TikTok Bravery: Do Something Every Day That Scares You

     "This is why adults should not be learning TikTok dances."

      I pretended not to hear my son's words as I forged a path in the world of  TikTok dancing recently for this year's Mr. AHS competition. Yet, every time I worked on my dance moves, I could hear his little voice in my head. If anything, I was going to be an embarrassment to my ten year-old,who rolled his eyes every time I practiced in my kitchen. His words made me recognize my fear of showcasing my lack of dance moves in a crowd of close to 700 people.

     I'd like to say I do something every day that scares me, but that's not quite the truth.  I'm going to be honest and tell you that I don't often live by this mantra; I'm not usually that adventurous or brave. Courage often falls flat on its face as I tend to choose the path of least resistance. I wallow in comfort instead of risk. It's often hard for me to step outside of my comfort zone, as I fear people will laugh at me or criticize me. I'll admit it: I know I shouldn't, but I fear what other people think sometimes.

     As an introvert, I tend to observe instead of exist in the middle of the circle. I loathe the spotlight and don't even like recognition if it happens to come my way. So when it was suggested that the sponsors of the Junior Class dance in the Mr. AHS competition, I was adamant this was a bad idea. How would someone who dreads being the center of attention dance in front of 700 people? I learned the dance in about four days, watching two of my students on repeat in a video on my phone. My screen time went up 30% this week. I blame the fifteen-second TikTok dance I must have watched at least 100 times. I even took time in class to give a preview of my best move--the shoot. Students laughed, one attempted to fix my botched attempt with no success. Other students told me to loosen up. Some said I was a good dancer (I'm not sure what they consider good dancing). But the common thread through all of it was laughter. I realized as I was doing this that I was bringing joy to my students. They were comfortable enough to laugh with me or tell me I was doing it all wrong. It's okay that they were laughing at me; it's okay they thought I was a bad dancer. The level of happiness in that classroom was all that mattered.

     I did dance on Saturday night to a crowd of 700 people. I did it for the students. I've been sent many videos of the performance and several photos.

 I've come to the conclusion that my son was right: Adults should not be learning TikTok dances.

      It was not pretty and far from perfect. Every time I watch the video, I feel like I don't recognize the old lady whose nae nae looks like she's waving goodbye and whose shoot looks like she's punching the lights out of someone or something. But I'm there right in the middle of the stage dancing--my way. It was one of the bravest things I've done as a teacher. Minutes before that dance I froze in my shoes. And while I will not seek opportunities in the spotlight any time soon, what this taught me was the meaning of having courage, of facing my fears, of stepping out of my comfort zone every now and then, of being brave.

Brave is experiencing that fear and deciding something or someone else is more important.

Brave is doing something you're scared to do with a smile on your face.

Brave is admitting when you did something wrong.

Brave is sticking up for that one person in the class who may need a little extra encouragement.

Brave is sometimes going against the grain because you know what you believe in is right.

Brave is hard. It's complicated. But it's also beautiful and forever makes you a better person.

     My dancing may be a simple example; I'm no soldier fighting a war; I'm not putting out any fires; my bravery consists in other forms--helping the student with emotional battles, raising three kids in a world where technology is like quicksand--continuously holding their minds captive. Brave is teaching teenagers every day. Yes, you are pretty unpredictable and funny and sometimes hard to reach. You've taught me how to think quickly on my feet, approach life with humor, and even how to have patience when you don't turn in your work on time or somehow manage to show up to class without a pencil. Yet you also are the ones who have shown me the most about what it means to be brave:

Take for example, Kendall Jaskinski. This past month Kendall told her story about mental health to CBS 6 while two of my students, Ruthie Weeks and Will Gordon, stood in front of the camera reporting on the story for everyone to see. That's bravery at its best.

Brave are the eighteen boys I've recently supervised in Mr. AHS sing and dance and perform on stage, making it look easy.

Brave is the student who stopped me to ask how I was doing because she knew I was struggling today.

Brave were my dual enrollment students who recently spoke about problems in our world and their solutions. With topics from bullying to Snapchat to mental health, they told their stories with honesty and integrity and poise.

Brave were my eleventh grade English students who recently tackled the problem of racism by making public service announcements on the topic and sharing them with students at the communications specialty center at Varina High School.

