This is my forth post in a series of posts for the "#CBCSD Blogging Challenge" in our district. 

The Challenge: During the month of November, teachers, administrators, counselors, superintendents, curriculum directors, janitors, activities directors, coaches... everyone, is invited to participate in a blogging challenge. We want to create a culture in Council Bluffs that emphasizes and honors being reflective and sharing. And, we want to use the tools at our disposal to model for our students and our community what a modern reflective professional, thinker, and life-long learner looks like.

The best thing about teaching my grade level/subject is…

Well, let's start with a little bit of history. When I was being interviewed at the district's offices, the one question that really flustered me was, "Who do you want to teach?" I'm pretty sure I misunderstood the question because my response was something like:

Um, well. I want to teach each kid individually, but make sure the whole group understands. I don't want to have any previous knowledge about a child because I want to make my own decisions based on how they are with me. I should probably know some of their interests because that's important, but I'm not sure if they will, like [note: I despise 'like' as a fill-word because of my high school English teacher], like me.

By then, I'm pretty sure I was visibly sweating.

Right now, my answer is without a doubt, high school students. It's as easy as that. I had a few experiences teaching the younger kids as a substitute and a long-term sub (in another district), and I just don't have the guts, the smarts, or the energy (at every minute of every day) to keep up with some of those young kids. 

AND I HAVE TWO YOUNG KIDS MYSELF!

The work and energy that the primary teachers gives is amazing to me. I see some of their work on social media (and through blogs) and from reports from other teachers I know. It's not that I'm lazy [another note: any district employee reading this, I'm not lazy], but the amount that they do is above and beyond going above and beyond.

Now, because of the narcissist that I am, back to me. I'm able to do a lot of great things with the awesome kids that I have. A lot of that is because of their natural maturity and ability to take direction. And with those kids that really excel, we're able to make great things happen for my elective classes that sheds light on all sorts of ongoings happening in our school.

As recently as this past Monday in my Graduate class, we were talking about relationship building in the classroom. A few pieces to add: I am the only male of 14 students (and prof); I am one of two secondary teachers; it's a class I only took because it fit my schedule and my adviser allowed me to use it as an elective. I tell you this because I've become the default answer-giver to all questions high school... and male.

So when the question was posed to me with regards to how important relationships are, I had an answer similar to what was above (oh, and I've talked about it in my previous post, Changing Classroom Management into Classroom Relationships). I'm able to have a working relationship that is different than other "core" teachers because I'm "just an elective" teacher; and for whatever reason, students take my lead when I tell them that my courses are more of a job than a class. I've worked hard for that "whatever reason."

My broadcast kids interviewing a broadcast alum for an episode of our weekly newscast. The relationships helped this happen.

And when I heard that it is (obviously) a little harder to get those same types of relationships with elementary students... I felt a little bad.

So the short answer is the relationships.

Oh, and high schoolers usually get my humor. That helps.

This is my third post in a series of posts for the "#CBCSD Blogging Challenge" in our district. 

The Challenge: During the month of November, teachers, administrators, counselors, superintendents, curriculum directors, janitors, activities directors, coaches... everyone, is invited to participate in a blogging challenge. We want to create a culture in Council Bluffs that emphasizes and honors being reflective and sharing. And, we want to use the tools at our disposal to model for our students and our community what a modern reflective professional, thinker, and life-long learner looks like.

There is a hashtag on Twitter called #PartyLikeAJournalist and, while I'm no longer a paid journalist but a journalism teacher, I still relate. Take five minutes, it's worth it (if you're into self-deprecating humor, and the sad reality of the harsh work conditions of an average reporter). 

The prompt for this post of the CBCSD Blogging Challenge was "My Desk Drawer," which is pretty self-explanatory. So, for all of it's glory on this date of November 6, 2014, my desk and drawers:

This is my desk, and I would consider this a clean-ish day. 

A couple of things you may have noticed:

• My trinkets/toys/bobbles. I need a shelf.
• The newspaper. Always there.
• The cameras in my lockable drawer.
• The food. Hidden throughout. It's like finding a little surprise.
• A Safety shirt. It's Safety Day tomorrow.

A couple of things you may not have noticed:

• A living cactus.
• Waldo.
• An iMac.

Each thing on my desk has a purpose. And, for the most part, I know where everything is. If I know I'm going to be gone, I will straighten things up for the sub. That just means I pile everything a little neater.

So I end this post with a question: what is a good rate to pay a personal assistant to clean this up?

