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.

Just Breathe

Nine months in; nine months out. Jordan has reached another milestone. He's the largest baby I have had at this point, weighing 19 pounds (chunky monkey), rolling and babbling (or singing) nonstop. While he is still refusing to crawl forward, he does creep backward similar to how Harper did at that age. 

His diagnosis still baffles me. When I look at my son, I see the healthiest of my three children, but I know that his growth and size has not been without constant monitoring and over-fortifying his food intake. Jordan consumes approximately ten additional ounces of milk compared to his sisters at the same stage. Also, his milk contains formula, vitamins, and is topped off by a spoonful of applesauce covered in enzymes. When people comment on how large this baby is, especially in comparison to my other children, it catches me off-guard because we weren't expecting him to be the bruiser that he thankfully has become. BMI is crucial to CF kids because it often predicts lung functionality in the future. I am elated to report that he is in the 48% for his BMI - meaning he's a strong baby with strong lungs! 

Still, I am careful to realize that positive news can change faster than I'd like. Right now, our priority is his digestion. If he doesn't have his enzymes, he won't absorb the nutrients put into his body. We monitor his intake with great care, and in turn, we scrutinize his output to analyze whether the enzyme dosage is still accurate and if the calories consumed counted. Changing his diaper is a two-person job only because it can provide us with so much needed knowledge about our son's health. We also test his skin to monitor his sweat; Jordan sweats out salt at a significantly faster rate than the normal person, which means he may be depleted of necessary vitamins and nutrients that he needs to maintain his weight. The phrase "so salty" has a completely different meaning in our house.

Amazingly, he has had not needed lung treatments, although we have started chest percussion therapy to make him more acquainted with this treatment when he really does need it. This therapy involves forcefully tapping or hitting key areas on his chest and back to clear his lungs of any mucus build-up that may occur for approximate 10-15 minutes each day. Regarding his overall health, barring one cold in January that Willa also had, which led to a brief stint on a nebulizer, we have been blessed with near-perfect health with Jordan. This prognosis will change, of course, which leaves us jumping with every teething induced cough or breathy sigh that any baby produces when he is rolling around on the ground. The question of, "When will he get sick?" and "How sick will he become?" haunts me. When I actually take a moment to be still, I have to admit that I find that these questions creep into my mind and can consume my thoughts. I have tried to remind myself that I could ask these questions about any of my children or any of my loved ones. Life is fleeting and can change all too quickly, and as a result, it is not productive to allow myself to drift into a future that is not currently my reality and might not ever be. 

Scouring social media for answers has led to peace of mind and also fear. I want real stories; innately, I am not satisfied until I fully understand a problem - so can I find an answer to this one? The answer is a resounding no, but personalizing CF by allowing myself to become acquainted with the stories of people who live with CF, parents with CF children and people who love CF patients has brought me hope. With every Instagram post I have seen, after searching the #65Roses hashtag along with several other CF-themed links, I have come to realize that this rare disease is not without its blessings. People in this community seem to continually radiate positivity and gratitude for each breath they are given. That is not to minimize the horrible side-effects and illnesses that my son could face, but it gives me a sense of peace. My son has inadvertently given my family the gift of realizing how precious and special every moment is, and for that, our lives will be fuller. Knowing how "loquacious" he already his, this kid is going to have much to say and share with this world, which leads me to believe that he will find a way to make this world a better place.

Do I wish that I could take away his CF before he begins to feel the effects? Of course. I would do anything to be able to make this a reality. Do I hope for a cure? Absolutely, and I do have tangible reasons to believe that it is coming. Am I grateful for the cards my family has been dealt? In a way, yes. Had I known that Josh and I were carriers for CF, I am certain we would not have intentionally had three children. He has completed our family in his own perfect way, and I will forever be grateful for all three of my tiny humans. Could I imagine my life without Jordan? No. The more his personality grows, the more apparent it is that he is a joyful and charismatic little person. He has illuminated my world, and I am excited to watch him continue to shine.

