businesses, this brief speech of three minutes or less provides them with a real-world experience that helps them craft and finalize their college essays while challenging them to professionally talk about themselves in front of a large group of people. As students prepare for this speech, we spend a day on practicing interview skills, which challenges students to exhibit confidence, professional manners, and essentially sell themselves to potential employers - more real-world practice for my seniors.

After several application exercises and completing their speeches, students are tasked with collaboratively generating a debate topic that is not cliche and provides enough opportunities for both perspectives to locate credible research from which they can craft sound arguments. Every year, my students want to debate waffles vs. pancakes - why I am not sure, but their goofiness did inspire a mini persuasion activity that was a great deal of fun. When they entered the class, students were given a card on which they made a choice between waffle and pancakes and had to provide reasoning that utilized ethos, pathos, and logos. With only three minutes to prepare, students were also encouraged to research information quickly to support their causes. After students prepared, they were broken into Team Pancakes or Team Waffles. They were then asked to pair with an opponent, share their arguments, and then as a team of two, revote for pancakes or waffles. They had to agree on who had the better argument and vote for that breakfast item. Afterward, we debriefed on decorum and how they had to use listening skills to understand the opposition. These skills are so crucial in our society today and are often skills that we forget to teach explicitly. Waffles won, in case you were wondering.

To agree on a common topic, I used Padlet, Google Forms, and Dotstorming to allow students to voice their ideas, vote on which topics were most appealing, and ultimately arrive at a definitive topic. This process took four rounds of voting to narrow down the pool of topics, which were not all debatable issues. Padlet allowed them to provide the class with as many issues as possible, Google Forms allowed them to vote and reduce the number of choices anonymously, and Dotstorming helped us to take a final vote. Throughout the process, I allowed students to take the comfy chair, my swivel chair at the front of the room, and lobby for specific topics, which rechallenged them to apply their ethos, pathos, and logos as they appealed to their classmates to vote for the final issue that they thought would produce the healthiest debate.

Students then selected a side to argue. If students were in the middle or undecided, I allowed them to congregate in the middle and choose their teams to encourage balance and also ensure that students were engaged in the collaborative efforts on which they were about to embark. Once a topic and positions were selected, the group contributed to a common Google Doc on which common terms were defined, who was fulfilling each role was recorded, and claim statements were written. This document was shared with both groups and would serve as a unifying tool on which each debate was created. The format, which takes 2.5 days, was outlined for students and jobs were described. As I described each position, I provide students with more context. For example, the moderator should be a person well versed in pathos. As people who introduce the debate, they must have strong decorum skills and be able to sway the room emotionally. The question responders, who must think quickly on their feet, should be stronger impromptu speakers who can implement logos effectively and efficiently.

The debate is timed and broken into these categories:

While students are selecting roles in their two groups, I reviewed the grading criteria, which emphasized credible research, rhetoric, and decorum. Active listening is an essential part of this entire process and a skill that is being assessed during both the drafting process and during the debate. Now in their groups, students are broken into smaller squads, arguing in favor of their position, researching the counterpoint, or anticipating the arguments of the other side. They are creating documents to gather and organize evidence, and they are using my Ethos, Pathos, and Logos graphic organizer to visualize their common argument on a single page.

I am excited to witness their efforts put into practice next week. A guest judge and I will assess the students. They were allowed to vote for a teacher who was free during our class period to serve as a counterbalance to my personality and style. Both classes selected a person who will work with me analyze their arguments, evaluate their research, and ultimately choose a winning side or the debate. The ability to respectfully articulate beliefs, support our ideas with research and acknowledge our different perspectives are all skills that will make our world a more productive and civil society. Here’s to applying persuasion in our everyday lives!

A Love of Reading

Recently I listened to the Cult of Pedagogy Podcast that addressed the dangers of teacher nostalgia - more specifically the notion that students were "better" or "worked harder" back in an undefined day or era. This concept has made me pause, especially as we lament over frustrations with incomplete work and unread pages. In moments of frustration over a given lesson or class period that was not as productive or enriching as I might have hoped, it is easy to place blame or express frustration toward "kids these days."

While the life of a sixteen-year-old is vastly different from my relatively social media free days (Let's not forget MySpace, AIM, or the ocassional favorites list on Xanga), the lack of follow through on students with reading and homework assignments is not necessarily a reflection of my students or the choices they make. As I speak more to students about the reasons they do not complete homework in my class or any class are often related to work obligations, home life struggles, or merely feeling the burden of busyness. In our conversations, I have realized that I need to own the problem a little more and consider how to re-approach and re-engage my students who are often struggling with finding work-life harmony in their lives and schedules. As the world shifts and the constant flow of messages in the shape of notifications and emails bombard my students, I must reflect and learn how to break through the noise to reach them.

