The 2010 Kansas Teacher of the Year is...

All previous Kansas Teachers of the Year in attendance pose for a picture with Karen Tritt, 2010 KTOY (sitting front and center)

Karen Tritt!!!! Karen is a Spanish teacher at Shawnee Mission West High School and will represent teachers across our state for the next year. The journey she, and the 2010 KTOY Team, begins today is life-changing in so many ways. As my team met with the "new" team, I was overcome with emotion. The opportunities, experiences, and friendships that I have had the past year is hard to put into words. Trying to communicate what the year will be like for them was difficult.

What I am feeling can best be summed up by the lyrics to the song "For Good" (from the musical Wicked):

(Elphaba) I'm limited
Just look at me - I'm limited
And just look at you
You can do all I couldn't do,
So now it's up to you
For both of us - now it's up to you...

(Glinda) I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

(Elphaba) It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good.



TA-DAAAA....The 2009 KTOY Team saying Goodbye!
We have all been "changed for the better."

Change Happens the Moment You Ask the Right Question

It is my assistant superintendent, Dayna Richardson's favorite quote. She repeats it to me often and when I least expect it, I can hear her voice in my head repeating it to me. Usually this is talking about policy, coaching teacher leaders, or how we can affect change in our school system. As with everything, what is true in teaching adults is also true for teaching students. When I went through the process of getting National Board Certified four years ago, I discovered how important proper questioning is. It is something most teachers know but "knowing" and "doing" are two different things. This become clear to me last week teaching geometry.

It was one of those busy days during seminar. I had students in making up tests and was trying to help about 12 students in 4 different courses (geometry, calculus, college algebra, and algebra 2). I was running crazily from one student to another - feeling like I was helping no one. One of those students was a geometry student who was currently not passing my geometry class - I will call her Gina for privacy. Gina was sort of in the mode I was in...let's hurry and get this done. It is times like this that I fall back into poor teaching. I was asking poorly worded questions - just trying to make sure she "got the right answer." While working on triangle congruencey proofs, I asked Gina, "Now, Gina, do you see any SIDES they share?" duh...what do you think she was going to answer? You got it. She said "yes." So I immediately ask, "Do you remember what property says a segment is congruent to itself?" When she hesitated, instead of waiting or encouraging her to look it up, I gave her the answer. (insert moan here). I walked to the next student, helping with problems and then returned to Gina. When I checked on her, she had written the following step in the proof:

Angle ABC is congruent to Angle AEC by the Reflective Property.

WOW...Alarms were sounding everywhere. If you are a math teacher you just heard them. Gina had some definite gaps in learning here. First of all, she didn't know the difference between sides and angles. Secondly, there is no Reflective Property - it is the Reflexive Property. Thirdly, even if she misspelled the property, the angles weren't even the same angle. I finally stopped rushing. I sat down and began asking questions.

What is the difference between a side and an angle?
Can you explain the difference between the Reflexive Property and the Reflective Property that you put down?
What do you think the Reflexive Property says? (it says a segment or angle is congruent to itself)
What do you think the Reflective Property says? (yes, there isn't a Reflective Property- just wondering what her thinking was here)

It is the last question that was the "right question." Gina explained that any two objects that reflect onto each other are congruent by the "Reflective Property." After more listening, I realized she thought that because when I explained the Reflexive Property, I used something like this, "Reflexive sort of sounds like reflective and that is a good way to remember it since what you see in the mirror is a reflection of the same image." I learned today that I will not be explaining that way again. I learned to slow down and ask questions that engage the learner...not just expedite the learning process.

Change really does happen the moment you ask the right question....and sometimes that change is you!

The Gray Area in Education

The past week I have been struggling with a couple philosophical issues in education. As I travel and speak to future educators, they bring to mind how I viewed education and what it would be like to be a teacher. In my first years of teaching, I relied heavily on set policy and procedures and rules. The rules gave me a sense of confidence - something to fall back on when I didn't know what to do or how to handle a situation. As I have gotten a "few years" into my career, I have come to realize that I am not as big a fan of rules and policy as I used to be. I have found there is a lot - and I mean a TON- of gray area for me in education. I view each student as a separate person, with their own issues, talents, and disabilities. What is fair for one student may not be quite so fair for another when taken into account the economic status, ability level, or age. Does fair mean equal? What happens when policy conflicts with what I think is good for a student? Where is the balance between upholding policy and doing what is right for a student? It is a daily struggle for me as I try to find that fulcrum. I am going to give you some scenarios I have dealt with just the past week. I won't tell you what I did....or what the outcome is...well, not yet anyway. If you are a teacher, future teacher, administrator, or parent, what would you do? What is fair? Do the consequences fit the infraction? These may test your philosophy a little. I would love to hear from you all and what you think. For those that know me and the school I teach at, not all these come from my school.

