Lori Goodson, Editor
Mary Hammel, Technical Editor
Category: April 2020
Amid a pandemic, you continue to lead your students
Normally, in this issue I’d talk about state assessments, enjoying end-of-year events like prom, spring sports, and outdoor play days for the younger ones–and all that other traditional milestones for saying goodbye to a group of students you’ve been with for the past year.
But these aren’t normal times. And your school year has been anything BUT normal.
First and foremost, we are proud of your efforts to shift–for some in just a week’s time–to online learning.
You probably started with that sinking, overwhelmed feeling of “Where do I go from here?” (Trust me, that was a very common feeling for all of us!) But then you shifted to “Let’s do this!”
You’ve spent time collaborating with your colleagues, being really nice to your technology staff as you ask them for one more favor, and following administrators’ guidance. You took your lesson plans and activities and found a way to shift them to an online version. But, most importantly, through all of this, you kept your students at the forefront of every move you made.
Here’s an email Dean Mercer received from a fellow EdCat that the Dean wanted to share with all of you:
I know you are probably flooded with emails right now, but I feel the need to say “thank you” to you and the College of Education as a whole. I have had it on my to do list for months now to email and explain that during my new teachers training at the start of this school year, I realized that K-State COE did an amazing job of preparing me. I will make this shorter than I intended, but in the face of news about school buildings being closed I realized all over again how thankful I am that I am an EdCat. Upon first hearing the news of the rest of this school year changing, I felt great heartache. After a meeting with my superintendent, I realized that education will continue. it will just look very different! Because of the many tools, resources, strategies, and pedagogy techniques I learned from the College of Education at Kansas State, I feel prepared with the knowledge that I can be innovative and collaborate with my fellow educators to face this never-before-seen challenge and am even excited by it!
Thank you– to you, the COE, and all staff that have impacted my journey to become an educator and to continue growing as one! Forever an EdCat. 🙂
Mariah Hisle
4th Grade, Atchison Elementary School, USD 409
Despite that initial “What now?” feeling, you were ready for this unforeseen challenge. No, we didn’t provide a specific class on dealing with a worldwide pandemic that would shut down school buildings, but we did prepare you to be outstanding educators powered by purpose.
No, these are not normal times.This is truly one of those moments in your teaching timeline that will stand out above all the rest. All along, we’ve said teaching is more than just knowing your content. It’s also about relationships. Your students–and their parents–need you more than ever. Thank you for being there for them.
In the Classroom: David Tullis
Name: David Tullis
Position: USD 260
City/State: Derby, KS
Class/content area taught: World and U.S. History
What you are most excited about with your new career: Getting to know the kids and making positive impacts on their lives.
What you enjoy most about teaching: Having the opportunity to connect with students from so many backgrounds.
In what ways has your school/district supported you? My school district has been great in that they have been providing all different kinds of resources. They have paired me with a mentor teacher in the building and we have periodic discussions about general teacher approaches as well as content specific material.
Ways KSU especially helped prepare you for your new career: I think K-State helped prepare me by getting me in the classroom environment as soon as they could. Another positive from K-State was observing good teachers during my entire time there as well as being placed in a student teaching environment that is very similar to my current position.
Are there specifics about your background that make teaching the perfect fit for you? I come from a family of teachers. Both of my parents are recently retired teachers who also graduated from K-State. Having them in my life as well as countless other great teachers is why I chose teaching as my career pathway.
Suggestions/encouragement for new teachers: “Look up, get up, and don’t ever give up” – Michael Irvin
Other thoughts: EMAW
In the Classroom: Byron Lewis IV
Name: Byron Lewis IV
Position: USD 501
City/State: Topeka, KS
Class/content area taught: First grade
What you are most excited about with your new career: I am most excited to pour into young people. Content aside, we have the responsibility of teaching our students how to be good people, how to do life. I am honored to be a part of their journey, even if only for a little while.
What you enjoy most about teaching: I love that every day brings something different! I also love all of the routines we have that the kids have taken such a liking to. Every morning, I greet each student with a handshake, high five, or hug; how they want to be greeted is their choice. We eat breakfast in the classroom, so I always assign two student helpers to lay out the breakfast options. Once they are done with that, they are able to get their breakfast first (a perk of being a helper). Students must ask, “May I be excused?” before they can get up to throw away their trash. We also have a lineup song I made up which helps them with getting quiet and ready to transition. They have gotten so good at the song that they’ve asked me to stop singing it with them!
