My second cup of coffee in hand, I headed to my office and pulled my To-Do list out from beneath a stack of books, notebooks, and papers with every intention of adding to it.

I mulled it over: syllabi to complete–high school and college editions; lessons to plan; phone calls to make; emails to send; seminars to attend; workshops to develop. And this didn’t even include my everyday tasks and errands such as groceries, laundry, appointments, catching up with friends, dinner. The list was never-ending. After all, that’s precisely why we have To-Do lists in the first place: because there will alway be things we have to do. They will always exist, evolving as our roles and responsibilities evolve, never leaving us to wonder, “Whatever will I do with my time?”

Today, though, as I contemplated the future of my To-Do list and what I might add to it, another thought crossed my mind. As you know, the onslaught of the Coronavirus Pandemic has brought the education world to a standstill of sorts. School leaders across the country and around the world have had to consider decision-making that could literally have life and death consequences for students, teachers, staff, and even the community at large. As a result of these decisions, classroom learning environments will change drastically this year for every student and every teacher in the country, despite whether they return to remote learning settings or to in-person classrooms in their traditional form. Either way, teachers and students will be faced with new challenges that include, for some, computer screens and internet connectivity as potential barriers to learning. Others will have to navigate the challenges of social distancing and face masks as deterrents to potentially life-threatening illness and, subsequently, to the loss of instructional time. Regardless of how we feel about these decisions, without a doubt, education has been turned on its head, and we cannot–we should not–approach it with the same old To-Do lists we have created for ourselves in the past. My thought? For the first time in a long time–maybe even for the first time ever–I have the chance to reimagine education for my students as they return to me this fall. This to-do list just won’t do.

With my morning epiphany in mind, I’d like for you to do a little exercise with me. You have a to-do list, right? I want us to put aside our To-Do lists and think about something else for a moment. We have been presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a new reality for our students as they re-enter our classrooms, virtually or otherwise. Now, I know we have to be realistic in understanding that the Pandemic did little to nothing to erase well-known issues in education. In fact, some of these issues have been greatly exacerbated by the arrival of COVID-19. Thankfully, though, many of our state and local school leaders have realized this, and grace has come in the form of elimination of certain standardized assessment types, smaller class sizes, adjusted schedules, and more. Obviously, these things were necessary to ensure safety and the continuation of education; however, with these things also came the smallest sense of liberation. The adjustments made will allow teachers the chance to restructure learning in ways that we haven’t been able to before. We have been given access to new forms of technology and more modern communication tools for connecting with our students. In some instances, we have been permitted to side-step programming and compliance practices in order to meet the needs of all of our learners. So, now that those already outdated To-Do Lists are out of the way, let’s consider the aforementioned things and create for ourselves a new kind of list. 

If you will, please, take out a new sheet of paper. Across the top, title it your “Un-Do List.”

So, what will you put on this new list? I’m not sure. That’s up to you. But, I do know this list could be as endless as our To-Do lists, and I also know that this Un-Do list has the potential to affect change far more than our To-Do lists ever could.

Evaluating our current circumstances, what are some of the things we might seek to “un-do” in these unprecedented times? Perhaps we can work towards undoing things like:

• Systemic Racism
• Achievement Gaps
• Labeling Students
• Ignoring Social-Emotional Needs
• Teaching to the Middle…and so many more. 

I’m a realist (to a degree), and I know we all have things that we must do to prepare for a new year with our kids, especially in these entirely new learning environments. My question, though, is this: why would we even think about doing things in the same ways we did them before? This year, our Un-Do list has the potential to bring magic to our classrooms. From our Un-Do lists, educational transformation can begin. These lists will give us the chance to reimagine learning as we seek to create new experiences that will grow engaged, inspired, life-long learners. Un-Do lists can offer us the opportunity to draw out the Greatness that exists in every single one of our students.

Here is my challenge to you:

This school year, commit to finding what you will work to Un-Do so that every student in your classroom can grow into the learner he or she is capable of becoming, and so that we can keep education on its head in a way that continues to benefit our children every day we see them.

