Teaching Ambassador Fellowship Applications Open!

Are you a teacher looking for an unparalleled opportunity to learn about education policy?  Are you interested in bringing the voice of the teacher to local, state and federal avenues and to also bring relevant information back to your local school and school district?  I was fortunate to participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s Teaching Ambassador Program over the 2008-2009 school year.  And over the last few years, the theme of ‘once a Fellow, always a Fellow’ has continued to open learning opportunities for me as a teacher, as well as the ongoing expectation that I continue to work on increasing the capacity and efficacy of teachers to be heard by our local leadership and institutions…and beyond.

Information about the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship and application information can be found here.  Do pass on the word to anyone you know who might be interested.  The application deadline for this year is February 22, 2012.

If you have any questions about the Fellowship or want to know more about my personal experiences with it, don’t hesitate to drop me a line.  As of this year, four BPS teachers have been a part of it–Steven Berbeco of Charlestown High School, Robert Baroz of the Curley School and Shakera Walker of Young Achievers Science and Mathematics Pilot School.  Robert is a current Classroom Fellow and Shakera is a current Washington Fellow.

Represent!

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Surprise Friend Visits Are the Best Visits

You know when you get those completely unexpected phone calls in the middle of your typical run-of-the-mill week days?  The kind of days that almost shamefully blend into each other in a whirl of what becomes the greater part of a lifetime? (Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic).

Still, how great to get such a call from one of my closest, childhood friends, who was in town the other day for a job interview.  And the chance to spend an evening catching up over dinner at my place, meeting my wife for the first time and otherwise recollecting all those instances of being cruel to animals, blowing things up with fireworks and siblings we angered.  (Righteously, of course).

Great to see you, M!  And best of luck on the outcome of the local interview.  Would be excellent to have you and your family close by!

A Visit From An Old And Best Friend

 

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Some Snow in the Southern Adirondacks

So we finally got a bit of snowfall today in the Boston area… with about 3-4 inches of accumulation over the course of the day.  Really lovely to see the white stuff fall so fully and fat-ly through the morning into mid afternoon.  And while it was good to make it out to the Saturday morning bootcamp class at the Y for the weekly Wendy butt-kicking, it was even better to spend the day puttering around and burrowing in at home.

Now all we need is to have one of these in the middle of the school week, right?

Over the previous weekend, Sarah and I were happy to join a few friends out in the southern Adirondacks for some indoor fire-building, magazine reading and chatting– with kitchen counters laden with food and playoff football turned on low.  Proud of you too, Sarah, for strapping on the cross country skis for the first time as well.  And while we had to bundle up pretty warmly for the a single-digit frigid day, we were rewarded with some pretty nice views at the Garnet Hill ski area.

Laptop Browsing Overload on that Side of the Living Room

Sarah on Snoeshoes at the Garnet Hill Ski Area

Peeling Birch Trees Along the Wintry Path

Coming upon a Garnet Mine for an Overlook

Awww... Six Months In!

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Bring on the Spring… in January?

Of Flesh and Flower at Forest Hills

How nice to get out for an afternoon walk with only a light vest– in the middle of January.  Mid 50s on a mid-January Saturday afternoon?  You have to be kidding me.

Refreshing to get a full dosage of fresh air though as we walked through many of the quiet paths in the Forest Hills cemetery.  Quiet spaces, contemplative places… and a break from the virtual TB ward / sounds of our place over the past few weeks or so.

We’ll get over these lingering coughs one of these days!

Quiet Searching for Hawks in Forest Hills Cemetery

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Thanksgiving, Christmas and into 2012

I’m not sure what it was, but the last few months have gone by in a condensed blur.  A really wonderful blur, but a bit too fast for me.  Maybe it’s most telling that up until a few days ago, I had yet to download pictures from Thanksgiving that I’ve been meaning to send out to family for over a month now.

(Sorry R… I’ll do better next time around!)

2011? That's about right...

But what a year.  From proposal, to wedding, to combining homes, to honeymoon to a fully shared holiday season.  It’s hard to imagine getting any fuller than 2011 was for us.  And I’m pretty sure that Sarah and I would say, perhaps only with the important exception of our own beginning months of hitched-ness, that the last few months of family meals, rollicking around with nephews and nieces have been the best part of all; multiple gatherings around trees, coffee tables, cookie dough in-the-making, ipads, and even holes in the ground (ah, the new digger/archaelogical experience).

Happy New Year and here’s to remembering 2011 and getting 2012 started off right!

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Will Never Look at the Honey Badger The Same Way Again

Pretty hilarious.  I think it’s safe to say that this guy isn’t replacing David Attenborough anytime soon, but I’m sure he could build up a pretty dedicated following.

“Oh my god, watch it dig.  Look at that digging…”

 

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Speaking at the White House / National Board Teacher Event

Sometimes it’s just good to be reminded about the importance of belonging to great communities of teachers.  And how fortunate, in addition to being connected to so many thoughtful and dedicated teachers in the Boston Public Schools, to also have access to nationally recognized ones through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and the Department of Education’s Teaching Ambassador Program.

As Close As I Got This Time Around to the Big Guys

So by some strange and fortunate twist of fate, with less than a week of lead time, I found out that I was invited to a joint White House and NBPTS event to honor a representative grouping of newly certified teachers… and to also sit on a panel with four other teachers and Secretary Duncan.  A pretty amazing opportunity.  So while it turns out that President Obama nor any of the “Four” as they were called (the President, Vice-President and their spouses) were able to attend, it was still a great event– a chance to meet the new NBPTS president Ron Thorpe and other new NBPTS staff, to reconnect and meet other Teaching Fellows at the Department of Education breakout sessions in the afternoon, and to meet other newly board certified teachers.

