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Reflections on Year 31: Growth, Gratitude, and Navigating the Unknown

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Reflecting on a school year is always a delicate balance of celebrating deep classroom triumphs while navigating the inevitable winds of systemic change. This year marked my 31st year in education. If three decades in the classroom and in coaching roles have taught me anything, it is that while our daily tasks may shift, the core mission of supporting authentic student and teacher growth remains entirely unchanged. Looking back at the full landscape of the months behind me, I can confidently say it was a year filled with personal and professional success, driven by educators and students willing to take risks and try something new.

The best moments of my year took place directly inside classrooms, where I had the privilege of watching brilliant teaching across several grade levels. In Kindergarten, students were mastering foundational coding using Bee-Bots, while up in 5th grade, classrooms were diving into collaborative critical thinking through the Cyber Sandwich EduProtocol. As a Tech TOSA and instructional coach, my favorite days involved partnering with teachers to blend meaningful technology with powerful pedagogical frameworks. In one room, we paired MathReps with Wipebooks and Snorkl to make mathematical thinking visible and dynamic. In a 2nd-grade classroom, the students proved to be absolute rockstars in independent reading comprehension, leveraging Snorkl to capture their responses before seamlessly transitioning to choice boards to further explore topics independently.

Perhaps the most profound professional joy this year came from an instructional coaching cycle focused on student discourse with a 1st-grade teacher. By implementing just a few precise, intentional shifts, this teacher increased student-led discussion by an incredible 62% in a short six-to-eight-week period (I think it was six weeks, but I tell ya, it’s been a year). The transformation came down to a few key pedagogical changes: intentionally giving the students dedicated time to share ideas with one another before speaking to the whole group, and introducing structured sentence frames to support their developing language skills. The most rewarding part of this growth was that these targeted design shifts ultimately saved the teacher a great deal of time and energy, proving that shifting the cognitive load to our youngest learners is a win for everyone.

Beyond individual classrooms, our district has continued its steady journey into standards-based learning in mathematics. Refining our proficiency scales has brought massive clarity to our school sites. Through this ongoing work, our teachers now possess a much deeper understanding of the standards and a clearer picture of exactly what is expected of our students to build true conceptual understanding. Which led to many discussions as we evaluated which Math curriculums to pilot next year. On a professional level, I also adjusted to a new supervisor this year: our Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Navigating a change in leadership always requires a period of mutual adaptation.

Of course, a year rarely goes by without some friction, and it certainly wasn’t all smooth sailing. At the district level, it was a genuinely rough year marked by internal site issues that caused considerable unrest, leading to some contentious board meetings. Compounding this unrest was the sudden announcement that our high school district will unify with us within the next three to five years due to the desired unification of a neighboring town’s elementary district. (NOTE: our high school district is in charge of our town’s high school and the neighboring town’s). It is a massive undertaking, and the reality is that we simply are not ready and currently have no viable plan in place. To add to the complexity, our superintendent decided to retire this past spring. Because the announcement dropped so late in the school year, it left very little time for a thorough, comprehensive search for a new leader who is ready to take on both our internal site challenges and a looming district unification. As of today, the district has been in negotiations with one candidate, but that is as far as it has gone (as far as I know), leaving us entering the summer with real uncertainty about who will be leading our district forward.

Looking back at the year, it was a journey filled with intense ups and downs. Unfortunately, there were far more bumpy patches than smooth ones this year. While our absolute focus should always remain firmly on our students, the honest truth is that maintaining that focus can be incredibly difficult when there is so much systemic upheaval going on all around us. Some school sites felt this weight much more than others. It was a heavy, exhausting year for many.

Looking ahead to the upcoming school year, we have a major math pilot in place to evaluate two distinct approaches to conceptual understanding. We will be taking a deep look at Innovamat’s Thinking Math alongside Savvas’ EnVision, and I am eager to see how our teachers and students interact with these resources as we continue to refine our standards-based instruction.

Here’s to closing out year 31and to stepping into year 32 (YIKES). Seriously, though, how did so many years already pass by? It truly feels like I just started teaching ten years ago. Wherever the road leads and whoever steps in to lead our district, my hope is simply that this next year brings a little more stability and a lot more smooth patches for our district.