Where is your fulcrum?

Scenario One
The middle school has a policy of keeping 15 7th graders and 15 8th graders on the basketball team. There are 2 coaches to handle the 30 kids and limited gym space so cuts will have to be made. What if only sixteen 7th graders go out? Should the school cut only one student? At what point do we do more harm than good? What if there were seventeen 7th graders out? Can we keep two extras? Would it matter to you that only eight 8th graders went out? Since not as many 8th graders went out should more 7th graders be kept? When do you draw the line? OR does a line need to be drawn at all? Many middle schools do not cut. What is your middle school philosophy? How do you balance supervision, quality practice time with letting students get exercise and feel part of a team?

Scenario Two
A student cheated on a chapter test. Policy says I give the student a zero. His grade was a C but if I give him a zero, he will fail the 9 weeks and become ineligible to play football at a time when playoffs are starting. Should he be allowed to take a different test? What if he was given an F on the retake but not a zero? The 50% would still allow him to pass with a D. Should he just get the retake grade without a deduction? What is "fair" for this student?

Scenario Three
A student plagiarized a paragraph from a project that made up the majority of the first quarter grade in English. Policy says the student will get a zero on the entire project. If he gets a zero, he has mathematically eliminated himself from passing the semester of senior English. He will not graduate. So what do you do? It was made clear that any plagiarizing would result in a zero. Is copying a paragraph deserving of not graduating? Where do you draw the line?

Every day all over the United States, teachers and administrators make decisions like the ones above that affect students. Sometimes lessons are learned, sometimes students are emotionally harmed and sometimes it is the key moment in time to make an impact on a student life. Life and teaching is not black and white...there is a lot of gray. The older I get, that "gray" seems to be creeping in everywhere!!

Wichita State University

Five of us spelling out W-S-U!

The Team made our last official visit as the 2009 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team on Monday at Wichita State University. We did 3 different presentations for different groups. The first group was for the class "Introduction to Teaching" with Dr. Aagaard. This is a large class that explores what the profession is like for anyone who is considering majoring in education. After the class, we got a great tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright building from Dr. Alan Aagaard. I always learn something when I travel and this time I learned about Frank Lloyd Wright and his architecture (see below). Pretty Amazing!

The courtyard at Corbin Hall

After treating us to lunch, we presented to about 60 high school students from the Wichita area. I looked at this group and wondered which one of these students could be teaching my grandchildren in 15 years. That is a strange sensation!! I also have that sensation when I think about which students of mine will be taking care of me in a nursing home or in a hospital as I get older. I think I (and my grandchildren) are in very good hands.

Marilyn Fox, Manhattan, speaking to high school students.

We ended the day with 110 student teachers. Yes, you read that right...110 student teachers. Most of the group were elementary majors and we all encouraged them to add a middle school license such as math, ELL or science. They were engaged and energetic even after student teaching all day. I am not sure I would have the energy that they demonstrated after teaching all day to attend another hour of professional development.

The visit was definitely bitter sweet for me. It is always exciting to interact with future educators (and previous students!) but was sad that this will be our last time together presenting to colleges. Visiting the campuses all over the state has definitely been one of the best parts of our time serving as the 2009 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team.

Beth Hake, previous student and student teacher at WSU. She is so grown up!

Kansas State University - Hause Creativity (updated with Video)

The 3 KSU Grads showing our school spirit!!!

The KTOY Team visited the Kansas State University College of Education Thursday. Being a KSU graduate, it was so great "going home" again. A lot has changed since I have been there...a new parking garage, an updated library, a new football stadium...the list goes on and on. (I think I just showed by age there). However, the one thing that remains the same is the commitment of the College of Education to the students. Under the leadership of fantastic people like Dean Michael Holen and Associate Dean Janice Wissman, our future educators are getting quality preparation for their careers. Just one example of that is the Hause Creativity Lecture which is part of their Education Symposium.

