Hello East Naples Middle School

Since leaving Hixson Middle School in June, my workplace for 24 years, it has been a whirlwind. Selling two houses, moving across the country, beginning a new teaching job, buying a new home and settling in have kept me busy. Now it is time to take a deep breath. Phew!

East Naples Middle School

I didn't know what to expect at East Naples Middle School. After all, I was in my previous position for a long time and pretty much knew everything about the school and district that I needed. Webster Groves is a small district of about 4200 students. Here in Collier County, FL, the district has about 45,000 students. It is a big change to say the least. The teachers and administrators at ENMS were amazing. They work hard at building a team and welcoming everyone to the school. From the first day, I felt valued. That does not always happen. I know, through talking to other teachers, that often teachers feel marginalized from Day 1. Not at ENMS. Here the administration and other teachers want to help everyone develop into the best teacher they can possibly be.

Over the course of the first quarter, I have learned many of the ins and outs of the school program. I am no expert but I feel comfortable. There are many similarities between ENMS and Hixson. In both places, the kids are great, the class size is similar, the other teachers are amazing and there is enough autonomy for teachers that we can incorporate our own passions into the classroom. There are some differences too. ENMS is a Title 1 school and so access to the Internet and devices is spotty for the kids, our English classes are double blocks (3 classes for 90 minutes each), and we have a robust PBS program at ENMS. All in all, I feel lucky to have moved from one great school to another. I love what I do and love where I do it.

One of the things that keeps me passionate about teaching is beginning new projects for the kiddos. Right off the bat, I made sure that I could continue doing Genius Hour with the kids. Yep, sure can! We also continued our Teen Lit Review and our TLR Radio Podcast. Both are feathers in the cap of any school from which they originate. They showcase student learning for the world. On deck is a Digital Literary Magazine that we will launch this month. Who knows what other special projects we will come up with as the year goes on. That's what makes this job so cool. I love coming up with new projects that will enhance and showcase student learning. That's what gets me jazzed up about coming to work in the morning. What is new? What is out there on the horizon? What can we create? This is my passion. I love being in a place where I have the autonomy to pursue these endeavors and make them reality.

Goodbye Hixson. Goodbye Webster.

I don't think that many people can say that they loved going to work everyday. I can. Every day that I have spent at Hixson Middle School in the Webster Groves School District has been a pleasure. I love the kids, my colleagues, the climate of the district and the growth I've experienced. Webster has always been a district that encouraged teachers to take risks in the classroom and try new things if we think they will help kids learn. In that kind of environment, teacher autonomy is nurtured. It is empowering, meaningful, authentic work. It is the same work that we ask our kids to do. While it is time to move on, I cannot help but think that I am the teacher and person that I am today because of my time in Webster Groves. For this, I am eternally grateful.

Ten years ago, Melissa Hellwig and I started our journey together. We were a half team at Hixson and we became fast friends and work mates. We complemented each other well. My strengths were her weaknesses and her strengths were my weaknesses. Together we created a climate that was second to none for our kids at school. We think alike: kids come first, treat everyone well, advocate for what is best for all. I could not have asked for a better teaching partner and friend. She is the reason that I flung open my classroom door and shared more of what I, and we, did. She made me a better teacher and a better person. I owe a lot of my growth as an educator to her and I appreciate her as a teacher, colleague and friend. Our kids were so lucky to have had Melissa as their teacher. She is amazing.

Melissa is symbolic of the incredible talent in Webster Groves. Webster teachers are amazing. Going the extra mile for kids is the rule, not the exception. They are talented, caring, intelligent and compassionate people. When you work in an environment with teachers like that, you take on the best qualities of those people. It made me better.

Now I am moving on. I take with me the values of Webster Groves. I will continue my mission for children in the Collier County School District at East Naples Middle School. While I will never have another teaching partner and friend like Melissa, I know that because of my time in Webster I am better prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Thank you, Hixson. Thank you, Webster.

Making the Move

All good things must come to an end. This is my last year in the Webster Groves School District. I have been in the district for 24 years after spending four years teaching in other schools. Webster has been an amazing place to teach, learn and grow. I feel like I am who I am because of the amazing educators I've been able to work with in the district. Webster is as much a part of me as I am of it.

