The Return of "inSPECt"

All of my classes are taking a look at how to read in a different way.  We have worked in the past on finding themes in our reading, but because of the need to replace the textbook (Falling apart, even the online one!), we are going to set forth on a journey to inspect the text.

inSPECt includes four themes:  Social, Political, Economic, and Cultural.  Each theme is present in our reading most of the time.  As we read, we are identifying the themes that go with the reading.  We then highlight them as we go, and point out why they are each theme.

I adapted this from Social Studies Can Be SPECtacular, by Anthony Fitzpatrick. 

You can see some examples of each theme as well as what the reading looks like when done correctly below:

A Graduation Speech

It is no secret that I want to lead a school someday.  As I have labored through the struggles and frustrations of being a teacher, I have often found myself wanting to impart some wisdom to students that can't be found in a textbook and isn't succinct enough to fit on one of those dated motivational posters that can be found on classroom walls.  You know the type... They point out things like "listen" and "silent" use the same letters, or give some generic quote about attitude or effort.

And I realized that if I ever got to lead a school, particularly a middle school, that one thing I would be called on to do would be to deliver such a statement at graduation.  8th grade graduation is a bigger deal in some places than others, but if nothing else the chance to help guide kids into the next stage of their lives is reason enough for the pomp and circumstance.

So what would I say?  I would say some things that I would have wanted to say all along.  Things that needed to be said, but at a different place and time.  Above all, it would be the truth...

You are about to begin the most important four years of your life.

You can't hide anymore.  It's time to make a place for yourself in the world.  It's time to be someone, anyone, unique and independent.  It's time to make choices, lots of choices.  Not just what classes to take, but life choices.  It is time to decide who you are, and who you aren't.  But not choosing isn't a choice; you can't sit on the sidelines of life anymore.

Here is a secret:  High school is awesome.  Being a young adult is awesome.  And while there are bumps in the road, there isn't an adult here that wouldn't go back if they could.  Sure, they might make some different choices.  There are people that they would like to have never met, and pictures of themselves they might want to burn (Why did I ever wear that?), but the positives far outweigh the negatives.  The bullies, the breakups, the bad hair days, and the drama always wouldn't be enough to stop us.  We would go back because we know something that I am going to tell you right now.

The whole world is in front of you.  

Nothing is out of bounds.  There is no impossible.  No doors are closed.  You get to decide who you will be.  You aren't too old, too tired, or too stuck in your ways.  Life hasn't passed you by.  It's about to say hello.  The only limits you have are the ones you place on yourself.  The only opportunities you will be denied are the ones you fail to take.

And it is more than just shaping your career.  It is shaping everything that is you, and that you will become.  You are creating the person that someday someone will marry, that someday will raise a family, and that someday will be asked to leave the world a little bit better than when you found it.

Kids are so anxious to grow up.  There will be time for that later.  Focus on who you want to be so you are happy when you get there.  You all want so badly to be grown up and on your own.  It's ironic, because when you do, and the real world gets a hold of you, you're change your mind.   Kids want so badly to be adults, but secretly we envy the adventure you are about to begin.  The thrill of choosing the path to take during your lifetime is one of the most exciting rides you will ever be on.

You can't hide anymore.  These are the most important years of your life, and you only get one shot...

No pressure.

A Backseat Blog

Happy Thanksgiving to the assorted family, friends, Twitter associates, and complete strangers that read this...

Rarely do I ride in a car that I am not driving... But it gives one time to think.

I am only a few weeks away from the end date of my professional growth plan.  Crazy, I know.  I spent Wednesday at school in a teacher institute learning about the direction that our district is moving in.

Lots of initiatives were shown in various stages of implementation.  Long story short...  the miracle work is not going to end.  We will continue to do more with less, and the odds will continue to be stacked against us. 

It reminded me of the scene in Return of the Jedi when Han Solo asks Luke Skywalker "How are we doing?"  Luke replies "Same as always."  Han retorts "That bad huh?"

Come to find out that as a prize for being in the bottom 20% of schools in the state (after some really weird math and a list of exceptions), our district will be required to add a student growth component to our teacher evaluation a year early. 

Because if anyone needs less time to adjust to the metaphoric beatdown that is the Common Core, it is high-poverty, high-mobility, high-needs schools.

But that is for another day.   We also talked technology.  And while I got hopeful, I am confident in our ability to misuse this opportunity.  Whether it be rollout, training, support, or maintenance, my hopes will be dashed I am sure.

Meanwhile I look like a genius because I am taking the Google Apps Teacher Certification tests.  It sounds like we are going full Google.  So let me share with you my vision...

Currently teachers have Google Apps at their disposal...

Suggestion 1:  Give kids access. 

There is no reason not to.  It is the point.  Give kids Gmail accounts in our domain with privileges to do what they need to do.  Email can be modified to stay in district only... letting us keep our house in order.

Suggestion 2:  Use Drive for all storage needs. 

Our network is brutal.  Time to save to the cloud.  No more lost research papers. No more saving locally on accident.  No more disappearing thumbdrives. 

Suggestion 3:  Train teachers.  Then support them. 

This has to become institutionalized and sustainable.  There is such potential, but teachers are creatures of habit.  New ideas mean more work.  We have to show where more work now turns into less later.

Suggestion 4:  Update infrastructure

We are doing this.  Wireless overhaul along with a jump up in computers.  Looks like we are headed down the Chromebook path.  Which if true means...

Suggestion 5:  Give every staff member a Chromebook.

Not every teacher, but every adult in the building should be given a device.  It goes back to institutionalization.  Demand the use school wide through equal access and support.  If all adults use it, we can all help kids use it.  How do we get the adults to?

Suggestion 6:  Automate everything. 

This is where Google Calendar would be awesome.  Scheduling between teachers, administrators, support staff, etc. would be simple.  Imagine getting kids to do this.  Imagine posting assignments this way. 

Not to mention this is a handy way to organize the use of resources like computer labs.  Imagine knowing any time if the lab is available.  That impulsive midnight lesson you come up with that is a stroke of genius has a better chance of coming to fruition.

Suggestion 7:  Rethink PD

This type of change requires lots of PD.  But that time is most likely already allocated.  So why not ask for what needs to be done to be done through Google Apps.  Supercharge your PD by killing two birds with one stone.

Suggestion 8:  Give incentives.

