Reflections on the Inaugural #totallyrossome

Whenever something new begins, there is a period of adjustment. There are nerves. There is insecurity. When I decided to create a new edchat based on being totally committed to what it is we do (whatever that means), all these things were there. I have developed a solid PLN on Twitter, and I know when I have questions or need advice, these folks are there for me. When I floated the idea of an edchat that focused on giving your all, they were there with support.

When I asked my first question at the start of the chat, it felt like days before the first reply came in. Sure enough, it was one of my #edufam. From that close knit group of educators upon whom I have come to count.

"Well, at least one person came," I thought. If nothing else, I can count on them. I don't need to say who they are. They know.

Then someone else responded. Then came another. And another. Out of nowhere, #totallyrossome was a live edchat, complete with participants!

When the dust settled, and the hour was up, we had nearly 300 Tweets from 18 participants. I had an idea for a conversation, but it took all of you to make it a discussion, and for that, I humbly thank you all.

I hope you are able to join us next week for #totallyrossome. It's on Tuesday nights at 10:00 PM EST, and it's a great group of teachers, administrators, and parents.

Announcing #totallyrossome: A Look at Being All In

image credit: http://www.idiom.co/improve-customer-relationships-and-roi-with-customer-segmentation/

Abraham Lincoln is credited as saying "Whatever you are, be a good one."

It's a fantastic quote. It speaks to how educators live their lives. In education, we spend our time playing a balancing game. We want to be all of it. We're teachers, mentors, bookkeepers, managers, standardized-test administrators and scorers, parents, surrogate parents, counselors, taxi drivers, delivery men and women. There's the home, the school, the classroom, and our online, connected ed arena. We want to be all of it, and we want those around us to know that we are all these things for them. It's the giving nature of educators committed to helping others. Many seek to find the balance in their lives that will keep all them as happy as possible while letting down those who inhabit the various arenas as little as possible. Trying to be good.

In high school, I had a friend whose parents were splitting up after 21 years of marriage. Her mother said to us one afternoon over homework and Oreos, "In a relationship, it can't be 50/50. You've got to be willing to give 100% of yourself."

And there's the rub. From the mouth of a woman whose life felt like it was falling apart and a conversation that took nearly two decades to ruminate. It's about a commitment to what we want to be. If we really want to wear each of those hats, and we want to wear them well, we can't look for the balance of ourselves. We have to look inside of us for the ability to commit to the ideal that whatever it is we're being at whatever time it happens to be, we're going to be the best that that we can.

With this in mind, #totallyrossome is borne. Each Tuesday, at 10 PM EST, 7 PST, we're going to talk about committing to being totally in. Whatever "in" means at the moment. Whatever "in" calls for. It's about focus on the tasks that make each of us educators. And parents. And colleagues. And friends - you get it.

For our inaugural chat, Tuesday, July 28, we'll be talking about summer preparation.

Some links and things to get your thinking underway for the first #totallyrossome:

• What have you already done this summer to get ready for the upcoming school year?
• With some schools around the US getting ready to start, have you completed your goals for summer preparation?
• What haven't you been able to accomplish this summer in preparation?
• What keeps you from achieving your full list of to-do's?
• How can you commit to preparing for the school year in the summer you have left?
• The Myth of Having Summers Off by Heather Wolpert-Gawron 
• Year-Round Schooling: How It Effects Teachers by Matthew Lynch
• Top 10 To Do's for Teachers During Summer Vacation by Melissa Kelly (Always love top 10 lists for their insistence that they've cracked the code.)

I'll see you Tuesday night, and you know I'll be totally in.

