Voices from the Classroom: The State Teachers of the Year Podcast

In the third season of Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year Podcast, the 2022 State Teachers of the Year invite listeners to learn more about the lessons their students keep talking about. Whether it be the one they come back to years later and tell them about, or the lesson their most recent students asked for over and over again.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I am excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles, and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the state teachers of the year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 state teachers of the year will share how they use the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #NTOY21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org. That's N-T-O-Y.org. Welcome, everyone. This is Sarah Brown Wessling and I am here today with Donnie Piercy who is the 2021 Kentucky State Teacher of the Year. Donnie, how are you today?

>> I'm good. So, you know, our school year has been going on for about a month and a half now. We started mid August, so I am well caffeinated this morning. I am ready for a good conversation.

>> I'm excited too. I'm excited too. So before we jump in, can you just tell everyone a little bit about what you teach, where you teach, just give us a little bit of context.

>> Yeah. So like you said, Sarah, my name is Donnie Piercy. I teach fifth grade here in Lexington, Kentucky as part of Fayette County Public Schools. I've been teaching for -- oh gosh, I've reached that age of teaching where it's like I can never remember if it's one or the other. But we'll call it about 15 years. I've worked all around Kentucky. I've worked in rural Kentucky, you know, Irvine, Kentucky here in Lexington. But I've only ever taught fourth or fifth grade. I kind of stumbled into it by accident. You know, when you graduate with that teaching degree it's like, well, what's that first job? And some people, that grade level that they get it's like, "Well, this is not for me. Let's try another one." But I was pretty fortunate. Right off the bat, I was hired in a fourth grade position and learned that I really enjoy upper elementary. And I mean, I've been told I'm pretty good at it. So, it's been a lot of fun for the last 15 years.

>> Oh, that's fantastic. So, my mother was a fourth grade teacher for 30 years.

>> Nice.

>> So, I feel like whenever I meet someone who is a fourth grade teacher or a fifth grade teacher, I kind of have just this like, I don't know. Just understanding of what that means. She always talked about how she loved the way that the students were old enough to ask kind of new questions.

>> And tie their shoes. And tie their shoes.

>> Right, right, right, right. But still young enough to love their teacher and be excited about learning.

>> Yeah. It's been -- well, 30 years, by the way, I've always said that if you can teach for 30 years, you should be given an honorary doctorate from somewhere.

>> From somewhere. Right.

>> Yeah, from somewhere. But no, I agree with you. And the other big thing that elementary school has that I didn't realize how much I would enjoy as a teacher is just recess in general.

>> Yeah.

>> Like there's still something to going outside and playing football with kids, you know, shooting basketball. One, because it makes feel like I'm actually good at those sports but two, it's such a cool time to be able to interact with them, kind of show you -- show them what you're like kind of as a person where you're not in that instructional role.

>> Yeah.

>> And I feel like there's a lot of modeling just for kids --

>> Yeah. Absolutely.

>> -- that happens during recess time.

>> There is no doubt. Some of my favorite memories of all elementary were the days when my fourth grade teachers played dodge ball with us.

>> Oh yeah.

>> I still remember. I still remember how exciting it was to get one of the teachers out, you know.

>> And, you know, as a fifth grade teacher too, it's one of those things when it's like, yeah, it's kind of fun sometimes to play dodge ball against kids.

>> Yeah. That's right.

>> Because a lot of them can't throw yet. It's like, I really want to throw but I'll just hit you. It's all right. It's fun.

>> Yeah, exactly.

>> Yeah.

>> Well, we are here to think a little bit about just what the school year is like, you know, in a lot of ways wherein you're free of the pandemic, you know, in terms of schools which means that -- I just feel like it's another phase of it. We're not out of it, certainly, but we're in a different phase of it. And, you know, certainly, a lot of teachers have been really reflective, what they've been learning about their practice, about classrooms. And so, I'm just really curious about thinking what it means to hang on to something and let go of something and how that kind of influences your practice. So, I would first like to really hear about something that you have kept. So, so much has been taken away, right, but what's one thing that you have really kept as a teacher?

>> Yeah. It was weird. Somebody shared with me the other day, you know, like as much as I try to avoid like sharing internet memes around as facts, but somebody shared one the other day. I was like, that's actually really true. Like the class that I have this year, my fifth graders this year, the last normal, like without any interruption school year they had, was when they were in second grade. And I think about that. And so, the last year was just like they haven't had any type of -- you know, no COVID restrictions. It just felt like a normal year. So, as I was reflecting on this last year, I realized like, "Wow. I should be thinking about like the past three or four years.

>> Right, right. Yeah.

>> How much things have changed. You know, one thing that I've just always tried to do in my classroom is try to incorporate technology and I realized like since -- you know, in the age of virtual instruction, sometimes saying technology, it's kind of like a dirty word. It's like, "Oh, you can't say that around some teachers because it might trigger them," you know.

>> Right.

>> But last -- in March of 2020, when the pandemic hit, I mean, every single teacher, not just in Kentucky, not just across America but all around world, was just literally thrown into the fire.

>> Yeah.

>> Right. And some of us, we came out of the frying pan and hit the fire, right?

>> Right.

>> So, it was definitely rough but, you know, every teacher was really resilient. I know even that word nowadays, it's almost turned into jargon but it's true. I mean, every teacher for those two, three weeks when we're preparing for, you know, what we thought would just be six to eight weeks said, "Well, if this is what I have to do, if I've got to learn how to finally use Google Docs, if I finally have to learn how to like record a video lesson, if that's what it's going to take for my students to be successful, then I'm going to do that." And it was hard. It was definitely not easy by any means and there were a lot of issues that came up.

>>Yeah.

>> And important discussions around equity, important discussions around just even like internet access at home.

>> Yeah.

>> But for the majority of teachers, they did it. They got that base level of techno, that thing that for years we're like, "Oh you've got to learn, you've got to learn." And so, as the pandemic hopefully, fingers crossed, knock on wood, you know, comes to an end now every teacher has that base level, right? So, the question becomes like, what are we going to do with it?And to answer your question, you know, one thing I've always try to do, the thing that I'm keeping is not to just use technology for a substitute, for something that could be done on pencil and paper. We've been like taking students on a field trip somewhere. You know, there's a instructional model. I don't know if you're familiar with it. It's SAMR, it's the SAMR model. It's a model for incorporating technology into the classroom.

