What I've discovered, though, is that this job has forced me to be so much better than I would have been had I stayed in the classroom. I want to go back and apologize to my first three years of students. "Hey guys! We had some fun and you learned some stuff, but if I had known then what I know now about education, about you, about the way that your brains work... Oh... If only I had known!"

From 30,000 feet, teachers and principals and central office... From 30,000 feet, with the time that you have graced me to study and research and ponder... From 30,000 feet I can see some of the things that you don't. Give me a few moments. Consider what I'm saying. Ask me any question! If I don't know it... I'll find it for you!

But wait... That just doesn't sound right... Let me begin again

I am a human being who loves other human beings. I have been doing this all my life and went to college for four years so that I can better love other human beings. The way that I show that's love is through showing the magic of the world around us in a biology classroom. This year I started being paid for showing that love. My students are my special snowflakes and I will fight anyone tooth and claw that tells them anything different. They can do anything that they want to and I will help fight for them to do just that. My students live their lives in a small community that helps and supports them as best they can but sometimes it isn't quite enough. We are working on that though. My administration supports me and I get to make real changes that effect my snowflakes lives in unique ways. Though i am paid to teach them biology we also learn things like compassion, social skills, listening with their hearts and not just their minds and maybe just maybe how to use their frontal lobes instead of just their lambic systems.

I am a human being, I love what I do and more than anything I believe my snowflakes are special and unique and beautiful. Want to question that?

Stock Story: Special Education students in disinfranchised communities are doomed for failure.

Parents don't care and students are unmotivated and lazy.

Concealed Story: is really the counter narrative. These schools and communities are filled with students who are trying to find their voice and position society. Many have proven to be intelligent shining stars. Special education is a convenient label.

Our stories impact how who we are as teachers.....

That was the beginning of a painful and destructive cycle that took me to the brink and ultimately my life work.  Today I hold a Masters in Organizational Leadership and  management, serve as a CEO of a YMCA that is a national leader in closing the achievement gap.  In deep collaboration with our school districts we are winning the fight against summer learning loss and changing the way communities in  the State of Indiana shape k-12 college bound identity. Through my journey I have have shifted my beliefs about myself and the potential of the youth in our communities. 

The product of two minimally educated, joyless, XXXX people, I began searching for warmth and comfort in othetr places. Fortunately, I found something I was good at that also kept me around good people. My teachers, sensing my low self esteem, the dirth of loving individuals surrounding me, and my expansive capacity to learn, took an interest. I found my self worth amid chalk dust and xxxxxx. My teachers were my role models, my inspirers, that which nourished my self esteem andl xxxxx for my life long journey. A jounney of

Every morning my classroom looks like this:

And I know this:

Report debunks ‘earlier is better’ academic instruction for young children (from the Washington Post, April 12, 2015

So why have I NOT come further in making sure my classroom looks like this ALL day and not just in the morning?

The teacher takes a seat in her chair. The students are calmly asked to put away their work. It's lesson time. It is brief; the teacher knows she will lose the students' attention if she drones on too long. Whenever possible, she gets them up, moving.

This is my classroom. I strive to create the scene above each and every day. I believe in teaching to every child, allowing them to own what they learn and to understand why what they are learning is important. I believe in choice in learning. My goal is to develop life-long readers and writers, not just those who can spit back answers on a test or create a formulaic piece of writing that, while grammatically correct, lacks creativity and originality.

I have the same propensity today.  Big, bold, sweeping ideas. Don’t worry, I’ll work out the issue as I go. I am more a little more restrained than I was at four;  I have learned to slow down and think about the effects a bit more. But still, the number of times that errors have crept in leave me teetering on the edge of insecurity frequently.  In my movement toward the new, the innovative, have I left something big out of the picture?

That's where the power of collaboration works its magic. Just a few good team members who appreciate, support and double check each other is a beautiful thing. They are my safety net. They have also taught me that public mistakes are part of the process and can even encourage my students to try scary things without paralyzing fear. I still know the rush of adrenaline when I have made a mistake due to moving too fast; but I know the security of the net as well.

The product of two minimally educated, joyless, xxxx people, I had listtle warmth and caring givne me and no few role modesl from which to learn. no loving individuals around to care for me. My teachers found a vast capacity for learning, low self esteem, and a dirth of loving adults surrounding me.

Parents, please have your 6th grade students bring the following items to school on day one:

· Enthusiasm for learning. If your student is unable to bring this material, please let us know and enthusiasm will be provided for them.

· 48 jumbo erasers, because we will make lots of mistakes this year.

· Courage. It’s okay to be afraid, but it’s not okay to not try.

· A tabbed binder. Some teachers haven’t embraced a paperless classroom, and managing paper is an important life skill and will always be essential in the future.

· A computer. They need to be learning to use it for their future, and ours just aren’t that great.

· 2 boxes of tissues, for when the drama of middle school becomes too much. One for me, and one for your student.

· 24 Number 2 pencils – one for every hour of standardized testing they will endure, and 4 more just incase they break them in frustration.

· 2 guaranteed and confirmed parent-teacher conference dates. Signed in blood.

· 11-12 Years of high quality parental supervision, encouragement, and respect.

· A box of 8 thank you notes, one for each of the teachers and one for you…it takes a village, and your student will learn to recognize the love they are getting. If not this year, than someday. They should be prepared.