The Inquisition or #slowchated Pops the Questions

image credit: http://myplacers.com/2014/01/6-lessons-from-comics-on-preparing-for-interviews/dilbert-interview/

In the paper recently, there was a job posting for a physical education teacher for grades in a nearby, suburban high school. With a little inside information, I learned that there were 178 applicants for the position. Now let's assume your online service answers fit the right algorithm, you are a connected educator with the right connection, your resume has that perfect combination of professionalism and sparkly innovation, and your cover letter struck the right tone. Assuming all these things, let's also assume you made the list of the 30 or so hopefuls to get called for an interview. (For those of us who don't immediately see the math here, that's less than 17% of all applicants.)

Well, now what?

That's what this week's #slowchated sought to discuss. The interview. How do we prepare? What kind of questions can you expect? What kind of questions shouldn't you expect? And what kind of questions should you ask? Put it all together, and this group of teachers and administrators has painted a vivid, realistic look at what you should expect when interviewing.

To recap some of the high points, participants were asked to comment on the following areas:

Preparation:

The extra-prepared

A1: Do mock interviews w/colleagues & get HONEST feedback on your overall vibe/message. Spew idea-junk & refine/polish the gems. #slowchated
— Eric Saibel (@ecsaibel) July 14, 2014

The seat-of-pants flyers

A1 I am a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of girl-haven't prepared too much in past, believe my love&knowledge of T shows #slowchated
— Kory Graham (@tritonkory) July 14, 2014

And those focused on the important things

A1:Make sure there is no food in my teeth and my breath is fresh. Eye contact. Ask interviewer questions, express desire for job #slowchated
— Seena Rich (@SeenaRich) July 14, 2014

Favorite question:

Specific situations

A2: I love to hear abt a specific struggle & specific success w a S. The look on his/her face says it all. #slowchated
— Catina Haugen (@chaugen) July 15, 2014

Relationships

#slowchated A2 Discipline plan. Bc I love talking about the way I build relationships in class, and the positive reinforcement stuff I do.
— Doug Robertson (@TheWeirdTeacher) July 15, 2014

Philosophy

A2) #Slowchated I always hope for this one: What is your philosophy of education? I answer thusly: http://t.co/SJmR2JDrQt
— Jeffrey Farley (@FarleyJeffrey) July 15, 2014

Least favorite question:

Weak!

a3 i mean really what do u want me to say about my weaknesses? am i gonna make myself look bad? or should i say im perfect? #slowchated
— Justin schleider (@SchleiderJustin) July 16, 2014

Management system!

A3: 1/2 I hate the classroom mgmt ? I don't have a system, points, rewards, etc. I do my best to make my teaching engaging. #slowchated
— Kevin Ashworth (@SLOlifeKevin) July 16, 2014

Choose your words!

A3 How do you DEAL with diversity? Im sorry what do you mean deal with? If you will excuse me I need to not be here anymore #slowchated
— Brian (@btcostello05) July 16, 2014

Strangest question:

Scary strange

#slowchated A4 "I see here you've put 2nd as your 2nd choice. Don't you find the smaller students are...less likely to talk to you?" 1/2
— Doug Robertson (@TheWeirdTeacher) July 17, 2014

#slowchated A4 2/2 DID YOU JUST ASK ME IF I SCARE LITTLE KIDS!?! Ha! I said no, the littler ones actually get me. They can see the weird.
— Doug Robertson (@TheWeirdTeacher) July 17, 2014

Awkward strange

A4: "If we asked ___ about you, what would she say?" "I... I don't know, I'm not ___." #slowchated
— Samantha Bates (@sjsbates) July 18, 2014

Borderline illegal-consult-your-HR-rep strange

A4 T friend of mine was asked 'Why aren't you retiring? You're old enough.' #slowchated
— Barbara Larochelle (@BarbLarochelle) July 17, 2014

Best advice:

First date

+A5: - 1st interview = 1st date, keep it short, sweet, memorable, not too many details - you are interviewing the employer! #slowchated
— Manan Shah (@shahlock) July 18, 2014

Confidence

A5 always end with a mic drop, or ghost mic drop #slowchated
— Brian (@btcostello05) July 18, 2014

Details

@sjsbates #slowchated A5 Don't say f*ck Don't say f*ck Don't say f*ck Don't say f*ck Don't say f*ck Don't say f*ck Don't say f*ck
— Doug Robertson (@TheWeirdTeacher) July 18, 2014

You should ask:

Collaboration?