Recently I had the opportunity to attend and present at the annual Illinois Association of Teachers of English conference in which several fantastic authors and speakers shared their passion for storytelling and empathy. Authors Jeff Zentner (Goodbye Days is a thought-provoking story), Brendan Kiely (All American Boys is a book that I could not put down), and Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak, Twisted, The Impossible Knife of Memory - all beautifully written) all shared their own stories and pursuits with storytelling. These authors passionately shared their journeys with literacy and connecting to other people through literature and a genuine love for books. Inspired by their messages, I realize that I need to rethink how I allocate the precious time I have with my students and provide them with more opportunities to access stories and engage with texts. Not only do I hope to educate my students' minds, but I also want to educate their hearts, which will serve them in any avenue of life they pursue. Building a love of reading creates more empathetic, curious, and courageous people, which can lead to personal growth and academic success as well.

This past week, I have followed the advice of Penny Kittle and allocated reading time each day to start my class. Check out her video "Why Students Don't Read" for motivation to rethink reading practices in the classroom. Placing all devices, including Chromebooks away, I have distributed paper reading logs and posted a timer on the board indicating how long students will read. As the week progressed, I watched my classroom transform. Students walked into class and plopped down in their favorite reading spot in the classroom. No one hesitated to place cell phones in bags, and more surprisingly, the literary analysis paper over themes in The Catcher in the Rye that was due on Thursday came in with 100% turn-in rate. Granted, I had a few students that certainly need to revise and rework their papers, but they all were completed. With less time to draft in class, students focused more and were more efficient with their daily tasks when they were given the first few minutes of class to refocus their thoughts and read a text because they love a book.

• Sukow, what are you reading? That cover looks cool. 
• I couldn't put this book down. 
• Oh man, I actually like this book!
• I finished my book. Can I go check out another one? 

Stories allow us to walk in someone's shoes, gain perspective, and build empathy. When we read and build literacy skills, we can recognize that everyone experiences obstacles and even if we disagree, we are far more alike than we realize. Reading also challenges us to be more thoughtful and reflective. Instead of hearing the noise of notifications and words being sent to us from many avenues, when we take the time to read and listen to stories, we learn to be more engaged citizens who can critically think and act for a greater good. Fostering a love of reading has already paid out dividends in my classroom. I have never had 100% of my students turn in a literary analysis paper on time (and early in several cases).

My goal is to incorporate independent reading at least three times a week for ten minutes. While we may lose time for activities, what my students gain will hopefully be so much more. Teaching is a journey and a constant learning process. As I continue on my path, I hope to rewrite the narrative on student engagement and their attitudes toward reading. Reading begets critical thinking and a love of learning. May my students never cease being curious, caring, creators of great ideas and wonderful work.

When September Ends

October finally hit. At eight months, Jordan’s position had shifted off the vein that was causing unthinkable and constant pain to the right side of my body. The swelling and bruising began to wane. If the remaining six weeks were like this, I could happily carry him to term. After months of throbbing legs and continuous discomfort, I felt relief. In that first week of October, when a physical sense of comfort came and the excitement of completing our family with a beautiful baby boy became my focus, a thought crept into my mind – something suddenly feels too good to be true.

October - a season of change. Crisp leaves are now crunching on the ground marking the turn of another season and the passage of time. The fall is typically a season that has marked significant changes in our lives - an engagement, marriage, purchasing our home, and the birth of all three of our children; we have had a busy decade. While the air cools, our hearts have been warmed by a growing family and hope for many happy memories to come. This fall I have found myself transported back a year ago when my mantra was “Life will be so much easier when he’s out.” Acknowledging that this mantra was far from the truth was a difficult reality for me to accept. As these sentiments continued to echo in my mind for months after his birth, I grieved the notion that his life was going to be free from the worry and pain that had dominated my pregnancy.


This year has challenged me to reconsider how I choose to devote my attention and energy. Finding more profound joy in the everyday moments that we often take for granted is at the forefront of my mind. Life is fragile and precious, and the moments that are sweet should be treasured.

Flash-forward to the present, and I cannot believe that Jordan is almost one year old. With shining blue eyes like his father, he is captivating and charming. He single-handedly has pulled the paper roll off doctors’ tables on several occasions and knows how to make nurses laugh. Already, he likes to play chase around our living room floor, even though he lackadaisically moves and selectively chooses when he wants to sit up. As the third child with two older sisters who regularly pretend to play mom, why would any small child feel compelled to move independently?