Reward staff for their use of new things.  Recognize it.  This is where blogging and social media come in. Set up PD through the tools.  Collaborate from home.  Use Twitter chats.  Publicize the work.  Sponsor contests, have drawings or giveaways for participation.  Compel with kindness... and perks.

Suggestion 9:  Have a plan and commit.

Beyond what I outlined, someone has to steer this ship.  They have to be knowledgeable and accessible.  This is systemic.  It is not a one-time thing.  Commit to the use of integrated technology, not its token use.  Until teachers are secure in its use, the technology provided will not be utilized.

Suggestion 10:  Change the paradigm.

Someone will inevitably say that this type of technology integration isn't for them.

You are absolutely right.  It is for our students.

They will take over a world demanding cutting edge skills.  We have to show them as many tools as we can today so they can make the tools of tomorrow.

Like I said.  That is my vision.  Only part of it, but I am not getting my hopes up yet.

It doesn't exist in our district but I am going to be our director of technology one way or another.  I can't let us screw this up.

The New and Improved XP System

Well Education Universe, it's been awhile.

Been busy on blog #2, but I thought I'd share a little something I'm working on.  Well two things.  I improved my "XP System" for my classroom:

Second, I used Bitstrips to create a cool infographic/comic for my classroom rules.  Here it is:

Take Care,

Mr. J.

What Am I Doing?!

Education Universe-

I have to figure this out.

The common core is here.  As a social studies teacher, I'm still sorting out what that means.  I think it has something to do with reading... Yes that was joke.

Here's the dilemma:  I'm a social studies teacher.  I don't excel at training a student how to read.  I know that they need to read and read often.  I know that primary sources and informational texts can be complex and challenging.  I know that insights should be taken from what we read.  But I do this instinctively.  I struggle to teach how to do it.  It is difficult to teach someone how to make up their mind for themselves and reference the text as evidence.

This problem compounds itself if students have no knowledge of the content that they are reading about.  A reading passage about the Revolution certainly makes more sense with some context.  If you don't know who Thomas Paine was, the last thing that his words will ever be is Common Sense.

So who am I?  Social studies teacher?  Reading teacher?  Both?  Neither?  It depends on who you ask.  I know what my degree says.  I know what my job placement says.  I know what the standards say.  I know what those in positions to make these decisions for me say.  Needless to say, I need to figure it out.

So let's start with what we know:

Currently, the common core standards for history and social studies are solely focused on reading and are as follows:

Reading in History/Social Sciences Common Core Standards (6-8)

These focus on evidence, citing text, comparing texts, identifying processes and opinions, and main ideas.  Nothing really new there.  There's that last standard that is just sort of like a pinky toe... it's there and that's really all.

And there are some exmplar texts that the standards include to give you an idea of what to use.

Exmplar Texts for Common Core Standards (6-8)

But that clearly isn't enough to teach a course on.  So the question remains, what texts come next?  What primary sources get used?  Illinois has laid out what is to be taught in social studies, so I assume the next step is to go the the Illinois learning standards for social studies.

Illinois Social Studies Standards

5 Goals:  Political systems, economics, history, geography, and social systems.  The texts that I choose should revolve around one of those goals, specifically the standards aligned to middle school.  My textbook, The American Journey, is already aligned to these standards.  It also provides texts and primary sources outside of the main narrative.  Maybe a few things will come from it.

But back to context.  Picking up a letter from John Adams and dissecting it is worthless without a story behind it.  History is our story.  It needs to be discussed.  Yes it is facts and people and places.  But without those bricks of knowledge, how can you ever construct anything out of it?

And it can't be done in a vacuum.  Perhaps older students may do better with this, but in middle school I find it a mistake to jump between historical eras, or even within themes in the same era.  Thematic classes are taught in history to those who have already been exposed to a survey course.  I didn't take American Problems in high school until after I took Civics and U.S. History.  There is a scope and sequence.  There is a canon so to speak.  And it is important.  It's our canon.  Take a look at this to get what I am trying to say.

I cannot believe the intention of these new standards was to find the main idea of the "I Have a Dream" Speech, but not have any concept of when or where Dr. King delivered it.  Tracing the argument, tracing the idea, tracing the thinking should not stop with the text.  It becomes a thread that we can watch become intertwined in our culture.  Sometimes it frays, sometimes it untangles, sometimes it disappears.  Then we can ask why.

So our role as social studies teachers is to help build literacy while working in our content areas.  As I have scoured the web for materials and ideas on just exactly what this looks like.  One thing stands out.  The background knowledge, the content, that we provide in social studies as well as in science are necessary to help students recall information and make more sense of what we read.  Whether it be fiction or an informational text, students who are able to generate comprehension because of context are going to read better.  I like this clip from New York because I see the standards being defended but also in a way that shows that social studies teachers and for that matter science teachers will be more than just presenting text opportunities to students.  This article also stresses the need for all teachers to get involved in literacy, but to leave the decision as to how it looks to those who practice in each discipline.

Inquiry is what these standards want from us.  Critical thinking is the goal.  Asking oneself "What do I think about this?" and "How do I know?"  The intention was not to forget about the journey for the sake of the answer, especially if we're not even sure why we are asking the question.

I like what History Blueprint is doing.  They are doing a far greater job thinking about this than I ever could.  Check out their Civil War unit.  This looks more like the types of things most social studies want to do.

History Blueprint:  The Civil War

And I LOVE the analysis tool the Library of Congress has made for primary sources.  Check this out and then share it with anyone who doesn't use it.

Library of Congress:  Primary Source Analysis Tool

We too need to practice our understanding of citizenship and democracy.  Bring in iCivics to do that.  We can read while we learn about all of these things.  We can learn about our rights and how to protect them.  But we need to do a little of this too to make sure we get it (and have some fun).

iCivics

Additionally, even the wikipedia entry for the common core notes that foundational U.S. documents are required as part of the curriculum.  That again begs the question of which ones are foundational.  Fortunately the government has helped us out here with it's 100 Milestone Documents.

Even the State of Illinois notes that the shift is to focusing on complex texts and teaching students to be like detectives.  I can spin that with a middle schooler.  I like the idea.  We could even become full-fledged social scientists by performing a history lab.  Students can even engage in writing and discussion using online blogs and secure social media like Edmodo.  It ties together nicely.

Maybe I'm speaking out of turn, but as a social studies teacher, I don't fear these things.  I think this could be truly awesome.  But talk of comprehension, testing, phonics, and fluency are not what these standards demand of me.  Massacring a social studies curriculum to add reading minutes to the day isn't either.