The students giving us "crinkles" a little scarf advice!

The Team put quite a few hours of preparation and thought on how and what to say. "Lecturing" was not really an option, so we tried as best as we could to involve 500 students....yes that is right....500! Since the theme was "Creativity - Making Connections" we had a big job in front of us. We started with a definition of Creativity: "Randomness with a purpose." And then we were off and running! Marilyn microwaved soap, Walt threw old hamburgers at them and talked about Progressive Era, Mary brought up a student to speak to us in a foreign language for us to practice listening and what it must be like for ELL students, Julie was her creative self with her tool boxes, Mary Martha kept us in stitches using humor, Cindy Venard showed us how to use Quantum Learning and movement in class, I gave some activities to build class culture and relationships (it was fun watching students untangle themselves -they were great!), and Jennifer dazzled them with her rhythmic respites.

Jennifer rocks "the Hause!"

I am not sure who had more fun - the students or us! I even walked away with some "scarf tying" tips....I love TEACHING - I am always learning something from students! We were so jazzed from talking with the students, we stayed and visited with each other for another hour...and played around for quite some time!

Here we are playing around after the Symposium.

The Symposium is named after the late Dr. Richard Hause who was a professor at KSU. I had the privilege of meeting his family...and after meeting all of them - I truly hope we did his memory justice in our presentation. If he was anything like his amazing family, I would not want to disappoint him. It truly was an honor to meet so many people dedicated to providing the best possible preparation to a generation of future teachers. When I looked out on all of them, I know my future (I hope a distant future) grandchildren are in good hands. Speaking of being in good hands - pictured below are two previous students of mine who I hope someday will teach my grandchildren....Shelby Sasse and Ashley Regier.

Pearson Foundation

The STOY's take Manhattan - and our "namesake!"

Linda Smerge, Illinois, Derek Olson, Minnesota, and myself outside of Jersey Boys.

I arrived in New York City today - courtesy of the Pearson Foundation. They are sponsoring a digital workshop for all the STOY's this week. Since I have never been to New York City, I am definitely showing my "tourist" side. I was actually walking through Times Square taking pictures as I am walking. For anyone that has visited NYC, you probably are nodding right now knowing what I am talking about! We arrived at the Flatotel which is on 52nd and Broadway...WALKED to the Theatre District to Jersey Boys and then went to Carmine's for a supper sponsored by Pearson.

This week the STOY's have been collecting money to send home with the American Samoa TOY, Murali Gopalan. His island was hit by a tsunami the day after he arrived at the conference. We raised $1,250!! Pearson Foundation heard of our efforts at supper tonight and agreed to match what we had raised. We presented Murali $2,500 to take home with him to help with the the recovery.

Adam from Pearson Foundation presenting the money to Murali at supper tonight.

I am so lucky to be an educator. Not only are they the most giving, caring, and loving people you can possibly be associated with but we are surrounded by professionals like those at ETS and Pearson who support our efforts. Thank you, Pearson Foundation, for caring.

Educational Testing Service - Princeton, NJ

All the above pictures were taken at the Grounds for Sculpture

I have been in Princeton, NJ for the past two days at the Next Steps Conference at the Chauncey Conference Center. This is for all State Teachers of the Year and the last time we will all "officially" be together. ETS has been an unbelievable host to us and facilitating what Teacher Leadership, Teaching Leadership, and Learning Leadership looks like for each of us. It was a proud moment for me as ETS used some of the Teacher Leader Standards from Kansas in their presentation. After listening to different speakers, I have had to answer tough questions in my "home room" with Mary Beth Blegen (NTOY 1996)on what my Next Steps are as KTOY. What is a teacher leader? How can I help my principal? What are my dreams? What are my goals? Where do I go from here? These are NOT easy questions for me or for most of my STOY friends. I DO have goals and dreams and visions of what education should/can/could look like in the state of Kansas but not sure what role I will play in all of it - if any. I would love to see the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network grow and be used as a resource for policy makers. I think it would be great if a teacher served on our State Board of Education as a resource. I dream of the day when EVERYONE put children first.