Screenshots from some of my students' PSAs

Brave are my senior TOK students who entered the month of January ready for their final assessments in theory of knowledge, knowing they are hard but not letting that be what that holds them back.

     You see, I've learned more about bravery, about courage, about strength from the seventeen and eighteen year-olds with whom I spend most of my day. I wouldn't have been able to get on that stage this past weekend in front of 700 people without my students holding me up. So thanks to the boys who gave me high fives right before the music played. Thanks to the dance choreographers who were forever encouraging and who I think modified some of the  moves when they realized I just wasn't going to get the real ones. Thanks to the student who corrected what I thought was my "best" move. You kept me grounded, reminding me that adults probably shouldn't do TikTok dances.

     Even my son Jack acquired a newfound faith in me before I made my dancing debut. He wrapped his arms around me before I left and said, "You'll be great, mom! You can do it!" That is a rare moment from my ten year old, so I'll take it.

     This month  I encourage you to do something that puts you a little out of your comfort zone. Do something that scares you. Take chances. Not everything you do will be easy but everything is possible.

     As I've most recently learned, adults should not be doing TikTok dances, but I'm grateful this adult knows she can.

Hindsight is 2019: My Word to Live By in 2020

     When I was sixteen years old, a boy I liked asked me to go for a walk around the neighborhood one evening. I told him, "No," making the excuse that it was a school night and that I had too much homework to do. I know what you're thinking: Why would I decline a "date"--albeit a walk--with a boy I liked? Forty-four-year-old me still wonders the same thing. But at the time, I was scared of the unknown. I was shy and didn't possibly think anything could ever result from a walk around the block. I didn't know what I would talk about and my insecurities raged, as I feared I would end that walk with that boy not liking me. I was right; shortly after I declined that walk, he lost interest in me. While I love the life I currently am living, I sometimes think about what would have happened had I embraced my fears and went on that walk. Yet, hindsight is often 20/20.
 
     There are so many moments in my life that I wish I had embraced differently. More recently this summer, I wrote a letter to several publishers of educational books for an idea of a book I want to write. I've had this idea mapped out in my head for years and finally mustered up enough courage to explain it to various publishers. The thing is, I never mailed the letters. They still rest on my desk at home, fearing rejection, obsessing over the idea that no one could possibly want to read a book written by me. After all, I'm just a public school teacher; what kind of impact could my words have?

     I've been thinking a lot about how so many people--myself especially--fail to embrace situations that cause uncertainty. We neglect to embrace the imperfections, the new ideas, the acts of kindness. Maybe it's due to insecurities or the fact that there's not enough time in the day or even that we think it won't make an impact.  Yet, I'm not so sure why or what we are afraid of in not embracing moments in our lives. Each year, I choose a word as a goal for the new year. It's a word that anchors me through all aspects of life for that year.  This year, I can't stop thinking about the word embrace. It's a simple word, really, that comes with a physical connection at times as well as a positive mental attitude at others.When I went to college at the University of Richmond, I was forced to embrace the idea of fried okra, barbeque, and southern accents along with meeting new people (which was not a small feat for a shy introvert like myself). As a teacher, I've learned that more often than not, my students need an embrace to help them with what they are going through and that sometimes a high five or fist bump or a kind word is just not enough. I even possess a t-shirt thanks to UVA basketball that reads "Embrace the Pace," and love the hugs that I seem to receive every time I'm wearing it.

     Yes, I've thought a lot about this word embrace and feel like it's not only what the world needs more of but what I need more of. What if everyone embraced their present situation--no matter how dismal or dark? What if people embraced one another instead of fighting? What if we embraced a new way to do something--a new idea? What change could we make?

    I've been thinking a lot about this word embrace in my own classroom. In IB English, we began conversations on racism and how it exists in today's world. I know the conversations were not easy and caused some dissension in my classroom. Yet I also know if we don't talk about the problems of our world, how can we change them? If we don't embrace the ideas of others, how can we come to a common understanding? Talking about racism and how it exists in the twenty-first century is one of the bravest and most courageous decisions I have made in my teaching. I'm not talking about discussing the Civil Rights Movement or how racism exists in books like To Kill a Mockingbird. I'm talking about racism that sadly exists in the walls of today's society--in the cafeteria, in the locker room, in the hallways. It's a hard conversation, but it's one I will continue to embrace because it's that important. Thank you, juniors, for the powerful PSAs that resulted from our conversations on racism. Let's continue to embrace the idea of talking deeply and intimately about global issues of significance.