Making Your August Self Thankful for Your June Self

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We are all there. The countdown calendar is taped to the whiteboard, and we are practically crawling across the finish line. The kids are completely checked out and ready for summer, and we are buried under an avalanche of cumulative records, final grades, report cards, and the physical chaos of packing up a classroom.

Let’s be honest: June me is completely over it. When I’m packing up my room at the end of the year, I don’t care where I throw things. I just want to shove the boxes in the closet, slam the door, and walk out because I am done.

But experience has taught me a hard truth: August me will absolutely despise June me if I just walk away.

No one wants to start a brand-new school year drowned in stress. So, to protect my future sanity, I’ve developed a transition routine that bridges the gap between June exhaustion and August peace of mind.

When the final bell rings, I don’t immediately dive into lesson planning. First, I take a few days entirely off to recharge and decompress from the school year that just wrapped up. For me, that means lounging around the house, sipping hot tea, and getting creative with Zen Doodles out on my patio. I let my brain completely reset.

But before that school-work brain completely disappears for the summer, I lean into just one or two days of light lifting. I take a few essential materials home, ignore them during my doodle-and-tea phase, and then sit down to do some simple, high-yield organizing.

The goal isn’t to plan out the whole year or tax myself during my break. It’s simply to get our most powerful, repeatable classroom routines ready to run on autopilot. If I can get the foundational pieces of our daily MathReps protocol set up now, I won’t have to scramble or think about it during the August rush. It feels a little daunting right now in the thick of June exhaustion, but I know that a few intentional choices today are a massive gift to my future self.

Designing Your Setup: Low-Tech, High-Tech, and the Power of Routine

I know firsthand how transformative MathReps are for students. I’ve seen it in my own work and heard it from teachers across the nation: this protocol is one of the most powerful tools we have for bridging conceptual gaps and actively combating the forgetting curve. Because it is such a high-leverage routine, my goal each June isn’t just to keep it in place, but to reflect on how I can refine and improve it for the upcoming year.

When you sit down to start MathReps, the very first step is a moment of reflection. Ask yourself: What do I want my students to start with?

To ease students into the routine without overwhelming them, my best bet is usually to start with content from the previous grade level. This lowers the initial barrier, allowing students to master the routine’s format using math they already feel confident in.

As you map this out, you also have to consider your incoming class and choose the right media blend for your launch. I highly recommend a tiered progression that moves from low-tech to high-tech as the class builds confidence:

  1. The Paper-and-Pencil Launch: Start the first few days with traditional paper-and-pencil. This allows you to establish a clear, physical baseline and creates a paper trail of exactly what your new students know right out of the gate.
  2. The Plastic Sleeve Transition: Once the baseline is set, transition to the reusable, cost-effective method. Slide your preferred MathRep templates into heavy-duty plastic sheet protectors. Students love dry-erase markers because they lower anxiety, and mistakes can be wiped away in a second. For you, it provides a quick, physical pulse-check as you scan a room full of raised boards.
  3. The Snorkl Digital Integration: While you are prepping your physical sleeves, you can simultaneously prep your digital bridge. Take a look through Snorkl’s pre-built MathReps library to find the exact matching MathRep for your grade level. Grab those digital links now and drop them straight into your summer notes, digital planner, or lesson plans.

By taking the time in June to select your templates, print your initial packs, and organize your digital links, you’ve already won half the battle. When August arrives, you won’t be scrambling to figure out your math block. Your materials will be on your desk, ready to protect both your sanity and your students’.

The Transition, the Tech, and the Ultimate Goal

Once you have completed your June tasks and have your materials ready, you have a blueprint for August. But as you look at those plastic sleeves and digital links, you might wonder: How do I actually roll this out?

You don’t have to do everything at once. My best bet is always to start with that 1–2-week low-tech buffer using the plastic sleeves. This allows students to build the raw muscle memory of the MathRep routine without the added variable of a digital screen. They learn the layout, get comfortable with the pacing, and enjoy the process.

Once that routine is completely locked in, you can choose to introduce the tech. Because you are using the exact same MathRep templates they mastered in the sleeves, the cognitive load is low. The math is identical; only the medium changes.

Now, depending on your class, you might choose to start right on Snorkl for new MathRep later in the year, because the routine’s structure is already second nature. For younger grades, you might choose to stay non-digital much longer.