Principals & Administrators, what will you Un-Do in your buildings or within your districts?

Teachers, what will you Un-Do in your classrooms?

Parents, what will you Un-Do at the dinner table, on car rides, or in your living rooms?

And we can’t stop there. We then need to figure out how we can reimagine or Re-Do these things, because like our lists, education will never, ever be done. 

Contrary to popular belief, because we are teachers, the ability “to do” is an innate quality we all possess. Renowned educator, Rita Pierson, affirms this in her famous Ted Talk, “Every Kid Needs a Champion.” She asks, “Is this job tough? You betcha. Oh God, you betcha. But it is not impossible. We can do this. We’re educators. We’re born to make a difference.”

And make a difference we will.

Share with us what you plan to “Un-Do” this year and how you will reimagine education to make a difference for your students. 

Use the @Twitter hashtag #EducationUndone so we can continue the conversation.

I can’t wait to hear all about your undoings!

Don’t forget to Comment, Like, and Share

Well, folks, I finally did it. I finally broke down and “joined the conversation!” I really did…and it’s been wonderful!

Wait, Dawn, what are you talking about? What “conversation?”

You know, the “Education” conversation! Three of them, in as many weeks, in fact! And, wow, have I made some AMAZING connections! 

You see, I’ve been active on Twitter for the past few years, just not that active. I’ve followed this person and retweeted that one, but I never really engaged with much of anyone until recently. I guess a pandemic quarantine will cause you to do some out-of-the-ordinary things…

Anyways, I always thought I had a PLN, up until now. I mean I did–it just happened to be all of Twitter, I guess you could say! The problem was, my PLN just wasn’t that “personal.” I didn’t feel like I was really connecting with others. It was more like I was sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else play and never joining in. But, after these past few weeks, I think I’ve finally figured out what it means to have your own Personal Professional Learning Network, or PPLN, and how very important it is to one’s growth and well-being. It all began with a quick tweet from the earliest member of my new PPLN, Sherry Hardy, about a month ago. She wrote:

“I’ve been invited, but haven’t been successful at joining some Teacher Zoom chats!  I’d like to plan one for Monday night! Please send me a DM if you’re available for some educator chatter!!”

I was SUPER nervous but I replied anyway with: “Sent you a DM…I’m in!” 

What was I doing? I didn’t know this person? But, I joined anyway and thank goodness I did! It turned out to be the most wonderful Monday evening I’d had in a long while. It was relaxing, low key, and I really felt like I had known these folks my entire life. We talked about everything! That hour flew by!

From that moment, my Personal PLN became officially 9 people! Now, don’t get me wrong, I follow a decent number of folks on twitter, but to me, these 9 individuals had just become my People, my #TeacherSquad. Monday evenings have become a time to unwind, to share stories and experiences, to meet with others who understand my struggles because they are also living them each day, right alongside me. When we are together, we laugh…a lot. Sometimes, we sit silently, listening. We share, and most importantly, we understand. Because of this, my PLN now includes this beautiful little PPLN.

Very soon after connecting with my Zoom Crew, I became connected with Dustin Pearson via some twitter chats (which I will be talking about in my next post, if you aren’t familiar with navigating those). Dustin manages the We Are One Team blog where he focuses on three key qualities when it comes to educating kids: relationships, culture, and engagement. Dustin is an enthusiastic, dedicated educator who projects a kind heart and a caring spirit. His Youtube channel We Are One Team does wonderful work bringing insight from educators around the world. His passion for education is contagious, and I am happy to have added him as another personal connection in my PPLN!

The next two connections I made were nearly simultaneous and turned into a whirlwind of a weekend on Twitter and VoicEd Radio. It all began when I decided to reply to this tweet from Carol Salva: 

Carol’s tweet connected me to #BELIEVE_Cafe with Dorina Ebuwa (Miss Dorito). Miss Dorito’s Youtube series on Transformative Emotional Intelligence is transforming me RIGHT NOW! I am on Day 3, and her highly entertaining approach to helping us understand ourselves is really helping me to gain some perspective! 