Share your desk photos in the Comments below, or share what the weirdest thing is on your desk.

This is my second post in a series of posts for the "#CBCSD Blogging Challenge" in our district. 

The Challenge: During the month of November, teachers, administrators, counselors, superintendents, curriculum directors, janitors, activities directors, coaches... everyone, is invited to participate in a blogging challenge. We want to create a culture in Council Bluffs that emphasizes and honors being reflective and sharing. And, we want to use the tools at our disposal to model for our students and our community what a modern reflective professional, thinker, and life-long learner looks like.

My favorite EdTech tool is video, and this is how I use it:
- Writing prompts
- Informational
- Professional Development
- Introduction to a topic
- Animation
 - Presentations (think PowerPoint, but with video)

In the day of technology that we're in, especially in education, some tend to forget that a moving picture can capture the interest of a student in the way other media can't.

One of my favorite writing prompt starters when we work on Opinion Articles in Intro to Journalism.

And if you use video correctly, students tend to have a greater understanding of your content.

One of the points I make in my presentation "Effective Use of Video in the Classroom" at area conferences, is that planning is important. (Hey, that sounds familiar.) Here are some ideas when planning to use a video in your classroom:

• Preview the video
• Just a few seconds can spark your whole discussion

• Start a KWL before video

• Have students fill out a Google Form while watching

You can even do work during the video depending on the students you have, and the intended purpose of the video.

If you want more information, tips, or tricks from my presentation - of course, it's not everything because you should never read directly from a presentation ;) - I have linked to it here:

Effective Use of Video in the Classroom

Let me know in the comments if you have video ideas you've used that work and you'd like to share!

This is my first post in a series of posts for the "#CBCSD Blogging Challenge" in our district. 

The Challenge: During the month of November, teachers, administrators, counselors, superintendents, curriculum directors, janitors, activities directors, coaches... everyone, is invited to participate in a blogging challenge. We want to create a culture in Council Bluffs that emphasizes and honors being reflective and sharing. And, we want to use the tools at our disposal to model for our students and our community what a modern reflective professional, thinker, and life-long learner looks like.


I am in my 6th full year of teaching at Thomas Jefferson in Council Bluffs, IA. I student-taught in the fall of 2008 at Underwood High School, then subbed for about a semester (a majority of that time as a long-term at TJ). It was a busy year. But boy, I had no idea what was coming for my first year as a teacher on my own. 

This was me (far right, polo) on my last day of student teaching an Eng 9 class at Underwood HS. Photo by my co-op teacher Shelley Brown.

But, as the saying goes (I'm paraphrasing because I don't actually remember the wording): Teaching is the one profession that gets easier as you go. The first few years are the hardest, and then you find your stride. That is, unless everything changes after those first few years. So, to make things easier for my first-year teaching self, here are 10 pieces of advice:

1. Hang on. No really. It will go really, really fast. Try to get as much information as you can. But don't fret on things you may have missed.

2. Plan, then over plan. It helps to know where you're going.

3. Work with other teachers. Even out-of-content teachers. I was really lucky to have a wonderful co-op teacher help me getting started with what teaching was like. Then I was able to be paired with the perfect teacher at TJ on 9th grade team (it's you Haney!) and she showed me the ropes of content and organization. Then, throughout the years, other teachers have shown me how to manage my classroom even more efficiently than I did.

4. Get to know every administrative assistant and custodian as soon as possible. The nurse is also good to know. But these people keep the building alive. They have a tough job, so get to know them. They will help you and you will help them.

5. Reflect. It doesn't matter how you reflect. You could do a blog, Tweet nightly, *gasp* write in a journal. Reflect on how your day went right, and wrong, and what you can do to be better. This will also help you do #2 better.

6. Work with parents. I wish I did more of this in the beginning. It would be easier for me now. Not that I don't work well with parents, but I don't have my time managed accordingly for parental contact.

7. Keep a calendar. I started doing this way too late. I now have my Google calendar synced with my iPhone. I (try to) keep school work separate from personal stuff (like putting a dentist appointment in my school calendar), but sometimes they overlap. It's worth the time investment to learn the calendar.

8. Put in the work. Every job I've ever had, from dish washer to radio DJ, I've started from the bottom of the totem pole. It's worth it to do all of the work, because it will create a more well-rounded person.