>> Yeah.

>> Right? And, you know, it stands for substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition. And it's all about when you are looking in an app, when you're looking at a tool, when you're looking at bringing some type of piece or, you know, some piece of technology into your classroom how is it that you're going to use that tool? And one thing -- you know, when I learned about the SAMR model five or six years ago, I've kind of structured any time I bring technology into my classroom around it. I've tried to always avoid just those -- I mean, sometimes you have to but try to avoid, you know, those activities, those lessons where it's just a substitute for something that could be done on pencil and paper.

>> Right. Right.

>> Classic example, right, like Google Earth is a really cool tool.

>> Yeah.

>> I always have a problem with that phrase. But it's a really cool tool. It's like [inaudible], you know? You know, but Google Earth is a cool tool but there's nothing that says you can't have a physical map up in your room that the students can go up to and also explore.

>> Exactly.

>> As you make your way down the SAMR model, you know, it turns into augmentation. Like is this app or this tool, is it something that is augmenting your instruction for the better? You know, a simple example will be, let's take Google Earth one more time. You know, instead of having the students use a ruler to measure the distance between places and then use the map scale, they can use the measurement tool and figure out how many miles it is from like, you know, Boston to Quebec.

>>Yeah.

>> Or Montreal. You know, then when you talk about like modifying learning, that's when like -- you know, let's take Google Earth one more time where, you know, students are using different map layers to maybe explore some collaboration -- sorry, some correlation between like population growth and like CO2 levels. But ultimately, when you're looking at the SAMR model, it's all about, you know, can you use this piece of technology to redefine what instruction looks like? You know, could students use this tool to do something that they couldn't do without the tool? And, you know, collaboration is so important, collaboration across schools and grade levels where students get to chat with people all around the world. I mean, even Zoom, like we're on right now and recording this podcast on.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, this is a great example of that. Yes, we are all burnt out on Zoom. We're all burnt out [inaudible] the fact that I can have my class in Lexington, Kentucky, talk to a class in Sydney, Australia, that's amazing, right?

>> Yeah.

>> That's not something that I could do without the technology tool. So, you know, that's something, that SAMR model is something that I'm going to be holding on to.

>> Yeah. I love that. You know, they're so -- you know, your description is so rich, I think, with so many important traits of strong pedagogy. I mean, you know, underneath this, you're talking about authentic, you know, experiences for students. You're talking about inquiry model. You're talking about I think making sure that students understand the relationship between the tools that they already have and, you know, like the maps and the physical things that we can still have in our classrooms and touch and look at. And then the way that you mentioned, you know, that like Google Earth can augment that. And giving them the opportunity to discern between them, I mean, that's just so important. So, here's the thing though. I think with teachers in general, we like to hang on to stuff, right? We hang on to physical things. We hang on to, you know, the lesson that we haven't used in 10 years, but we still might use it one day. So I'm really curious, what do you have to let go of in order to create space to do all of these really incredible things that you're talking about?

>> Yeah. Well, I think it's the idea of control, right? And not that I don't have control of my classroom, not that --

>> I know what you mean. Yeah.

>> -- I don't have control over but, you know, it's letting go with that control that I'm always going to be the one who is in charge of the learning that happens in my classroom. And I know that sounds really cliché but it's very true. Like as a educator, like in the 21st century, in the year 2020 -- what year is it, 2021.

>> '21, yeah.

>> Like you have to be adaptive and not be afraid to listen to your students. Where if you're picking up on the fact that -- you know, let's take technology, if they're not into the tool that you're using, you know, to never be afraid to say, "Class, give me five minutes. I need to," you know, like Ross from Friends --

>> Yeah.

>> -- pivot on this.

>> Right.

>> I need to pivot on this, come up with something different so that way one, you're not bored but more importantly, that this lesson can go to the level of learning that it needs to go to.

>> Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. That control is -- it is a hard thing to let go of, right? Because you're so -- you're vulnerable but I think what I always feel like is when I get past that moment of vulnerability, I am so present with my learners, right? Like I am learning with them, but you do have to cross that threshold. But once you do, it's like a really special space to be in.

>> Yeah. There's got to be that level of -- you know, I think like you mentioned, that level of openness.

>> Yeah.

>> Right? Where you have to, from day one, you know, let your class know that sometimes we might have to change things in the middle of a lesson just to make sure that the learning that's happening in this space is what it needs to be.

>> Yeah.

>> And that's hard sometimes. I mean, that's hard for all stakeholders. You know, one, for me, as a teacher, right, it sounds strange especially in elementary school for a student to hear that. But also, when you factor in like parents and administrators, even like on days when your principal walks in and you're teaching a lesson and five minutes in you're like, "OK, this is garbage. I need to scrap this."

>> Yup.

>> But I feel like good administrators value that reflection, right? And yeah, you might not get as high of a score or whatever that means on your evaluation but ultimately, you know, I don't think that should be the case. I think that, you know, being reflective and being able to adapt on the fly is such an important skill, not just with technology but just in education in general because you're modeling that for your students.

>> Yup. Absolutely. Well, I have appreciated this conversation and this time. I know this is just a tiny little slice and snippet into all of the amazing work that you do with your students. But I know there are going to be a lot of people looking up the SAMR model as soon as they get done listening to this and really be inspired to think about the ways that technology continue to -- can continue to amplify their classrooms and the learning of their students. So, thanks so much, Donnie.

>> Yeah. No worries. Thank you so much.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag #NTOY21. That's #N-T-O-Y-2-1. Let's keep the conversation going.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students expand their leadership roles and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of the Year will share how they use the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #ntoy21, or by visiting us online at ntoy.org. That's N-T-O-Y.org. Hello, everyone. This is Sarah Brown Wessling and I have the pleasure today of talking with Susan Richardson, the 2021 Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year. Hi, Susan. How are you?

>> Fantastic. Thank you for having me.

>> Absolutely. I cannot wait to dive into this conversation with you. But first, I would love for you to share just a little bit about your teaching context, where you teach, what you teach, how long you've been teaching, if you want to share that.