After our brief Twitter conversation, Carol encouraged me to call into her Boosting Achievement podcast where she would be talking with who else but Miss Dorito herself! Whoa! And there I was again folks, this time on live radio, pouring out my teaching spirit for all to hear…and it felt great! Add 2 more to my PPLN! 

And these aren’t all the folks, by far. At present, I am also blessed to be working with Nina Amir, the Inspiration to Creation Coach. Her Nonfiction Writer’s University is helping me to finish my very first manuscript which I plan to have ready for editing by the end of this month! (I can’t even believe this is really happening!)

So, here is what I have learned these past few weeks: There are people out there who want to connect with you, who want to help you. It’s why they do what they do. Sometimes, they will reach out to you, but sometimes, you have to find the courage to reach out to them first.

There are people out there who want to connect with you, who want to help you. It’s why they do what they do. Sometimes, they will reach out to you, but sometimes, you have to find the courage to reach out to them first.

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I know it’s scary, but you won’t regret it if you do. 

You don’t have to go on your search for understanding alone. There are folks out there just waiting to help you with whatever it is you are searching for. Heck, maybe you don’t even know you’re searching for anything, just like I didn’t when I stumbled on Miss Dorito’s BELIEVE_Cafe!

My advice to you is to find your People and they will help you to overcome your struggles. They will teach you something, or they may simply be that someone to give you a lift when you need it. There are people out there who want to support you. It’s why they exist.

Eckhart Toll said, “Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there…’” 

Want to know how to help alleviate that stress? Just focus on finding your People and they will help get you to your “there.”

Just focus on finding your People and they will help get you to your “there.”

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In the comments below, please share with us how you are forming and maintaining your own Personal Professional Learning Network? Tell us about the great connections you’ve made lately to help get YOU to your “there.”

#rootsmatter #WholeTeacher #YOUpower

Happy Growing, Friends!

With the passing of Ram Dass this past December, many have taken to sharing his words of wisdom across the web over the past month, and I am grateful for it. His thoughts are so simple, yet so profound–so true. 

The quote I’ve shared with you here popped up on my facebook stream yesterday and it really resonated with me. It aligns precisely with my beliefs about educating the young people who enter my classroom every day.

I see each of my students like the trees Ram Dass describes. In my high school classrooms, there may be the 16 year-old or 17 year-old variety of teenager–just as an oak or a gingko is a variety of tree–and each one is unique in his or her own way. They all come with different stories and different reasons for being who they are. Some are already tall and strong, with deep roots. Others are like saplings, in need of as much water and sun and love as I can give. If I don’t acknowledge this–if I don’t accept why my trees are different–I will fail in helping them as they try to continue to grow. I will have failed as their caretaker because I didn’t appreciate each one or tend to each of them individually.

In the classroom I call my forest, it is my goal to help each of my trees get the care it needs on a daily basis. I need to nurture them so they grow strong, despite their difficult beginnings. I need to encourage them to grow tall and full so they can provide shade to those around them who need it. I need to teach them how to destroy toxicity and partner with others to provide air to those struggling to breathe. I have to encourage them to be unafraid to drop their cover and show the world who they really are, but only when the time is right. It is my job to give them the support they need so their bark will grow thick, but not so thick that they become numb to feeling. I want each tree to be whole enough that they can stand on their own when they leave our little forest for the big forest called Life. 

The expression “can’t see the forest for the trees” is often used when one is too involved in the details of a problem to look at the situation as a whole. As a teacher, this expression is the antithesis of my role in our forest. I must look at the details of every single tree in order to watch the whole forest thrive. I see the forest because I look at each tree–each root, each trunk, each limb, each leaf. This is what I call teaching Root to Canopy. 

I love every beautiful, unique tree in my forest, and I am blessed to be able to walk among them each day.