Teaching MY heart out!

As a teacher, I attend many hours of professional development. I love PD. I love going to, presenting, and attending conferences, participating in webinars, chatting on Twitter with my PLN, and snagging amazing ideas from other educators posting on Instagram and Pinterest. My personal favorite PD is physically attending a conference outside of my district with educators I do not see on a daily basis. I do love collaborating with colleagues, don't get me wrong, that's incredibly important, but I love to learn from and discuss ideas with others in my grade level and content from all over the place! 

I currently teach 8th grade ELA. Last fall I saw that a Teach Your Heart Out conference was planned for Atlanta in March. I knew immediately that I was going to go. It fell on my spring break, so I wouldn't have to get a sub. I spoke to my principal about going and he asked if I knew of another teacher in the school that might be interested in attending with me. I told him I'd get back to him. On my way back to my classroom, I immediately thought of the perfect person. 

Her name is Katie Hayes, and she teaches 6th grade ELA. She's one of those teachers that just make you smile. She's always working hard to create innovative, engaging lessons for her students that allow them to grow and feel success in her room. She builds relationships with her students, and is more focused on the best way THEY learn, rather than what SHE wants to teach. Instead of wanting to stick to the same old, tired unit taught every year, she'll scrap it mid-unit and start over to ensure student engagement. We all know those other teachers. They have a unit they just love, and no matter how outdated it is for the standards and students, the teacher refuses to let it go because it's her/his "baby." Katie is a 21st century teacher. She loves learning knew things and implementing them in her classroom. She is also a bundle of sunshine when you run into her in the halls.

You might wonder how I know all of this about her since I teach 8th and she teaches 6th. Her former students are my current students. As we all know... students talk. They like to talk about teachers. Some try to be negative (we cut that right off), but sometimes they'll talk about the amazing stuff they did in 6th grade with Mrs. Hayes. All that to say this: I knew Mrs. Hayes was my tribe, and I knew we were cut from the same teacher cloth. I gave her name to my principal. 

Fast forward to March 27, 2019

Here I sit in my hotel room after day one of stellar keynotes and presenters. Katie and I cannot stop talking about the things we want to do when we get back to school Monday. We have learned so much today, and are amazed we still have another day left. Let me tell you something. If you ever get the chance to attend a Teach Your Heart Out conference, do not pass up that opportunity! WE DECLARED TODAY THAT WE ARE ATTENDING EVERY ONE WE POSSIBLY CAN TOGETHER! In one session alone, I gathered more information than in the past three PDs I attended 

(shout-out to Dyane Smokorowski for that- You're AMAZING)! 

The big take-away today for me came from Eric Crouch. He said, "Kids need to be seen and heard. They don't hug computers and worksheets." He's so right. We have GOT TO make learning relevant to them! We've got to do everything in our power to help these kids gain the deep conceptual knowledge they need to extend their learning throughout school and life.

I love my students. Each day when they leave my room the last words they hear are, "I love you. Have a great day." I mean it too. I love my students. I want them to be successful, contributing members of society one day. I know the only way to do that is by loving them first.

I'm not sure who the original author of this quote is, but it has been said numerous times throughout this conference, "Love first. Teach second."