This has been a time of reflection and goal setting for me. I am not sure yet what all those goals hold as I am still just worried about making sure a student who hasn't been doing well in my class gets caught up...and then there is the student that can't get back into their home to get books and belongings. I have yet to get the whole story about it and am worried about them. It is hard to think long-range when I have so many other things to think about!

I have been learning though from some great people at ETS...Jeremy Burrus, Associate Research Scientist, Kurt Landgraf, President and CEO of ETS, Katherine Bassett, Director of Educator Relations, and Eleanor Horne, VP of ETS Social Investment Fund. We have also heard from 5 previous National Teachers of the Year, who have been guiding us all through this journey. We even had a surprise visit from the editor of Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul, Amy Newmark and CEO of Chicken Soup, William J. Rouhana -also her husband! (pictured at left) Every 2009 STOY is contributing to the next edition of the book due out in February. She even brought the book cover to share with us.

This evening we took a tour of Grounds for Sculpture and ate at Rats Restaurant. The place is amazing! J. Seward Johnson has his studio there (which we got to tour). I wish I could explain all the art I saw but there was SO MUCH that I can't do it justice. The restaurant on the Grounds, Rats, was conceived from J. Seward Johnson's vision. He wanted visitors to feel like they have stepped into a village of French impressionist Claude Monet's town of Giverny. It is simply beautiful. We didn't just eat...it was a 5 course meal - complete with different wines to complement the course being served. AMAZING!

And - for those wondering if I had any cheesecake....the answer is YES! Just since being here I have had 4 slices of cheesecake! (pictured left is 2 of them - pumpkin cheesecake and apple cheesecake)

I am going to end with my favorite quote from today:

"We don't see things as they are, we see things the way WE are."

Meet the 2010 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team

This weekend was suspenseful, exciting, and inspiring for me. I had the privilege of attending the four regional Teacher of the Year banquets in our state. Every district TOY was honored for their excellence in teaching. In our state there were 91 teachers honored! Fifty-four school districts participated by nominating either an elementary or secondary teacher or one of both. I find it infuriating that more districts didn't participate. I would like to have about 30 minutes with all administrators explaining why they should participate but since they won't give it to me, I am going to shake my finger at them and say "SHAME ON YOU!" Administrators - listen up!! Teachers seldom get recognition, appreciation, or the opportunity to be treated like a professional. The Teacher of the Year program does just that AND MORE. It gives teacher leaders a network with the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN), free professional development through the KSDE, and opens doors that will improve their instruction. So -if you are a district reading my blog and didn't participates, PLEASE participate next year. Teachers all over the state are willing and waiting. In this critical time in education, we need to empower all the teachers we can and get "Teachers to The Table" on issues. Now, on to the exciting weekend!

Joan Moore (McPherson) and Jeline Harclerode (Emporia)

Cathy Durano and Tracey Repp both of Andover


Beth Slawson (Paola) and Arthur Commons (Baxter Springs)

YET TO BE POSTED: Pics of Region 3 - Check back again soon.

Listening to every district teacher's bio was humbling and once again, I wondered, "How in the world did I get named last year?" It is exactly how the 2010 Finalists feel I am sure. My response to them (and to me when I am talking to myself) is simple. EVERY teacher is someone's teacher of the year...the finalists are just their spokesperson - they are to become ALL of our voice, our advocate, our children's advocate, and our representation at different events all over the state. I would like to introduce the 2010 Teacher of the Year Finalists. If you know them (or even if you don't), shoot them an email to congratulate them. It is an exciting time!!

All district TOY's will be invited to a conference in November when the 2010 Kansas Teacher of the Year will be named - I challenged them all to attend and accept the opportunity before them. I hope to see everyone there!

Overextended?

I messed up today (Sunday). I could make a ton of excuses, blame others, or lie about it but the reality is I forgot and I have no one to blame. Here is what happened. An amazing young lady asked me to be her sponsor for the National Honor Society induction ceremony and I was honored to say "Yes!" The ceremony was this afternoon and I forgot about it. Everyone did their part to remind me. For example, the NHS sponsor put reminders in our mailboxes on Friday - only I never left my room Friday to go get my mail. I was gone two days this week and was scrambling on Friday. If you are a teacher, you know what I am talking about. I had students in during my plan, graded over lunch, and students in after school - and even a previous graduate getting help with Calculus 2. But those are just excuses....I have more if you need them but it is time to own up to what happened...I forgot and I am sorry. When I got "the call" wondering where I was at, I felt like a train had hit me. I let Emily down. It is awful disappointing students. I have done it before and will probably do it again but am going to try very hard not to! Things like this cause me to lose sleep. Part of me wanted to call and tell Emily I got sick, had a flat tire, or some other lie because it is hard to admit to mistakes. But this is just another opportunity to model what I expect of students every day: tell the truth, ask for forgiveness if needed, and move on.