         I've also had the opportunity over twenty-one years in the classroom to recognize that classroom teaching goes far beyond what's in a textbook. A few years ago, I noticed the need for more kindness in my classroom and decided to stop teaching for the day to address the problem. As a teacher, it was one of the most unconventional classroom decisions I've made. I know that it might not seem like much, but taking time to do that one simple kindness activity changed the way I understand my role as an educator. This past month, I watched as my Theory of Knowledge students raised money, shopped for, wrapped, and delivered 66 presents for the students at Henry Clay Elementary School in the Head Start Pre-K program. It was a powerful testament of kindness, and I'm grateful for every one of my students who embraced the opportunity--who maybe were not around children much and suddenly had a young child in their lap--who maybe never knew how to wrap a present (there was even a few of you who you tubed that!)--who realized the power and the impact they could make.

     In all of my classes, I've also had the opportunity to watch you compliment each other in our first ever compliment tournament. In many classes, I witnessed surprise victories and the power a kind word can have. I know it took courage to say those words publicly, and I also want you to know how much I appreciate you embracing the idea.

     And so, this month, I encourage you to think about the word embrace. Maybe it's to embrace going to a college that you didn't think you'd attend. Maybe it's to embrace your friends and everything Atlee has to offer in your final semester at Atlee as seniors instead of wishing the time away. Maybe it's to continue to make strides at breaking down barriers as we continue to listen to one another in classroom discussions.

     For me, here's what the word embrace means in the new year. I will embrace new ideas and situations I'm not sure of. That means trying something new in my classroom because I know it will benefit you. It means reaching out to that person I know needs my help even though I'm unsure of his/her reaction. It means continuing to practice true acts of kindness.  It means to really send those letters to those publishers. My goal as I enter 2020 is to embrace who I am and all of my imperfections. My goal is to embrace situations I would typically shy away from, to make no apologies. My goal is to make an impact--today--so that hindsight is no longer 20/20 but something of 2019.

   It takes light 4 years to reach the Earth from Sirius, a neighboring star. I'm not sure what made me research that fact this month, but it's fascinating that the light we see takes so long to make an impact on us. It made me think of all of the missed opportunities in life that sometimes force us to not make an impact or that take longer than they should for us to see. What if we chose not to embrace situations for long amounts of time because we were afraid or lazy or unsure? What if we were so focused on our insecurities or complaints that we take too long to make an impact--to be the neighboring star that sheds a light on Earth? My goal at the start of 2020 is not to decline the walk but to be the light, to make the impact, to embrace the journey.

Life Doesn't Come With A Warning Label

     You might find this hard to believe, but the very first warning label on a product did not surface until 1938 when Congress passed a law mandating that food products have a list of ingredients on the label. Since then, warning labels have been put on substances like tobacco, music, movies, alcohol, toys, appliances, etc. It's funny to me that over the past eighty years, so many of the things in our lives exist with risks and restrictions, yet life as we know it comes without a warning label.  

     I had no idea, for example, that when I was little and talked back to my mom, the soap she put in my mouth would taste so bad.
     I had no warning that when I moved to a new neighborhood at age 13, I would struggle to fit in.
     I didn't know that the low test grade I received back in tenth-grade geometry would never matter when I was 24 or 34 or 44.
     I had no clue that college would be as life-changing as it was and how much I needed to be on my own to finish growing up.
     I didn't realize how difficult my first year of teaching would be and how after 21 years, it's still hard.

Life as we know it comes without a warning label.

     I never knew that when I got myself into a serious car accident at age 23, I would have to learn to walk again and that one singular moment would change my life perspective.
     I had no idea that my husband was flirting with me when we first met. Considering we met coaching high school debate, that one is understandable.
     Even though many did warn me that I'd hit a metaphorical wall when I was running my first marathon, I had no idea that mile 18 would give me that much trouble.
     I had no idea that being a parent was as challenging as it is and that all three of my kids would be completely different human beings even if I raised them the same way.