9. Don't be afraid. Of students. Of administrators. Of Parents. They're all just people. If you act professionally, responsibly, and respectfully you will be heard and treated fairly. And don't be afraid of learning! Continually change. Be fluid. Don't become static, and don't settle.

Twin Day for Homecoming Week 2014. 

10. Enjoy it. Teaching really is a wonderful job. Don't get caught up in all of the paperwork or politics. You're there to help students realize their potential. It's a great and wonderful profession.

Oh, and as a bonus. You get to be goofy, sometimes, too.

This post was written throughout the school day - as time permitted - and at the beginning of our trimester conference that started at 4pm. 

A little background: I feel the relationship between a teacher and student is the premier goal and vital in the success to the student's growth. With that, it doesn't mean a teacher has to be the friend, but there has to be a mutual respect and understanding in order to facilitate that learning process.

Hopefully, I'm able to get my students to push themselves in a way that has nothing to do with pure journalism, but as a learner in general because of the relationship I've built as a teacher. The negative connotation that "management" seems to bring is that I should make kids do what I want, make them learn, if they don't then I need to manage them by modifying behavior.

A good foundation keeps a building standing longer.

Side note (again, often in this blog): right at this very moment, one of my foreign exchange students is using Face-Time to talk with her dad about school and classes in general. 

Guten tag Herr Thron!

It's through our relationship that I know talking to her dad means more to her at this moment than helping to edit the yearbook page for corrections (get this: English spelling and punctuation). It's been three weeks since she's talked to him (let alone Face-Time).

This is where the old term "Classroom Management" may come into question. Isn't that a distraction to the classroom? Yes and no. This particular class is an elective, yearbook. Because of this, students are working at different places and times. I often refer to my journalism classes not as "regular school" but jobs. Students have something specific to do; it's all (attention: buzzwords coming) authentic and differentiated. So the opportunity arose, and my yearbook students took a photo of my student and her father on Face-Time to go into the yearbook (opportunity seized): photo titled, "Reconnecting."

She is very happy to "see" her father.

As educators, we know that Abraham Maslow (1968) suggested that in order for students to become productive learners, they must have their basic needs met first (the hierarchy of learning) through five steps leading to self-actualization. *If you didn't know that, you will. I'd say my student's 20 minutes with her father counts in the "Belonging" category.

In 2007, as I was getting my Post-Baccalaureate teaching certification, one of my tasks was to write a 10-page paper. *I truly despise requiring a superficial number of pages for papers I assign. So I don't assign number of pages, we just use the rubric to makes sure content requirements are fulfilled. I suggested that, "to build a relationship is to build trust and confidence while pushing the student to become more successful than they may think possible." *Yes, it's weird citing my own paper. Also, After re-reading the whole paper, I was very naive  I have learned more in the past year of being a teacher than I ever did going through pedagogy classes.

If we get to know our students, as more than just test scores or seating charts, we can then know how to push them to get their best. And don't forget, it's not just you knowing them - it's getting the students to know you. My students in particular, are very adept to technology. As a 1:1 school, I don't take a lot of time to teach the tool any more, and that is a great benefit because that allows me more time to get to know my students, and vice versa.

Today was also one of my favorite lessons for my Introduction to Journalism students, a personal profile story about me. I'm not (completely) narcissistic, but this task allows me to assess information gathering from students, and I know the background information they find without needing to double check it. And, for the most part, I know if kids are misquoting their source.

But in reality, it gives the students a chance to ask me any question they want, find personal information on me (through my wife's blog or this one), and see photos of me when I was their age. I'm not afraid or ashamed of anything that's online of me (I leave a relatively good digital footprint). And it's the first step of the kids seeing that I am more than just a teacher. It's the first step of building a relationship. Now that I've been teaching for five years, and I've had my kids throughout Intro and into the advanced classes, I'm able to connect with them, and they with me.

My students are more able to connect technologically as well, and I believe this is why we need to change the term classroom management to classroom relationships. Students can contact me through school-based accounts via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and school email. In fact, when I'm at home sick (i.e. yesterday), I'm still able to give tasks, answer questions, and help with different aspects of the classroom as if I haven't left (although, I don't always prefer it).

It's important to be able to connect enough to have a student walk in to conferences, after being away from high school for four years, and tell you how good he's doing with his new job at a theater and how he remembers your class in particular because you were "so hard because you made me do work." This literally just happened (I feel very lucky as I'm writing this post to have all of these things just happen).

Oh, and apparently I am currently the profile photo for four of my senior's twitter pages. The narcissist in me is okay with that.