I just solved the world's problems.  Here's what I need on my to do list to make this work:

1.  Technological upkeep, support, and access
2.  Resources for my classroom library
3.  Student participation and follow-through
4.  Parental support
5.  A green light to try new things

I can do this.  Stay classy Universe.

-Mr. J.

A Couple of Sweet Tools I Came Across

Education Universe-

If you teach social studies, and you are uneasy about the changes the Common Core is bringing, you're not alone.  Here's a few more things that might help.  I know I am a bit worried about how our subject will fare in this latest push to infuse every moment of school with literacy.  As a teacher and historian, I know reading is so very important.  But I want to do things with the reading.  Finally I have found some things that can do just that.

The Library of Congress has created a phenomenal primary source analysis tool.  It is easy to use, and walks students through the process of inquiry into a multitude of different types of sources.  It is a great digital organizer for students to enter information and then print it out when finished.  Better yet, for those of us who prefer crisp electronic copies to crinkled up middle school paper assignments, a .pdf version of the document can be generated when finished.  Handy guides for each type of primary source are also available.

You can find this resource on the Library of Congress's website.

Combine this with the National Archive's DocsTeach website, and you really have something cool.  DocsTeach can allow you to create several different graphic organizers and activities to use to analyze sources.  There is a sharing of ideas on the website, and teachers can either share or create content.  Additionally, classes can be set up so that students are able to be tracked and assigned specific tasks through the site.

You can begin your work with DocsTeach by going to their website.  I'm extremely interested in what this can do.

I plan to combine these two tools along with an interface like Edmodo and Classbadges to continue to create a unique blended learning environment.  Someone should probably tell my students they're in for a culture shock.  On second thought, why spoil the surprise.

Yay federal government.  Good job on this one.

-Mr. J.

inSPECt Update

Hello Education Universe-

I have been plugging away with my 7th graders using the inSPECt process I have blogged about previously.  I have tweaked my form and do it now electronically.  Perhaps this will be the future of the process.  This is what it looks like now:

Here's links to the form itself, scoring rubric, and explanation:
Form
Rubric
Explanation

Now just getting them to do it is the key.  If ever there was a silver bullet, that would be the time.  Here is the link to the previous post to compare:
Investigating a Text and Looking Smart Doing It

Take Care,

Mr. J.

Now I Am the Master

Education Universe-

I did it.  I am a master of science in educational administration.  Fear me.

Not really... to the fear part that is.  7th grade girls aren't even scared of me.

I haven't blogged in awhile.  Been busy.  Trying to keep up with my 3 month old as well as staying motivated in the toughest leg of the school year has been a job in itself.  But I thought I would post a few thoughts about recent events in my journey to make kids learn.  It has been an uphill battle.

The flipped classroom approach as I mentioned before is very intriguing to me.  However it has to be something that can be sustained throughout the year by a teacher, students, and the hardware. I'm not sure which of those three has the most work to do at the moment.  So that idea is still on hold.

Gamification however looks promising. Building in the XP system has motivated some students.  Adding in the accompanying title belt system seems to have worked well too.  That has some success behind it now and I want to improve it going forward.

So as the Common Core begins to shape our instruction, my district is using the backwards design model to try to improve instruction.  I'm hoping that gamification can continue as my units may turn into "levels."  Each summative assessment can become a "boss battle", or something like that.  I think that even looking at the formation of guilds and including ideas such as crafting and avatar creation are possible.  Time to start thinking again.

Sometimes I'm guilty of putting fun or cool in front of instruction.  I need some balance, but I still want to be different.  That's important to me.

Well that's it.  Just checking in to say I'm still alive... if anyone else reads this that is.

Mr. J.

911!

Hello Education Universe...

So I just logged into our grading software to clean up a few things, and I ran a missing work report on my homeroom.  They have 5 classes:  English, Math, Reading, Science, and Social Studies (saved the best for last).

Presently there are 23 students in my homeroom.  As a class, 911 assignments have been missed.  That is just under an average of 40 assignments per kid.  Dividing that again by 9 weeks in a grading period, that averages out to about 4.4 missing assignments, per student, per week.  Five days in a school week means that on the average, every student misses one assignment each day.

How ironic that it was 911.  This is an EMERGENCY.  I've read the studies on not giving homework.  I've read the studies on not giving a student a zero.  I get it.  We want to assess what students have learned.  However students have always been expected to do something.  I'd love to get everything that needs to be done completed within the confines of the school day.  My students also can go to a homework help program three days a week.  There is no way that this can be ok.

Whether it be federal mandates, the Common Core, the upcoming changes to standardized assessments, or the changing demands and expectations of the employable young professional, the expectations are going up.  More is being asked of education, of schools, of teachers.  We want to expect more of our students, but the urgency to do so is not the same.  Why?

I understand that giving homework for the sake of giving homework is pointless.  It is not an institution of school.  It is a tool.  Students need to pursue their learning on their own as well as with guidance in school.  They should bring something to the table each day:  their effort.

And I get it.  Being a kid is hard.  It really is.  Our students today deal with pressures from peers, media, parents, teachers, and the various social networks and online interactions they make.  They deal with a lot of stuff.  I'm 27, and even I am overwhelmed when I hear of some of the stress that they carry around with them.  Did I really grow up in the "good old days" already?  Am I already part of the "it was different back then" past that students feel their teachers existed in?  That's scary.

911.  This is an emergency.  I know it seems like nothing to them.  It's just some goofy worksheet, some boring reading assignment.  I know that's how they feel.  I try to limit what I send home to do.  I want there to be some significance to homework.  That doesn't seem to always work.  But the bigger picture is frightening:  a lack of dedication, of effort, of accomplishment.  Where can that outlook on life take you?

That's the battle we cannot lose.  Someday our students are going to have to replace us in the workforce and in society.  They may not need every fact we try to cram into their head, but knowing how to learn, how to work, and how to succeed will be needed.  From the fry cook to the Fortune 500 entrepreneur, you have to have tried.

Trying after all, is how we learn.  We try again.  Our failures make us wiser, our successes make us stronger.

Here's to trying... Take Care.

Mr. J.

2013: A Year in Review and Reflection, and a Choice

What a year Education Universe-

A lot has changed.  A lot has happened.

2013 started off wonderful with the news that I would be a father.  As winter moved into spring, I continued my graduate studies toward my administrative degree.  Things were going pretty well, until the world came crashing down on me.