Life as we know it comes without a warning label.

     I had no idea that when my son was four years old, he would open all of his presents on Christmas morning (along with his sisters' presents) before the family got up. Had I known I would be rewrapping those presents that year, I would have invested in more wrapping paper or maybe left them unwrapped under the tree in the first place.
     I had no idea that my 20/20 vision would start to deteriorate when I got into my forties.
     Twenty years ago, no one told me that we would one day live in a world where we are plagued by technology, school shootings, and cyberbullying.

Life as we know it comes without a warning label.

     I had no idea that my students would truly change as writers over three months' time. This is the first year I am teaching Dual Enrollment. We have written A LOT. Yet, when I look at the progress you have made--when I look at your creativity in your most recent assignment of written and video reviews--I am encouraged that the goals I set for you can be achieved.

 I witnessed that same creativity when my IB English students made whiteboard videos of the iconic John Lennon song "Imagine." I had no idea that what resulted would be so incredibly powerful. I had no idea what you were truly capable of doing.

Life as we know it comes without a warning label.

     I wish I knew that it would be my students who saved the day when the internet went out a few weeks ago. That day my TOK math lesson was totally driven by my Google slides presentation on the internet and was way over my head if I was to try to replicate it.  So, I did what any teacher would have done. I listened to my students who suggested we do a compliment battle. What this consisted of was two students facing each other, saying nice things about each other in the form of a compliment. Even my class who likes to joke around from time to time got serious in doing this. We did get that math lesson in another day, but I wish I knew that sometimes the best lessons don't need the internet or innovative technology or even have to be academic. I wish I knew that my students are far more compassionate than I give them credit for.

Life as we know it comes without a warning label.

     Somehow we're not covered under any kind of warranty. There's no warning sign that says what's going to happen if we make the choices we do. I wish I could pass down all of the useful things I've learned in my forty-plus years of existence--like how struggle can be good and complaining never gets you anywhere. How important it is to keep a journal, exercise, and surround yourself with good people. How kindness often trumps intelligence in this world and that money can get you places but not everywhere. How your class rank isn't going to matter when you're older nor is the kind of jeans you wear or the type of car you drive. That selfies, Taco Bell, having a tan, and Starbucks are overrated and so are greed, hatred, and selfishness.

Yes, life as we know it comes without a warning label.

     Yet, perhaps that's part of the entire journey. If we knew how every minute detail would pan out, would we ever learn anything? Would we ever grow?

     While our lives come without warning labels, for what it's worth, allow me to give you fair warning: Life is hard--sometimes so hard that we have to put on the hard hat and face the unknown, the challenging, the complicated. Sometimes we just need to laugh. Sometimes we need to shake our heads and move on. Sometimes we are given the opportunity to celebrate.  So when life at times seems unbearable, messy, ridiculous, awesome, inspiring, or unbelievable...

Let it.

Perfect Imperfection

   For a long time, I sought perfection in everything I did even though I realize I am far from that ideal. Anyone who enters my house can see the art of imperfection. My kids do fight, my husband and I don't always see eye to eye, our computer's printer never seems to have ink, and I botch up a meal or two from time to time.

      So often I feel like we put on a mask to hide these imperfections. Social media perpetuates this, as our selfies become windows into the perfect lives we want others to believe we live. Okay, maybe my selfies aren't quite so perfect (Seniors, I promise I did pay attention when you gave me my lesson in taking them, but the struggle is real). Regardless, so many of us strive for perfection, including me.

     I remember when I was in high school learning to drive. I wanted to do everything perfectly. The first time my mom took me driving, we drove to Cedar Creek Park on a blistery, windy day. She encouraged me to push on the gas and brake pedals gently, treating them like an egg, so we drove around the empty parking lot, starting and stopping "the egg." Somewhere when we switched roles as passenger and driver and I got back into the passenger seat, I lost my permit. Back in 1992 when I learned to drive, you received a paper permit. That first day I got behind the wheel, I had proudly put the permit on the car's dashboard. As my mom and I exchanged seats, I was unaware that the wind blew the permit out the window. In fact, I didn't realize I had lost that permit until I got home, looked at the empty dashboard, and admitted what happened to my mom. "You can't even keep track of your own permit; how are you going to be responsible to drive?" my mother angrily questioned. I wanted her to remember the egg--how I treated that brake and gas pedal like an egg, just like she suggested. But she was right. It was at this moment that I wallowed in my imperfection. I just wanted to do everything right when it came to driving, but I couldn't even hold onto the piece of paper that allowed me to do so.