I am filled with a quiet trepidation with this calendar change. Jordan, no longer a baby, may now face more complications, more treatments, and more unknowns. At the same time, his personality is growing. Jordan has been snuggling more than ever before and makes his opinions about toys, his sisters, guests and our dogs known to the world. First words are budding, and laughter is at an all-time high. Unaware of any challenges that he may face, he looks at the world with fresh eyes as he seeks smiles from the people he loves. Hoping to see the world through his lens, I know that maintaining his health seems daunting to me but is his version of normal. Understanding more about his body than the average little boy, he will always know a world where he is reliant on enzymes to digest and absorb fat and salt. He will always have lung treatments and need to be cautious during flu season, and yet, he will have a deeper appreciation for each breath and each opportunity he is fortunate enough to experience. In spite of Jordan’s disease, I can breathe a sigh of relief. While I am still struggling with accepting his genetic fate, I am hopeful that he will have a unique outlook on the value of each day that will allow him to have a beautiful life.

Super Jordan

Still, my greatest fear is an ache that any mother feels - that my child will struggle or suffer. My husband reminds me that we all will suffer at some point, but we have loved ones who will help us through that pain. Placing myself in moments when extreme allergic reactions or seasonal sicknesses have tightened my lungs, I realize that I have only felt a temporary, minor discomfort when compared to a CF person’s struggle to breathe each day. I cannot even begin to imagine this struggle. I don’t want him to feel that pain, and I know that witnessing that pain will always weigh heavily on my heart. Just as a runner feels when nearing the end of a long race, this emotional fatigue can be overcome and a hurdle can be tackled.

Very early in our journey with CF, my brother reminded me that when a time comes to worry or feel anxiety, he will be the first person to embrace those feelings if necessary, but until then, we should choose joy. As I consider the values and strengths countless distance runners like my brother embrace, I am encouraged by their stamina and beliefs that a single human can accomplish great feats through discipline, training, and willpower. “Pain is temporary, but glory is forever” is a quote famously quipped by the distance runner, Steve Prefontaine, who served as my brother’s hero when we were in high school. While I can appreciate a person like Prefontaine with mental toughness and physical prowess beyond measure, I’d like to argue that Prefontaine only had his mantra half right. Pain IS temporary, but love - love is forever.

Stop Trying To Make Work-Life Balance Happen

Work-life balance is not a thing, Steph. Work-life harmony, however, is something that can be attained. 


A dear friend so kindly pointed out to me a few weeks into this school year that work-life balance is an unattainable dream. Between doctor’s visits, committee meetings, grading, and all the unexpected tasks that arise, balancing life’s spinning plates is often an arduous and impossible task. But this was the year that I was going to achieve balance, go home sooner, and bring less work home. This was my year to divide my time and energy into neat, scheduled appointments on my Google Calendar. After countless hours of at home working, grading, and preparation, my “balance” is certainly off kilter. The more I sought to separate and compartmentalize my professional and personal lives in the inaugural grading period of this school year, the more entwined they became. In the business of people (specifically teens), I have already abandoned the lofty goals of achieving some semblance of a zen-like state and have embraced the organized chaos that is my work-life blend.

My Google Calendar has certainly kept my phone a-buzz with reminders and messages that keep me on my toes. Relinquishing the control I wish I could take, I have accepted that work-life balance doesn't exist, and that is okay. Amidst the hustle and busyness that we all inevitably face, I am beginning to find a greater sense of peace.

Today, I started teaching a three-week course on Google. Meeting with small groups of teachers, I am reviewing the Google Level 1 Certification material with them in hopes of supporting their skills, simplifying their work lives by making their daily tasks more efficient, and helping teachers engage students in new and innovative ways. The words efficient and effective repeated themselves multiple times in our conversations. As society and technology evolve, so too do the needs of our students. 

Google’s mission is to support educators and the educational experiences of students. Inherently, the blue SHARE button in the top right corner serves as a reminder that we are all sharing in the learning process. As we prepare students to leave our halls sooner than they realize, we are teaching collaboration and communication. They have a plethora of information, tools, and resources at their fingertips, and yet, they need to be empowered to tell their own stories, sort through the information that they discover, and produce critical thoughts and ideas. Our students need to learn to be creators of content - not just critical consumers.

Exploring educational technology and the potential it has to support my students’ learning. It has challenged me to ask myself why I assess specific skills and what I hope students will leave my classroom knowing and producing. Ultimately, I have come to realize that we cannot fear failure and that we have to push our students to develop critical skills that can be applied to any text or even any area of study.