In late March, I woke up one morning with two tingling feet.  I thought I slept on my legs wrong, and didn't think much of it.  As the days moved on and the feelings got worse, I found myself at the doctor, and then the E.R.  I found myself at the doctor again wondering why my legs felt the way that they did, and eventually began diagnostic testing after meeting with a neurologist.

My mother has MS, and so of course I was worried that I might be showing signs.  I waited a week in the most panic-stricken state I have ever been in, hoping that the MRI's would come back clean and these feelings would go away.  But on April 1st, (of all days...) I was told I was indeed showing signs of MS in my brain.

The panic got worse.  It didn't help that on Easter Sunday, the day before, my grandmother had passed away.  I was sent into a spiral.  Fortunately, we were on Spring Break, and I had a week to try to collect myself and get back on my feet, as tingly and numb as they were.

But it didn't go so well.  I found returning to work a challenge.  Physically I was still adapting and recovering and mentally I was fragile.  I informed my colleagues of what had happened who in turn made sure my students knew what was going on.  I wasn't at my best as a teacher and I knew it.  Getting up and getting to work was hard, and my performance was being examined under a microscope because of my absences and eventual hospitalization to receive treatment.  Stress got to me.  Nerves got to me.  I broke down.  When I finally was able to come back, it was my colleagues and my students who saved me.  Of course my wife, Caitlyn, halfway through her pregnancy, brought me back to life.  I'll never be able to repay her and how strong she was to carry me through the end of last school year.

It was during all of this that I spent a lot of time at home and online.  I couldn't do a lot else, and I sort of laid low.  I began to learn more and more about the Personal Learning Network after taking an educational technology class as part of my master's program.  I began to make connections and meet people.  I'm not going to lie, I got addicted to Twitter for about a month.  It drove my wife nuts.  I don't know if it was a coping thing or not, but it got my mind off of things.  It helped.  And I thought I was getting to be a better teacher and professional because of it.  I was learning things that I wanted to know more about.

I learned about gamification, flipping the classroom, augmented reality, engagement, mystery Skypes, Twitter chats, the Google Teacher Academy, ISTE, Edcamps, and of course the importance of blogging.

I met some cool, inspiring, passionate educators.  They gave me faith that teaching is indeed what I always imagined it to be.  Whether it be the Two Guys and some I-Pads wizards Brad Waid and Drew Minock, Sean Junkins who inspired me to blog, Victoria Olson who is like a celebrity in Canada these days, Dave Burgess whose book validated my own teaching philosophy, or Toby Price, who might like Star Wars even more than I do.

My reality as a teacher does not resemble the picture I had in my head when I started down this career path.  I have a very unique group of kids with vastly different skills and expertise.  I have very little in terms of professional development or collaboration.  Being in a school that is being affected by No Child Left Behind, and in a state with reformed teacher evaluation legislation, my hands are sometimes tied and my vision is sometimes not something that can be achieved in a timely fashion.  And by no means will it be easy.

But moving into this school year (after a relaxing, much-needed summer) I was inspired.  I charged myself with doing better.  I charged myself with trying new things.  I charged myself with continuing to know my kids as the people they are, not the face they put on at school.

I truly believe there is a place between the dramatic, sarcastic, self-centered, short-sighted world of the middle-schooler and the idealistic, rigid, conformist, sterile, and scripted persona far too many teachers employ where student and teacher need to meet.  I don't want to show all of my cards to my kids and by no means do I want them to either.  I don't think 100% true middle school personality or 100% true teacher personality can work together.  There has to be a bit of a line that can't be crossed.  There has to be roles, and norms, and expectations.

Which brings me to this school year.  Things were moving along ok as I blogged about flipping my classroom.  That didn't go so well, but it was a learning experience.  But with all of the energy I poured into new initiatives, scrounging up every bit of loose tech I could find, and implementing an XP system similar to popular video games using assessments in class and the points earned, I shifted my focus away from certain things like behavior and procedures.  It's not that I don't see a place for them, but I know that my room has ran as a sort of "controlled chaos" for the better part of 5 years.  Students have been louder than in other classes.  They have a bit more of a tendency to shout out or blurt out in a discussion.  I knew in my head that there was a limit to how much off-task behavior I would condone.  It wasn't concrete, I just knew it when I saw it.

(In the middle of all of this, my son, Jace, was born in late October.  I love him.  I've known him two months now, and it's amazing how little there is that I wouldn't do for him without hesitation.  He is my new inspiration when times get tough.  I live for him now first, and me second)

But back to the present.  With the new evaluation system in place in the State of Illinois, the bar has been raised on teacher evaluation.  I found that practices in my classroom were no longer acceptable, even though the same evaluation tool had not indicated so over the past four years.  The bar just got raised.  Just as I thought a dark 6 months were behind me, the anxiety and fear I felt when I thought every step I took as a teacher was being examined was coming back.

I'm not blaming anyone.  I know I can and should improve.  I know that the sky is the limit as a teacher.  I know I can learn every day.  I also know that I was ok at what I did in the past.  It's really a head-scratching moment when what was ok yesterday is not ok anymore.  It leaves a bad taste in your mouth.  It makes you feel attacked, it feels personal.  I don't know that that is what Danielson had in mind with her four domains, but it seems to be what is happening in my experience.

And teachers have felt this way before.  They have been at a fork in the road between conscience and conformity.  They have stood there, looking at the safe road that keeps them out of harm's way and their kids pacified.  Then there is the other way, which may lead to a breakthrough or a breakdown.  It sounds like a twisted Robert Frost poem, but it's the truth.  I worry about both paths.

I have always been different.  I value that about myself.  I like to think for myself.  I like to do things my way.  Sometimes they don't work out, but I adapt.  I change.  I learn.  But I have always been rubbed the wrong way when I'm told that my way is wrong.  Sometimes it's flat out true.  Other times it's no better or worse, just different.  But I get into trouble because I stick up for myself, and go down with my ship.  By the way, it's a pirate ship... thanks Dave Burgess :)

So as 2014 prepares to grace us with its presence, I have a choice.  Swallow my pride, or go down with the ship.  This really isn't the hill I want to die on, but I have a hard time choosing my battles.  Like Captain Kirk, I don't believe in a no-win situation.  I'm still looking for a third option.  And that is what I am spending this week searching for.  Inspiration, motivation, and redemption.