Let's Talk About Blended Learning

This summer, I have sought to understand blended learning better, what that looks like in the classroom, and how instructors can engage students in authentic and meaningful learning. While this is a less traditional model of learning, schools are shifting toward blended learning environments and options for students to participate in self-directed education. I admit that I have reservations; I am worried that students are not mature enough to handle a blended environment or may view a blended class as an out of sight (or out of the classroom) out of mind situation. Will students view this type of learning as an opportunity to further their knowledge and skills, or will they view this learning format as a means of checking off tasks to finish a course as quickly as possible? On the instructional end, I am curious as to how to effectively design a course to avoid these concerns and encourage students to process and grow from the material presented to them. My worries do not seem unique from other teachers, and as such, I have been working to grasp the possibilities that this flexible way of designing a course can provide. 

At ISTE, I had the opportunity to speak with a few educators who have already implemented blended learning in their schools, and they echoed the same concerns as well as an excitement for what this type of learning could provide for our students. They explained that some students appeared to work quickly to complete work and earn the right to leave the classroom or not attend class on a given day. On the days students were not in class, when surveyed, students often admitted to not thinking about the course and perhaps not using their flex time to pursue other academic studies. This scenario defeats the purpose and can send the wrong message about blended learning. Another concern that I heard echoed at ISTE involved the school facilities. Implementing this style of learning in a traditional school setting that might not have the correct facilities and resources available, could prove to be problematic.

At the same time, blended learning provides students with more time to demonstrate learning in their own unique ways, allows teachers to group students based on abilities, and provide more one-on-one and small group instruction. These experiences benefit students and allow learning to be more personalized and differentiated. To help implement blended learning effectively, these teachers expressed that students need to be trained and taught how to learn in this environment, as they do every fall when they enter a new class. As teachers, we will need to show them how to learn in this environment, why this style of learning is beneficial, and strive to keep them engaged, motivated, and stretched cognitively. 

Our goal as educators is to create critical thinkers - people who are ready to be active and productive members of society. We also strive to create curious, life-long learners who are excited to pursue the subjects about which they are passionate. Blended learning could provide students with more of a sense of autonomy and revive that excitement about learning that can get lost in a classroom. They could feel empowered and in control of their learning, which leads to an increase in intrinsic motivation. In addition, this style of learning will make them more independent as we move away from traditional memorization of the past and focus on analyzing, synthesizing, and applying information accessed on a variety of print and online sources. 

With anything new, there is a fear that it will fail. Of course, there will be bumps in the road. With an evolving higher education system, one that offers an array of online learning and blended learning experiences, it makes sense that the high school setting would seek to prepare students for this type of learning and seek to discover the benefits that a blended environment could have on educating today's students. I am excited to experiment with a few simulated blended learning lessons and experiences this year as I take on Canvas, an LMS that my district has asked me to test and work with a colleague who is tackling her first official blended psychology course. Also, I am excited to challenge students to continue to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways, engage in both face-to-face and online discussions, and continue to develop their 21st-century literacy skills. Also, I am eager to reexamine how I teach my students and rethink my learning environment to best meet the present and future needs of the students sitting in my classroom this fall. 

Every year brings new challenges. Learners continue to change as quickly as the technology in our hands. With that, comes a new learning process for me as a teacher and life-long learner, too. While changing the modality of learning and rethinking the classroom environment can be slightly unnerving, as Henry Ford points out in his quote, sometimes we are simply unaware of how a different mode of [transportation] can be transformative and empowering. Like the car was for the early 20th century, changing up the learning environment could have lasting and positive impacts on our students and our future. Bring on this new challenge, and let's find new ways to permit students to be the true drivers of their learning. 

First Time At ISTE

 

My first experience with ISTE was overall positive albeit overwhelming. From the sheer number of people to the overflow in popular sessions, I felt as though I was running from location to location attempting to make the most of the experience. While I did not make it to every interactive lecture that I hoped to attend, I did walk away with a few ideas that caused me to pause and reflect on my thoughts on technology's role in education, instructional coaching, and the future of education. In addition, my digital tote is now full of countless resources, links, and people with whom I can continue to learn from in the coming months. Despite a little fatigue from carrying way too much around with me and traveling down to the city, which is not my favorite trip to make alone, I also feel my passion reignited and motivated to tackle my new role as my school's instructional coach with fervor and a better perspective on how to best serve my colleagues and the school community.

