The focus of my Kenan Fellowship was the creation of a ELA unit grounded in science-based text. When considering how my unit was created and how it was received by students in the classroom, I would consider it to be quite a success. As with any unit, I have made refinements, tweaked particular lessons, and made modifications to activities after implementation in my classroom. Overall, I feel the unit was productive and that my students enjoyed the time spent working with the selected materials and completing the planned activities.

In considering how the unit might be used across the state and nation, I am humbled to think that one of my creations might become a tool for other teachers to use for instruction. When writing the unit, my goal was to create a quality piece that integrated ELA Common Core Standards with Essential Standards in Science, all while maintaining a focus on quality literature. I believe that I achieved this goal and have created a unit that can certainly be used by NC teachers and other teachers across the country as well.

As an avid technology user, I found the Lenovo tablet another valuable tool for my students and I to use in daily classroom activities. We quickly learned the “bells and whistles” of the tablet, and in no time at all, my students were off and running, using the tablet in a variety of ways.

We’ve used the tablet to record many of our daily classroom activities. We’ve taken it on field trips to explore colonial life and examine native animals in our ecosystem. We’ve used it to record special events at school, including “Mad Scientist” day in our classroom. Students have completed research using the tablet, used it to for stop motion films, and completed blog posts. In all, the Lenovo tablet has been a welcome tool in our classroom and I look forward to using it with many more future students.

In a word, excitement…..that is what has developed from my creation of the unit for the Kenan Program. This excitement has developed in many ways, in my students, colleagues, administrator, and myself. Excitement for what we are learning in class, how lessons are written, activities that are planned…..what once may have been looked upon as a tedious activity is now looked upon with a new perspective.

My students display this excitement as we prepare for new activities. Prior to the use of the Kenan unit, my students had never been overly excited about poetry. It was hard, confusing, boring…all complaints I heard over the years. I chose to incorporate poetry into my Kenan unit, and to the wonderment of my students, they actually enjoyed (and understood) it!

My colleagues were excited to learn of my selection as a Kenan fellow and anticipated the unit I would produce. Sharing my work allowed them to see what was expected of lessons using specific strategies targeted towards ELA Common Core standards. As a result, they have shared many lessons asking for advice on acceptable strategies to use in instruction.

My administrator was thrilled at my selection and pleased to see the different strategies I was using in my ELA lessons. She was especially pleased to know that this unit and some of the lessons would be videotaped to share with other teachers across the state.

Finally, I have been impacted through my work with the Kenan unit, not only in my planning but also in how I approach lessons. Specifically, I chose to incorporate poetry into the unit to attack my own feelings of inadequacy in teaching this genre. Through work with my DPI mentor, I have learned different approaches to teaching poetry and strengthened my overall teaching of ELA standards. I know this will benefit my current and future students!

Being selected for the Kenan Fellowship has provided opportunities to develop numerous partnerships….with my mentor, colleagues across the state, and other stakeholders in the educational process. The partnerships I have developed have positively impacted, and will certainly continue to influence the daily occurrences in my classroom. Working together to make education better for all students is the foundation of all of the partnerships I have created during this fellowship.

Working with my mentor has been especially fulfilling, as this partnership has allowed me to dialogue with an individual who works with teachers across the state. Building upon her expertise in ELA, I have continued to improve and expand upon my lessons in the classroom. She has provided me with advice, resources, and encouragement throughout the process.

Partnerships created with other educators across the state has increased my network of “people resources.” When I have specific concerns or questions about units of study, I have an even larger group of experts upon which I can call for assistance. Each Kenan Fellow possesses such extraordinarily amazing talents and all with whom I have worked have been incredible resources and inspirations.

Finally, this experience has allowed me to create partnerships with other stakeholders in education. Receiving the Kenan fellowship has placed a spotlight on my classroom. As a result, we have been blessed with many visitors, anxious to see what is happening in our classroom. I am happy to note that many of the stakeholders have made positive contributions to our classroom, with the donation of their time to volunteer, purchase of resources for student use, and share of their expertise in specific curricular areas.

As one can see, partnerships are the cornerstone of the Kenan experience. I am especially grateful for the partnerships I have developed during this process, as it has improved the educational experience of all students in my classroom. Thank you!

After making my final trip to Raleigh (aside from the spring celebration yet to come), I find myself experiencing a bit of sadness at the realization that my fellowship time will soon come to an end. However, I celebrate the wonderful things that came from this time.

(1) The time spent with other like-minded professionals working to do great things for students across North Carolina was priceless.

(2) Knowing that other educators across our state share a similar passion for making learning exciting and engaging for students gives me hope that the future is bright for education in our state.

(3) Sharing materials, resources, and knowledge for use in the classroom from educators who have used them with great success was extremely useful.

(4) Hearing from educational leaders across our state and participating in dialogue with these individuals provided another chance for our voices to be heard….and appreciated.

(5) Forming friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime….inside and outside the classroom.

Most of all, I appreciate the time spent creating quality professional development sessions for our participation. Each day provided a well-planned mixture of activities designed to raise our awareness of educational practices and increase our supply of teaching strategies and resources. This experience has been refreshing and just what I needed after nineteen years in the classroom. I feel motivated to continue making my classroom a quality learning environment for my current and future students. Thank you to everyone involved in making the Kenan experience incredible!

What good can come of social media in the classroom? Lots, if you ask my fourth grade students!

Today’s classroom is filled with a new generation of students. They come to school ready to be engaged technologically. As teachers, we are looked upon to provide inspiration and encouragement in using technological tools. However, many school districts are now limiting the very sources that teachers have found most appealing to their students.