And honestly? As a coach, I will tell you that whatever you choose, make it consistent and manageable for you.

Tech or no tech is not the point. Is tech necessary? No. What matters is the pedagogy: Are your students getting immediate feedback, and is the routine sustainable for you? Each teacher needs to make it work for them and their students.

While plastic sleeves are incredible for a quick physical pulse-check as you scan the room, we are only human. We can’t catch every misconception in a room of thirty kids. That’s why I love to show teachers how a tool like Snorkl can take a routine we already love to the next level. The digital dashboard doesn’t replace you; it multiplies you. It captures and highlights the student audio explanations, making it easier to see exactly who needs your help. It can make a teacher’s life easier, but you are the driver.

The Last Gift to Yourself

When you walk out of your classroom this June, slam that door, and head out to the patio for some tea and doodles, you can do so with a clear head. You don’t need to plan the whole year. Just pick your template, set up your progression, and organize your links. Your August self will thank you for the boundaries you set, the rest you took, and the simple routines you put on autopilot.

Mastery Loops in Math: Redefining Learning with MathReps

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On paper, a MathRep might look exactly like a worksheet. I don’t fight that semantic battle with adult critics because the magic isn’t in the photocopy: it’s in the underlying pedagogy.

Traditional math curricula are inherently topical. They are designed as a fast-paced sprint, checking off one complex skill before immediately jumping to the next. This structure puts students at a massive disadvantage. It forces them to constantly use finite cognitive energy to decode new layouts, instructions, and isolated procedures, leaving little bandwidth to actually master the skills, spot the patterns, and make deep mathematical connections.

If we want students to truly own the math, we have to activate the Mastery Loop. And one of the most powerful ways to do that is by looking at the deliberate design, frontloading strategies, and classroom culture that drive true mathematical fluency.

The Anatomy of a Rep: Moving from Silos to Connections

Traditional worksheets treat math concepts like isolated islands. A student might practice “decimals on a number line” on Monday, but if they don’t see a visual area model or a place value chart alongside it, that knowledge stays siloed. When the format inevitably changes, the student gets stuck because the conceptual bridge was never built.

A MathRep completely flips this dynamic by grouping several interconnected standards onto a single page. By keeping multiple formats of a concept alive simultaneously, you shift the cognitive environment from rote memorization to relational thinking.

This design acts as a real-time diagnostic tool for teachers. Because concrete, pictoral, and abstract representations exist side-by-side, you can immediately spot where a student’s understanding breaks down: Can they partition the area model perfectly, but lose the logic when converting it to the abstract numbers of a standard algorithm? The layout reveals the gap instantly, allowing for precision intervention right in the moment.

The Prior-Grade On-Ramp (Frontloading)

This interconnected design makes MathReps the ultimate engine for frontloading upcoming units. Think about what happens when a fourth-grade teacher hits multi-digit multiplication and more complex division. If students don’t firmly grasp the core meaning of those operations, they get entirely lost in the steps.

Instead of diving straight into a frustrating textbook lesson, you can spend one to two weeks activating their prior knowledge with a past-grade protocol to jog the brain:

  1. The Reminders (3rd Grade): Before opening the current grade-level curriculum, pull a basic third-grade MathRep. For ten minutes a day, students interact with a single, simple equation—mapping out fact families, creating equal groups visually, and skip-counting on a number line. It gently reinforces the core foundation: division is sharing, and multiplication is grouping.
  2. The Transition (4th Grade): Once that foundation is secure, you introduce the fourth-grade MathReps. Because the heavy cognitive lifting of understanding “sharing and grouping” was already handled, their working memory is entirely free to tackle the next layer of complexity: the area model, the distributive property, or tape diagrams.

By utilizing a past-grade protocol, you prove to students that they aren’t starting at zero. You lower their anxiety and provide an active, scaffolded on-ramp to novel standards.

The In-Class Daily Glue vs. The Homework Silo

For this strategy to work, it is critical to note a fundamental rule: MathReps must be done in class. Sending them home for traditional homework completely defeats the purpose.

Traditional math homework is sent home into a feedback vacuum, often forcing students back into the “silo trap” of practicing a single procedure 30 times over. If they have a misconception, they spend half an hour reinforcing a bad habit before an adult can catch it.