At a tech conference, the attendees are generally well-versed in the latest educational technology tools, lovers of all things Google, and eager to share resources, ideas, and tips. The amount of information and tool options can feel daunting because the list of tools is continuously evolving and growing. Too much of a good thing can become cumbersome. After weeding through my thoughts, one of my takeaways that was reinforced throughout sessions and conversations with colleagues and friends is that "the what" matters far less than "the how" and "the why." Whether a person chooses to use Google Classroom, Blackboard, or another LMS (the what) matters less than the how it is implemented and why we are using it to support student learners. The same concept applies to any strategy or instructional tool utilized in attempts to engage students, make learning and teaching more efficient, and deliver content more effectively. No matter what we use to educate students, we should continue the dialogue on how and why we are infusing content and learning strategies in our daily practices both in and out of the classroom because the what will continue to evolve and so will the needs of our students.

Another theme of the conference highlighted was yet another "e" - empowerment. Whether the message was focused on empowering teachers to attempt to push their instructional strategies further by personalizing learning or empowering students to use digital platforms to create change and impact their communities, the conference experience was designed to encourage teachers to be an agent for positive growth in their respective positions, schools, and learning networks. In an age in which our lives are documented, both voluntarily and involuntarily, online, we need to remember that we can connect with people around the world and can build relationships that will allow us to use our voices to make a positive impact on those with whom we connect. In addition, we can also access resources that expand our perspectives, enhance our knowledge within our content areas, and challenge us to improve our instructional practices with every passing semester. When I consider empowering my students, I return to the notion that we are in the business of people - specifically young people. No matter how the mode of education evolves (because it will evolve dramatically in the next decade), what is most important is the relationships we cultivate with our students, fellow educators, and our community as a whole. Relationships will allow us to help students grow into curious, life-long learners that are able to pursue their passions and interests beyond our walls successfully. Ultimately, that is all of our goal and job as educators.

As with any new experience, I do have a short list of what I wish I knew before attempting to undergo this instructional idea overload, which includes (1) being prepared for the long lines that we needed to get into an hour before sessions started if we truly wanted to attend a specific session. Too many people and not enough chairs for popular sessions, especially related to instructional coaching, did end with being turned away from a learning opportunity on more than one occasion. Also, (2) I wish I had planned to attend less and previewed the digital resources with more care while I was scheduling my day. Realistically, a person cannot participate in more than three sessions in a day and explore the playground, posters, and vendor expo that ran concurrently with interactive sessions. Incorporating a little more downtime in my schedule might have allowed me to target the meaningful sessions for me to attend.

While walking through the vendor expo was not high on my priority list, (3) I wish I would have taken a little more time to examine which vendors were in attendance that I use. Of course I walked through the Google for Education both and checked out the newest upgrades coming this fall (I can't wait, by the way), and I went and spoke directly to my district's Canvas rep who I will be working with quite a bit on the phone this coming year, I could have met with a few other vendors for programs that I use or would like to utilize next school year (like Flipgrid). Meeting a representative face-to-face can lead to strong relationships, additional assistance and support, and even provide new ideas and implementation tips to improve student learning in the classroom. (5) My final wish was that I had scheduled more time to reflect. Some of my most valuable moments at ISTE were the times I had to spend with my colleagues - especially my fellow instructional coaches. Having conversations, both personal and professional, made me excited about the coming school year, will allow us to collaborate more effectively, and encouraged me to reflect on what I was learning in that moment as well as start planning for the fall. In addition to investing in quality time with people in my district, I also had the opportunity to connect with a few of my favorite Twitter/teacher friends that I have made over the years, which was much needed and just so much fun. I love my teacher tribe!

Ultimately, ISTE or any professional development experience is most effective when it's personalized to individual interest and needs. Strong professional development is less about what sessions one attends; it is more about the people the attendee is with and the reflection that results after the experience is over. Again, we are the in the business of people; attending with colleagues with whom we can share ideas and collaborate in the moment and the future can make any experience more meaningful and certainly more fun.