Oh and I finished my master's program with a 4.0.  I passed my principal's test.  But I'm terrified that I am going to be a needs improvement teacher.  I'm thinking about changing my blog title to something like that.

I haven't given up all year, and I'm not about to start now.  That is my resolution.  Oh and losing twenty pounds is too.

I feel better.  Few more days of being a bum at home and then productivity starts up on Monday.  1 week to turn my year around.  1 week to improve.  1 week to get back in the game.

Happy New Year-

Mr. J.

Ending My Journey by Proposing We Start Another...

Hello Education Universe-

Well I did it... I think.  I'm done with my grad work.  Time to put some things to use.  I'm going to work on sharing some of the PLN experience with my co-workers.  I'm excited because there are things that we can improve by scouring the earth for great ideas.  We can also begin to get feedback from people outside our small little school.  I created the following prezi as a very brief intro to the PLN journey:

It is truly amazing what you can find.  Ideas, inspiration, motivation, and like-minded individuals that can actually validate that your ideas aren't crazy.  It's powerful.  But if you are new to social media or are operating from the more traditional (which isn't bad) paradigm, the thought of endless information, constant connectivity, and the dissolution of the end of the work day can be challenging, if not downright frightening.

But this ability to develop ourselves begs the question if professional development and training in the old workshop "sit and get" form is really something that should exist anymore.  For some things perhaps.  But I can't help but think that a school that pursues its own development at the individual level would not grow so much more because each discovery would be genuine, non-coerced, and meaningful.  And the message that we are sending our students, that learning is lifelong, could not be better.

And what if, just if, we spread this message to our students.  It would be a revolution.  There are so many pioneers that have blazed this trail that the pitfalls and dangers are beginning to subside.  This isn't a frontier anymore.  It isn't uncharted waters.  It's the way the world is doing its business.  It's the way business does business.  It should be part of the way education does its business too.

So I digress.  I will put my soapbox away.  But now that I have nearly finished my graduate work, I feel I better do something good since I spent all that time and money to get to where I am.  And a midst a challenging school year, I want to take a step forward.  I  want to make my school better.

And now it's time to hit the hay before Jace wakes me up.  I don't want to cross him, seeing as he is going to be the commander-in-chief someday...

Take care,

Mr. J.

Investigating a Text and Sounding Smart Doing It

It's been a while Education Universe,

Being a new daddy has cut into my blogging, but I did develop something from work I did last year and some reading that I have done that I think could be useful.  Over the last year or so, I have read and reread Social Studies can be SPECtacular, by Anthony Fitzpatrick.  The book focuses on identifying four simple themes from a text:

S for "Social"
P for "Political"
E for "Economic"
C for "Cultural"

Here in Illinois, our current social studies standards are organized in the following way:

14- Political Systems
15- Economics
16- History
17- Geography
18- Social Systems

You can see easily how the two align.  4 of my 5 standards are the themes that Fitzpatrick outlines.  The 5th, geography, I address separately in the 7th grade and throughout units that I teach as opportunity presents.

The reason I love this idea is because students by default will get more out of what they read if they are actively reading and searching for these themes.  The only thing that is needed is a tool or graphic organizer for students to work with as they read.  That's how the inSPECt process was born.  We are investigating, or inspecting, the text for these themes.  So essentially, we are looking for social, political, economic, and cultural themes (SPEC) in the text (hence the "in"and the "t" on the ends).

Fortunately I was able to come up with something that I rather like.  I started with color coding the text, looking for social, political, economic, and cultural themes in blue, red, green, and yellow, respectively:

From there, I took the themes from the text that I identified and put them into a very simple graphic organizer that was color-coded by theme too.  This way the evidence of what was read was gathered easily and could be analyzed and discussed quickly.

From there, I created a summary form that outlines the source and the evidence of themes collected.  The information is put into a pie chart to show the dominance of one theme or the harmony and balance found among several themes.  Regardless, it leads to a more sophisticated conversation about the text.  The last thing to do then is to discuss the findings in a brief summary, pointing out the themes as they appeared in the text.  Tying this type of activity to the common core standards, it is require students to cite evidence from the text as well as identify themes.  If we were to inspect more than one text on the same subject, could quickly point out discrepancies or the ways in which the author chooses what to focus on or highlight.

Lastly, the design of this template was thought of with the idea of making it electronic in the future.  A google docs live form can arrange information in the same way that this form does, producing the charts automatically.  There can be no doubt that this is much more in-depth of a reading activity than a simple worksheet to complete by scanning the text.

What is most appealing though is the discussion.  It can be rich.  It can be insightful and creative.  But most importantly, it gives students a chance to play historian by making their own conclusions.  There can be more than one right answer provided that the support from the text and evidence gathered is also there.  

I was observed doing this today in class, and I felt it went well.  The discussion was much better across the board.  I'm thinking about using this approach more, phasing out some of my lectures, and perhaps slowly taking a second look at flipping some of my content to allow for more text analysis.

I could really use some thoughts and feedback.  I work in a small school, and I'm the only person who teaches 7/8 social studies in the building.  That isolation sometimes works against the creative process and growing as a professional.  But that's why the Education Universe is here.

And as always Education Universe, you take care.

Mr. J.

You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned

Hello Education Universe-

The title of this post of course, is another one of the enigmatic quotes from Yoda.  This one however is something I'm trying to accomplish with students who have made up their minds on certain aspects of life long before I began my work with them.

I am not omnipotent.  I don't think I'm better than people.  But I do get upset that my students come to school with some misconceptions about the world.  Given, my culture is different than that of many of my students.  The town I grew up in does not resemble the one in which I teach.  The schools I learned in do not resemble the school that I work in.  But people are still people, and this country exists under the premise that we are all the same.

I know that there cannot be some list of beliefs, some canon of culture, some philosophy of principles that should be conveyed to students by teachers.  Again, this country is built on believing what we want to believe.  We have a right to our opinion.  We have a right to voice that opinion.  But that doesn't always mean that society at large will uphold it as valid.

I broke up a fight recently at a school dance.  I've done it several times in my five years as a teacher.  I have preached to my students that violence is not the answer.  But in middle school, I face an uphill battle in convincing students that raising a hand is synonymous with failing to see other options.  Violence isn't the answer to solving a problem with another human being.  If they make that choice, retribution is no more noble a motive than the aggression that caused it.

