8. "...the teacher interacts professionally with parents and colleagues and contributes to the school as an organization..." (Nolan & Hoover, p. 91, 2010)
Part of the Community
I have always enjoyed taking part with our school community. From creating my own class website, to sending at least 3 positive emails back home daily to students and parents, I really enjoy being part of our school community. Early in the year at Merit, we would have a Renaissance Fair, which is a chance for the students and staff to show off some of the great things going on at our school, as well as enjoy a general medieval / renaissance-era themed party. It is lots of fun, with sword-fighting, fortune-telling, and my personal bit: smashing eggs, bad fruit, etc. on the heads of your fellow teachers, students, etc.
We had so much fun doing it, I actually had a wait list for the event! And if anyone didn't show up...yep, you guessed it! I was the gopher! We had loads of fun, as the slideshow below relates. Additionally (as illustrated at the end of the slide show), another teacher and I created an escape room as well, which ran the week prior to the renaissance fair, as well as during the event. Here's an invite I created for those wanting to participate: Escape Room Invite
I have always enjoyed taking part with our school community. From creating my own class website, to sending at least 3 positive emails back home daily to students and parents, I really enjoy being part of our school community. Early in the year at Merit, we would have a Renaissance Fair, which is a chance for the students and staff to show off some of the great things going on at our school, as well as enjoy a general medieval / renaissance-era themed party. It is lots of fun, with sword-fighting, fortune-telling, and my personal bit: smashing eggs, bad fruit, etc. on the heads of your fellow teachers, students, etc.
We had so much fun doing it, I actually had a wait list for the event! And if anyone didn't show up...yep, you guessed it! I was the gopher! We had loads of fun, as the slideshow below relates. Additionally (as illustrated at the end of the slide show), another teacher and I created an escape room as well, which ran the week prior to the renaissance fair, as well as during the event. Here's an invite I created for those wanting to participate: Escape Room Invite
We held a variety of different activities at our school, and I have done my best to help make those a reality. Last year I helped host a number of after-school curricular programs at Merit, including a gaming club, speech & debate team, and most recently an eSports team. You can learn more about my efforts in that regard on my education blog: Gamify Ed! After making the move to New Hampshire, I also helped found a Gaming Club at the school, while also participating in the Wellness Committee, in an effort to strengthen school culture.
Education Blog: Gamify Ed!
Speaking of my blog, this is an effort I began a few years ago, to meet my goal of utilizing tech better in my teaching and professional life, as I mentioned in Lifelong Learning. It began as an effort in my EDUC 6036 - Leadership with Technology class, and through it I seek to explain and promote the concept of gamification. There are a lot of different people talking about this concept, and the benefits it offers in a lot of different fields. My blog intends to share these ideas and put these people together. If you have anything that you think would be worth sharing on there, feel free to contact me here: Gamify Ed! Contact, and I'd be happy to review it and include any good ideas!
Quiz Knight
One of the biggest events that we had at Merit on a yearly basis was our annual Quiz Knight, a fundraising trivia event that combines fun times and good food. It is an excellent way to bring the community together, with local businesses helping fund the event with prizes and donations, and for local staff, students and community to come, have fun, be generous, and give to a great cause. It has been one of my favorite events to participate with, and the last year I was there was no exception. I spent several hours for a few weeks beforehand drumming up support from local businesses in Spanish Fork, and hopefully we'll get even a few more sponsors in coming years. Our group ended up winning 3 of 10 rounds, and we had a blast, and the school raised over $3,000 in a single night! Here are some photos from the event below:
Education Blog: Gamify Ed!
Speaking of my blog, this is an effort I began a few years ago, to meet my goal of utilizing tech better in my teaching and professional life, as I mentioned in Lifelong Learning. It began as an effort in my EDUC 6036 - Leadership with Technology class, and through it I seek to explain and promote the concept of gamification. There are a lot of different people talking about this concept, and the benefits it offers in a lot of different fields. My blog intends to share these ideas and put these people together. If you have anything that you think would be worth sharing on there, feel free to contact me here: Gamify Ed! Contact, and I'd be happy to review it and include any good ideas!
