Ms. M's Tales of a Teacher: My Personal Teacher Blog

Greetings teacher friends! It's great to have you back for this blog post! This month, inSpiration Sunday has been centered around the concept of motivation. I've been reading, listening about, and discussing this topic lately, which is why I wanted to reflect on it here.  For the longest time, I wanted to learn how I can motivate the leadership teams I belong to and lead. I have been eager to learn how I can show them the changes and vision I see, and why it would benefit the group as well the goals we have. I want to be the kind of leader that helps others on the team feel valued, appreciated, and want to work.  The podcasts I've been listening to by John Maxwell (The Leader Who Motivates) have changed the way I view motivation. I've also been learning a lot in my Literacy Leadership Mentorship as we read the book High Road Leadership by John. I see that leaders first have to be motivated themselves in order to influence others. It's important as leaders we find...

 Welcome back teacher friends to another week of inSpiration! I'm glad you're here and I'm very excited to share some insight with you t his week. My message this week is and was not my original thought that popped into my head. I'd like to take this moment to thank Bishop Michael at my parish for providing me with the core idea to start my blog this week.  When I heard his message las week, I instantly wanted to take out my notes and start writing because while the message (of course,) had a spiritual overtone, I automatically connected the theme to leadership and teaching!   I often hear different quotes and phrases describing what makes a good leader, what makes a great one, and what makes an excellent leader. Most of the time these quotes come from the great John Maxwell . After all he is the guru on all things leadership. Over time, through workshops, books, observations, and my own experiences, I've seen all different kinds of leaders and leadership styles. I...

 Greetings fellow teacher friends! Welcome to another week of reflection and energizing our teacher spirits! I want to start off by apologizing for the absence of last week's post. It was scheduled to go out, however it ended up in "drafts" and part of it was missing. I figured, let's not test the "secret gnomes" that live inside our computers and start fresh this week with a deeper dive into my inSpiration Sunday.  As teacher leaders, we know that leadership does not look the same for everyone. Let's think about the different types of leaders we see. Some leaders instinctively are the first to make a suggestion for an idea. Other leaders are the first to leap into a task that needs to be completed, but doesn't necessarily need to talk a lot or give suggestions to others. Still other leaders find observing and asking questions the key to their success. This way, they are able to challenge others to think "outside the box" or highlight somet...

Hello fellow teacher friends! Who is fired up from the KDP Delta Rho Teacher Leadership Development Summit this weekend? I know I am! Every moment was filled with high energy, enthusiasm, and words of wisdom from those who have experience being teachers, and leaders, and I learned so much from the amazing presenters, panelists, and keynotes we had.  Teacher Leadership... two words mean so much! I still feel that there isn't an exact definition, although each time I attend the KDP Delta Rho Summit, I learn more how I personally shape the definition for myself. During the summit we unpacked what it means to be a teacher leader, what qualities leaders in general have, and how to continue to F.E.E.D the teacher leader in ourselves (and others!) Just when I think I know enough about this topic, I continue to learn more. From what I learned yesterday, other great teacher leaders agree lifelong learning plays a large part of who we are as teacher leaders. It's one of the keys to effec...

Greetings fellow teacher leaders! I can't believe I'm saying this but...w e are one week away from the KDP, Delta Rho, Teacher Leadership Development Summit on 2/24/24. If you haven't heard by now, it is a free virtual summit open to all educators everywhere! Please visit my social media for information, or reach out to me! There’s still time to register, so grab all your teacher besties and sign up!  Our theme this year is “Leaders are hungry... F.E.E.D the teacher leader in you!” Each week we have broken down F.E.E.D to get excited to hear our amazing presenters and keynote speakers that will give us the fuel we need to confidently lead in our classrooms, schools, and beyond! With one week left, we only have one last concept to unpack!  So far we talked about “F”- Foundations. Discovering our own definition for teacher leadership is the foundation for growing as a teacher leader, and embracing the role. We then discussed “E”- Engagement, and how it is all about what yo...

Welcome to another week of inSpiration and thinking my friends! Are you ready to elevate yourself as a teacher leader? I know I am... and it's something I'm always looking to do. For me, I can't get enough of personal and professional growth. It's what keeps me both grounded yet motivated to reach for the stars. While some may tell me I take on too much and I need to learn "the balance," others say "let me join you!" I agree that I need to take some time for me and rest, no doubt, but I think if my aspirations are my weakest part of me, then, well, overall I'm doing just fine!  I'm excited that in just two weeks my chapter of KDP will be hosting our Teacher Leadership Development Summit for the second time!  Our theme this year is “Leaders are hungry... F.E.E.D the teacher leader in you!” Each week we have, and will continue to break down F.E.E.D and get excited to hear our amazing presenters and keynote speakers that will give us the fuel we...