>> Sure. So, I teach at Milwaukee German Immersion School. This is my ninth year there. I've been teaching about 23 years in total. And the Milwaukee German Immersion School is unique in several ways. So, we're part of Milwaukee Public Schools and we're one of many language immersion programs. So, what does that mean? Well, we are a normal public school in that we follow all the Wisconsin academic standards but our main language of instruction is in German. So, the language though is integrated into all of our content and curriculum. So, there's never a German class per se. It's just the vehicle to learn math and science and social studies. So, it's a K5 school and then when the kids leave our school, we are a feeder school to a middle and high school which has not just German language, German immersion students, but Spanish, and French, and Italian, and Chinese, all of the different immersion programs in Milwaukee. So, it truly becomes a K12 experience. So, the main student that we get is not a student who has prior German knowledge. It's just a normal urban Milwaukee student. And so, they enter K4 having known no language at all and, you know, the first couple of days, there's a lot of repeating and observing and singing and gestures. But usually by Thanksgiving, that's when the miracle happens because the kids, they absorb so much, right? Language and vocabulary acquisition is just phenomenal in the ages from four to seven. And so, by Thanksgiving usually, we call it the Thanksgiving miracle, the kids really can understand everything their teacher is saying. Although they cannot always produce it themselves correctly, they can communicate in the target language. And so, K4, K5, and first grade are completely in German. In second grade, we introduced two 30 minute English windows a week. In third grade, it's 30 minutes a day. Fourth grade, hour and15 and fifth grade, they have 90 minutes of English a day.

>> Wow.

>> So, by the time you leave our program, you're fluent in German and you are still hitting all of the academic standards for ELA.

>> That's amazing. I mean, just kind of like wrapping my head around what a unique experience that must be not only for the students but for you as a teacher to be in that space and be the conduit for, you know, such an immersive experience. That's so neat.

>> It is definitely a unique program. And we often have a waiting list, which is such a testament because unfortunately our district is often in the news for negative reasons. But our program is such a gem as is the other language immersion programs. And I just love talking about our program. I'm drinking the Kool-Aid [inaudible]. I try to recruit teachers left and right because we do -- because it's an accelerated program, you need to be certified for elementary, but you also need to be fluent in German. And just because you're fluent in speaking a language doesn't always mean you can teach it, right?

>> Yeah.

>> So, there are a lot of different elements when we're looking for new staff members.

>> Yeah, absolutely. You know, one of the things that I find to be a consistent pattern when I learn about schools or staff members who are really excited about their work, you know, it always coalesces around this really clear purpose. And when that purpose is so clear to all of the students, to all of the staff, there's just a synergy and a forward movement that I think is really special.

>> Right and we how the kids thrive, right?

>> Right.

>> Because it truly is this productive struggle, right?

>> Yeah.

>> Because your brain does have to work a little bit harder --

>> Yeah.

>> -- when you're learning things. And I mean, our standardized test scores are the biggest piece of evidence of hard data, because our students never learn perpendicular in English, right? All of the math is in German so they learn [foreign language] but when they take their STAR or their math test, the question is in English and we still score higher than the Wisconsin state average.

>> Wow.

>> On our ELA and our math scores because the -- whenever you're learning or speaking a foreign language, your brain has to work at an elevated level, right?

>> Right.

>>And so, all those bridges, synapses are forming your connections.

>> Yeah.

>> And so, you can see all the -- we can't see it, but you know there [inaudible] happening in your brain and your brain is getting stronger. And it's not just the brain science or the scores. We really see that our kids, they're so used to seeing things another way, right?

>> Right.

>> So, like a monolingual student, if you say, "What can you do with a brick?" Oh, you can build a house, you can build a bridge, you can build a building. OK, right. So, one word has one purpose. But because bilingual and multilingual kids are so used to, it could mean this or this or this or this, they have been trained to look at things in different ways.

>> Right.

>> So, if you ask a multilingual person, "What can you do with a brick?" Yeah, you can build a house but I can also step on it to reach the bubbler. I can hit my sister with it. I could use it to break a window.

>> Right.

>> And their brains are just trained --

>> Yeah.

>> -- so it's working [inaudible].

>> Differently. That's so neat. So, you mentioned productive struggle and I feel like we as a country, as a world have been in the midst of -- sometimes it's just struggle and not always -- you know, but certainly productive struggle as we think about, you know, teaching through this pandemic and then certainly, as we think about where we're at right now. So, I'm really curious about as you reflect on this experience, as you reflect on where you're at right now, what are you going to keep? So, you know, there have been piles of things given to teachers. What are you going to hang on to as you continue to go forward?

>> Excellent question and one that my whole team has been pondering. One of the things that we learned immediately in the past 18 months, with virtual learning a key element was missing and that was the hands-on experience.

>> Yeah.

>> So that is definitely something we are going to accelerate. For example, right now we're doing a plant cycle unit. And so, I took the kids out to the courtyard and we are physically touching the different parts of the plants. We're identifying, we're talking about their purpose. We talk about what parts of the plant we can eat. So tomorrow, every kid is going to get a little cup, have a piece of spinach, a carrot, a broccoli floret. Because this element, they're touching it, they're experimenting --

>> Right.

>> -- they're tinkering with it --

>> Right.

>> -- that is something that's a little bit difficult to do through a Google Form.

>> It is a little difficult to manage all of the manipulatives. But I love that and I love the way that you're thinking about not just the technology, right? Because certainly, technology is wonderful and it has taught us a lot and it has been invaluable and it's still not everything. So, I think that's so important. So, if we kind of move to the flipside of this, not what you would keep but thinking about what you've had to let go of, or what you're happy to let go of, or what you're going to let go of in order to create the space for what's most important to you, what would that be?

>> Definitely what was a difficult realization for me was, you can't do it all.

>> Yeah.

>> And again, reflecting on -- because my whole district was virtual last year, we realized the students were not learning at the typical pace. And so, we weren't getting through all the units in our pacing guide. And I'm kind of a rule follower, I stay on schedule and that was really hard for me. And a few times I found myself trying to push them and they weren't ready. They hadn't mastered the content that we were working on. And we just needed to meet them where they were and stay there until we were ready to move on. And so yeah, that means maybe of the eight units, we got through seven of them. But we did the seven well and they learned the material. So, I would say definitely let go of this pressure or this notion of you have to check off all the boxes. Because at the end of the day, yes, I'm teaching math but I'm teaching eight year olds.