Change can have a negative connotation; we inherently dread change. Evolution, however, involves gradual growth and insinuates that there is a potential not yet realized. I hope that through a positive outlook and embracing both the success and failure that arises as the result of utilizing all tools available, I can guide my students to discover their own potential, cultivate skills that they will need to be productive citizens and help them to be well-rounded individuals.

As I continue on my path of work-life harmony, I will embrace the challenges placed before, and when I feel lost in the stream of life that is as clunky as the Classroom Stream is at the present moment, I will persevere and find new ways to organize myself and work toward attaining a work-life harmony.

Look, Mom! I'm balancing!

Time Flies When You're an Instructional Tech Coach

Is that possible? Has a month flown by already? This school year has moved at an incredible pace. Consequently, my step count has exponentially increased as I walk, or in some cases run, the halls. A month of embracing the role of an instructional tech coach (and teacher of three classes) has passed, and I still find myself chasing the idea of a balanced life and a cleared to-do list. Even after years of coaching a highly demanding competitive activity, by Friday afternoons, I have reached an exhaustion level that I did not realize I could feel, and yet, I am fulfilled in ways I did not know possible.

While my plate is now piled with meetings, coaching sessions, planning professional development, and solving unforeseen complications or headaches that arise in the tech realm, I leave school feeling accomplished. This experience has been filled with rewarding moments - teachers sharing their successes, time to engage in collaborative moments, and thought-provoking conversations; I am inspired. I am surrounded by passionate and intelligent teachers creating amazing opportunities for their students and now have the time to witness people inspiring students in their elements. I also have opportunities to solve problems, which makes each day unique and exciting.

At least three times a week (or day), I receive a quick email from a teacher asking where I am and if I can come to their rooms now - or five minutes ago. With problems ranging from projectors past their prime and applications like Pear Deck not working, I am happy to come running to talk through the obstacles they face or find a person who can provide a solution. During the afternoons, I now have time to ask questions. I am also able to consider the "How might we..." moments with teachers that often are placed at the bottom of especially long to-do lists.

How might we create learning more engaging? How might we make our jobs more efficient and effective through careful planning and collaboration with others? In addition to conversations in the faculty office, I have started walking into open doors and participating in awe-inspiring classes that I see having fun when I am on one of my school adventures. Exploring the school and becoming a part of several classroom environments each day is motivating and encouraging. Each teacher has his or her style and brings their love of their craft to their classrooms. As someone who is fortunate enough to participate in many different areas, I now find myself questioning my actions. Why do we implement instructional methods? Why do we choose to design our classroom curriculum and even our classroom spaces in the way that we do? How do all of these actions impact our students? 

While I realize that I am still growing in the role of an instructional tech coach, I have sincerely learned that listening and sharing brings out the best in all of us. Talking through ideas and embracing other people's perspectives, especially those who teach in disciplines that differ from our own, can challenge us all to rethink content delivery while building relationships within the greater school community. 

Teaching is a challenging and exhausting job, but when we take time to appreciate and celebrate each other, we can recharge our emotional batteries. We also have more time to recognize students' needs and support learning in all disciplines within our school. While we are often feeling crunched for time, it is critical to remember that when we give ourselves to each moment and allow ourselves to be present with each other, our time is exponentially more valuable and meaningful. 

I am grateful for all those who have allowed me to participate in all the incredible experiences they are creating for their students. Being small in stature, I have the benefit a blending into the background as I sit in a previously empty student desk. At times, I can surprise a teacher when we make eye contact after having been in his or her room for a few minutes sitting amazed at their lessons or activities. By observing my colleagues at their most creative and innovative, I continue to learn that I have much to learn. With two ears and one mouth, I will continue to listen carefully, immerse myself into each moment, and celebrate the greatness I now have the time to experience firsthand. Good coaching involves supporting, celebrating, and listening. Here's to a year of observing, collaborating, meeting, planning, and making countless discovers along the way. 

Embracing the Dissonance: Going Back to School

Putting Out Fires

Every year, the anxiety that swells in me when the calendar turns to August is as high as when the first loud noise blasts through the speakers in a horror film gone silent. Yes, (an inner) blood-curdling scream is omitted from my petite frame when the thought of back-to-school begins to creep into my mind. Why? I do not fully understand myself. I love my job, my students, and crave routine more than I crave caffeine. Inherently, change is difficult for everyone, and I am no different. A large part of my lamenting is the loss of time as my little people continue to cease being so little. Still, the temperatures are turning, and Target is filled with back-to-school supplies, signs, and sales. It is time to return to some normalcy.

