"Mom! I'm going to Camp!!!"

At least, that's what it felt like as I was packing to go to the Rainbow Lodge in North Bend for four days.  That's why, when I heard them passing the hashtag #campCSTP that I just had to smile under my breath.  Trust me, I've been to 4-H camp, girl scout camp and camping with teens.....this was the best camping trip ever--besides the fact that it was indoors, the meals were cooked by a chef and I was surrounded by great people!

I hadn't even gotten in the building yet and was brimming with excitement.

I started each day with an early activity.  My first day was a beautiful run.

My next day was a hike with a group of new friends.  We went to the top of Little Si.

And the final morning, I carried my coffee around and walked the trails around us.

A cozy room made for a wonderful night's rest.

Each morning, I would take quiet time to reflect on the previous day.  Honestly, at night, I was simply to tired to journal about the day.  I utilized the mornings before breakfast to do some reflection.  This was simply the perfect spot.

Let's be honest...the facilities, food, friends and comforts of home, DO make a difference when you are at a conference.  Rainbow Lodge lived up to its name.  Beautiful wildlife, plenty of places to think quietly and a comfortable conference room to work together in. And boy did we work.

The first session was Leadership.  Lindsey Stevens and Katie Taylor rocked my world.
This was the third time that I had been through the Teacher Leadership Framework.  I never get tired of unpacking the contents.  Every time, I gain something more.  I blogged about it here.
It also helps to be surrounded by like minded people.  To hear their passions and what was the driving force behind their desire to be a leader in their district was powerful and inspiring.  This session helped to put my mind and heart in the right place for what was to come.
Our conversations went late into the evening.
Session two was Advocacy with Sarah Applegate and Marianne Hunter.  These ladies are amazing.  During this session we looked at the appropriate way to state your message, how to put action to your proposal and gave us real life opportunities to speak to the possible stakeholders in our plan.
During this session I walked away with my plan...

It wasn't complete, but I had a big start, colleague input and a more clear vision.  We heard from a lobbyist.  And then, we were given the opportunity to speak with a legislator, school board member and newspaper reporter.  We had 2-3 minutes to propose our idea and then 7 minutes to answer their questions and receive feedback.

The fear was real prior to speaking to them.  I am rarely nervous when speaking to anyone, but when you only have two minutes to share what you are passionate about, you better make it count.  In between appointments, we had time to visit with one another about how things went and what we needed to work on.  Again, hearing what other people were passionate about and the incredible ways that they wanted to impact students just lights a fire in you!  Teachers across our state are doing amazing things.  We need to honor those things, yell them from the rooftops and showcase what we are doing on a day to day basis.  Needless to say, this session also ended late into the evening.  Discussions of health insurance, ELL students, Professional Development in districts were just a few of the topics that crossed our lips that night.
The last session was writing.  The presenter was _____________.  While she gave us wonderful tips, she also gave us the gift of time to write.  We spent hours being able to write, reflect and discuss.  We met one on one with Sonia (?), we met in small groups and we met in our large group setting.  The writings that I heard still leave me breathless.  Narratives about students, educators wanting to write a novel, articles for professional publications and blogging ideas just barely cover what was produced during this session.  I took the time to write my Teach to Lead proposal and multiple blog entries.
There was a small group of us that attended all three sessions.  (Lindsey Stevens and Mary Jo _______ not pictured).  I would highly suggest attending all three sessions.  The participants who attended one session were sad to leave.  They had tools in their toolkit but were wishing they could stay for the "more".  Each session was purposeful.  They could stand alone or blended together perfectly depending upon which sessions you chose.  That takes talent and planning on the part of CSTP.  You can not dismiss the relationship building that was built in to every single moment of our day.  They modeled Leadership, Advocacy and good Writing.  Those 4 days were certainly a gift.

A gift that I plan on sharing throughout my leadership journey.
My take away?
I walked away from this conference understanding that I must be patient, diligent and RELENTLESS.  I will respect the fact that getting my administrative credential is going to be time consuming.  Add to that being a National Board facilitator for teachers and the calendar already looks full of meeting with amazing educators.  I don't do anything half way, so I want to honor my time and ability to balance "life".  I know that I can make my "IGNITING THE TEACHER LEADER IN YOU!" a reality because it is going to be my mission to relate it, live it and practice it during my study of administration.  You can bet that I will be RELENTLESS in my pursuit of this dream.  I will definitely go back to what I learned at Camp CSTP.  It is the foundation of my coming year.
And when you walk away from a conference with a viable dream, excitement and support--is there a better gift?  I don't think so.  