Greetings everyone and welcome to my blog this week! I'm so glad you're here for our mini-series leading up to a great event at the end of the month: the KDP, Delta Rho Teacher Leadership Development Summit on 2/24/24. It is a free virtual summit open to all educators everywhere! Please visit my social media for information, or reach out to me! Our theme this year is “Leaders are hungry... F.E.E.D the teacher leader in you!” Each week we will break down F.E.E.D and get excited to hear our amazing presenters and keynote speakers that will give us the fuel we need to confidently lead in our classrooms, schools, and beyond! Last week we talked about “F”- foundations. Discovering our own definition for teacher leadership is the foundation for growing as a teacher leader, and embracing the role. Foundational skills also include knowing yourself as a leader, and believing you are one. Self-reflection, networking and professional learning are great ways to establish your foundation t...

Welcome to a new week teacher friends! I am very excited for the next few weeks. This week starts  an introduction mini-series to lead up to the KDP Teacher Leadership Development Summit on 2/24/24. I am particularly excited not just because this is our second annual summit, but because we have an amazing theme selected just for you! Also this: our summit is virtual and free for all so spread the word!  Please visit my social media for information, or reach out to me! So on to our theme...Our theme this year is “Leaders are hungry... F.E.E.D the teacher leader in you!” Each week we will break down F.E.E.D and get excited to hear our amazing presenters and keynote speakers at the summit to give us the fuel we need to confidently lead in our classrooms, schools, and beyond! What is F.E.E.D? F- foundations, E- engagement, E-elevate, D- discover.  Let’s start with “F”- foundations. This is open ended and can contain so many possibilities! When I think of foundations, what co...

 Welcome to another week friends! Let's focus in on leadership this week, and reach beyond our realm of teaching by taking some great advice from a leader who always makes an impact on others who lead, and/or aspire to lead... John Maxwell.  As I scrolled through the episode selections I found one labeled "Leadership Landmines." Now, if you’re not familiar with the podcast, I highly recommend it because John Maxwell focuses on leadership for all, not just educators, but everything he discusses is relevant to what we do- no matter where we are in our leadership journey.  All leaders go through challenges- he terms these “leadership landmines.” To encourage you to listen and generate suspense, I will refrain from summarizing the first four. The fifth and final one, poor timing, stood out to me the most because timing for everything in education is crucial. As teacher leaders we are always racing against the clock, which can often lead to different roadblocks, yet sometimes ...

Last week the leadership team of Delta Rho and I welcomed our newest members into our chapter of KDP.  I am very proud of the hard word and dedication the team put into this dinner/ceremony. This is the first in-person ceremony we've had since 2019, but just like riding a bike, we got into the groove and off we went!  We were able to celebrate our newest initiates, alumni members, honor an amazing educator who leads the Tomorrow's Teachers program at his high school, hear words of wisdom and inspiration from one of my fellow County Teachers, recognize a special para-educator for all her hard work, reflect on our grow as a chapter for this past year, and officiate our new leadership team.  What I enjoy most about our ceremony is sharing the history of the organization with our newest members, and reflecting on the ideas and purposes for which it was founded on. I've often quoted these in my own speeches and writings (giving credit of course!) because they have profound mea...

If you did not attend the Teacher LEADership Development Summit this weekend I will admit you missed out on this amazing professional development. Reach out to me for the recording so you can see all of the wonderful presentations and feel inspired. I am so inspired by our time together, I can't help but share some of my take-aways and highlights.  I was very nervous about hosting this for the first time, but as Dr. Terrie Noland reminded us in her keynote "leaders show up everyday, they do not let fear get the best of them, and leaders do what others are not willing to do." From the "backstage" standpoint, our summit was not without flaws, however, it ran smoothly overall and it proved to me with the right preparation, support, and dedication from our leadership team, we were able to host an amazing day for our participants. Not only am I not afraid anymore, but I already told my officers that we will be hosting it again next year! We have too! The lessons lea...

Just one week left! Time has flown by but we are ready for our Teacher LEADership Development Summit on 2/11/23.  So far we have reviewed L- learn, E- engage, A- accelerate, and finally today I'll be revealing the last letter: D is for Discover. It's time to discover yourself as a leader!  When the planning started for this event, I thought to myself, what is the ultimate goal of the summit? I realized right away that I want all who attend to discover the leader within them, and notice what they already do as a teacher leader. So many teachers I speak with often say they don't see themselves as a leader, and I'm always reinforcing the idea that they are! I think it's natural for us to feel like we aren't because we are humble and it's in our nature to help others. But the small things we do each day uncover the leader within us whether we realize it or not. When we make instructional decisions for our students, we are leading. When we help on a committee,...