The process to prepare for a school year changes every year, and this year is noticeably different as I am not coaching Speech Team. Instead of spending 100+ hours reading, cutting scripts, and editing, on top of a week of speech camp, I drifted a little more creatively and devoted the extra hours to my children. Not having the structure of speech allowed me to rest a bit more but has made me feel less prepared for the school year. So as the impending school year approaches, it is time to get motivated, focused, and organized for the school year.

Have you met my center child? 

Accept that (organized) chaos will happen and embrace flexibility. 

Having children has taught me that the unexpected will most certainly happen. This past Friday, my husband and I showed up to the Brookfield Zoo with NO strollers or wagons. Our children are nearly 4, nearly 3, and 10 months. Initially, we thought this choice would be a disaster, but we were able to maneuver our way through the park in ways that we never had and see more sights than ever before. Talk about a lesson in flexibility! Building flexibility into my lesson plans will allow me to extend lessons, create and reteach concepts, and adapt my teaching to meet the needs of the students sitting in my classroom this year. For many years, I had lesson plans detailed to the minute for the entire semester as I entered the classroom (mostly the years that I started school 8+ months pregnant). While there is a benefit to being overly prepared and having a break-in-case-of-emergency lesson plan kit at the ready, there is something freeing about allowing for flexibility. Instead of rewriting the details of every plan, I can make sweeping changes to a much vaguer outline to reflect my students' strengths and areas in which they need support. I stress that there is still an outline that focuses on skills, unit objectives, and significant summatives planned, but there is flexibility to make adjustments as needed.

Set meaningful goals. 

After creating a general outline, reflecting on objectives and standards, and considering major assignments, setting goals is critical. What do I hope for my students when they leave my class? How do I want my students to feel while in my class? How will I motivate even the most unmotivated student? These are all questions that fill my mind as the moments before school slip away. The popular Harvard Business study that addresses the number of people who write down their goals and their success, as a result, is a critical reminder that writing out goals is critical. Revisiting those goals throughout the year, keeping track of data (qualitative and quantitative), and keeping them at the forefront of planning and preparation throughout the year can make a classroom a more positive place to be. This year as I am asked to write my goals, I want to continue to consider social and emotional learning, empathy, engagement, and motivation in addition to the traditional C- or better grade or a grammar goal.

How will I measure these less measurable factors? Surveying and journaling can help shed insight into students' thought process. When my students leave my classroom, I want them to feel confident to share their voices and pursue their passions. When they enter my classroom on a regular school day, I want them to be motivated to give their best. To foster these feelings, I hope to continue to find ways to make learning relevant, to craft lessons that build skills that will help students in a variety of capacities and to promote empathy. In the book, Speak to Influence: How to Unlock the Hidden Power of Your Voice, author Susan Berkley addresses the importance of empathy in communication. Learning to listen to others and think about "what's in it for [the students]" can make the communicative interactions in the classroom stronger and help content reach students in more effective and efficient ways.

Establish purpose. 

One of the most important aspects of any speech is the central purpose - the idea that all other thoughts stem from and the overall message that a speaker wants his or her audience to take from the speaker. In the book Speaker, Leader, Champion: Succeed at Work Through the Power of Public Speaking, by Jeremy Donovan and Ryan Avery, the idea of purpose is addressed very early in the tips and suggestions chapter. When we approach any speaking situation, lesson, or even a school year with an established purpose and message, that message subverts itself in all things. If the purpose is to teach students to develop empathy, those ideas can come across in a personal narrative assignment or when teaching a novel like Catcher in the Rye. In addition to teaching students to read, write, and communicate, we can teach them to cultivate skills that allow them to understand greater concepts and ideas; we can teach them to find passion and meaning. This year, as social and emotional learning continues to be a critical issue in our society, I hope to infuse empathy, kindness, mindfulness, and even a little grit into the messages I share with my students.

Check out what's new with technology. 

Technology is a powerful tool that when implemented effectively opens doors and empowers students. Each year, technology tools - especially our cell phones - become more pervasive in our society. Communication devices are ubiquitous, but they can also lead to significant distractions and take away from powerful learning opportunities. Striking the balance, supporting my colleagues, and teaching students proper etiquette are significant challenges but need to happen. When we look around the room during a meeting, adults are swiping, scrolling, and tapping. Parents at the park are guilty of this, too. We are all entrapped by our devices - so to simply take them away is not the right move to solve the scrolling epidemic. This year, one of my goals is to continue to understand the balance, model effective technology use for my students, and challenge them to find ways to utilize the platforms they have been given to showcase their talents, spread their messages, and utilize the power of their words through appropriate technology use.