Quiz Knight
One of the biggest events that we had at Merit on a yearly basis was our annual Quiz Knight, a fundraising trivia event that combines fun times and good food. It is an excellent way to bring the community together, with local businesses helping fund the event with prizes and donations, and for local staff, students and community to come, have fun, be generous, and give to a great cause. It has been one of my favorite events to participate with, and the last year I was there was no exception. I spent several hours for a few weeks beforehand drumming up support from local businesses in Spanish Fork, and hopefully we'll get even a few more sponsors in coming years. Our group ended up winning 3 of 10 rounds, and we had a blast, and the school raised over $3,000 in a single night! Here are some photos from the event below:
Inviting Others to Participate
One of the things I have the most impact on is creating public events and inviting the public to attend. As mentioned previously, I taught a number of different subjects during my time as teacher at Merit, and for each one of them, we had a public event that people were welcome to attend. In our Utah Studies class, this was a history fair style event with snacks, displays, etc. where the students shared what they have learned about their local community's history, economy, cuisine, etc., and ultimately the self-guided tour they've made. In U.S. History, they picked an occupation from colonial America, and then shared what they learned about that trade, and life as an apprentice, something they'd likely have been doing at their age. In Speech & Debate, the students participated in a public debate that anyone could attend, and though it is nerve-wracking, they enjoyed the experience. Finally, my Game Theory & Design class had a semi-annual Game Knight where the students, their friends, family, and public all came to check out and play the games they created, and that was always lots of fun, as it gave the students a chance to show off all of their hard work. It also allowed our school to show the community what our school could offer their students in the way of an alternative option for their education. Here are some pictures from those events:
One of the things I have the most impact on is creating public events and inviting the public to attend. As mentioned previously, I taught a number of different subjects during my time as teacher at Merit, and for each one of them, we had a public event that people were welcome to attend. In our Utah Studies class, this was a history fair style event with snacks, displays, etc. where the students shared what they have learned about their local community's history, economy, cuisine, etc., and ultimately the self-guided tour they've made. In U.S. History, they picked an occupation from colonial America, and then shared what they learned about that trade, and life as an apprentice, something they'd likely have been doing at their age. In Speech & Debate, the students participated in a public debate that anyone could attend, and though it is nerve-wracking, they enjoyed the experience. Finally, my Game Theory & Design class had a semi-annual Game Knight where the students, their friends, family, and public all came to check out and play the games they created, and that was always lots of fun, as it gave the students a chance to show off all of their hard work. It also allowed our school to show the community what our school could offer their students in the way of an alternative option for their education. Here are some pictures from those events:
Summary
I've come a long way since 2012, when I first graduated from BYU with my educator's license and Bachelor's degree in teaching social science. However, it has been a journey well worth the cost, and I plan on continuing it into the foreseeable future. After earning my Master's degree, and pivoting to administration this past year, I'm I've appreciated the insight and experience being a full-time admin has offered as well. Thank you for viewing this portal into my professional development, and I hope this work can be of use to you in your own journey of continued learning and growth. Best of luck!
I've come a long way since 2012, when I first graduated from BYU with my educator's license and Bachelor's degree in teaching social science. However, it has been a journey well worth the cost, and I plan on continuing it into the foreseeable future. After earning my Master's degree, and pivoting to administration this past year, I'm I've appreciated the insight and experience being a full-time admin has offered as well. Thank you for viewing this portal into my professional development, and I hope this work can be of use to you in your own journey of continued learning and growth. Best of luck!
Sources
Nolan, J., & Hoover, L. (2010). Teacher supervision and evaluation - Theory into practice (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Univision News. (2017). Tools for the Hispanic parent in teacher conferences: An Interview with Dr. Andrea Ramirez. Retrieved from https://www.univision.com/univision-news/opinion/tools-for-the-hispanic-parent-in-teacher-conferences-an-interview-with-dr-andrea-ramirez
Nolan, J., & Hoover, L. (2010). Teacher supervision and evaluation - Theory into practice (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Univision News. (2017). Tools for the Hispanic parent in teacher conferences: An Interview with Dr. Andrea Ramirez. Retrieved from https://www.univision.com/univision-news/opinion/tools-for-the-hispanic-parent-in-teacher-conferences-an-interview-with-dr-andrea-ramirez