>> Yeah.

>> And that's what we need to focus on.

>> Yeah, absolutely. OK. So I just want to know how you got your brain to get there, how you got your teach heart to get there. Because what you're describing about this idea of wanting to do it all, I mean, so many teachers I think carry that, sometimes as a badge of honor, sometimes as a burden. But how did you get to the place where you finally could say to yourself, it's OK?

>> I think it was because a little girl didn't mute herself and she was crying in the background. "She's going too fast. I don't know. I don't know what to do here." And I don't know if she was -- I think she was actually at the daycare and she was talking to like the daycare provider. And like I said, I had had those whispers, which we're battling with that. But we have to move on now to social studies.

>> Yes.

>> And we all just need to give ourselves [inaudible] because yeah, I may have 20 plus years of teaching experience but this was a brand new teaching context and we all jumped in, like with three days' notice, right?

>> Yeah.

>> And so, just experiencing that and knowing that she didn't know that we were observing it, it really struck a chord.

>> Yeah. You know they always tell us, don't they? The students always tell us what they need. And sometimes, maybe we need to unmute for them, right, either literally or figuratively. And, you know, and just ask them. But that's a beautiful story and I think that will really resonate with teachers as they are thinking about how to get to that place where they can tell themselves, "It is OK. I don't have to do all of these things." Susan, thank you so much for your time and for your insights. I know that this is going to be so beneficial and helpful to so many teachers.

>> It was lovely being here. Thank you.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag #ntoy21. That's hashtag N-T-O-Y 21. Let's keep the conversation going.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers, National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year Podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of the Year will share how they use the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag, #ntoy21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org, that's N-T-O-Y dot org. Hello, everyone. This is Sarah Brown Wessling. I am here today with Kami Lunsford who was the 2021 Tennessee State Teacher of the Year. Kami, it is so great to have you here.

>> It is so great to be here.

>> I would love for you to tell all of the listeners just a little bit about yourself, where you teach, what you teach, just a little context for us.

>> Well, I teach in Knoxville, Tennessee which is in the Eastern Division of the very long State of Tennessee. And I teach choir, chorus. And I also teach theater and music, just in general music. And I teach at a middle school which is a big deal because that's a really hard --

>> It is a big deal.

>> -- hard [inaudible] years.

>> It is.

>> But they are a huge middle school actually. I have about, you know, 12 to 1,600 kids and yeah, I've been teaching there for 16 years. And as music teachers and fine arts teachers, especially in performing arts, we tend to go into a school, thinking about growing a program. And so, I've been really fortunate to inherit a program where the fine arts is a big deal to the community.

>> Yeah.

>> And then, you know, growing it and keeping it going strong for 16 years. So, we've been having some good times out there making music with those middle schoolers.

>> I bet. I bet, you know, and what an age. You know, I mean, the arts are important for us, you know, for forever but I also think it's just so important for middle school students to be able to like learn how to express themselves in so many different outlets.

>> Yeah. And that's kind of my bread and butter or I should say my jam. That they trust me and that they will try anything and try many things. I recently got asked by the AVID coordinator to put -- you know, make a quick little minute-long video of things that you wish you could tell yourself back in your middle school years.

>> Yeah.

>> And believe it or not, I was shy and did not try as many things. And I told the kids, I was like, "This is how it is. You know, you have to just jump because look how many years I missed out on doing the things I'm doing now that I love when I was, you know, your age." And that's a big deal to me, that they don't mind trying something new if they feel comfortable because I'd get them to do just about anything, you know, especially crazy stuff that I would have never done on stage in front of, well honestly, thousands of people, some of them. You know what I mean?

>> I do. I do. And what a special gift to be able to bring that out of our young people, that's fantastic. So, you've talked about jumping in, you know, into kind of risk taking for your students. I want to jump into thinking about where you are at right now as a teacher in your third year of teaching in a pandemic, right? I mean, like it's Year 3.

>> [Inaudible] I was like, "Oh my, gosh, has it been?" And I guess so.

>> Yeah. And I'm really curious about where you're at right now and what you want to keep, you know? Of course, you've learned a lot. What are you going to hang on to as you continue teaching?

>> Well, that's a great question and it's one of my favorite questions right now to pose in all kinds of conversations about education right now. Because I really think that we learned a lot during the pandemic that we need to keep because we can't go back. We don't want to go back to -- we don't want to lose the lessons. My fear is that we will lose lessons that we learned and things that were uncovered, you know, during the pandemic. And so that's one of my favorite questions of all time to be talking about especially right now. And my number one thing, I guess my number one answer would be mindfulness. And I don't mean that -- I guess I'm going to answer this question professionally and personally. Because in my classroom and with my colleagues and at home, those are the three things -- like I incorporated a lot of new things -- well, not really new things, I just put more mindfulness during my classroom time. For example, in my classes, music therapy, music therapy practices because we have concerts and we have other things, and they have tests, and we've got these things, and I've got to plan field trips, and all of these things. I would do basic therapy practices with their daily warmups. But, you know, it was hit or miss and it wasn't as intentional. And when the pandemic came, I looked across my classroom and I was like, "Oh, we got to get intentional. We got to do this every day. And we got to start explaining why I did this activity at the beginning of the class period instead of just doing it to come on down and then moving on." And that sort of like [inaudible] into my personal life, you know, and then my personal life, like my colleague-to-colleague life, at the professional level. And so for an example, one of my favorite activities that we do that kind of turns a light bulb on in the classroom especially at the middle school level because they're under a lot of stress.

>> They are.