In addition, this summer I have spent a significant amount of time examining new platforms and tools that I hope to share with colleagues that will help increase effectiveness, engagement, and efficiency in the classroom. Some of my favorite tech tools this year include PearDeck, EdPuzzle, and the LMS Canvas. It should be a fun year to learn how to implement new tools and new features. I am also stoked about the updates in Google Classroom. Thanks, Google for continuously responding to the needs of teachers and for making user-friendly applications for all levels of tech proficiency!

Embrace the changes.

As I step into a new role of instructional technology coach and prepare for a year that will look very different from years prior, I am reminded that change causes dissonance. While I am still teaching three classes, the better part of my afternoons will be devoted to supporting my colleagues, tackling new initiatives, and creating PD. Still, there is a lot of unknowns and the job path is being forged as the school year progresses. Not having a clear answer of what to expect, creates a little uneasiness, but in that unease, there is also excitement. The unknown creates a sense of anxiety, but with that apprehension comes an opportunity to learn more and grow in unexpected ways. I always face the first day of school with mild apprehension, but I am excited to explore what can be learned from the new and yet to be discovered adventures ahead.

All the Feelings

Bringing Ed-Tech to Higher Ed

I am about to begin my third year as an adjunct professor at a local community college. In addition to teaching high school students, I have spent my "free time" working with adult learners, which has been a rewarding experience. Working with adults from a wide variety of life experiences and backgrounds has forced me to rethink my teaching practices (mainly because my classes are from 7 PM until 9:30 PM on Thursdays), question the why in my instruction, and strive to think of creative ways to make my content meaningful and beneficial in the real world. From group challenges to exercises that foster relationships, I strive to keep my students actively engaged, demonstrate that I value their time and want them to be successful communicators in any avenue of life, and empower them to be able to communicate with confidence in any setting.

I have loved this "side-hustle" as my husband likes to call it and have grown so much from the experience, but I have found that some significant differences in resources, time, and frequency of meeting can create some challenges. At my high school, students are one-to-one with Chromebooks and have Google Drives. I am familiar with the technology they have, see them on a daily basis, and have several teachers/counselors/faculty members to consult if I have a question about a student or need to provide additional support to a particular student. At the community college, I do not have the same support. Students may come with technology in hand, but often they only have a phone - which may or may not sync to the WiFi. While we use Blackboard as an LMS, I do have to be mindful that students do not always know how to utilize technology nor do they have an abundance of free time to access technology that is unavailable to them. As a result, there have been times where I have differentiated learning and have gotten created during lessons to engage and assess my students.

Some of my older learners (above the age of 25) did not have a significant amount of technology available to them when they were in high school, or the technology has changed so much that they are just unfamiliar with how to utilize it. If I hadn't been in school for over five years and then tried to use Blackboard, I would be overwhelmed - for sure! Still, there are so many great ways to gather formative data and feedback from students using technology.

In my quest to make learning better for my students, I have played around with a few low-tech or no-tech ways to gather data, engage students in a review, and provide formative feedback. With the prompting of my department chair, I am even going to share a few of my favorite tech tricks at a PD session in a few weeks. Using Kahoot, Quizlet Live, Plickers, Google Forms, and Socrative, I will show teachers how to level up their classroom tech usage and integrate technology in meaningful ways into their lessons. Here are a few of my favorite tools/ways to implement formative assessment in the college classroom (or really any classroom):

Kahoot: Make review games fun! 

High school students at my school play a lot of Kahoot. This formative quiz game is easy for instructors to make and fun for students to complete. Having multiple purposes and uses, it is a tool that transcends content areas. College students who want to feel nostalgia for high school or simply want to shake up reviewing essential content love playing Kahoot, too. It's fast, builds excitement, and sparks conversation among students. After a game is completed, instructors can download data and assess comprehension, which can be used to drive instruction moving forward. I have used Kahoot to review before class even begins. Sometimes students come to class early because they are traveling from work. Having a review game playing is a great way to use the extra opportunity to engage with students and encourage students to get to class on time. Students can play Kahoot on their phones or devices, which makes participating easy to do.

Quizlet Live: Review vocabulary/key concepts while fostering conversation and collaboration among students. 

Making online vocabulary sets is a helpful tool for many reasons. Quizlet's Live game takes flashcards and transforms them into an interactive game in which students need to work with one another to complete the review. If students are unfamiliar with terms, they have to talk about the definitions or content. Students can even learn while playing, which makes the lesson effective. Teachers have very little prep. They simply need to create the flashcard deck or even find an already made deck to meet their needs. Students can also play this game on their phones.

Plickers: No technology? No problem. 

