#DoWhatYouCant

I have always been a person who enjoys doing what others say I can't.  Way back in 1996, I applied for the NC Teaching Fellows Scholarship and when awarded this honor I could attend any NC university for free and of course all I heard was I just HAD to go to UNC- Chapel Hill.  I mean how could you let that free money be used for something less superior like NC A&T or ECU??  Of course you know which two universities moved to the top of my "pick list" ...ECU and NC A&T.
I also had UNC-Wilmington on the list because Wilmington is one of the prettiest historic towns in NC and would have beat out ECU and NC A&T except they were missing one thing...football. 😞

That is just one example of me doing me and not listening to what others say I can or can not do.  There are many others...some BIG like my decision to leave all that I had known in my community and come to TCEA and some small like "Angela, you won't get a tattoo or nose ring.  That's not what people like you do." Hahaha...now I have a nose ring and 4 tattoos and can not wait for the 5th.  The idea of doing what others think I should or shouldn't do has driven me to where I am now.

I know that I am not the only person who goes through life with a "chip on their shoulder" and a spirit of "do what you can't" in your heart.  If you are working at TCEA and are from NC, I am sure people asked you repeatedly are you sure you want to work at a charter school.  Charters are the unknown in NC and many fear the unknown.  But you, my brave colleague, decided that the unknown and "uncharted" territory of charter school is what you wanted to do and you did just that.  You did what others said you shouldn't do.  The more amazing things is that each day, you return to TCEA and do what others say you can't do.  Society says that schools are outdated and that within the next 15 years schools will not be needed.  Students will be able to go online and learn more than they ever could in one 7 hour day at school.  Teachers are antiquated and not needed.  Schools can't prepare students for the jobs that haven't even been created yet.

But we know the truth.  We do more for students than educate them and prepare them for future jobs.  We build them both emotionally, socially, and intellectually to make a positive impact on a local and larger more global scale.  We do what others can't or aren't willing to do.  We are changing students for the better and although we might not see our influence now...others will in the future.  Our students will be able to continue our work long after we are no longer here.

Below is a commercial that seriously causes me to tear up (I know I am emotional so maybe it's just me).  I love how he continues to do something others say are impossible because he can "see" it for himself.  That's what we have the opportunity to do for our students.  We can give them a glimpse of what can be instead of being the person that says "you can't".  What an awesome duty...and I know we are up to the task.  If not the people who've been told "you can't" than whom?

Enjoy your Memorial Day and I look forward to seeing everyone Tuesday!

                                                                                                                                   - Angela

Week of May 29-June 2, 2017

Monday, May 29

• Memorial Day: No School
  
• Parent Survey Closes
• Student Placement Survey Opens

Tuesday, May 30

• PLCs are cancelled. Please use this time to complete EOY Checklist
• It's A Wrap! Potluck in relaxation lounge from 11:00-12:30 PM
• EOG Pep Rally at 2 PM (please see email from Mr. Thomas for details)
• Mandatory EOG Mtg in Cafe from 3:30-4:30
• Pay Day!
• Grunden and Adams iReady

Wednesday, May 31

• EOG (Math)
• All EOY Activities for students instead of AWARDS DAY to Hill via email
• No Arts Classes
• MTSS EOY Mtg 3:30-4:30 in Cafe

Thursday, June 1

•  EOG (Reading)
• No Arts Classes

Friday, June 2

• EOG (Science-5th Grade Only)
• No Arts Classes

You Do Not Have To Be Everyone's Anchor

Have you ever heard that doctors make the worst patients?  Or that preacher's kids are the worst behaving kids to be found?  How about people that give advice are the worst at taking that same advice?

The advice I am sharing with you is something I would like all of you to take and I am going to take it as well.  You can't take care of your students if you don't take care of yourself.  You need to put on your oxygen mask first.  Dr. Candy Caine shared mindfulness with you at the beginning of the year and some of us listened and began practicing these skills from that day forward.  I, on the other hand, started strong but stopped around November and the stress has been building.  

Vivian Shih for NPR

So much that the physical affects of stress are beginning to take a toll and if this continues I am no good at school nor at home.  And I see that in some of you.  

Here are some strategies I borrowed from Scholasticthat might come in handy:

• Break down whatever you have to do into smaller tasks. If you have to tackle a beast, carve it into nibble-sized hors d'oeuvres.
   
• Think of things that make teaching fun for you - and do them!
   
• Deal openly with a colleague who has bothered or upset you before the situation festers.
   
• Try not to take things personally because often comments aren't meant to be digs.
   
• Stay in close touch with nature. Talk to classroom pets, take a class outdoors if weather and school policy permit it, open the windows at snack time, find a way to incorporate the change of seasons and nature walks into your curriculum.
   
• Make time during the school year for your hobbies. Don't wait for summer vacation.
   
• Apologize when you're wrong.
   
• Put a cartoon or photo that makes you laugh in you plan book or desk drawer and look at it when you need a boost.
   