My Letter to the Editor

It was a typical Saturday run down Howard St. near Tietan Park.  As has been my habit for over 8 years, I was running towards traffic, on the road, hugging the curb.  However, I was startled as a man on a 3-wheeled blue motorcycle slowed down next to me and yelled with disgust, "You belong on the sidewalk. Pedestrians should be on sidewalks."

I followed him into the church parking lot on McKay street.  He refused to let me speak and would not allow me to explain to him why I did not run on the sidewalk.  I feel this is an important message for all drivers to know and understand.  Prior to writing this letter, I did my research by calling our local police department to be sure I was clear on laws, ordinances and traffic safety.  When I spoke to the officer, he assured me that there was no law requiring runners to be on sidewalks and that runners are encouraged to run towards traffic for safety reasons.  Here are my personal reasons for where I run.

First, sidewalks are uneven.  They are difficult to run on and very unsafe.  Runners can easily trip on the surface.  Secondly, there are driveways.  If runners were to run on sidewalks, there is not enough time to get out of the way for a car backing out.  The visibility for a driver is minimal when backing out of a driveway.  Additionally, the up, down and side slant of driveways are very difficult on ankles; often causing sprains.  Finally, I run against traffic so that I have control of my situation.  I will not run with traffic.  Besides the obvious fear of texters who drift to the side of the road, it is very unnerving as a runner to have a car coming up behind you and not knowing how close they are to you.

Clearly, I understand that there are runners who do not respect the road or the vehicles on it.  However, I am not one of them.  I wear bright colored clothes, headlamps when necessary and I am keenly aware when a vehicle is coming towards me.  If I am on a narrow stretch, I certainly make the necessary adjustments to move to the side, enter a ditch or simply wait.  I respect their space, just as I expect them to respect mine.

So to the gentleman who would not let me get a word in edgewise and continually yelled in my face....this is all I was going to say to you.  It is truly disappointing to me that you would not allow me to say one word.  I even started by saying, "I'm sure your comment was meant in the best interest of my safety, and I appreciate that."  Your rude and insensitive response that you could "care less about my safety" prompted a letter to the editor in honor of my fellow runners.  Because I do care about their safety.  You should too.

Staying Connected

I love my small town.  We are nestled in the corner of Eastern Washington...surrounded by the Blue Mountains, wheat fields and wine country.  There are times that we joke about living on an "island".  To get to the city, it's at least an hour drive (if you consider the Tri-Cities, a big city).  Spokane is 3 hours away.  Seattle and Portland are a 4 hour drive.

As I've moved more into the Teacher Leadership mindset, I realize that networking is a huge piece to my success, motivation and learning curve.  It introduces you to a new set of students, teachers and administration.  Their conversations are different than ours, and yet our love of students is the same.  It opens your eyes to new ideas, a variety of problems/solutions and a different way of systems thinking.

So what have I done to stay in touch with the big city folks?

1)  I use social media.  All of it -- Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and blogging.  In our neck of the woods, all we hear is "No Facebook. No Twitter."  I think it is frightening in a small district to post.  There really is no anonymity and pretty easy to deduct who might be the center of your story.  However, I believe that we are capable of being professional without avoiding it all together.  We know the norms.  We know to not use names and to be thoughtful in presenting our ideas.  If you aren't willing to say it in person to the person, you better not be putting it in print.  All of that being said, I don't only focus on education.  I like to write about my running, my family and my love of life.  I enjoy learning about the people that I'm connected with beyond the educational realm too.  This is how we build trust, understand our varied views and grow as people.

2)  I subscribe to a wide variety of news feeds so that I can be up to date on "offerings" and hot topics outside of my little neck of the woods.  National sites, national groups, state wide groups and county forums.  Once you choose one, it seems that the rest just naturally show up.  I am at the time in my career where administration and leadership and how the two blend together are in my sites.  Therefore, I spend my time reading and seeking that time of information.