>> So we'll do a high energy warm-up, like a big one that gets their heart pumping like a physical warm-up before we start, you know, doing our singing. And part of that is to prepare the body for singing. You know, it's got stretches and we stretch out, you know, things and lots of breathing and get their heart pumping really good. And then, sit down and close your eyes. And put your hand over your heart or try to find your pulse and listen to how fast you're breathing. Take a second and notice that your body has physically changed. And then, try to slow it all down. And I'm going to shut up and I'm going to be silent. And we're going to actively listen around the room and then we're going to talk about it, stuff like that.That's part of musical therapy, music therapy exercises. One of my favorite books is called Active Listening and there's a lot of stuff in there that's really cool for all ages. And then when they come out of that and we have that discussion, being able to tell them that you have complete control over your breath and your heart and whether or not you're stressed, like you have complete control about how you can control a situation, how you can change a situation like that. And that you might need that. And that it's OK to tell a teacher that, "Hey, I need to take a minute." Step outside and listen to your heart and listen to your breathing. And be still because if anything characterized the whole last year, it's overwhelming.

>> Absolutely.

>> And the kids are overwhelmed and, you know, just take a minute for yourself. I'm bad at that. I'm a performing arts teacher. We live, work and perform. And we are busy, busy, busy, busy. And so the idea that I could pass on practices that I, too, was working on in my personal life, to them, to help them get through especially at the middle school level, you know.

>> Definitely.

>> Because stressful things are going to happen to them during this time and a pandemic, it's not supposed to be one of them, you know.

>> Right, right. It is not supposed to be. That was not in the plan, was it?

>> Yeah. Some of my sixth grade teachers, they lose their first -- their last tooth. Their parents get divorced. They go through a lot of body changes. There's a lot of things that happen to kids during this time period.

>> Right.

>> That they have no control over. But to be able to give them some tools so they could --

>> To find that control.

>> Yeah, that they [inaudible] in the class that they already have a positive relationship with and that's not something -- again, I do it a lot already but I wasn't doing it daily and making it intentional. And I think that was the key to kind of help them weather it.

>> Yeah. You know, I think that intentionality is so crucial. I mean, it's just finding purpose in what we're doing in the classroom, being able to say it out loud. I love the way you talk about telling your students, "This is why we're going to do this. Do you hear your heart pumping now? Do you feel your pulse? And now, can you feel a change?" I love -- you know, I've been around so many mindfulness exercises that are really powerful but I really love kind of teaching them the difference between like the racing pulse, you know, and that fast breathing, and then helping them learn to see how it changes and how they have that control. And the way that it's just connected right into your curriculum, that's really fantastic.

>> Yeah, yeah.

>> I love it.

>> Yeah. Well, just the other day, like a kid was having a panic attack in the lunchroom. And she's one of mine, so I was like, "Let's go for a walk. And you hear yourself?"

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> "You got to turn that tempo down."

>> Yeah.

>> That's like relatable. A lot of times, mindfulness exercises that are doled out to you on an app or various things that you don't have any connection to them but all of a sudden, it was like, "Oh, yeah, I totally can do that." You know what I mean? Empower them --

>> Absolutely, absolutely.

>> -- to fix things and sort of self-regulate.

>> Yeah.Well, it's a really beautiful intersection between your content area and this really important, you know, social-emotional skill that your students need. You're not -- like they're not separate from each other. You put them together and I think that's really important. So, if we're thinking kind of about the opposite, not so much what you're going to keep but maybe what you're going to let go of or what you had to let go of that you're fine to just like not bring back.

>> Well, I would say in-person faculty meetings but I guess that's probably not -- I'm just kidding.

>> You're probably not the only person who's thinking that.

>> Totally fine to let go of that.

>> Yeah.

>> Well, it's funny you said kind of on the opposite but honestly, my letting go is intertwined with the stuff that I want to keep professionally and personally. I let go of some things that, you know, aren't important, like things that -- like I was reflecting on strategies that give the kids more bang for their buck in my classroom. Because I do 12 to 15 concerts a year, 12 to 15 field trips a year. One of those field trips is overnight usually out of state. And I spread myself thin pretty good.

>> Right. Yeah.

>> And all throughout that, then all of a sudden, we can do all those things.

>> Right.

>> You know, like the thing that I do, we could sing but at some point, we were given the green light to be able to sing but they had to be six feet apart and it could be for 30 minutes and then you had to leave like to keep everybody safe. Like, what I love to do, what my kids love to do, the reason they love to come in my room was dangerous. And made you go, "Oh." And we can't do all these things. And I was thinking these are the things that my kids love the most. Are they going to love this class and what I'm doing anymore?

>> Yeah, right.

>> Yeah. I get emotional thinking about it. But we couldn't do all those things and I discovered that those are great, but it's the day-to-day culture and the relationships and the safe space that I can provide, that is actually the thing they're after and that is their jam. You know what I mean?

>> Yeah, I do.

>> And then, I say it to teachers now. I say it, shout it from the rooftops now, even though I'm still working on it. You can't pour into these kids with an empty pitcher.

>> Right.

>> And so now like things that are a big deal, like I recently, there's an opportunity that is available to me to be able to do a whole lot of work and work myself, my fingers to the bone over to help like maybe 12 kids in my group because we can only take a certain amount of things. And I literally was like, "I'm not sure that is worth that time and energy."

>> Right.

>> You understand?

>> Absolutely, absolutely.

>> And because I used to -- it was everything. Kami is a yes-woman.

>> Right.

>> And I have a hard time saying no.

>> You're doing 15 concerts and 15 field trips a year. Yes, you are.

>> Yeah. And then, you know, all of the changes that are going on in front of the kids right now, at home, at the dinner table, on the news, there's a lot of noise going on. And I've always said that my approach to teaching was I have to break through that noise. If I'm going to break through the noise, I got to say things that are impactful. I got to -- you know what I'm saying? My phrasing or what it is that I choose to hit or see a teachable moment and make that time. In my planning for the year, the scope for the year like needs to be the same, like what is it that's going to reach these kids the most for various reasons? Because in my class, I guess there's also that -- somebody once told me this, it was, "I'm not using -- you're not using kids to make good music, you're using music to make good kids."

>> Absolutely, love that.

>> And so, if something's not, you know, really paying, you know, paying the rent I guess you could say on your time and their focus especially when they got so much going on during these crazy times then let it go.

>> Absolutely.

>> Even if it is a tradition, you know, it's tradition that we do this thing but it was killing me. And it was like, "OK, you're going to have --

>> Right. And if that happens, you can't do the very thing that you know is most important, right, which is being totally present with your students day to day.