MathReps acts as the daily glue because it thrives on a live classroom ecosystem built around immediate feedback. When you establish this routine as a daily norm from day one of the school year, you completely re-engineer the classroom culture:

  • Week 1 (The On-Ramp): On Day 1, the routine might take up to 45 minutes because you are teaching the layout and reducing the extraneous cognitive load together. By Days 2–4, the time drops dramatically (down to 12–15 minutes) as the format becomes predictable. Day 5 serves as a low-stakes baseline assessment.
  • Weeks 2–6 (The Sustainable Machine): Days 1–4 become a predictable rhythm: a set time to work, followed by an immediate check. By Day 5, the weekly assessment is just a natural, stress-free extension of what they’ve already mastered.

Starting every math block with this routine sets a predictable, accessible tone. It warms up their “math brain,” lowers anxiety, and allows them to see the big picture.

Of course, when you move daily practice entirely into the classroom, the inevitable pushback arises: “Then what do teachers give for homework?” The answer lies in moving away from compliance-driven worksheets and toward non-traditional, meaningful alternatives like choice boards. Homework shouldn’t copy what happens in the room; it should extend a student’s vision outward. Instead of solving identical equations at a kitchen table, let them apply their mathematical flexibility to the real world, tracking geometric shapes in local architecture, finding the volume of buildings, or calculating the dimensions of a swimming pool.

Shifting the Ownership Loop

When the daily in-class routine is predictable and the layout never surprises them, you can finally pass the wheel to the students.

If a teacher doesn’t want to spend time curating a “Today’s Number” or “Today’s Equation,” you don’t have to. Assign a different student to choose the mathematical focus each day. When you hand over that marker, the routine stops being an exercise dictated by an adult and becomes a space owned entirely by the kids. They track the patterns, they navigate the constraints, and they build the schemas.

I have watched students actively use a visual representation they completely understand, like an area model in multiplication, to independently check their own work and guide themselves through a complex standard algorithm. They didn’t need a teacher telling them they were right or wrong; the interconnected page allowed them to be guided on their own.

Every time we step back and allow them to navigate the page independently, we honor the core truth of the learning process: The person who is doing the work is the one doing the learning.

The Pedagogy-First Mindset

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As a Tech TOSA, teachers often come to me when they have a spark of an idea and need the right tool to bring it to life. Sometimes, they just need a reliable replacement for a tool they loved, like finding a new home for video discussions after Flip changed. My role isn’t to audit what’s in their “digital closet,” but to offer support and guidance as we navigate the “energy” of our classrooms together.

With the growing conversation around screen-time limits in districts like LA Unified, we have to be honest about what that energy looks like. When we stand side-by-side in a classroom where students are on a mandate for 90 minutes of adaptive software each week (45 minutes for math and 45 minutes for ELA), the room is often stagnant. It’s quiet, but is it the silence of deep thought or the silence of digital compliance?

The person who is doing the work is doing the learning.

The “Work” Litmus Test

I have a quote I live by in my own classroom: “The person who is doing the work is doing the learning.”

When we look at tech tools, the question isn’t “is this high-tech?” but “who is doing the heavy lifting?”

  • Compliance Tech: The software handles the logic and sorts the levels. The student is a passenger.
  • Creation Tech: Tools like Canva or Snorkl (which now hosts MathReps!) require students to be the drivers. In Snorkl, there is no passive learning; the student must articulate their thinking and record their process. That is the kind of “work” that leads to true learning.

The “Fluff” Tax vs. The Power of Fun

We all need to break the monotony sometimes. A fast-moving game like 99math or Wayground can be a fantastic way to build the fluency and basic facts students need before they can perform complex math. That “sprint” of excitement is a bridge to the next level of mastery.

The “fluff” tax happens when the game mechanics (like 20 minutes of boss battles in Prodigy) take up more brain space than the actual math. If the stimulation is a barrier to the standard rather than a bridge, it’s worth asking if it’s truly propelling them forward.