3)  I find relevant opportunities to attend trainings, camps and PD (professional development).  The truth is though, I have to be cautious about what I choose.  I pay for these things out of my own pocket and travel from here to anywhere really isn't cheap.  I have been to CSTP retreats, CSTP/WEA/NBCT trainings, our ESD courses and WSU/Gonzaga opportunities.  They have been worth every penny.  It is investing in my future and gives me the ability to bring it back to my district--staff, community and mostly STUDENTS!

These networking opportunities have connected me with hundreds of educators.  It has helped to expand my knowledge of student learning and best practices.  I have been inspired!  Inspired to dig deeper, discuss further and take risks.  And I have met some really genuinely nice people who I know I will forever be friends with.  I have discovered so many more opportunities in education than I ever knew existed.  Roles that tug at my heart strings and let me see the impact I can have on our students.
So you see--whether you live on an island or not, staying connected will feed your soul, advance your teaching repetoire and inspire you to always move in a forward direction.  Stay connected.  It's worth it.

Why get your National Board Certification, you ask???

Really, the question is why not.

Now, as I go into this post...I am not going to put things in order of importance.  Simply the million reasons why you SHOULD get your National Board Certification.  (I won't bore you with a million, but it is quite possible I can come up with 999,999).

Truthfully, I didn't start my National Board Certification in 2005 for any of the "right" or professional reasons.  It's true.  I had my Masters Degree.  I had my Professional Certification.  But there were a group of colleagues at my school that were doing it and I just thought that I would have a wealth knowledge to put forth after finishing the two previous degrees.  Ok. Ok.  The stipend sounded great too.  And there were 8 of us...misery loves company, right?

That being said, the new certification process is a huge improvement from where I came from.  (It was the days of all 4 components and a test in one year!)  I hope that you touch base with someone in your local region to hear how you can start this process today!  Here and now, I want to focus on the WHY.

Each day, we feed our students buckets of information, skills and lifelong traits.  It is our hope that they take what we have given them and go with it!  Expand, learn more and put it to practical use forever.  To me, that is the best part of National Board Certification.  We have the knowledge.  We have the skills.  We use them every day.  The NB process allows you the time and opportunity to shine about what you do.  It's not meant to point out flaws.  Instead, through this process, it alerts you to areas where you might need "more" and gives you the opportunity to try the more out!

No longer is it acceptable or professional for us to stay within our own 4 walls of our classroom.  It is our educational responsibility to always be moving forward in our thinking, relationships and knowledge in order to increase student achievement.  We need to share that knowledge, learn from one another and continue to evolve in our skills.  The NB process allows you to do that.  You will be working with like minded people who are willing to ask questions.  You will improve in your communication skills.  You will be able to reflect on your teaching and see that there really is no "right" answer; but rather there are the "right" questions to ask.  These skills will naturally be ones that you use with your students.  Skills that they pick up!

"But I don't have the time".  But you DO.  Because the things you will do throughout the NB process are practical, useful and necessary.  Your students will benefit from the process.  The standards and components become a part of your vocabulary.  You will discuss them in professional surroundings.  And the good news?  When you pass your certification, you will still use what you learned in the process and share that with others.

Facilitators are great, helpful and resourceful.  But they are just that...facilitators.  They are not there to ensure you pass.  That is not possible.  They are there to help you ask the right questions, find ways to seek possible solutions and to facilitate your learning throughout this process.  That is one of the joys. This is individually tailored to each learner.  You get out of it, what you put into it.  Your facilitator is there as a sounding board, cheerleader and colleague.

You will be introduced to new people.  You will expand your resources.  You will see that there are so many NBCTs and opportunities that you have yet to take advantage of.  It takes your teaching and leadership to a whole new level.

You are going to grow, grow, grow.  We need more teacher leaders.  We need more teachers who ask of themselves, what they ask of their students.  If we want our students to be learners, then we ourselves, must be learners.  We have to be willing to ask the tough questions and seek multiple solutions.  We must be able to communicate with a variety of people about our skills, needs and successes.  The National Board process offers you that opportunity.