On the NBCT Panel with Secretary Duncan

It was even enjoyable to walk through the drizzly streets of the capital city among all these other anonymously suited (and heeled) Washingtonians and these stately, and impenetrable-looking federal buildings.  Something romantic about that exploration.  A combination of anonymous, umbrella clutching pedestrians driven forward with extra purpose under the dual weights of their destination and desire to get out of the rain, and the headlights of cars in traffic, refracting a bit more brightly through the falling rain and in the puddling streets.

Walking the DC Streets in Early December Rain

The White House On a Drizzly Evening

It almost makes you want to stick around a while longer, to imagine that it is possible to meaningfully add to the conversation about the future of the teaching profession, and to advocate for ways to get teacher-leaders to get to (or create) those tables of dialogue.  There’s still much to be done and without a doubt, barriers and challenges to overcome, but it was good to stay, if but for a moment or two, in the aura of possibility.

Here’s a link to the full video of the event.

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A Gathering of Fungi in the Classroom

Sometimes, it’s just bewildering to witness, and even more so to guide, the steady flow of students in and out of your classroom; especially at the middle school level where students are at the cusp of kid-hood and teenage-hood, and where in our city schools, they are often still lined up and accompanied to and from their various subject classes.  The kid-looking ones standing gauchely and mouse-like next to the larger, awkward pre-teen looking ones.  And all charmingly–well, sometimes charmingly–gangly, fast-talking and squirmy.

Imagine a Whole Lot of These Little Guys Pressing Against Your Door

Earlier this morning, Mr. _________ was speedily wrapping up his 6th class on competing groups in the Amazonian rainforest, spouting transitional messages (Don’t forget to put away your notebooks! and Remember what your group was doing when you come back next!) while herding them out to their class next door.  Simultaneously, at the other classroom entrance across the room, the 7th grade students from his upcoming class were practically pressing their faces against the door’s rectangular window, and then steadily pouring in.  This was his homeroom group that, as I learned earlier, had a great relationship with him.

Mr. __________ pivoted from the closing door and directed a general contemplation to the students coming in, organizing papers near the overhead projector without missing a beat.  A charming message rolled out with a smirk, a joking smile and a pretend tone of disappointment:

You guys are like a recurring fungus, you know?  You keep on coming back!

A number of students gave vague smiles and others seemed to ignore the comment completely, evidence that they’ve heard this kind of friendly, poking banter before.

I checked in with one girl settling into her seat next to me.

Did you hear what Mr. __________ just called you all?

She looked at me with a friendly and matter-of-fact tone, totally unruffled about being likened to the biological family of mycota.

Yeah…. he called us a fungus.

Cool.  As likable and open a group of fungi you might ever hope to get, I think.

***

ps.  A little bonus joke just because we’re on the theme:

So a mushroom walks into a bar and the bartender says “hey, you have to leave” and the mushroom says “why?, im a fungi!”

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Upcoming Dec 6th Superintendent + Teacher Share Event

In case you might have missed it, please do take advantage of the opportunity to talk with other teachers and Superintendent Johnson around your daily work and ideas for district-wide innovation/collaboration.  Sponsored by the Boston school district and Teach Plus, it’s a great chance to voice your ideas!

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Talk with Superintendent Carol Johnson during the Superintendent + Teacher Share event Tuesday, December 6th. At the event, teachers will have the chance to tell Dr. Johnson how BPS can best support effective teaching.

Superintendent and Teacher Share Opportunity

Last year as a result of these sessions, which focused on evaluation and PD, BPS heard what you had to say and made changes.

  • Cross Site Visits pilot initiative: An effort to encourage collaboration and learn from other teachers and schools by sharing best practices.
  • PD Evaluation tool in MLP: this new evaluation tool will allow the district to collect data and help identify and expand successful professional development and improve what’s not working well.
  • Professional Development Advisory Team: consisting of teachers, school leaders, and central office personnel, the team will help direct BPS’ professional development work.

RSVP today at www.mylearningplan.com and encourage friends and colleagues to attend with you.

This event is part of an ongoing discussion series with Dr. Johnson, save the date for February 7th and May 8th.  This series is co-sponsored and run by Boston Public Schools and Teach Plus. 

Upcoming Event Information:

Tuesday, December 6th

Madison Park High School Auditorium

4:30pm – 6:30pm

4:30 – 5:00pm Refreshments and time for networking with other teachers and district leaders

5:00 – 6:30pm Program

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Late Fall at the Appleton Farm Thanksgiving Festival

Can I tell you how glad I was to finally make the annual drive out to Western Massachusetts this past weekend?  Really glad…  Fall just isn’t the same without that weekend pilgrimage through apple country, meandering down Route 2 in good company, and ending up where you end up.

We were particularly glad to come across the Annual Thanksgiving Harvest Festival at Appleton Farms in Phillipston.  Good barbeque, farm store goods, Civil War reenactors and bare-limbed apple trees beckoning the coming winter season.  After a good half day at this fall gathering?  I guess I can say that I’m finally ready…

Local Kids Mashing Apples

Sarah Bearing some Confederate Arms

Can't Give Up the Eating Giant Pumpkin Shot

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