But yet I am told over and over how striking someone is the only option to someone who strikes you.  That is false.  My students have a compulsion to save face in the school and the community, and are unable to back down.  I have spent time explaining to students that long before the violence erupts, there are ways to avoid it.  Talking to friends, trying to open a dialogue between parties, speaking to adults, and alerting family members are solid strategies.

This does not mean I don't believe in self-defense.  Self-defense is necessary to remove oneself from harm's way.  We all have a right to live, and I have explained to students that protecting ourselves from imminent danger is most certainly permissible.

However you cannot look to defend yourself.  Self-defense is reactionary.  It is not premeditated as some of my students fail to see.  You cannot actively look to defend yourself.  You cannot instigate a fight, let the other side swing first, and then retaliate in self-defense.

Ultimately, this line of thinking ends with students turned adults in squad cars.  That worries me.  I want students to realize that they must find ways to deal with their aggression and frustration civilly.  That does mean walking away sometimes.  It does mean knowing when to stop.  It does mean knowing when to let someone else show their ignorance because you know how to show restraint.

Maybe my Jedi blood just runs too think.  "Knowledge and defense, never attack."  That's what the Force was to be used for.  I think the Force in our world may be common sense.  We need to act thoughtfully, considerate of ourselves, and of those around us.

"Mind you what you have learned, save you it can."  And if we unlearn what we have already learned, it allows us to learn something more useful.  Then we can use it to save ourselves.

Thanks Yoda.

-Mr. J.

I Just Got Chills

I'm not sure how to start this one, so I'm just going to.

I just read a blog post tweeted to me by Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like a Pirate.  I love the book, and I've already talked about that.  There's something there for everyone.  But for @tansmom, it apparently meant a lot more.

I feel as if I am jumping on a bandwagon or just being redundant, but I shared a lot her sentiment.  I have sat here most of my summer learning from so many people, collecting ideas and rejuvenating myself in an effort to be the best that I can this year.  I can't stand being like other teachers.  I mean I want to be talented and respected like other teachers, but I want to be different too.  I want to do things my way, not out of arrogance, or ignorance, but out of passion and creativity.

I'm 27.  I'm closer in age to my students in most cases than my colleagues.  Separating my professional, academic, and personal lives is getting harder in today's society.  I believe that barriers between them should exist, but be much less strict than other people do.  I think engagement is necessary, creativity is vital, and rapport is required.  And because of those things, I take a lot of risks too.  And sometimes they blow up in my face.

I know exactly what @tansmom is talking about when mentions being tired.  I too fought a battle with my health this year.  In April I was diagnosed with MS.  It shook me to my core, scared me to death, and created a moment in my life where I knew a new self would live going forward, and an old self had been left behind.  I did the same thing and somewhat punted the last month of school away.  Just sitting at my desk and trying to act like I was ok was all I could do.

It was at about that time that I found PLN's and Twitter, blogging, and the playful banter of digitally connected educators.  They were people who thought like me.  They were coming up with great ideas and sharing them.  I shared mine too.

But my way, my ideas, aren't always totally accepted.  I joke with my students a lot.  I don't sweat small stuff, and I surely don't make them sit silent day in and day out.  Forgetting something isn't a big deal until someone does it constantly.  We've reenacted, argued, gotten loud, used technology, and created culture and camaraderie.  That's ruffled feathers, but guess what?  I'm not going anywhere.

And to those veteran teachers who are trying to raise a pirate flag, you are our most valuable sailors on this voyage.  You have the passion and creativity that has been tempered with wisdom and experience.  You know how to guide us younger pirates that may shoot first and ask questions later.

So don't give up the fight.  Fly your flag.  Go down with your ship, but not sinking because it's worn and neglected.  Go down in a blaze of glory.  Never strike your colors, and stay true to yourself.  When it's all said and done and you see that former student in several years, what do you want them to remember?

And who knows?  Maybe the waves we will cause will spark more learning, more ideas, and more people to join the crew.

You're not alone.

Mr. J.

Back to Basics, a Grassroots Movement, and an Educational Anaconda Plan.

Hello Education Universe-

Today the 1st quarter of the school year ended.  Wow.  Went quick.  I took a lot of leaps so far this year and not all of them panned out.  Flipping my classroom is on official hold until after my son is born and I get back to equilibrium in my room.

I have been trying to find the answer for helping my struggling students.  I know that I am still very much a novice teacher.  However I find myself not catching a break.  Classroom management, instruction, planning, and even grading have been one challenge after another this year.

So I had to put my creativity and aspirations aside in the interest of reaching my students in a way they could understand.  So I went back to basics for the units I am currently teaching.

However right now I am in my classroom fighting a battle against a faceless, formless beast known as apathy.  I have so many students who are not valuing education, not putting forth effort, and who just don't see any repercussions from not being successful in school.

It scares me.  I knew that my perception of school would be different than many of my students.  School was my job, the pathway to my future.  I was told that from a young age.  Grades were not negotiable with my parents.  I too many times take for granted that my students feel the same.

It doesn't matter which way I flip my classroom, which of my many pirate hooks I use, or how much I gamily my curriculum if no one cares.  So I'm going to war... a war on apathy.

I have been doing research into covert resistance and clandestine resistance cells.  I want to start a grassroots movement, one child at a time.  Starting with one cell of students who do care, I want to work one at a time, turning each child's work ethic into a battlefield.

I want to create a new majority.  Very similar to Lincoln's beliefs on slavery, I want to stop apathy from expanding where it already is.  I want an educational Anaconda Plan.

I want to surround apathy and destroy it, piece by piece, child by child.  But how?  Like I said, I have to start somewhere.  I'm going to start to meet with students who are interested, in a pseudo veil of secrecy.  I want them to feel like they belong to something new and exotic, filled with adventure and intrigue.  We're going to liberate the school.

God help me for this one...  so many ways for it to blow up in my face.  Oh well, Edison had to take a few shots at the light bulb before he got it right.

Take Care,

Mr. J.

Professional Growth: One Size Does Not Fit All

Hello Education Universe-

I'm licking my wounds a little bit this week from a few rough classes and some revelations that I'm not getting some of the results that I want.

It's going to be one of those years where I learn just as much (if not more) than my students.  I go between the stress of that realization and the excitement in a challenge to get a job done.

However as all of us go through our triumphs and tribulations as educators, we need different ways to get feedback and seek answers.  Unfortunately collaboration and time to prepare are locked beyond a wall made of red tape that has made our jobs much more hectic and high stakes than it ever has before.

