MI Learning

The diversity represented at this social justice march in Grand Rapids this spring reminds me of the diverse and beautiful experiences of this year.   This is the end. And, yet, it's only the beginning! We celebrate the end of our formal years of schooling with a ceremony that is synonymous with beginnings, and I have come to the end, or rather, the commencement of having served as 2016-2017 Michigan Teacher of the Year. After 15 school visits, 27 speeches or presentations given, 57 professional learning opportunities that I either facilitated or participated in, more than 90 meetings with fellow educators, or others interested in education throughout the state and across the country, as well as learning from students about how they learn best through the National Board Certification process, I've probably learned as much in the past 12 months as I have in the past 12 years! I now reflect on the learning experiences that have helped me grow and think about how I will a...

A teacher is naturally going to be curious when students are lying under a table on a classroom floor. I noticed a couple of preschoolers doing just that, so I investigated. I discovered they were creating masterpieces like Michelangelo; instead of using paint on the plaster ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, their medium... water markers on chart paper taped to the underside of a table. These under-the-table artists are students at the Wayne State University Early Childhood Center (WSUECC) where royal scientists were also in attendance. I met the head queen scientist who declared that everyone there was a king, queen, or princess. They discussed the best way to wash dishes and the importance of brushing our teeth.  In addition to exploring various identities through creative play, students imagined the experiences of the characters in the book  Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum  by Michigan author, Lisa Wheeler. Kelisa Wing, Department of Defense Education Activities' Teacher of th...

Walking by Mr. Glass' classroom, you probably wouldn't take notice of much at first glance. Kids at desks. Teacher asking questions. LINKS mentors share reflections. If you were to slow down to observe more closely, you might be intrigued by the posters covering the walls. You would notice pictures of students smiling and laughing . . . happy to be at Hudsonville High School. Words like "family" stand out and cue you in to the bond between the students in the photos. Staying in Mr. Glass' classroom long enough, you'd hear a student's voice from the podium at the front of the room: "We're different; yet, the same." Mr. Glass asks one of a few questions of each student who takes a turn at the podium:  What did you learn about yourself?  How will this experience help you in the future?  What have you learned about the students you've worked with? The students' responses to Mr. Glass's questions are anything but typical...