It does make me reevaluate things though. Am I over-extended? Have I committed to too many things? My plate is pretty full right now. I have said "yes" to a lot of committees and volunteer positions. Just last week, I volunteered to be a room mom for my son's classroom. What am I thinking? I can't even seem to keep my own classroom organized and I am going to help out with someone elses? Tomorrow after school I have 4 meetings - at the same time! I am going to the one I get "paid for" but once again I wonder what I am doing. I am missing a meeting for my son's Scout troop for it. Every teacher goes through this. At some point during the school year, we have to step back and evaluate our priorities. It is soooo hard. I think of my students as my own children and often they are put ahead of my own two boys. Is it right? I don't know. I can guarantee most teachers have done it though. Coaches do it on a daily basis...principals do it daily...and most teachers do too. However, it is pretty cool to be a part of a profession that is dedicated to caring for our youth. Everything I am doing, I love. I have had a great many opportunities this year and have not regretted saying yes to any of them. Actually, I have found that I regret most the things I choose NOT to do - I seldom regret the things I do. So although I am overextended, and my plate is running over, and I have let Emily down, I think I will continue to say "yes" - life is for living, right??!!! (Feel free to insert an "Amen!" here)

So, back to Emily. She forgave me for missing her NHS induction ceremony. Now - if I can only forgive myself.

President Obama's School Address

On September 8 (tomorrow) at 11:00 am (Kansas time), President Obama will make a speech addressing education and students. It is written for students and many schools across the United States will be airing it. This has caused great concern for many parents. I am so puzzled by this. Since when is it so awful to show a speech by our own President? I have read the speech and there is nothing in there that contains some sort of secret codes that will forever alter the political choices of our next generation. It is a President - encouraging teachers and students - to value education and never give up learning. What a concept! What would parents have thought back when President Roosevelt gave his Fireside Chats?
But even if parents are concerned about the political agenda that they think is going to be conveyed, what about the educational value of listening to all different viewpoints, different speeches, and analyzing them? Think of the educational discussion that could result from listening to all different speeches, discussing any political motivation, comparing/contrasting styles, or even what the underlying message could be? I wish EVERYONE would use their position and power to encourage learning, support education, and believe in our future generation - our STUDENTS!
I urge you to read the speech below and see what you think- really think about it. Is it a message that is inappropriate coming from the leader of the free nation? I, for one, love his message. I found myself reading it and saying, "YES!" out loud to it. The part about asking for help, never giving up, dreaming, failing, and trying again is awesome. Now, I must admit, I am not showing this speech in my math class as it didn't work out in my plans and the curriculum flow, but I am taping it and may show it at a later date. I see a lot of value in showing it in a speech class, a government class, a political science class, or a history class. I will be showing it to my own children and hope to have a great discussion following it.

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today. I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning. I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning. Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster." So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year. Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility. I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox. I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve. But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide. Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team. And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it. And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future. You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy. We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country. Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork. I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in. So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse. But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country. Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right. But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying. Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America. Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez. I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall. And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college. Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same. That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter. Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things. But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try. That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying. No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals. And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country. The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best. It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other. So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country? Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

Let The Madness Begin....

WELCOME BACK!!!

I presented to Augusta in the beautiful Augusta Theatre.

My mom (I wonder sometimes if she is the only one who reads my blog) asked me why I hadn't posted anything lately. I laughed out loud at that...anyone who teaches knows this is a crazy time of year. I did have the amazing opportunity to kick-off the year with Augusta, Buhler, and Flinthills districts. It is so much fun being around educators and school personnel this time of year. We are like kids in a candy store!!! We are nervous, anxious, excited, and salivating to get back into action! Thank you to all the districts that asked me to be a part of their year. I always take away more energy than I leave...so thanks! (the Buhler district is pictured to the left).