A6 What's it like to work at your school? Is there a lot of collaboration? How would you describe the school's "feel/vibe"? #slowchated
— Kory Graham (@tritonkory) July 19, 2014

The turn-it-around

A6) #SlowChatED Qs for interviewers: What is YOUR philosophy of ed? Describe your implementation of RtI. What tech will be available?
— Jeffrey Farley (@FarleyJeffrey) July 19, 2014

Baked goods

A6 1) What might standout regarding the culture of learning in your schools? 2) How plentiful is staffroom baking? #slowchated
— Robin Dubiel (@RobinDubiel) July 19, 2014

Well, there you have it. Taking a look at how the #slowchated crew views the interview process may just give you the tools you need to nail your next one. Be sure about your philosophy and yourself. Understand the importance of the relationships you're developing - they have the potential to really drive your students' achievement as well as reduce the amount of time you spend managing the classroom behaviors.

You are in the business of impacting the growth of students. Let your interviews be a forum in which you scream your devotion to that end.

My #slowchated About Hiring and Being Hired

Many colleagues are involved in various levels of the hiring process this week. Either it's a second interview, a job offer that is actually being considered rather than jumped upon, or resumes being sent out en masse, and there are lots of emotions attached.

I need a job.

I need to fill this job before summer starts.

I need this job.

I need to get away from my old job.

Am I qualified?

Is this candidate a match for our program?

Am I overqualified?

Why is this person leaving their district after so many years?

Am I too young/too old?

They're too old/young to meet the needs of our students.

And new applicants have this over their heads:

This week for #slowchated, I want to reflect on all of our experiences in the process. There's a lot to consider here. We've all been on this spectrum at some point, and our experiences together spin a yarn that will be of value to someone who is trying to find a job, keep a job, or even leave a job.

The questions this week will be able to be answered from both sides of the table.  The job seeker and the potential employer will find they have a voice here. Hopefully together, we can get a look at how we all approach that table.

Maybe after we have this conversation, our interviews won't have to end like this Monty Python bit:

The questions:
Monday, July 14, 2014 - Q1: Whether you're interviewer or interviewee, how do you prepare?
Tuesday, July 15, 2014 - Q2: What question do you hope will be asked in an interview? How would you answer?
Wednesday, July 16, 2014 - Q3: What is the one question you hope WILL NOT be asked in an interview? How would you answer?
Thursday, July 17, 2014 - Q4: What is the strangest question you've ever been asked in an interview? How did you answer?
Friday, July 17, 2014 - Q5: What advice were you given that you couldn't live without in the hiring process?
Saturday, July 18, 2014 - Q6: Potential employers ask "Do you have any questions for us?" What question do/will you ask?

Start From Where You Are

In a classic example of country sensibility, 1988's Funny Farm depicted down-home rural folk interacting with city folk.

Now, it's important to let you know that I grew up in Vermont. To really define it, I grew up in Funny Farm. Parents of schoolmates were extras in the movie. Local restaurants still have pictures hanging of when the film crew came in for lunch. When those rascally kids cut down the Redbud sign? My friend Adam lived at the end of that street. I still have family there, and I like to think that I still have a lot of there in me (despite my father's claims to the contrary).

I know people exactly like that farmer. There are things locals say up there that I don't hear a lot where I live now. When I went out to the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York for college, I was shamed into losing one of the more versatile words in my parlance - wicked. And for a time, I was wicked upset about it.

One of the more common utterances from the land of my birth (Maine claims it as their own, but I've never been to Maine, and I heard it often in my youth) is:

image credit: http://www.pinterest.com/libbynzeus/maine-humor/

Or, more simply: You can't get there from here.