I am eligible to retire from teaching in Missouri this year. I decided to do so because, frankly, I hate winter. I have been planning a move south for quite a few years and now that the opportunity has presented itself, I am taking full advantage. Am I done teaching? Not even close. I feel that I still have a lot to give. I think that I am learning more now than I ever have before and I will seize on the opportunity to share that learning with others. Teaching is a life mission, not a job. It's not that I'm quitting teaching; I'm just taking my work to another place.

The other day, I had an interview with the Collier County Public School District in Naples, FL. Naples is where I am moving this summer. Winter does not go there. At the end of the interview, I was offered a contingency contract (contingent on passing a background check). The next step in the process is to interview with all of the principals who have open positions in my field. That is awesome! I get to move to a school in need and continue my mission in life.

I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to move to Naples and begin the next chapter of my teaching career there. I am very sad to leave Hixson Middle School and the Webster Groves School District, one of the top districts in the nation. However, this change is part of life's next great adventure. I am fortunate to be in a position to make this move and continue my passion for teaching and learning in a great school district like CCPS. I do indeed feel fortunate.

The Next Level of Classroom Collaboration

Recently, I had the opportunity to have an exchange with Ameir Abouelela about the role of collaboration in learning. I have always been a big believer in collaboration in classrooms and additional time for students to reflect, alone, on the fruits of that collaborative process. Often times, the act of bouncing ideas off of each other can generate lots of ideas but it is the quiet time afterwards that allows the students to process and use the results of the collaboration. The entire piece can be found at this link: The Next Level of Classroom Collaboration.

Cultivating Genius: The Book

When Melissa Hellwig and I give presentations and professional development sessions about 20% Time, Genius Hour and Project/Problem Based Learning, we usually have an curious and receptive crowd. We try to be thorough about WHY schools need to change to incorporate personalized learning and also show the template of our own program. Toward the end of our talk, we get questions about incorporating this philosophy into other situations and a call for more information on the subject. Most of the school districts where these teachers work do not provide any PD on 20% Time or PBL so these teachers are on their own to find relevant information. Teachers often want to be secure in what they are doing before taking that first step.

Because of the constant call for more information, I wrote Cultivating Genius: The Why and How of Creating a 20% Time Learning Environment. Last summer, I assembled all of the materials that Melissa and I created and wrote the book in two parts. The first part is the "why" of 20% Time. It explores what schools have traditionally been and why we need to change education. The second part of the book is the "how" of 20% Time. It represents a step-by-step template of our own program that teachers can use as a model. I included the forms that we created and use and I also explained how everything works during the course of the year. Melissa contributed to the book as well. I included a powerful blog post that she wrote and she also created many of the documents that appear in the book. It is our hope that this book can be a springboard for more teachers to embrace the 20% Time model and ignite the passion for learning in their students.

I'm Retiring

A few days ago, I sent my letter of retirement to my superintendent. I have been teaching in the Webster Groves School District for 24 years (since 1992) and in Missouri public schools for 28 years (since 1988). I have loved every minute of my time working in this district. I have found Webster Groves to be a district that pushes its teachers to be the best they can be, gives teachers the autonomy to develop and puts what's best for kids as its most important guiding principle. I recognize how lucky I have been to spend the bulk of my career with some of the most creative, professional and intelligent educators in the nation. 

Every year we get a new group of kids who come to us nervous and timid. Over the course of the year, as they learn that we value their uniquenesses and quirks, they get comfortable in the environment and grow as students and as people. They feel safe enough to be themselves and learn in the way that they learn best. Those nervous, timid kids that we had at the beginning of the school year leave us as confident, assured kids who have problem-solved, invented, created and learned. 

Am I ready to retire? NO! I still have a LOT of gas left in the tank. Why am I retiring? Well, I'm eligible and I hate winters. I have been planning a move to southwest Florida for the past ten years. I knew it would either be this year or next. Since I am eligible to retire from Missouri now, I plan to take my work to southwest Florida and continue teaching there. I believe that, at this point in my career, I am peaking. There are so many new adventures ahead of me and I would like to share the joy of learning with more students. Collier County Schools? Lee County Schools? I don't know right now, but over the next few months, that part of the equation will work itself out. For now, I am enjoying my last semester as a teacher in the Webster Groves School District preparing these kids for the future.