Teachers are so busy getting rooms ready, getting copies sent off, preparing lesson plans, thinking of engaging first day activities, and doing paperwork, that we often forget to eat! But the past few years, it seems even busier - is that possible? I keep thinking, "I have been doing this for almost 20 years - how can I not be ready for students?" But I figured out the difference today. Ok, to be honest, my colleague figured it out but I am taking credit for it! The technology adds so much to our plate. Yes, it saves us some work, and totally engages students, but it is still another thing at the beginning of the year to work with. We worked on setting up our Moodle accounts, getting passwords, authentication codes, scheduling laptops, adding printers to computers so we can print, getting KanEd log-ins, learning student emails, adding software to use clickers, learning how to use a SmartBoard....do you get the idea? No longer do teachers just need to "get their room ready." We are now trying to stay ahead with technology too. It is challenging and we need tons of support. I am lucky. My district has two Technology Integration Specialists (see their blogs on the right) who encourage, push, and prod teachers to embrace technology. And anyone who works with technology knows there are always "issues" to deal with. I had a student teacher come observe me the past few days and he commented, "Wow...I have a lot to learn. We didn't have all this technology when I went to school here." That was 4 years ago!!!Buhler teachers listening to the United Way presentation - we are Pace Setters this year!

But the question remains in my mind. ...Where is the balance? One parent thought his son couldn't use his iPod graphing calculator app (he can) because we recommended purchasing a graphing calculator. It is a strange position to be in for high school teachers. Yes, we want students to use all the technology available to them. Yes, the iPod app costs like $1 compared to a $100 calculator. BUT, what happens if we let them use the iPod and the student doesn't know how to use the graphing calculator? The iPods are not allowed on high stakes assessments like the ACT, SAT, AP Calculus exams, or even the state assessments. We want the student to be successful. So, until the exams catch up with the technology available, we will continue letting students use iPods but also expect them to know how to use the calculator.

Technology is amazing. I now have a Moodle account, a Twitter account, a Plurk account, a blog, and a Facebook account. All this technology and I still prefer to talk to someone face to face. I even prefer actually phone calls to texts (gasp!). I keep wondering how anyone can keep up with all the different types of updates (and still TEACH). So,until I can master all of them at once, I think I will just use my Facebook updates to stay in contact with my friends.....and my blog!

USD 501 Topeka Public School

A group from McCarter tailgating!

I was invited to help kick off the school year for Topeka USD 501 and it was me that felt energized from the 2300 people I spoke to! I arrived at Hummer Sports Park and wondered if I was there for a K-State football game...there were groups tailgating, a band playing, and the National Guard was shooting t-shirts into the air! This district knows how to "rev up" their staff!!! It was so festive with schools dressing in their school colors, holding signs, and balloons. I realize every district has their own traditions and culture and Topeka's tradition was awesome. They drew 7 names for a "day off" with their administrators covering their class for a day - what a really cool idea.

The four students who helped in my presentation - they rocked!

It was extra special for me as there were more Buhler connections as Dr. Stephen Burkholder (his dad was a superintendent at Buhler- and a legend in my district) is the Executive Director of Instruction and was on stage with me. Two previous students were in the audience which made it even more meaningful. Dr. Kevin Singer made me feel so unbelievable welcome and spent a couple hours of his valuable time with me sharing his amazing life experiences. If you ever have the opportunity to ask him about his life, you should. He is one of those people that can redefine "coincidence" or "fate." He was very involved in In The Shadow of the Blade and has promised me a copy - I may hold him to it!

I know something as big as today was doesn't happen without someone really working extra time coordinating it all. Ron Harbaugh was the MIC - that is "man in charge" of it all. He helped me tremendously and even found some students to help me with my presentation. He, too, made me feel at home in Topeka. The students did a great job - I was so impressed they sat in front of that many people and spoke...that is definitely a growing experience! If you want to check out the news coverage from WIBW click here.

When I looked out at all those people knowing the power to influence our future children each of them holds, it gave me goose bumps. USD 501 has 13,500 students that are going to be entering their buildings next week. Think about that for a minute....that is a lot of students with a lot of needs, expectations, goals, and dreams. Getting to know each student's story was my challenge to them. Because once you know their story, you have to do something about it.

Buhler grads teaching in Topeka: Michael Knapp and Demitris Reed-Sawatsky