Attitude is Everything: When Work and Life Blend Together

After walking to the library during nap time with Jordan, I found I had a fair amount of downtime before the girls were up from a nap and fed. Josh often brings the car and whichever child is left at home to play at the library and drive me home. Sitting snuggled with my littlest, I picked up the book Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt. The title caught my eye because this was my mom's mantra in her final year as principal of her school. This book was a positive and inspiring read filled with a few poignant nuggets of knowledge to jump start my annual summer recharge and reflection muscles moving as the themes centered around goal setting, gratitude, and a growth mindset.

The book begins by recounting the story of an accomplished runner, Heather Kampf, who made what seemed like the impossible possible. After falling flat on her face during a 600-meter dash, advancing from neck-in-neck with the first place runner, Kampf picked herself up and sprinted from the last place to first - crushing her competition in spite of a devastating setback. The message in this anecdote seems so clear - no matter how fast we are running or how close the finish line is, we can always pick ourselves up to find success. How impressive that this runner was able to mentally and physically recover so quickly to come back from such a drastic fall and what would seem like an inevitable failure. What a beautiful and tangible reminder that when all seems lost or hopeless, we can pick ourselves up and finish what we have set out to do.

This year I have been challenged to pick myself up a few times over and learned how interrelated my personal and professional lives are. My focus at the beginning of the year was to find work-life balance, but the more that I seek an answer to this equation, the more I realize that the answer is in embracing happiness in each moment and less about finding the perfect amount of minutes to dedicate to each part of my life. Often, my life cannot be divided into home-life and school-life; the people I love and the family I have created have entered into both aspects of my life and cannot be ascribed to just one part of my life.

Early in my career, I  was given a great deal of well-intentioned advice. I was warned about burnout and told that I need to draw clear boundaries in between my home life and my career. I was told that I was taking on too much too quickly with graduate degrees and extracurricular duties, and I was often told that these commitments could lead to adverse effects on my personal life. While I do run into the occasional bout of stomach flu as the result of lack of sleep or rest (At least once a year. It's awful), my tiredness is well-worth the messy and blurry lines between my school and personal homes. Meaning no disrespect, I have not listened to that piece of advice; it never made sense to me because working with young people is not a job. Teaching is a matter of the heart. I cannot leave my students and their stories at school.

Perhaps a better way of applying that advice is to protect who you are and do not allow one aspect of life take away from the joy of another aspect, especially family. This advice is applicable and essential for any career - know who you are, embrace it, and protect it. Now in my early 30s, I have a much better sense of my identity. I embrace my frenetic energy and see it as my greatest strength - and my weakness. While I can be guilty of moving too quickly, I am always moving forward. I attempt to wear my heart on my sleeve at all times, which makes me vulnerable but also allows me to empathize with others. I struggle, as we all do, to find balance in life, but I love the messiness of it all. Rarely do I have my computer open when my kids are awake. Once a month, during my Twitter chat, my kids know that Mama is working on the computer, and every once in a while, Mama has to grade papers. I still strongly believe in keeping the computer shut, except during the busiest of grading seasons (especially during the Junior I-Search). Then, I take out the Bluetooth keyboard that no longer works and allow Willa to cuddle up to me while we "work together." Sometimes I find her playing with it on her own, and when asked what she's doing, she giggles and shouts so proudly, "I working!" She's going to take over the world one day. 😊

While I naturally feel the need to be working on something academic or cleaning, my husband and my children force me to take time to play. The joy that I have gained from opening myself up to the creativity and lightness that comes from play, which is so beautifully described by Shonda Rhimes TED Talk, "My Year To Saying Yes To Everything." When our self-worth and happiness is related to embracing our faults as well as our strengths, our minds remain grateful for every opportunity (even our setbacks), and we allow ourselves to recognize the inspiration in each moment.