Is it tough work?  Absolutely.  But we do tough work every single day.  And when we reach outside of our comfort zone we are influencing many.  We are sending a message to our students that we care about them, about their learning, about their future.  We are telling our parents that we are lifelong learners committed to creating the best learning environment possible for their children.  And we are screaming to our school board members, legislators and the government as a whole, that we ARE the experts.  We ARE worth it.  We ARE shaping the future, one student at a time...beginning with ourselves.

I recently renewed my certification.  Yes, I'm waiting on that November email to tell me whether I passed or not.  Regardless, I loved the process all over again.  It is good teaching.  It reminds me to always seek out the WHY.  Our students are at the core of the WHY.  They are worth it.

Earning National Board Certification showcases your talents.  And you have many.  Jump on board.  Find out how to earn your National Board certificate.  Step out of your box and into the world.

The Gift of Time--Camp CSTP

An early morning hike!  5 miles at 5:30 a.m.  

I started out thinking that I would reflect at the end of each day while I was here at CSTP.

But every day, I ran out of time.  Which is funny because this week has been all about the gift of time.

Time to develop a message, time to devise a plan and time to write about all of the above.  (But no time to put it on the blog!)

From getting up at 5:15 in the morning to run, hike and walk each day with colleagues to sitting outside after dinner and talking until 9....our days have been FULL.  

FULL of time to think, reflect and write.  FULL of time to work, debate and plan.  FULL of time to learn about one another beyond our given titles.  

We've laughed, we've been frustrated and we have grown.  We have made progress...as individuals, as a group and as educators. 

We all feel compelled to go forth and share what we got out of this week.  My eyes have been opened to so many educational issues that my colleagues are coping with and trying to improve.  My mind is spinning with ideas but has learned how to synthesize them and be progressive with them.  To be purposeful in my goals.

So as I'm sitting here drinking my iced tea at the base of Mt. Si at the Rainbow Lodge, I am most thankful for the gift of time I have been given this week.  Time to form relationships.  time to pursue my dreams and time to grow.

My 5:30 morning run!

Developing my Action Plan

Leadership Journey and Goals

I am a National Board Certified teacher with 20 years experience and a Masters Degree in Curriculum & Instruction.  Over the years I have taken on many leadership roles.  I knew I was working towards a common goal of student improvement for the our district, but I never saw it as a way to improve my teaching or to reflect upon my leadership skills.
Having had 8 different principals in my career, I thought I had an idea of what leadership was.  And truly, none of them jumped out at me.  Yes, there were things I liked, appreciated and were driven crazy by.  But I never felt inspired or empowered to go further.  I had people along my path tell me what a good administrator I would make.  But what did that mean?  Was I bossy?  Intuitive? Inspiring?  I just didn't know.  My vision of a leader was more of a top down model.
Two years ago, we hired a new principal.  Her love of teaching was evident, despite the fact that she had been out of the classroom for 15 years.  I was finally inspired...inspired to do something more because I knew I was capable of something...I just wasn't quite sure what it was.
After a summer of many conversations with colleagues, mentors and family,  I decided to apply for an administrative credential program.  (And as I look back now, it even amazes me how much my goal has evolved and changed).  My then assistant superintendent offered to send me to a seminar called "Building Leadership Capacity."  My world was forever changed and how I viewed myself as a teacher and a leader will never be the same.
"You are a teacher leader".  That's what she said.  Katie Taylor from CSTP (Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession) was the first presenter.  She introduced the Teacher Leadership Framework to me.  (Since that time, I have had 3 more opportunities to take the framework apart and analyze it--but that is later in the journey)  We discussed ways that teachers are leaders and don't even realize it.  We looked at our strengths and areas that we needed to focus on.  I was surrounded by like minded educators.  The spark had been ignited.  The things I was learning about myself were things that I could take back to my classroom and use with my 5th graders and my own two children.  I knew that my growth was inspiring me to do the best I could do for their growth.  I was looking at curriculum differently, hearing agenda topics with an open mind and reading educational publications with a feverish need.  I still wasn't sure what my calling was, but I knew that working with adult learners was calling to me....the capacity was still foggy.
During this time, I was accepted into an administrative program.  I applied for scholarships to help pay for my endeavor because I already knew my family was going to be impacted with the time commitment.  I was hopeful that my personal goal would not be a financial burden also.  What I didn't realize at the time was the new group of educators I would be introduced to.  When I would speak to scholarship committees, I enjoyed the opportunities to hear their stories, see their journey and make a mental note of "Oh, I could take that path".
I pursued professional growth opportunities throughout the school year to enlighten me.  There was a whole world outside of my classroom.  My colleagues were intrigued by my journey and always quick to ask what I had been to recently.  I was inspiring them...not purposefully at the time, but simply be being a role model of growth.  PLC's, OSPI fellow and principal were things that kept coming up as my choices.  But the Teacher Leadership framework continued to call me.  I kept it by my desk.  I attended two more trainings which unpacked the 5 areas.  And I knew we were missing this in my district.
For years, we have had what feels like a top down model.  While they claimed to have a "Grow Your Own" philosophy, it seemed to only be a select few and one never knew how that person exactly landed as the expert.  Typically they were taken out of the classroom and popped into a cubicle to give PD once a month.  But the teacher leadership framework spoke to me and I knew it could be and would be embraced.
I have to say...I was a bit embarrassed at first.  It seems like such a simple idea and yet so powerful.
In February, I signed up to attend the CSTP Summer Camp.  We needed to come with some ideas of goals we wanted to achieve during our days here.  I'll be honest.  Implementing the framework was not on my mind because the simplicity of it all seemed ridiculous.  I was thinking more of trying to reestablish PLC's in our district or maybe thinking about trying to get the new teacher mentor program back.  I wasn't sure, but those seemed like "real" issues to address.
And then CSTP got in my head again.  This time?  This time...they made it to my heart and I KNEW I had found my passion.  Empowering teachers to embrace the leader within themselves.  IGNITING THE TEACHER LEADER IN YOU!  That was my line, hook and bait.
Do I know where this is going to lead me?  No.  It's a windy path but it is paved with self improvement, positively impacting students who are in our care each day and empowering teacher leaders to know that they truly are the expert.
Next up?
My plan....