• Take a walk during lunch, a planning period, or after school. During your walk, don't think about the things you have to do.
   
• Steer clear of the coffee pot in the faculty room. Too much caffeine can make you nervous and irritable.
   
• Keep in mind that no matter what colleagues, your principal, students, or parents think or say, you're basically a good teacher who can't please all the people all the time.
   
• Don't listen to the rumors that fly around the school.
   
• Give yourself permission to do absolutely nothing for five minutes a day — and not feel guilty about it.
   
• Just say no. Politely refuse to take on more projects than you can handle, even if a colleague, your principal, or a parent asks you to.
   
• Be grateful to have a meaningful job.

Another Strategy is to take a vacation and here is one courtesy of me. Enjoy!

Have an amazing Sunday! Take time for yourself and I'll see you tomorrow!

-Angela

Week of May 21, 2017

Monday, May 22

• iReady Testing: Lee and Griggs
• Food Drive Begins (See flyer that was in your box last week)
• PD Scheduled for Cafe at 3:30 has been cancelled

Tuesday, May 23

• iReady Testing: Russ and Pearsall
• PLC (RtI Focus)
• 8:30-9:30 5th,6th,7th
• 10-11 Kindergarten
• 12-1 1st/2nd
• 1-2 3rd/4th
• Challenge Island EOG Event 3:30-5:15 Grades 3rd-7th

Wednesday, May 24

• TCEA Buy One, Get One Free Bookfair Begins 
• Open 7:30-7:50 and 3:00-4:00
• Admin Meeting 9:00-10:00
• iReady Testing: Magan/ Hagler and DeNoble (Bowermaster)
• School Leaders Meeting at 3:30 in Cafe 

Thursday, May 25

• iReady Catch Up Day
• Dr. Holmes Visit: My former assistant superintendent will be doing walk through in some classrooms to guide leadership planning for the coming year.  Please continue teaching if we visit your space.  Let me know if you have any questions.
• Book IT EOY Reward for 2nd-5th at 2:00 in cafe (List of qualify students will be sent to you via email on 5/21/17 and a letter to their parents tomorrow)

Friday, May 26

• Field Day at Festival Park (K-3= 12:30-2:00 and 4-7= 10:00-12:00)
• Please read all emails from Mr. Thomas to be informed
• No Arts nor Elective Classes
• Boot Camp Ends!

Why We Do What We Do

I was sent a FB message earlier this week inviting me to speak at our of my former teacher's surprise retirement party, after teaching 40 years.  To say that I am honored is an understatement! This lady has been a part of my life since meeting her in a French classroom way back at Triton High School in 1995.  Now, if you know Ms. Peregoy please....PLEASE...do not tell her about this party...her sons will never forgive me. I felt like I had to use her name to make this story real. Ok, so now to the story since I have made my disclaimer.

I have always been a dreamer and a romantic (I am in recovery for the romantic part).  Anyway, where else would you find romance and dreams than in France so that is why I signed up for French in High School.  Now, you all know me.  You all know I have problems pronouncing words in English so you have to imagine the HOT MESS I was in French Class.  I could dissect sentences with the best and could comprehend what was being said but speaking it...Lord, bless!

But this lady...this lady has the patience of Job and as Evangeline (my French Class Name) struggled she smiled, encouraged and supported.  She pushed me to embrace the language and to not give up.  She did what good teachers do...she made me curious about the language and culture and I began to think I could do the impossible.  I always tell her that I was her worst student but she denies it (she also has what good teachers have...a short memory).

Ms. Brenda Peregoy was also my Journalism teacher and THAT is where I bloomed.  I have always been opinionated (can you imagine?!?) but now I could get my opinions out to the entire student body.  She pushed me to investigate and inquire.  She supported me when I went in on a group of popular kids who immaturely interrupted a presentation on diversity at one of our assemblies and the backlash for my commentary was mean.  She also told me I was beautiful when society and the 90's culture portrayed their version of beauty and I was NOT it😊

She did this for me and for thousands of students that have walked the halls of Triton High School.  I can not remember much of my French Classes but I DO remember how she made me feel.  How she still supports me and checks up on me and my family and tells me how proud she is of me on FB.  She also works alongside my husband so she's looking after him as well.

Please don't think that I am saying what we teach isn't important...it definitely is.  But the way we make our students feel can begin the process of students feeling as if they can learn what we are tecahing.  It is also what they walk away with after our time with them is done.

It took a life-threatening condition to jolt chemistry teacher Ramsey Musallam out of ten years of "pseudo-teaching" to understand the true role of the educator: to cultivate curiosity. In a fun and personal talk, Musallam gives 3 rules to spark imagination and learning, and get students excited about how the world works. Please take 6 minutes to hear from this educator about our true role as educators.  Have an amazing day and see everyone tomorrow.