In what ways has your school/district supported you? I grew up going to schools in the district I currently serve (Topeka Public Schools). So when I student taught for this same district, they made it very clear they wanted to hire me after graduation. I graduated this past December, and was fortunate enough to land a job starting in January. Taking over a class mid-year is a huge learning curve, but it has been an absolutely amazing start to my teaching career!
Ways KSU especially helped prepare you for your new career: There is no one thing that totally prepared me. It’s a culmination of everything I was blessed to be a part of during my time at K-State. The friendliness of the advising office always made me feel safe and supported. Call Me MISTER gave me other men of color who were working towards the same goals. The Kansas Advanced Teacher Academy (KATA) allowed me to work with and mentor high schoolers who also wanted to become teachers. Summer STEM gave me the chance to do hands-on projects with middle schoolers. It was these opportunities and so many more that all fit together in preparing me to become a teacher.
Are there specifics about your background that make teaching the perfect fit for you? I worked as a paraeducator for three years at Bluemont Elementary, and I feel like that was an invaluable experience. The community of people at that school are among the best! I learned so much about teaching, how to deal with different types of students, and myself. I am so thankful for the time I spent there working with those amazing staff and students.
Suggestions/encouragement for new teachers: Something that I always tell my students is that we are here to take care of each other, but you also have to take care of yourself. In the midst of teaching them that, as a new teacher myself, I realized I was also talking to me. But, I truly believe this applies to any teacher–take care of each other, love each other, be kind to each other, but also do all of those things for yourself. We were put on this Earth to take care of each other, but you can’t take care of others if you don’t take care of you!
Other thoughts: I have a group of 5th graders who come in and act as class helpers. That has been so neat to watch unfold. My 1st graders get to hear and learn from someone other than me, and those 5th graders rise to the occasion! It teaches them responsibility and gives them leadership roles while giving my 1st graders something to look forward to. They’ve even started doing the call and answer responses that I use to grab the 1st graders’ attention. Watching the “upperclassmen ” step up and help teach my younger ones is one of the many reasons I love teaching.
New resource provides remote learning help for teachers, parents
Your faculty at the College of Education have a FREE resource to help you through the shift to online learning.
After brainstorming ways our COE might assist in the Covid-19 Crisis, a few faculty members and Dean Mercer decided we could create an online community where schools, teachers, parents, and citizens could go to ask questions, share resources, discuss innovations on the topic of P-12 Remote Learning.
The K-State College of Education’s Remote Learning P-12 community is another cyber land-grant university initiative and a place where educators and parents can share innovative ideas and resources that support student success. The online forum is open to parents, teachers, principals, superintendents and school counselors in Kansas and around the nation and world and can be accessed through K-State Global Campus. The community can be found online at remote-learning-p-12.mn.co.
“Our K-State faculty and staff have been one of the silver linings of this pandemic,” said Debbie Mercer, dean of the College of Education. “They are donating their time and expertise to help teachers, schools and parents continue on through this adversity.”
Thomas Vontz, professor of curriculum and instruction and coordinator of the Remote Learning P-12 community, said the idea came to him after learning of a community built for higher education.
“College of Education faculty at K-State have been discussing a variety of ideas to address how schools, teachers, parents and students could keep teaching and learning in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis,” Vontz said. “Our colleagues in Global Campus developed an online forum for higher education teaching that really took off. So, we borrowed a good idea from them and modified it.”
Todd Goodson, professor and chair of the department of curriculum and instruction, believes this pandemic will touch and change many aspects of society.
“I suspect educators will learn some things from this crisis and take away a few innovations that will have lasting impact,” Goodson said. “Moments like this are game-changers for almost every aspect of society, including education institutions.”
Keep sending those emails!
What’s up?
Why don’t you send us a photo of you at work in your classroom! Or, do you have a question about classroom procedures? A suggestion for a topic we should address in Before the Bell? Want to add your name to our mailing list? Or provide a different email for our list? At the very least, just email and say hi!
Early-career teachers, feel free to jump in and offer suggestions to those who are following your career choice!
We’d love to hear from you, so please email us at lagoodson@k-state.edu.
Go, COE Cats!
Coming up next month
Many of you are about to wind up your first year of teaching! Congratulations! Be sure to read next month’s newsletter for:
- Some of your favorite professors share their first-year teaching memories.
- Saying goodbye to your first class…it might be harder than you think!
- Keep an eye on August. We’ll offer some summer suggestions.