>> Yeah. And it's like that forevery teacher. I mean, I'm not a tested subject but that is -- you know, you probably have heard teachers say, "We just don't have time to do those things. I wish I could do that but I've got to worry about tests and I've got to worry about blah, blah, blah, blah. And we only have them for eight hours a day." But maybe start thinking we have them for eight hours a day.

>> Eight hours a day.

>> Like figure something out. You know what I mean?

>> Yeah.

>> And so, I've gotten really creative and I've started -- like right now, I have a student teacher in my room and she's phenomenal. But for the first time I started off the year with, "Hey, I'm open to new ideas and look at this and what I'm doing and what I normally do and what we would normally do. What do you see?" And, you know, that could be a different outlet for this and a different outlet for that. And it's OK. It's OK to do that. And I think -- I hesitate to say I'm thankful for the pandemic.

>> Right.

>> You know, when it comes to all the changes and things. But I guess I'm thankful for the time to be able to reflect on this and to kind of see because this year is different. But of course, it has a whole separate, you know, set of changes and craziness --

>> Absolutely.

>> -- for us to deal with but some of the things are returning from before and it was like, I have to sit down and think, "Do I want to do all these things?"

>> Right.

>> "What's actually worth it? What do the kids, you know, want to do?" And so, one of the things that I have incorporated more to help that letting go process of some things is ask the kids.

>> I love that.

>> What is it -- especially the ones who come back and see me all the time after school, "Hey, are you leaving right away? Can we stop by and visit you?" because they're in the high school. And listening to them, you know, kind of reminisce about some stuff and then talk about the good old days, and dah, dah, dah. And I'm hearing what they're mentioning. And it's not the things always that I have spent hours and hours planning.

>> Right, right, right.

>>And so, that kind of goes back to the thing I'm keeping, like their relationship with the space I create and me, I might need to hone that a little bit more because that's really where it's at.

>> Absolutely. Well, it sounds like, you know, even when you are asking the students, you know, or you are listening to the students, you know, that's a different kind of letting go, too. I mean, that's letting go of some degree of control.

>> Absolutely.

>> Or opening up your curriculum to your student teacher and it really is I think powerful. And it does feel vulnerable because I think especially as teachers, you know, we're planners. We have these roadmaps in our brains, right? We have these beautifully-designed elaborate plans and it's hard to put the plan aside and do exactly what you're doing. But it sure sounds like it has reaffirmed for you so much of what you love about the classroom and what your students love about what you create for them.

>> Yeah. I think a lot of that came out of when I taught virtual -- you know, a lot of people didn't like virtual and they didn't want to do it. And they were happy to see it go away. And, you know, I'm happy to have kids back in my classroom. But also, I want to say it might have been week two where I realized after -- I just all of a sudden realized they're tired. Oh my, gosh. They've had a class -- you know, if you can imagine how we have, you know, conferences and things online and how much the brain can handle and how much your eyes can handle, and really, you know, with all those distractions at home like how much can they handle? I [inaudible] like ask my kids, "How you doing today and what class did you just have before you logged on to meet?"

>> Right, right.

>> And finding out that they've just spent an hour-and-a-half and that it's been math and it's been --

>> Yeah.

>> Really, I guess just checking up on them in a whole another way. And, you know, there's, "Hey, how are you doing," and listening to the answer. And then there's, "Hey, how are you doing," and like synthesizing what they just said.

>> Absolutely.

>> And combine that with what it is that I could do to maybe help this class period go better because of what they've all just experienced.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, that's one of those -- goes back to those active listening activities that I do in class where they're able to tell me what kind of morning they had before they came to school. They had a fight with their mom. They were late to school. Their first period teacher already yelled at them because they lost this. You know?

>> Right, right.

>> It's the difference -- it's just a mindset change I think that really helps. And, you know, so I don't have time for that. So this kid is having this issue. I need to take care of this now but I've got a meeting I got to go to. Well, I'm just going to be late.

>> Yeah, exactly.

>> And [inaudible] that way. As teachers, you know, we're perfectionists and like you said, planners. And it's OK, it's OK. Everybody is in this situation.

>> Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Well, what a pleasure to be able to spend this time with you and to hear just about what you've learned over the last, you know, year-and-a-half of the pandemic over now the course of three school years. And we're just all better for it. So thanks so much, Kami.

>> Thank you. Thank you for having me.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year Podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers, National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag, #ntoy21. That's hashtag N-T-O-Y21. Let's keep the conversation going.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles, and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of the Year will share how they use the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #ntoy21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org. That's N-T-O-Y.org. Welcome everyone. This is Sarah Brown Wessling and I am here talking with Wyatt Oroke who is the 2021 Maryland State Teacher of the Year. Wyatt, it's so glad to have you here.

>> Happy to be here. Thanks for having me.

>> Oh, of course. So, can you start by just giving us a little bit of context about where you teach, what you teach? If you want to tell us how long you've been at it, you can.

>> Yeah. So I teach at City Springs Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City. I've been teaching in Baltimore for the past nine years and I teach seventh and eighth grade English, which I've also taught for the past nine years here in East Baltimore.

>> Wonderful. So, what I just would love people to have this wonderful visual image of as they're listening is what I am getting to see right now, which is your classroom behind you, and above you, and around you. And everywhere your students look, they see their future with flags and diplomas and letters to themselves. It's a really cool space and just a really important space for students to manifest their best selves in.

>> Yeah. I mean, I love -- if I'm going to spend most of my day in this space, I better love it. And if I'm going to ask scholars to come into this space and spend most of their day here too, they better love it too. So, I try to ensure they see themselves and like you said their future within this space. I view it as an incredibly sacred space for us to have community in and so, I love being here. They love being here. So, it's pretty cool.

>> Absolutely. Learningspaces are sacred spaces. There's no doubt about that. No doubt about that. Well, we are going to jump in this conversation and just do a little reflecting and thinking about what it's like to be teaching at this point in the pandemic, right? So, we're kind of in school year number three, you know, a little bit into the beginning of this particular school year. And I am really curious, when you think back to what you've learned and probably all the things that you've tried, what are you going to hang on to? What are you going to keep as you keep moving forward?