Making the Most of Mandated Minutes

We know the reality: many districts mandate 90 minutes a week for math and reading software. As a coach, I’m not there to push back on district policy, but to support teachers in navigating it. When I stand side-by-side with a teacher in a “stagnant” room, I like to ask four gentle, clarifying questions:

  1. Is the tool giving accurate information? Does the data on the screen reflect the growth (or struggle) you are seeing in the classroom?
  2. How do you know they are learning the material? If we closed the laptop right now, could they explain the “why”?
  3. Is this propelling them forward? Is this tool helping them master a Priority Standard, or just helping them finish a level?
  4. Who is doing the thinking?

Everyone will have a different take on it, and that’s okay. Some tools work better for some than others.

Final Thought

The goal of looking at pedagogy first isn’t to add a burden to the teacher. It’s to ensure that when we do use screens, whether it’s for a mandated block or a creative EduProtocol, the tech is helping them think, not just helping them finish.

Join the Conversation

How do you balance the “stagnant” mandated minutes with the “energetic buzz” of creation-based learning? Have you found a tool that actually reflects the growth you see in your small groups? Let’s talk about it in the comments.

Moving from “Turn It In” to “Explain It”: The Power of Student Voice

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“I have never heard them talk so much all year.”

Every teacher has that one student – the one who is mathematically brilliant or deeply creative but remains quiet during whole-class instruction. When a teacher finally hears that student’s voice through a tool like Snorkl, it’s a powerful moment of validation.

It’s validation that the tech we are using is meaningful and having a measurable impact. It’s the proof that the student is absorbing the information and is, in fact, brilliant. Most importantly, it gives us the data to back up our suspicions that the student is capable of much more than they show in a group setting.

The “Autopsy” Model: Why the Whole-Class Check Isn’t Enough

For years, the gold standard of education has been the “Turn It In” culture. A student completes a worksheet, the teacher collects it, and it is eventually graded (usually 24–48 hours later).

Even when we try to speed this up by “checking together as a class,” we are often still stuck in the Autopsy Model.

While a whole-class check provides “immediate” answers, it isn’t personalized. A student might mark an answer wrong, but the “why” remains a mystery. The teacher is still acting as a coroner, documenting a collective result after the thinking has stopped, rather than coaching the individual student through their unique misconception.

The “Biopsy” Model: Catching Learning While It’s Alive

We need to move toward a Biopsy Model, where feedback is instant, alive, and happens while the student is still in the “messy middle” of thinking.

Looking at this image, which leads to better understanding and engagement? The left shows an autopsy; the right shows a biopsy.

In my district, I’m seeing teachers achieve this through a powerful combination of analog and digital tools: Wipebooks + MathReps + Snorkl. And soon, a Kami component will be used for assessment.

  1. The Low-Stakes Rehearsal: Students start on a Wipebook. Because it’s erasable, they aren’t afraid to make a mistake. They can “draft” their thinking, erase, and refine until they are ready to share.
  2. Cognitive Unloading: Students snap a photo and record their explanation. For our ELD learners, this is a game-changer. Snorkl allows them to record in their primary language. By removing the “Brain Tax” of translation, students can use 100% of their mental energy on the math logic itself.
  3. The Immediate Pivot: Because Snorkl provides instant, personalized AI feedback, the teacher’s role shifts. You aren’t just reading answers off a key to a silent room; you are intervening based on real-time data.

Moving with Data-Driven Intent

The most exciting part of this shift isn’t just the tech; it’s the Strategy.

Editor’s Note: The “Insight” Advantage Don’t just look at individual scores. Use the Insights feature to see patterns across your class. Snorkl analyzes the results and groups students with common mistakes together. This allows you to pull a small group immediately and address the issue while the interest is still ongoing.

A Rallying Cry for Success

When we see a quiet student step into the arena, using their own voice, their own language, and their own logic, it validates that our instructional choices are working. It proves that the student can do the work, and now we have the data to back it up.

I want to hear from you: When was the last time a “quiet” student shocked you with their brilliance? How did you uncover it? Share your success stories below. Let’s celebrate the moments where the “biopsy” saved the day!

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Math Dash Chats: Boost Classroom Discourse

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Earlier this year, a simple idea sparked a solution to a common challenge in many classrooms: how to review math concepts and encourage student conversation when time is short. This led to the creation of Math Dash Chats.