That's not an excuse, it's reality.

However just as each student is on their own educational journey, so are we as teachers.  Sometimes self-reflection is the best way to help us figure out our next step.  Other times time is our best friend.  A weekend to clear our heads and get back in the game may be all we need.  Sometimes our colleagues have the answers we're looking for, or the ideas we have not yet thought of.

But again, when?

This is why personal learning and professional growth cannot be the same for each of us, and needs to evolve just like our profession constantly does.  There is so much out in the world to be found that sometimes we just need the time and the direction to find it.

I work with about a dozen wonderful teachers.  And a lot of they have found the answers I need as they made their way along the trail.  So with little time to talk or collaborate, how do we tap each other's skills?

The answer:  a blog.

Just like this one.  What if all those emails that we send to each other or those lunchroom conversations were encapsulated?  What if we kept them somewhere?  What if we tagged them to help each other?  What if the question we wanted to ask the expert teacher or that newer teacher savvy in the new techniques could be placed in one spot and answered as we have the time?

Why not?

Now imagine if we each reached out in our own ways into the education community through the development of our own personal learning networks.  Some of us like to talk face to face, others like to read, and others like to use social networking.  So in our own ways we can bring a multitude of information to back to base to be used as needed.

I'm going to say something right now that not everyone is willing to admit.  I can't do this job alone.  I need help.   I need encouragement.  I need feedback.  I need ideas.

But so does everyone else.  I have some that you need, and I'm game for trading.  But how?  But when?  It's so frustrating to know you need help finding the help to help yourself.  It's like Kid President said:  "I'm on your team, be on my team."

Sigh.

If you're like me, you can't switch your job off.  And when you don't feel effective, when you don't feel happy with how things are going, you dwell.  I'd be willing to bet that most struggling teachers would benefit from a way to grow professionally that is easily accessible and constantly growing.  We all want to be great, and some days we are.  Other days we are not.  And those days when I'm not great, I lose sleep over it.

So as I learn to be an administrator and by nature an instructional leader, I cannot wait to implement this  type of professional learning community.  A PLC of PLN's...  now that sounds interesting.

Ok, better get back to class.  We're talking about something... I think.  Oh shoot, I have a presentation to give.

Sometimes you just get on a tangent, and you just have to hope it takes you back to the circle.  But I guess that wouldn't make it a tangent would it?

Until next time,

Mr. J.

Preserving Artifacts Isn't Just for Archaeologists... or Administrators

Well Education Universe, I have some news for you-

Charlotte Danielson and her four domains are going to invade your school if they haven't already.  If you are like me, an Illinois educator, you know that soon enough our evaluation will be tied to four domains:  Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction, and Professional Responsibilities.

Most schools require a combination of walkthroughs and formal observations to p determine an overall rating.  The information from these encounters is presented in the form of "artifacts" or "evidence."  Administrators are trained to collect this evidence, and while most teachers are not, we still need to do it.

This is where Google can come to the rescue.

With a few short clicks, you can set up a Google Doc form to help you.  I have done so already.  Setting up some sort of "artifact collection system" is a good idea because it allows you to store your own evidence of your quality teaching and professional experiences.  Nothing is worse than being caught with your pants down come your end-of-the-year evaluation.  While it should not be perceived that you are "going to war" during your end-of-the-year meeting, you do want to go prepared.

Administrators are busy.  They can't possibly see all of the good things your are doing in your classroom.  They may see some, or see you on a day you could wish you had back.  But if you are keeping your own evidence and collecting your own artifacts, you can showcase yourself to the best of your ability.

It's one of those things where you say to yourself that you will do later on... but we know we get busy.  Do it as you go.  You'll be amazed at what you are finding.  Just like we can't possibly show administrators everything we want to, we can't possibly just remember everything we do in the year.

Many pieces of evidence aren't planned.  That talk you have with an upset student, the spur of the moment lesson deviation, and the parent conversation you just happen to have in passing as you went to the office can also be pieces of evidence.  You won't remember those next week, let alone in May.

So do yourself a favor, and keep track of how good you are at what you do.  Your students will be the ones who benefit from you being a more mindful professional.

Take Care,

Mr. J.

Flipped Classroom Check-In #4: The One Where I Called Time Out

Education Universe, I could use a pick me up.

What an exhausting week, and it is Wednesday.  My flipped video ambitions have been somewhat neutralized for the moment.  I have an 8th grade class that balks at them because "last year was easier," and a 7th grade class that needs to show me they can handle independent work and a classroom management interface like Edmodo.

Needless to say, I am a little bit disheartened.  We are nearing the end of a unit, which I'm hoping will end with some sort of positive... something.

I feel as if in my enthusiasm to practice what I have been learning about, I may have forgotten the most important and sacred maxim of teaching:  do what is best for your students.

I have 8th graders telling me how they want to learn.  It's not an outrageous request.  It's just what they are used to.  They want the security of doing things they know how to do.  I like mixing things up to keep them on their toes.  I also like preparing them for the undoubtedly 8 different personalities they will deal with in high school at a given time.  I am conflicted.

I have learned a few things in my first attempt at a flipped classroom however.  Let me share with you a few things I probably read about and forgot, or ignored in my pursuit of something I thought would be awesome:

1.  Videos really do need to be short.
2.  If students in general are just watching the videos in your classroom because they don't do the work at home, you are facilitating a computer lab in which you hear yourself talking all day.
3.  BYOD and flipped classsrooms share a connection that is not required, but should be at least considered.
4.  Independent work using the flipped model requires a recognition on the part of the student that they need to do their part, and ask for help when they need it.
5.  Ease into flipping, do not just go for it.  It's too much for a child to handle without letting them get their feet wet first.

There is more I have learned and filed away, but those were my biggest lessons.  I don't think that this attempt was a failure, because I learned something.  Actually, I learned a lot of things.  I figure this experience in similar to Edison's first few hundred attempts on that pesky light bulb.  Didn't go so hot.  But he figured it out... so I need to keep trying.

It's been one of those weeks where as a teacher I really feel like I am working hard to just tread water.  I'm outgunned at the moment, and I thought flipping my classroom would be like the cavalry riding in.  That hasn't been the case.

So as I have blogged countless times to share, to collaborate, and hopefully inspire someone, this evening I feel like I'm sending out the blog equivalent of an SOS.  I could use a hand.  I could use  a fresh idea or two.  I could use a second viewpoint, or an alternate perspective.  Unfortunately, no one in my building is attempting something quite like what I was envisioning. Additionally, only one other teacher teaches in my subject area.  Regardless, the time to collaborate is just not there.