>> So, digital literacy, I know that seems like an easy answer and I hate to say it, but that has been the biggest area of growth for myself and scholars as we think of preparing them for the 21st century and jobs that will await them. As eighth graders, right, that could be four to eight years from now. We needed to build digital literacy and we had a massive gap in that area within Baltimore City and within our school community. And so, using digital tools and digital platforms to ensure that they know how to access them, collaborate on them, use these tools as learning opportunities has been incredibly helpful and it has allowed all of our scholars to stay connected. We have had scholars that have had to enter quarantine because of COVID concern and those scholars are still able to engage in the learning environment. Be it a little bit differently, but by keeping them engaged for longer periods of time, we think it's going to help their academic growth throughout this year.

>> Absolutely. So, have there been shifts that you've seen, not just in their use of technology but you're using this really specific phrase digital literacy. So, have you seen shifts in their literacies as it applies to the digital world?

>> Yeah. We definitely see them able to access learning tools in a wide variety of ways. And in doing so, understand how to manipulate things in a way that makes sense for their learning. We know these tools, an iPad is a great way to differentiate instruction. But it only works if the scholar understands how it works, right? So, if a scholar has this device in their hand and they have no idea how to use it then it's pointless. And so, what we've tried to build is how do you access these tools in really cool and creative ways. And that includes some of our English language learners that are newer to our school community, how can we allow them to still access high level grade level content in a way that they're able to use the resources that are in their hand? Our school is a one-to-one device school now and that's with iPads. Scholars have iPads all day lon and we've downloaded strategic and specific apps onto those iPads. And they're getting better at navigating those apps. And we're also teaching them skills of time management and how to focus in class, and how to, no, you can't watch that YouTube video right now because we're actually reading and so like that is -- and while it might be frustrating for a teacher, like that's a skill, right, that you have to teach young people, is how do you prioritize, how do you put first things first, and how do you focus? Because we know when they enter more independent learning sites like college, right, they need to know how to be able to focus their time. So, we're ideally teaching them these college and career ready skills now.

>> Yeah. I love the way that you're talking about the things that oftentimes can be frustrations for teachers. I can also say that as a parent, right? These things that can be frustrations are opportunities, right? Because it really is, the whole thing is a skill in understanding how our brains work, understanding how we learn to focus, how we learn to pull back, how we learn to prioritize. All of those things are really, really important. And equipping students with those skills like you said, I mean, it gets them ready for the future, for sure.

>> Yeah. And I think if all behavior is learned behavior and you haven't taught them how to do it, why would you expect any other result? I've been working with a lot of new teachers this year. Our middle school team is primarily first year teachers and they obviously have expressed some frustrations around behaviors they are seeing.

>> Yeah.

>> And we have to walk through with them. Well, what did you teach the scholar to do at that time because they might not have known? Even in how we like were -- today, we looked at how folks are setting up their worksheets, like how are scholars supposed to engage with this digital worksheet? And the directions weren't clear. It didn't say where the scholar is supposed to put their response. And then, they got all mad when the scholar put an emoji next to the response.

>> Right.

>> They didn't tell them not to put the emoji smiley face and so they did. Right? And so, teaching them those skills is critical.

>> Yeah, absolutely. So, let's kind of flip this just a little bit. So, you have been talking about what you're going to hang on to, what you would keep. I am equally, maybe even more curious about what you're going to let go of as you as you continue on.

>> I think when I -- well, several things. When I was working in the digital space last year, we were 100% virtual and I was so focused on not losing any academic growth. And I had such a hard time thinking about social-emotional learning and collaborative learning in that space. I had a really hard time thinking about what that could look like.

>> Yeah.

>> And when we reentered school communities this year in person, that has been prioritized in their mind or in my mind. And trying to find ways for scholars to just connect and engage with each other in a healthy and safe way is something that was missing for the past year and a half easily.

>> Yeah.

>> And so, even like we take mask breaks. We have a nice little field outside and we go outside for like 10 minutes. And we just walk around the track and we talk and we chat, and we just have a nice relaxing time. And yesterday we had a kickball tournament right outside. And they just loved it. They hadn't played with their friends like in an organized and structured way like that in a year and a half.

>> Right.

>> And so, I think that piece, which is something I knew before I entered virtual world and then forgot about for a year and a half. I was like, "Oh, yeah. Kids just need to like talk to each other because that's what kids need to do."

>> Yeah.

>> It has been something that -- I need to push away that mindset of academic only and refocus --

>> Yeah.

>> -- on the whole child in this time.

>> Yeah. So, I think that's really interesting because I do think a lot of times when we as teachers find ourselves in these different spaces or new spaces. The pressure of things like pacing and covering content, those things become so important. I'm really curious about how you wrestled with that and especially kind of how you recognized that you were ready for a change. Like as a teacher, how did you make the shift from where you were last year to where you are right now, like celebrating the 10 minutes that you get to walk around the track and the importance of the kickball game?

>> You know, I think for me, it was in talking with the scholars, right, they'll lead the way.

>> Yeah. They will.

>> [Inaudible] They always do. And it was maybe day two and we were to -- week two, I'm sorry. Week two, we're doing an assessment and because of the assessment, we couldn't take our mask break that we normally would take outside. And it had a devastating impact on the climate and culture. It was scholars were getting frustrated, they were getting mad, they were struggling with engaging with one another. They want to take their masks off. Like all of the behaviors started to pop up. I was like, "Right, that's because we didn't take our 10 minutes." And even though many of them weren't able to express that at the time, when we're able to have a conversation about it, a circle at the end of the day about it, that's what we were able to pinpoint. Right? Our routine changed and a routine that no longer put our social emotional needs first changed.

>> Right.

>> And so, that signaled to me, don't ever do that again.

>> Yeah, and haven't we all been there?

>> We'll have to pause that test.

>> Yeah.

>> And that's when it signaled for me was just based on them, what they were able to express both verbally and then in their behaviors, led the way to me saying, "Something's got to give."

>> Absolutely. Well, how wonderful for you to, first of all, be able to recognize it for more than just the behavior. There was something underneath the behavior and I think that's really important. And then, to create a space in which you can talk about it together as a class, so that you can do exactly what you've already been talking about which is, you know, thinking about these behaviors and thinking about this process. And kind of like the cause and effect of all of these things, and how it is then that our students and our children, your scholars are able to self-actualize because they can own all of those things.