CSTP Summer Camp--Day 1

I have to preface this blog post by acknowledging where I've been and how I got here...at Rainbow Lodge to attend a 4-day seminar with CSTP (The Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession).
As of this year, I have been teaching for 20 years.  I have worked diligently to stay up on best practices, to form a relationship with our community and to be a professional, trusted colleague.  It has often been whispered in my ear that I would make a great administrator.  I am an active listener, I am proactive not reactive and I form & maintain relationships fairly naturally (thanks, Dad).  However, until last year, I truly didn't believe that that was where the action was...where the most impact was made on students.  And then my assistant superintendent sent me to a training called "Building Leadership Capacity."  That is where I was first introduced to the Teacher Leadership Framework with Katie Taylor from CSTP.  My world and vision and goals were forever changed.....

http://cstp-wa.org/cstp2013/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Teacher-Leadership-Framework.pdf

I'm going to follow the format we used yesterday for looking at the framework. (I see, I think, I wonder)

I see that there are so many teacher leadership skills, knowledge and dispositions that I already have.  I also see that there are so many areas I need to be aware of and continue to work on.
I think I enjoy retreats such as this--(actually I know).  To be around colleagues with similar goals is inspiring.  To discuss what is happening around our state empowers me.  To build friendships with a wide range of life long learners.
I wonder how I can bring this to Walla Walla.  We have so many amazing teachers who don't realize the leaders that they are.  I am excited to ponder this, formulate and plan and move forward.

As I enter my administrative credential program, I see that I can continue to directly impact student learning by empowering teachers.  This is my calling. I love the complicated yet rewarding job of working with adults.  I am able to see how to bring this to a reality in my district.

Additionally, my goals are bubbling with excitement right now.  I want to submit an idea for the Teach to Lead summit in Tacoma.  I plan on developing a proposal for our district on providing opportunities to share the Teacher Leadership Framework.  And finally I look forward to planning out my role as a facilitator for National Board Certification.

Beyond all of the learning, the relationships that are being formed are priceless.  CSTP does a great job of being sure there is time to sit back, relax and get to know one another (TRUST).  Yes, we have a lot of teacher talk but we also get to know each other as people.