We are told that we can't have it all - especially as women. I disagree with that. What "it all" means is defined by the individual. For me, I want to embrace the idea that tomorrow or next year will be the best day or year ever. The best is always yet to come. Believing this mantra, striving to move forward and make every moment count will allow me to provide for my biological children, stretch and challenge my students and laugh at the chaos that ensues during busy grading periods, end of semester final summative assessments, future dance recitals, piano lessons, and maybe even soccer games (whatever my children hope to pursue). As one of my dear friends, Paige, who started out just as a school colleague and now is considered a bonus aunt to my children, our attitude determines everything. If we embrace happiness in each moment and recognize the blessings of each opportunity, we can experience contentment and joy, which to me, is all that matters.

Here's to a memorable and awesome summer full of carting the kids around in the van (which I'm still too scared to drive), teaching a few summer courses, reading as many books as I can obtain, and living in the moment.

#LikeAGirl #GirlBoss

An Open Letter to My Mom's Staff (The Retiring PrinciMom)

Dear Riley Staff,

First and foremost, thank you for the lovely celebration honoring my mom. District 21, Cooper Middle School, and Riley Elementary have served as her home for over two decades. As this chapter in her life comes to a close, I am so grateful that you have been a part of her journey.

A career as an educator is often a thankless job. Hours are long, and it is nearly impossible to leave school work at school. As a principal, my mother's shoulders have been heavy with not only caring for students but also for her colleagues and staff - who are just as dear and precious to her as the students that fill your halls. In addition to advocating for kids, she has spent her hours advocating for her colleagues, filling empty supervision positions, scheduling specials, coordinating special services and programs, and fielding parent phone calls.


Carrie's gift as an educator and a mother has always been the ability to see the greater picture. When we cannot look beyond a given day, she has the innate ability to put the pieces together - to make even the most challenging experiences produce wonderful outcomes as she intuitively anticipates the effects of those outcomes. Because of her ability to vision cast and plan, I have seen Riley grow and change in her tenure as principal, and I have learned that even when life presents unforeseen obstacles, wonderful life lessons and experiences can be acquired as a result. Leadership is a heavy burden, especially for those like my mother, who lead with their hearts, but wearing one's heart on her sleeve also opens the heart up to a significant amount of love, which is why at our cores, we all became educators in the first place.

On early morning and busy afternoons, my phone has frequently buzzed. As the screen lights up with the name "MOM," I often can anticipate the conversation to follow. In some way, it will inevitably be about school, her staff, or the parent phone call that she faced about what happened on the playground again. My mom and I talk nearly every day - sometimes multiple times a day. In those conversations, a few themes have remained prominent in my mind. Not only does she talk about challenging parent phone calls or the youthful spats she had to solve at lunchtime, but she also talks about her staff - teachers she has hired, watched grow in their own careers, and people that she considers to be her school family. If you know only one fact about my mother, it is that family has and always will come first. As such, I have heard about your heartbreaks, struggles, and health issues. She has shared birth announcements, engagements, and new prospects. Just as we pack up our computers and papers to grade, she has packed your joys and heartbreaks carefully in her school bag and brought them home with her. For the last the 14 years, she has carried your feelings and thoughts closely to her. She has spent time reflecting and revising SIP days, meetings, and breakfast menus to best meet the needs of all those at Riley. And while she might not be skilled in the ways of Google, I'm sure we can all agree that she has perfected the chocolate chip cookie in such a way that it can heal any school ache or pain we might experience.

The legacy of an educator is often hard to define. How he or she touches the lives of students and colleagues alike is difficult to quantify, but our family was moved by the video messages that you assembled. Thank you for being a part of her story. Thank you for taking care of her in her home away from home. Thank you for eating all the experimental food that she has cooked for you over the years. Thank you for listening to her talk about her family - specifically her grandchildren. And thank you for sending her off with a splash!

Please note that you have made a significant and lasting impression on her life and mine as a result. I cannot express enough how integral Riley Elementary and the teachers and staff have been in making her years as an educator meaningful and memorable. The memories of your kindness and the sentiments that you have shared will be remembered and cherished by our family for years to come. Please visit Carrie as she turns in her school keys for a chef's hat at Anna's Fire soon. May you continue to pursue a love of learning and may your classrooms be full of eager and inquisitive young minds ready to learn for years to come.

With deep and sincere admiration and love,

Steph (McCulley) Sukow
A daughter, an educator, and a life-long learner