Are you excited for the KDP Delta Rho Teacher LEADership Summit in two weeks? I know I am! As time gets closer it also becomes more real for me as one of the leading officers and hosts.  I know that despite my nerves and concerns for how everything will run that day, (and not to mention the surprises that always come with technology,) I know helping host this will accelerate me as a teacher leader because I am pushing out of my comfort zone. My chapter officers and I have hosted small conferences and workshops before, but never in the era of Zoom where many more can attend, so this is a new road for me to travel on.  This brings me to my mini blog series leading up to our summit. We've explored L- learn, E- engage, and this week we will see t he next letter- A is for Accelerate! Just like how I mentioned that accelerating myself as a leader means stepping out of my comfort zone, I think this is an important notion for all educators who are teacher leaders, or who aspire to be...

 It is week two friends of my LEAD blog as we inch closer to the Delta Rho Teacher LEADership Development Summit on 2/11/23. This free, virtual summit is meant to help teachers of all levels of experience develop their teacher leadership skills and gain an understanding for what teacher leadership is. Teacher leadership is certainly hard to define, since there are many components to it and avenues you can take as a teacher leader.  Last week I shared the first letter L for Learn. Teachers are lifelong learners, and when we focus on learning for ourselves, we become better for our students.  The next letter is E for Engage. When we plan lessons for students, one of the main components is the engagement piece. We work tirelessly to make sure our students are moving, inquiring, working cooperatively, and employing all their senses. As educators, we also have to be excited for what we are learning about and feel totally immersed in our own learning. When we feel engaged in ou...

 That's right my friends, you saw correctly! My chapter of KDP at Kean is hosting a Teacher LEADership Development Summit! The flyer will be attached at the end of my blog!  This week, it seems fitting to focus on the idea of leadership since we are celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Teachers mirror his image everyday by showing their students what leaders look like in the classroom.  I am also excited to be discussing the acronym (you all know I love them!) L.E.A.D the next few weeks to prepare for the Teacher LEADership Development Summit my chapter of KDP at Kean is hosting on February 11th.  We wanted to take the idea of teacher leadership and spend the day together and with others discussing what does it mean to be a teacher leader? How do we continue to develop as leaders? What can we learn from others and their leadership? So my friends, let's break down L.E.A.D with a focus this week on L- learn. It's true that all leaders are committed to le...

 Today I'm excited to talk about a favorite topic of mine- leadership! I've been listening to podcasts, reading, and attending conferences on leadership to learn more about it. In fact, the burning question for me really has been, what is leadership? There are so many definitions that suggest it's one specific thing or another, but is it really something that can be defined with exacts?  What I am learning from my own experience is that leadership is more of a mindset rather than a tangible or definable thing we can do. I'm learning to not put as much pressure on myself to leap right in, figure out what leadership is, and well, lead. I realized from great leaders that I can reframe my thinking and be a leader from starting small. As Dr. Terrie Noland says "lead from where you are."  Recently at the Spotlight on Literacy Leadership Conference I learned that it's the small steps we take that can truly make a difference. A great leader can come from anywhere...

After every presentation or podcast I do I always like to pause and reflect on how I did and how I can improve for next time. Two examples come to mind when I think of this. Firstly, my presentation in March on Demystifying Teaching Reading, and secondly, my most recent podcast discussion for the New Teacher Talk podcast in which I spoke about family communication.  Right after I presented for the pre-serve and early educators for my chapter of KDP on reading, I asked two of my colleagues for feedback (since they too wanted to attend!) I was grateful to have a meaningful conversation with my co-teacher on my presentation. True to character, he made a "great let's repeat" and "let's change it up" list for me, which I value when reflecting on how I can be better. It wasn't until this past week however, when I watched an outstanding webinar by Dr. Terrie Noland titled " How to Stop the 'I'm Just a Teacher' Mantra That Fuels Burnout." ...

 This weekend I had the pleasure of listening to two great presenters for the Teachonomy Teacher Summit. Dr. Chris Hobbs and  Joshua Stamper both had excellent sessions that I learned a lot from. It's fairly easy for me to find professional development in other areas such as reading intervention, special education, and anything that pertains to being a classroom teacher. When it comes to leadership, it hasn't been that easy.  I'm in the unique position that I'm not studying to be an administrator or serving in a quasi-administrative role. For those that know me best, they know that leadership in education is one of my passions, and I fulfill that role through Kappa Delta Pi. Serving as Associate Counselor has been a blessing the past 7 years, and I've learned many lessons in leadership because I was given the chance to serve.  That's why I was beyond grateful for the leadership sessions Teachonomy offered during the summit. They were a perfect fit for me, yet t...