While most college students seem to have a smartphone on them at all times, there are always a few students who do not have a phone or simply do not have a phone that runs fast enough to engage in previous two games. To ensure that everyone can participate, I have utilized Plickers to collect audience analysis data. Plickers involves creating QR codes for each student, building a multiple choice question bank, and then using one phone or device to gather student responses. I have run this webtool from my phone and been able to quickly obtain information from my students, specifically with my audience analysis lesson, that has been useful for understanding the population of the class. Because Plickers involves QR codes that students hold to respond to questions, everyone can participate. It is fast and provides students with a tactile way to answer questions and save the data for later. This webtool is great for a low-tech or no-tech population.

Google Forms: Easy peer reviews

In a speech class, students are continually engaging in peer reviews and peer feedback. One way to streamline this feedback and provide the information directly to other students is to utilize Google Forms. Google Forms is a fast way to gather formative feedback for students, and with the use of FormMule (an extension similar to a mail-merge), that information can directly go to students' inboxes. Again, Google Forms can be completed on phones or any device.  I have seen a noticeable increase in the quality of student feedback when students complete their peer reviews online as opposed to filling out a paper form. Students seem to like giving and receiving feedback in this manner. As a backup, I keep a few paper versions of the form for students who don't have access to devices, but most students choose to forgo the paper format.

Socrative: Already made exit tickets. 

Socrative is one of the first webtools I implemented in my classroom. Before devices were in every students' hand at the high school level, I found this webtool to be phone friendly. Today, many webtools function in similar ways to Socrative, but what sets this webtool apart is the already-made, three question exit ticket that requires no teacher prep. This type of fast response is a great way to collect information during a formal observation or when a teacher wants to take a quick poll on what students have retained from a given lesson. For that reason, I have turned to Socrative when I need fast, unanticipated feedback from students

What are you doing with your students?

Technology is always evolving. Webtools, apps, and extensions are ever-changing to meet the needs of teachers and students. How have you gotten creative using technology when not a lot of technology is available? How have you used formative assessment to empower students? Share your favorite tools, tricks, and instructional practices to collect and provide feedback to your students! I'm always searching for new ways to be more effective, efficient, and engaging!

Bring your baby to speech class day! Jordan may not have scored a lot of points, but he was on the podium for cuteness. #SpeechBaby #ClassroomTakeover #FinalExamDay #BabysFirstKahoot #KahootIt #JDSukow

A post shared by Steph Sukow (@steph_mairead) on Aug 3, 2018 at 6:59pm PDT

Putting the Pieces Together on EdPuzzle

"Why" and "how" are two critical questions to ask when lesson planning. Identifying the purpose of each learning activity and then reflecting on the mode of instruction become essential in helping students authentically learn and apply key concepts. Two years ago, I was out of the classroom for three days in a two-week span for the IHSA State Speech finals and a two-day conference. Missing that amount of class time in a short window made me nervous - primarily because I was in the middle of teaching Shakespeare plays to both sophomores and seniors. Not being face-to-face with students to help them tackle the complex language and the unique writing style made me very unsure of how to proceed with sub plans. Could I have students watch a movie or complete an arbitrary writing assignment? Yes, but disrupting the flow of the unit might distract from my learning objectives. Also, inserting a project or activity at that time might have felt more like busy work than authentic learning.

We have all been out of the classroom for one reason or another, and often, even with the best subs who are very familiar with the building and students, coursework does not always get completed. Wanting to clone myself so that I could be in two places at once, a feat I wish I could sincerely accomplish at least three times on any given week, I turned to Google. Searching for an edtech solution to help me be in two places at once, I stumbled upon Edpuzzle - a tool I had used once or twice with TED Talks but never thought too deeply about how I could use this tool beyond that initial purpose.

Popular Video Channels
from which to pull content.

So why EdPuzzle? EdPuzzle is a video-based webtool. With the ability to pull a video from YouTube, Kahn Academy, TED Talks, Numberphile and more, teachers can either use already created material or create their own interactive videos to help students learn concepts, master and review ideas, or actively engage with a video in ways they could not previously engage. Teachers can also create their own videos and make them interactive through EdPuzzle.

Initially, my problem was that I was going to be away from class and I needed to be present. EdPuzzle allowed me to find audiobook versions of Shakespeare text, record my explanations of the text by inserting audio notes, and assess my students throughout to measure comprehensions. It allowed me to be present in spite of my physical absence. Also, EdPuzzle tracks students' completion and scores their multiple choice and true/false answers automatically. While I was at my conference, I was able to screenshot the record of students not watching their video for the day and send an email reminding them that 1. Google (or the Internet) doesn't lie (and I know you're not working), and 2. Please get your work done because there will be a quiz when I return.

EdPuzzle tracks how many times segments of the video are watched, rewatched, and grades multiple choice questions. 