So I am reaching out to the Education Universe.  You have great ideas, and as my Twitter page says, I'm always looking for the next great one.

Is it cheesy to quote the new Batman movies about why we fall.  So we can learn to get back up of course.

Alright, back to work.  I need to keep giving it my all.

Mr. J.

Flipped Classroom Check-In #3: The One Where I Learned to Adapt

What a week Education Universe.

I'm about three weeks into school now, and I have tried to employ my flipped model and XP systems that I devised this summer.  The XP system, combined with Edmodo and Classbadges has been great.  The kids love it.

The flipped model... not so much.

This one is on me.  I gave the kids more than I should have and not enough time.  In my head, this utopian concept of the kids working, asking questions, and moving on through the activities made sense.  In reality, lots of questions, frustration, distractions, being a kid in general, and computer issues have been what I am dealing with so far.

Every year I swear there is this point, a moment in the year, where you decide to keep on with what you are doing because you're just into the year too far.  I'm afraid of that point, so I'm blogging my resolve to rally the troops after the unit finishes and take a new approach.

I tried to do a little too much.  I thought some of my kids would be done so early with the flipped videos that they would need more to do.  That hasn't happened yet.  My bounty system therefore hasn't taken off like I would want it to.  The good news is that on September 5, I already know the changes I need to make.

I feel like that first year teacher again.  Wide-eyed, enthusiastic, but missing the mark because I just didn't know better yet.

So if this were a baseball game, I think I probably didn't strike out, but hit a weak ground ball to first base.  Time to shorten up, focus, and simplify.  This IS going to work.  It has become a part of me.

Ok, time to eat my lunch.

Mr. J.

Flipped Classroom Check-In #2: The One Where I Almost Pulled the Plug

Hi Education Universe-

Rough day.  Just got home at 10 PM from grad school and working on my flip vids.  I'm a little behind, partially due to technical stuff and slight procrastination.

I talked about how we were going to use the Cornell style of notes in class today with a few modifications.  Here's a look at them:

This is what students will fill out when they watch.  I was really excited about this.  I mean sure it was a little more work than annotating PowerPoint slides in class with me, but they could do it whenever they wanted.

That's the point of the flipped model right?  Accessibility, flexibility, and mastery.

They were less than enthused...  eye rolls for all.  Combine that with a very loud day and confusion still over the XP system and you can imagine that I was a bit deflated when I came home.

I could have gone for a jog, instead I decided to blog.  This is one of those days where as upbeat and positive as I am, I felt like perhaps I should just quit the whole thing and go back to something traditional.

I'm sure Dave Burgess would have made me walk the plank, or maroon me in a school in the 1950's.  It's hard to keep up that spirit when the kids don't exactly buy in.  But I'm going to stick to my guns on this one, because ultimately I think it's best for them.  When they get that free time after completing their required work to explore, I think they'll buy in.

I also added a quartermaster system to my class so students who are responsible and trustworthy can get badges on Edmodo as quartermasters.  They handle classroom logistics from running errands, decorating, cleaning up, making copies, and grading papers.

I awarded the first quartermaster badges today.

I also found new contacts as I met Rob Steller (@robbiestells) on Twitter.  He is working to produce a classroom XP interface that would mesh with some of my ideas.  I look forward to learning more in the future.

Here's his project at http://www.classxp.org/.  Check it out!

Back to flipping videos, and hopefully not desks tomorrow :).  7th graders in August are just loud.

If I had to get a tattoo, it would say one of the following (in order)

1.  Carpe Diem (cliche but I don't care)
2.  TLAP
3.  School = Fun
4.  What's the Common Core?
5.  #Gamification
6.   Do or do not, there is no try.

But I'd never get one... so that's all just speculation

Until next time...

Mr. J.

Flipped Classroom Check-In #1: The One Where I Might Have Procrastinated Just a Bit

After a 3 week hiatus... I'm back!

So as always... hello education universe!

If you are a visual learner, or if you just don't want to read my glorious post... here's my first Flip Vid:

School has started, and I am slowly getting back into the swing of things.  Tomorrow will be quite a bit of work for me as I work to get my flipped videos completed.  But at the suggestion of many people I have met in the Twittersphere, I am going to blog as I go.

So here's the update.

My classroom is up and running, and I am in the process of working on putting the final touches on my XP system.  My first flipped video is completed, with about two dozen in the works.  I have about 48 hours to get those done as well.  I'm trying very hard to make the videos somewhat entertaining, and I hope that the kids like them.  I ran into my first snag over the summer when I recommended xtranormal to some fellow Tweeps and found out that it was shutting down its service.  I was horrified, because this meant that my digital sidekick, Mike, the History-Loving Robot was lost.

Farewell.  You are, and forever shall be, my friend.





Ok so Wrath of Khan references aside, I had a problem.  So I quickly scoured the internet for a replacement.  I came upon two websites:

www.goanimate.com
www.powtoon.com

Go Animate will be the new home of my cartoon creations, while Pow Toon serves as the way to create the introduction and graphics for the beginnings of my videos.

And with Go Animate, Mike got a new look, or as I call it, some "upgrades."  So he's back!  And he got back on Edmodo!

My videos are coming along.  I am using my SMART Board and a USB microphone to record my instruction.  If I am using a program like Google Earth, I use a USB headset to narrate instead. I am combining the theme of the videos and my XP system in class to create sort of a military/secret agent type of system.  So far, the kids seem to be ok with it.  In the future, Mike will probably be getting into trouble that only my students can save him from.  But that is for another day.

Students will interact with most course materials, including my videos, through Edmodo.  This has allowed me to form groups of students for projects and eventually reading groups in the future.  Each group of kids came up with their own "company" name and logo using the NATO alphabet.  The results were that the "Junior High Army" command structure began to form:

Each grade became a "division," each section in each grade a "regiment," and "companies" became project groups.  Each designed their own logo to represent themselves:

So now it is just a matter of getting the work done.  I am picking reading assignments, finishing up my videos, and creating assignments over the next couple days.  I'm excited, but I'd be lying if I said I don't feel at times as if maybe I got myself into an amount of work and prep that perhaps I cannot keep up with... especially with Baby J. only a few months away.

But I think I am on to something... and I'll check in again soon!

Enjoy the year!

Mr. J.