It's an interesting notion. The impossibility of being able to move to a different place simply because of where one is currently. It speaks to comfort. It also speaks to complacency. It speaks to the hesitation in all of us to face change. And it shows possibly the worst parts of ourselves when we ask those around us to accept that here is where you are, and here is where you should stay.

Arthur Ashe said "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." That's what I want to be, and that's what I want for those with whom I work.

Look at your department. Your staff. Your colleagues. Yourself. How much willingness is there to start that journey toward something new?

"Start where you are." Kory Graham (@korytellers) asked a question recently about feeling like she wasn't getting to those people around her. She wasn't inspiring them the way she felt she impacted those in her PLN. And the only thing she can really do is to get started. The journey can't start until that step is taken. As you get started, you're going to have people tell you that you can't get there from here, but don't forget that those people need to start from where they are too.

"Use what you have." Those of us who are connected feel like we have extra tools in our belt. After all, it's not just me supporting my efforts. It's my entire PLN. We're formidable. I find myself looking at those educators who don't connect through a confused eye. I think to myself, "Self, there's a person who wants to impact students' lives for the better, and he's not getting it done because he's unwilling to use all the tools that he could have." In the meantime, I'll use my tools to reach him; to make him understand that it can be better; to help him become better.

"Do what you can." This is what educators do. We do what we can to help every student. The problem that we face in trying to get these educators on board for their own improvement is that there are too many of them who think of what they can't. They can't create a website, they can't DO Twitter, they can't find the time. Only when we empower ourselves to live with "I can" will we realize that we can make a difference.

So you can get there from here. Now get out there and get started.

The Top 5 Members of My PLN Who Make My Job Easier

Inspired by Craig Kemp's (@mrkempnz) recent post: Who Are 5 People Online That Make Your Life Easier?, I set out to answer that question for myself.

Craig is a connected educator I've interacted with on many an occasion through Twitter. Well, that may be a bit of an understatement. The truth is that Craig is an educator living in Singapore. Well, he's an educator from New Zealand living in Singapore. Add to that the fact that he regularly engages in Twitter chats happening here in the US. (For those of you who are to this point unaware, New Zealand is not conveniently located in one of the many time zones that comprise the US. They're actually 16 hours ahead of us here on the East Coast, and nearly a full day ahead of our friends in Hawaii.)

He's a great thinker, a worthwhile educator with whom to connect, and a gentleman. (He thanks each of his followers for connecting - a practice which I try to uphold, yet always find excuses for why I fail.)  I enjoy that I've "met" Craig. His writings both in tweet form and blog form are generally thoughtful and promote teachers reflecting on what they do. His most recent post has clearly given me pause.

image credit: http://livingcivil.com/a-helping-hand/

So my five? It's hard to limit to just five, really. They're amazing people. They probably know who they are. I know I can count on them if I get stuck with a problem professionally. They have the resources, the know-how, and the accessibility to lend a hand when I get stuck. I feel like they're just on the same wavelength, and when it comes to taking full advantage of being a connected educator - my five are the reason I choose to stay connected when so many of my colleagues are still willing to say "I don't put myself out there online."

Those colleagues have limited themselves to the people they see on a daily basis. Those people need to think hard to come up with 5 people who help them. I needed to whittle down my list to get to the 5 most helpful. They've taught me to connect, they've taught me to lead, and they've taught me how to ask for help in ways I never imagined needing. I continue to choose connectivity, and I wouldn't be half the educator I am without my five.

And PS - I'm not actually going to tell you who my five are. This is my big takeaway from Craig's piece. They're mine. I have crafted my PLN to be what I need it to be, and that is not going to match up with anyone else's needs.  I can't tell you what your needs are. You need to take some time and determine your own five and how they've impacted your growth. It's a growth process.

And PPS - thanks for the inspiration, Craig.