Upon my return to class, students reported that they enjoyed reading through Shakespeare in this manner, as opposed to reading the play out loud. They said listening to a professional audiobook helped them make more sense of Shakespeare's message. EdPuzzle helped me solve my problem, but how else could it enhance classroom learning for me? 

1. EdPuzzle allows absent students to receive the same instruction as students present in class.

This past year, I had a few students with chronic absences. Students were frequently not in class, and as a result, they were missing valuable content learning - especially with writing. To alleviate this problem and help these students learn while they were taking care of personal issues, I started flipping my writing lessons. I would still complete mini-lessons with students, but instead of speaking live, I would turn on the video. I included multiple choice formative checks and even had open-ended discussion questions built into my EdPuzzle lesson, which would allow us to stop and discuss as a class, but I would play the video instead of directly teaching so that my lessons were recorded for everyone. Students who were absent were required to go back and watch the video, and some students even chose to watch the video again to help support their learning. Everyone received the same instruction in person or remotely, thus ensuring that students had the tools they needed to be successful.

2. EdPuzzle videos can be viewed as a whole class or individually.

Last year I started watching EdPuzzles as a whole class because when students are plugged in too often, the classroom can begin to feel isolating. Since we were all watching the same video, we could watch, learn, and talk through the concepts being presented together. This method worked very well when teaching Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. My EdPuzzle lessons were filled with application questions in which students had to make the connection between their lives and the characters, agree/disagree with character choices, analyze specific lines, and determine Shakespeare's commentary on society as a whole. Students were asked to move each time we had a discussion question, find a new seat, and talk to a new friend before we discussed the question as a class. The reading became very interactive, and the engagement increased because they were moving, speaking, and apply what they were reading/hearing. Viewing a video as a class enables me to keep students more engage and at times, allows me to almost be in two places at once as my audio recorded voice shares notes that then become echoed by my live instruction. I have almost found a way to clone myself.

3. EdPuzzle allows students to rewatch and review essential concepts.

As teachers, we have all had a moment, or one hundred moments, when we review instructions or teach a concept, and two minutes later several students ask a question that was just taught. Better yet, I love when I read instruction about a paper assignment to students to ensure they have no questions, and then they ask, "How many quotes do I need in my paper?" Then another student in the class will chime in with a "Dude - she just said that!" Oh, teacher life!

When teaching key writing concepts during the I-Search Unit in Junior English, I was often frustrated with students asking the same question several times over. Sometimes students sincerely need help, and I am happy to reteach and revisit lessons, but sometimes, the best lesson we as teachers can do is to challenge students to find their own answers. With writing mini-lessons, I started having student rewatch specific videos before I would follow-up with them. They often time could answer questions, and the repeated instruction helped critical concepts to resonate more.

4. EdPuzzle has quality, already made material for teachers who are looking to try something new.

I have also had a few teachers who were going to be absent from class need a quick lesson plan that they knew their students would be able to complete. In both instances, I have recommended EdPuzzle to them. When looking for a fast lesson that is going to be meaningful and easy to assess, EdPuzzle offers so many rich experiences for students to make connections to concepts, learn from other experts, relate class material to real-life messages, and it's fast. Assessments are already built into many videos, and teachers can even customize these questions or add more questions. With a few clicks and a preview of the video, teachers can have their lesson plans done quickly, which is a great backup for an unexpected sick day. I have never heard a teacher disappointed with what EdPuzzle had to offer.

5. EdPuzzle is a great tool for blended and flipped learning.

For any teacher looking to flip classroom instruction or build in blended learning experiences, EdPuzzle is wonderful because students can complete them at their own pace and from any location. Using video allows students to learn and relearn concepts until they are mastered. EdPuzzle allows teachers to monitor progress, assess their comprehension, and make instructional decisions based on the result. The grade book feature on Edpuzzle is easy to track and provides a great deal of useful data, which will help classrooms shift from the traditional setting.

BONUS: Students can become the teacher and create their own EdPuzzle videos and projects.

I have not had students create personal EdPuzzles yet. I know a science teacher who has done this and loves how students can teach key concepts and share their videos with their peers. This use of EdPuzzle is a personal goal of mine for next year!

Overall, EdPuzzle is a phenomenal tool that has many uses in the classroom. They also offer some great PD experiences for teachers. Recently, I completed the EdPuzzle Coach PD course. As I take on a new role in my school, I have started to view instructional practices and edtech through a more critical lens. I ask myself, "How would other teachers view this tool?" and "Why this tool?" I truly believe this is one instructional resource teachers should have in their toolboxes and am excited to try and find more ways in which to use it to support student learning.