Our district, like many others, was grappling with a noticeable gap in our curriculum—a lack of dedicated time for math discourse. We know that talking about math helps students solidify their understanding, but with so many standards to cover, where do you fit it in? I created Math Dash Chats for 3rd Grade, as an instructional coach who works closely with 3rd-grade teams, it felt like the perfect place to start. Since then, I’ve created sets for grades 2-6 and am excited to expand to grades 7 and 8 soon.

So, what exactly are Math Dash Chats, and how can they help your students? I’m so glad you asked!

What are Math Dash Chats?

Math Dash Chats are 36 prepared slides for your grade level (currently grades 2-6). The activity is designed to be a quick, five-minute daily review that gets students talking.

The slides are divided into six sections, five of which are based on Common Core domains like Geometry and Measurement, and the sixth is a directions section. Problems are hidden behind colorful “doors” [01:05], which you can view beforehand. Then, simply drag the questions over for a fun and engaging reveal.

How Do They Work?

The idea is simple: choose one “door” a day to discuss for about five minutes. This brief, focused discussion ensures a consistent review without taking up valuable class time. The topics covered are not just standard procedures; they encourage students to explore reasoning, number sense, and even domains like geometry or measurement that are often rushed through or left for the end of the year.

The video provides an example from the “Convince me that” category, where students are asked to prove that “4 tens is the same as 3 tens and 10 ones” [01:53]. This type of question promotes collaboration, and you might find that students want to use personal whiteboards or manipulatives to work through some of the problems together.

The Result

The response from teachers has been overwhelmingly positive. They love the ease of a no-prep, ready-to-go resource that gets students talking about math. Who doesn’t love a well-thought-out, free resource that is proven to work?

If you’re looking for a quick, impactful way to review math concepts and get your students engaged in meaningful math conversations, Math Dash Chats are for you!

Math Dash Chats Folder: Please make a copy of the desired slide deck for yourself by selecting ‘file’ > ‘make a copy’. If you receive a message that says ‘Access Denied’, it may be an issue with your district account. I’ve encountered this recently. If this happens, I suggest trying your personal account and sharing it with your district account. If that doesn’t work, contact me and we can try a few other options.

Public Education: More Than a Viral Post

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Lately, it feels like my social media feed has been sprinkled with negative takes on teachers and public education. Over the summer, I noticed an uptick in posts that painted educators in an unflattering light. Some parents shared that they didn’t want to purchase back-to-school supplies, suggesting that the teachers should go buy them themselves or go to donation drives and do the legwork themselves. Others shared stories of classrooms that weren’t ‘cute enough’ or didn’t have rugs, implying that the lack of decoration somehow reflected poorly on the teacher – “how dare they not make the room perfect for my child.”

And then there are the posts about rules and policies – things like cell phone bans in classrooms that teachers have no control over. In some cases, parents have gone as far as encouraging their children to disobey those rules, placing teachers in an impossible position.

Viral posts don’t tell the whole story of public education: our communities do.

I’ll be honest, when these posts go viral, it can feel disheartening. But here’s the thing: I don’t believe they reflect the majority of families across the United States. Instead, they seem to be part of a louder narrative that seeks to chip away at public education and those who dedicate their lives to it. And this is a problem.

The truth is, public education is one of the cornerstones of our country. It has always been, and should always be, a place where every child has access to learning, growth, and opportunity. Funding cuts at every level – from Kinder through universities – have made the work harder, but the mission remains the same: serving students and setting them up for future success.

And here’s the good news: in my community, I see something different from what goes viral. I’m sure you do too. I see families who send their students to school with supplies. I see kindness, collaboration, and a shared commitment to doing what’s best for kids.

That’s the story we need to remember and share. Viral posts may grab attention, but they don’t represent the heart of our communities. Let’s not fall prey to negativity; there’s already too much of that. Instead, let’s lift up the good, celebrate the work being done, and continue to build strong schools for our students. They deserve the best, no matter their zip code.

Because in the end, when we support public education, we’re not just supporting teachers, we’re investing in our children and in the future we all share.

Our At-Risk Kids & COVID-19

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Since the beginning of this, I have been in constant contact with one of my students. Student A has a rough home life. Student A (SA) is what I call a trauma kid. There is trauma in SA’s life.