>> I think that is, as you talked about, that's the thing you teach, right? That's the thing you have to teach is --

>> Yeah. That's the thing you teach.

>> -- walking our young people through that realization of why things occurred.

>> Yeah.

>> That's not a skill that anyone, including a 12 or 13 year old naturally has.

>> Yeah.

>> And so, creating spaces to kind of walk through why did that happen, what led to that? I think it's helpful for them as they build their own emotional intelligence.

>> Yeah, without a doubt. Wyatt, what a pleasure to spend a little bit of time with you, to get a peek into your classroom, to get your wisdom. We are certainly excited to be able to share all of this with teachers everywhere. I know that they're going to learn a lot.

>> Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag #ntoy21. That's #N-T-O-Y 21. Let's keep the conversation going.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year Podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of the Year will share how they used the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag, #ntoy21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org, that's N-T-O-Y.org.

>> Hi, my name is Jasmine Estes. I am the Senior Communications Specialist at CCSSO. And today, we are speaking with Alisa Cooper de Uribe. Alisa, would you please mind introducing yourself and telling us what state you're from, where you teach and the subjects that you teach?

>> Ola. I'm Alisa Cooper de Uribe and I am the 2021 New Mexico State Teacher of the Year. I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico and I teach here in Albuquerque at New Mexico International School which is a K through 8 language immersion school. So, I teach Spanish immersion first grade and I teach 80% in the target language of Spanish.

>> Wow. Thank you for all you do and thank you for being here. So, we're going to get started with our interview today. Would you mind sharing one practice, strategy, or concept that you will keep for the 2021-2022 School Year? And then if you have a practice strategy or concept that you will let go of, for this school year?

>> I would love to share those. In terms of what I would like to keep, I've noticed that right away something that works and I will keep doing it probably forever is singing as much as I can. If there is something that I need the kids to really hear me say or if there's something that we need to do that might be a little bit mundane, or if there's something that I really would like for them to latch onto in terms of language, I'm singing it. And so, it's something that kind of just came up naturally as somewhat of a strategy, somewhat of a practice. But if for example, I've got a student who's across the room who might not hear me because they're immersed in what they're doing, then I start singing their name and the word for whoever in Spanish. We say fulanito so I would be like, "Fulanito, aqui." And if we're cleaning up then it's, "Limpiar, limpiar." For kids who forget to write their name and the date on a piece of paper, I even now hear them starting to sing the song, "Esnombre, nombre y fecha." So, this practice, I'm choosing just a melody infused into our daily things, very quotidian things that we're doing. That's a practice that I will definitely hold on to because it's fun for me. It alleviates some of the anxiety that sometimes teachers feel in the moment when we realize that things might not be going the way that we think that they are. But if I give literal voice and some melody to some of the things that I would like for them to hear, it automatically just brings me down a little bit more to ground me, and then it engages the kids. And I have noticed that it also really helps them with their language learning. Since most of them are learning in their second language, it gives them just something else cognitively to make those connections with the language. So, they start to sing but they also keep those words and assimilate them really deeply into their new language base. So, I'm going to keep singing.

>> I think you should. And that's great to hear that the students pick it up and start to do it themselves. That's pretty neat. Thank you for sharing that. How about something that you considered letting go of or that you already decided to let go of? Do you want to share a little bit about that?

>> Last year, when we were in different modalities of teaching, I had to be really intentional about my planning for the learning experiences of my students, especially given the limited stretches of time that we had together. And this year, because we have the luxury of being together again, I am letting go of a lot of that highly, highly structured planning for the learning experiences. And it's been really liberating to start letting go. And I am really happy to let go now that I've seen that my students when I ask them if there is anything that they would like to add to our learning experiences, any little shifts or tweaks or something that they would like to do to make it better for them, then we're rolling with it. And so, letting go of some of the really focused, intentional structure of our learning experiences, I'm letting go of that. And I've already seen that it has been so fun for all of us mutually. One of the things that we did last week was use junk that we had accumulated in the classroom, cardboard boxes, broken phone extensions, things like that. And I said, "Well, we're going to build a house of our dreams that meets our needs," because we had been studying that. And they took it to the next level as soon as one student -- I said, "What else could we do?" And he said, "Well, I think that we could turn this actually into a full community and we can use the carpet as a grid for designing the community with the roads." And then the kids started asking about how to space the distance between the houses and one decided, "Well, we're going to have trains," and another an airport. And so, they ended up expanding this not just to homes but to a community that would still meet their needs. And they together made the learning experience so much more than I had even intended in my structured planning. And so, letting go of this control that I have over what we're going to do with the learning experience because we do have some more flexibility of time. And just the in-person dynamic, I'm letting go of some of that structure and letting them run with it with their own ideas.

>> That is such a great story. I'm so happy you shared that and that you got to actually see it play out that way. And just like how students can expand their thinking if they're -- you know, if they have the flexibility and freedom to do so. That's a great story. Thanks for sharing that. Is there anything else that you wanted to share with us today or anything that sticks out particularly [inaudible], feel free to just add it if you want. If not --

>> It's justbeen such a pleasure to be able to interact with students who have spent one of their most formative years in education in such a different context and to receive them into first grade, and to see where students could be at after living through such an interesting time. And to see that while some of the things that they bring to the table are different than the cohorts of first graders I have had for the past 10 years, that especially this year, they are still bringing this magical view of the world and their innocence and their excitement about learning and their joy about being together and learning to interact with each other. That there are a lot of things that are the same in what I see with students this age. But there's something that's just especially sweet about having the opportunity to be with them again in the classroom and to see that they're using what they learned last year to make this year a really good one. And so, the magic is back. Even though it was there last year too, it's definitely a treat to be able to be with the kids again in the classroom.

>> Awesome. Well, thank you for sharing and thanks for all you do, Alisa. Those are great things to keep in mind. So thank you for taking the time today. We really appreciate it and we are excited to share these out.

>> Thank you, Jasmine. This was fun.

>>Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year Podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag, #ntoy21. That's hashtag N-T-O-Y-2-1. Let's keep the conversation going.