Fortunately, my district recognizes the need to engage students in multiple ways using technology. Although we are discouraged from using Facebook to communicate with students and/or parents, we are encouraged to use Twitter as a means of communication. I find this to be an excellent way to make quick comments about our day or encourage families to explore a particular web site or video.

Using social media in the classroom shouldn’t be avoided. Rather it should be used professionally and responsibly to promote learning for all students.

“It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.”           ~Albert Einstein

What will the new school year bring? As a result of my involvement with the Kenan Fellows, I am certain that this year will be full of two things….lots of learning opportunities for my students and lots of questions for me. Delving into the ELA standards and examining them with a fine-tooth comb has allowed me to come to a few conclusions:

(1) Some standards are not necessarily easy to interpret. They lead to more questions. Am I teaching this skill correctly? Will my students achieve mastery of this standard if I use one particular approach versus another? What is the best way to present our ELA standards to ensure student mastery?

(2) Not every lesson is a perfect lesson but something can be learned from every lesson. Although we’ve only been in school for five days, I’m already asking myself if the approaches and techniques I am using to present material and provide opportunities for students to explore the standards are the best. I find that I am questioning myself and my practice more than ever before.

(3) Sometimes asking questions is better than developing answers. As I examine how to prepare my students and ensure they attain the skills needed for fourth grade, I find that I am asking lots of questions, of my students and of myself. Why should we learn this skill? How will it help us in the future? When will we use this skill again? What is the best way to prepare students to use this skill? The questions go on and on and on….

However this year ends up I know for certain that I will be a better teacher because of the questions I am asking and the answers (or non-answers) I develop. I hope that I provide my students with the courage to ask questions of themselves and not be afraid of the answers. For me, the theme of my year is shaping up to be that sometimes the best questions are the most difficult to answer.

Happy new school year to all my fellow Fellows!

“Man’s mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

The students are coming! The students are coming! Yes, in just two short weeks, classrooms will be filled once more. Classrooms have been cleaned, organized and prepped, while teachers work to prepare lesson plans and activities for students. Soon the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, bright colors of new packs of crayons, and the squeak of new tennis shoes on freshly waxed floors will fill schools across NC. They really are coming back!

As teachers prepare to motivate all students under their charge, many find feelings of eagerness and excitement at the year ahead. I am one of the many teachers who are facing the new school year with a healthy anticipation of what my students will accomplish. I attribute much of this excitement to my work with my Kenan Fellows mentor this summer as I have planned and prepared ELA lessons to use with my 4th & 5th grade students.

No longer do I fear the Common Core; rather, I’ve developed a healthy respect for the rigors of the curriculum, particularly in the ELA area. As I have navigated through the curriculum, found connections across subject areas, and planned lessons that I believe are not only engaging but also challenging. I hope that the lessons and activities planned will stretch students’ minds and abilities in ways they have never imagined, helping all of us to learn and better ourselves along the way.

I have found a renewed feeling of excitement about teaching this year. I believe my students will greatly benefit from this positive outlook, as I work to make all lessons and activities in my classroom motivating and rigorous for all students.

Would I like a few more days by the pool? Yes, of course. But let’s be realistic,,,,I was usually reading curriculum documents or professional books while I was there anyway! Happy back to school everyone!

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“Recognizing that you are not where you want to be is a starting point to begin changing your life.” ~Deborah Day

It has never been easy for me to admit when I am wrong. To this day, I don’t like to make mistakes. Granted, I know I am far from perfect, but if I have some sort of control over a situation, I want things to be as right as possible.

That being said, I am a firm believer that nothing happens without a purpose. Good, bad, or ugly, every situation in which we are placed has a higher purpose. Often we fail to recognize that purpose until all is said and done, but everything happens to allow us to experience growth.

Writing my dissertation provided a big dose of humility for me. I had always prided myself as a decent writer. When charged with a writing task, I could produce a decent product. I had little experience with revising and editing my work until that experience. Though not always an easy pill to swallow, that work allowed me to identify my true strengths and weaknesses as a writer and work to improve the weakest areas.

Remember, all things happen for a reason. The Kenan opportunity was provided to me following my dissertation writing. Fresh off that humbling experience, I entered another. Having always thought of myself as having fairly good lesson and unit planning skills, I was surprised when I became flustered and uncertain when faced with creating an exemplar unit. It couldn’t be that hard…..this task I’ve completed countless times before. Yet, it was and is challenging. Because now this task is no longer just about my classroom and my students. Many other students and teachers will use what I create for their own practice. My planning has just graduated to a much larger scale. I really do have the ability to make a difference on a much larger scale than ever before.

My “aha” moment has been that realization. I have a huge responsibility, as we all do, to make learning and teaching better in NC. As Kenan Fellows we will all experience growth, professionally and personally, during our experience. Through that growth we will change and none of us will be the people we were when we started this journey. Are you ready for the change?

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” ~Leonardo da Vinci

Connecting my summer externship experience to life in the classroom will be an easy task, considering that my work is with the English Language Arts curriculum for my assigned grade. As I am gathering materials and creating a unit correlated with Common Core Standards, I find myself imagining how my students will respond to the activities and resources I plan to use. I know that, as with any new plans, there will be hurdles along the way; however, as I work closely with my mentor and colleagues who are also involved with the same fellowship, I know that I won’t stumble for long, as I have a wealth of resources from which to draw. I anticipate the creation of a unit that will be useable by teachers across the state, and even country, that connects ELA and Science curriculums for my grade.

I do have a confession to make….even though it’s early July, I’m excited about getting back to school and testing out my unit with a new crop of students! Imagine that….a teacher actually excited about going back to school. I only hope my students share in the excitement!

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