I have connected with SA this year. SA has come such a long way and I couldn’t be more proud of SA. Our district hasn’t moved to Online Learning yet. We are a week behind most as our Spring Break was the first week – March 16. So for the past 3 weeks, SA and I have been emailing back and forth. SA reached out. SA reaches out often asking many questions. I have been able to provide guidance and information.

SA has contacted me about where and when to get food. What they should do if a police officer stops them (there was a rumor going around town – untrue). The breaking point came this week. Students were able to pick up computers. Upon hearing this information, SA was excited but nervous. I asked if they wanted me to meet them at school. SA replied, “Yes, please!” Okay, I have a soft spot for them, so I said that I would.

monochrome photo of girl crying
Photo by Mateus Souza on Pexels.com

Today was computer pick-up day. SA called as they left their house. I packed up the pups and off we went. We got there at about the same time. I almost didn’t recognize SA. The spark was gone. In its place was a sad, withdrawn, scared-looking child. We chatted while waiting in line (social distancing the whole time). SA is home alone for a part of the day while mom is at work and the younger brother goes to the babysitter.

SA is not the only as-risk kid. This got me thinking. We talk about equity and the pros and cons of online learning. Yes, there is most definitely an equity issue in our nation. Students with no internet. Rural areas with no or poor access. Equity concerning students with IEP’s. And yes, those are important and should not be overlooked. But what about students like SA who NEED to be connected? Those students who are suffering alone and in silence. They NEED to have the opportunity to connect. I am happy that SA can connect. I’m really hoping that the simple daily meeting help SA.

Please reach out to all your at-risk kiddos. They may not be doing as well as you’d hope. I’ve also had former students (all at-risk) reach out to me.

Google Slides: Custom Gradient Background

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Things I learn from my students: custom gradient backgrounds. Today my students were giving homework presentations. One student had an interesting background: a rainbow bullseye. I had seen him working on his presentation and knew that he created that background, but wasn’t sure how. So today, I asked him after he was done. He said that it was a custom background. Then I asked him to show the class. And now it’s all the rage!

Some are a bit easier on the eyes than others, but the effect is still pretty cool. So how’d he do it?

When in Google Slides, click on a slide from the left. Then, select Background.

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From here, a pop-out window appears. Choose color then gradient and finally custom.

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From here we have several options. The one that really blew my mind was the + gradient stops.

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Clicking the + allows you to add points where you can add colors using the paint can.

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Pretty cool. So, I thank my student for sharing his discovery with the class.

 

 

What the Tests Don’t Show

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I have a student this year that I am in awe of. I want to be like her when I grow up. She is a true testament to growth-mindset. She is my go-to person for most tech questions. She is the rare 5th-grader who uses technology in meaningful ways in her spare time. My student, L, is a role model to both students and adults.

pexels-photo-733856.jpegYes, I realize I’m waxing on about L and here’s why. L has run our school’s daily news all year – which is a news broadcast. She films, edits, and most recently, been in front of the camera. When I’m having issues with a computer/tablet she’s the first person I consult and she usually has the solution. She uses her phone as if it were a mini computer: downloading Google Classroom, working on assignments at home, using Raz-Kids, and other programs to help her succeed. She has helped her family to download and set up educational apps (on their phones) to help them be connected to Class Dojo and learn a new language. She ‘texts’ me via Google Hangouts (her school account) to ask school-related questions or just tell me that she’ll be out the next day.

I’m sure you’re thinking that’s impressive for a 5th-grader, but not swoon-worthy. THIS is where her story begins to show how amazing she is. If we only look at her statistics – test scores, socioeconomic status, home language, etc – we would miss everything!

L is a second (maybe third) language learner. Her family speaks a dialect from the Oaxaca region in Mexico and Spanish. She qualifies for free/reduced lunch.  She was hit by a car last year while riding her bike (no helmet) and still suffers from some brain swelling which has impacted her memory, vision (not drastically), and headaches. She continues to go to the doctor for her injuries. L has an IEP for learning differences. The IEP was in place before the accident. See, you’re impressed now, aren’t you?

So, while some tests can help guide us, they don’t measure the most important things about our students. They don’t tell their stories and it’s those stories that truly help us connect with our students and serve their needs. Without the personal relationships we build with our students, how could we ever build them up? How could we see their potential and set them on a path to success? How could we do our jobs? If only the test-crazy people would understand that a child is so much more than a silly test.