Week of May 15-19, 2017

Monday, May 15

• Hill out at District MTSS Mtg 9:30-2:00
• Committee Mtg. at 3;30 in Cafe
• SIT Mtg at 3:30 (Leadership) in Cafe
• TCEA Board Mtg in Music Room at 5:15 

Tuesday, May 16

• PRESENT TO EOG BUDDIES (End IS Block 7) at 2 PM
• PLC (SST Focus)
• 8:30-9:30: 5th, 6th, 7th
• 10-11: Kindergarten
• 12-1: 1st/2nd
• 1-2: 3rd/4th

Wednesday, May 17

• Hill out at Legislature Day 7:30-3:00PM
• BT Mtg at 3:30 in Cafe' (don't forget your reflection projects)

Thursday, May 18

• Weekly Admin Mtg at 8:45
• UNCP Visit at 2:00 PM
• FEO Mtg at 3:30 PM
• Middle School Elective Night (Dance and Drama- 6:30-8:00)

Friday, May 19

• Field Day at Festival Park

Change Is A Process

A few years ago, I was introduced to W. Edwards Deming.  William Edwards Deming was an American engineer, statistician, professor, author, lecturer, and management consultant.  Our professional development was focused on management and how his work in the auto world can relate to the work principal do in schools.  After hearing some of his thoughts and discovering his work on the PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) plan, I became a fan.  One of my favorite quotes by Deming is below.

That is so true.  If you can't describe what you are doing you really don't know what you're doing.  If students can not explain the why behind their answer choices then they TRULY do not know the what.  That is one of the reasons why our EOG Parent event on May 23rd, for students in 3rd-7th grades, will be focused on students teaching their parents what they have learned during Boot Camp.


Now, this quote can also relate to us as educators.  If we can't describe what we are doing in our building, then we are in the dark as well.  One process that we will be undertaking next school year is the transition from RtI to MTSS.  RtI can be described as:

"... the practice of providing effective instruction and intervention across three tiers to all students. Assessment, progress monitoring, and data-driven decision making are all components of successful RtI implementation. The hope is to reduce the number of students being referred to Special Ed and to provide research and evidence-based, high quality instruction in all tiers. "

MTSS is more comprehensive and actually encompasses RtI and more.  Here are a few details on how it differs from RtI.

• MTSS addresses academic as well as the social, emotional, and behavioral development of children from early childhood to graduation. 

• MTSS provides multiple levels of support for all learners (struggling through advanced).

• MTSS aligns resources and support for students receiving instruction AND for teachers and other support staff who are delivering the instruction.

• MTSS framework is an educational systems change paradigm continuously focused on overall school improvement that is sustainable.

• MTSS models strive to ensure that practices, policies, and programs are aligned on classroom, school, and district levels.

• MTSS benefits from continued support for teachers in delivering instruction, utilizing and developing effective curriculum, administering assessment, and using data to guide instruction. 

• MTSS requires a greater focus on collaboration between general education and special education within each school as well as between the school and the district office. 

• MTSS also includes a focus on intervention but has a stronger goal of prevention than perhaps RtI does. 

• MTSS is more likely to produce professional development that is aligned across school and district settings. 

• MTSS requires that teachers, administrators, district personnel, and student support specialists change the way that they have traditionally worked together to include a more collaborative and cohesive culture. 

You can also look at the pictures of the two processes to identify the differences between the two processes.

RtI (Response to Intervention)

MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support)

 MTSS will call on the adults in the building to look at what we do to see how it is impacting our students.  This can be painful and hard...but we can do it together.  MTSS is a process and everything does not need to be crystal clear right now. 

What does need to be clear is that what happens at TCEA needs to be a process understood for all.  By deciding to work at TCEA, you have committed to seeing education differently than most of the other educators in NC.  You believe that all students can learn through the integration of the arts with core curriculum.  This process is much harded than the other educators that plan instruction for their students.  When each of the plan, you have to know the curriculum and then think of the best art form to incorporate to reach your diverse learners and then create a plan to successfully merge the two to create one meaningful lesson.  I know this process is hard but it is what we do at TCEA. Change is a process and I know that the processes we have developed this year has moved us closer to our ultimate goal of being the school that gives all our students the education they deserve while creating an environment where we (students and staff) inquire, innovate, imagine, and inspire.

Thanks to each of you that have been a part of the process of change at TCEA!

- Angela

Week of May 7-12, 2017

Reading 3D EOY Assessments Begin

Monday, May 8

• SIT Mtg in Cafe' at 3:30 (all staff come to discuss HW from last week's blog for first 10 minutes)

Tuesday, May 9

• 3rd and 4th Grade Field Trip to Botantical Gardens
• PLCs (Review Roster Verification and EOY Check Out)
• 5th, 6th, 7th 8:30-9:30
• Kindergarten 10-11
• 1st and 2nd 12-1
• 3rd and 4th 1-2
• Support Staff 2-2:45

Wednesday, May 10

• Admin Mtg 1-2:15

Thursday, May 11

• Hill out at Spring Federal Program Update in Jacksonville 7:00-2 PM

Friday, May 12

• Hill Leaves at 2 PM (please turn in Bootcamp Assessment to my box before then)