   While that moment behind the wheel is just one example, my desire for perfection trickles into everything I do.  So often, I sit at my laptop, planning a lesson that I know isn't quite right. I sit there, trying to figure out exactly how to present the material in a way that will captivate your attention.  And then when I present that lesson--one that I think is pretty perfect--and you don't think it is, I'm hard on myself. Yes, I'm hard on myself in those moments when I fail. This past week was no different.

     You see, I failed you, my students, last week.

      After the recent tragedy at Atlee, I wanted to be strong for all of you. I knew what I needed to do as I entered my classroom and there were students in there already waiting to talk and process and grieve. I watched my first block crumble as the announcements sounded over the PA that morning. I watched as one student who usually has a smile on his face and a quick-witted comment put his head down on the desk. I watched as students started to cry and others were silenced, unable to process any of it. And while I hugged those students and tried to talk to them, I cried. I cried as I held writing conferences with my students. I cried while attempting some kind of normalcy in that room. I cried as individual students sought me out to talk throughout the day. I cried when I tried to tell every single class I had two simple words: you matter. I don't remember how those words came out, but I remember your faces when I tried to tell you how important you are to me. As a teacher, I know I was supposed to be a pillar of strength for you, but I was not.

     I failed you, my students, last week, and I left school being hard on myself for doing so.

     Something happened afterward, though, that changed everything. I received a message on Remind from a student who told me how much he appreciated how I handled things today. Another student stopped me after class to thank me for being "real" with them. And as I stepped into my classroom last Friday morning, there were many of my students writing positive messages on my whiteboard tables:

      You are a star.
      You are worth it all.
      Be kind to others and yourself.
      You will always be enough.
      You matter.



There were those words again--you matter. I cried as I watched you write all of those messages, and I guess through all of this, I want to remind you in case you didn't hear it the first time I said it: you matter. For so long in my teaching career, I neglected to tell my students this. I distanced myself for no particular reason at all except maybe for the fact that it doesn't allow me to teach my planned lesson and may put me in a vulnerable position to tell a teenager this. What if it doesn't come off as sincere? What if they don't believe I'm being real? Those were the insecurities--the imperfections--I thought about as I neglected to tell my students how important they are in many of the years I've spent in the classroom. I may have shown them this through my actions, but the words never uttered my mouth. I recently ran into a former student I taught when I was in my twenties.  I believed I truly understood and connected with the teenagers I taught back then. He told me he had been going through a lot in my tenth-grade class, and that the class really helped him. I had no idea that he was going through anything, not because I didn't care but because I didn't take the time to notice; I didn't take the time to make sure I told him he mattered. Instead, I wanted my lesson to be perfect. I wanted to get done exactly what I had planned that day and stopping for anything would make it far from perfect. How wrong I was. I realize that now; I wish I realized it then.

      So, I tell you today two simple words: you matter.  I may not have been a pillar of strength for you. I may not have taught a perfect lesson that day or many other days this year, and for certain, I cannot for the life of me take a perfect selfie. But you matter. You always have and always will to me. I make mistakes all of the time. I grapple with this idea of perfection, but what I've thought about this week in my attempt to be perfect is that the moments of imperfection actually are the moments that are lifechanging. So if you happen to be like me, stop trying to achieve perfection. Stop putting up walls. Be as real as you possibly can. This week I learned that giving you "Kelly Pace 2.0"--the real Kelly Pace--is far more effective than trying to be the perfect model of strength. My photograph is unfiltered, displaying vulnerabilities, imperfections, and a true slice of reality.

It's a photo I'd like to call perfect imperfection.

      It's a photo that includes you, my Dual Enrollment class, as you continue to improve your writing on a daily basis and challenge me to write your assignments with the most difficult of topics. (I consider my most recent topic you assigned me to review TikTok as the greatest of these challenges).

My photo includes you, my Theory of Knowledge students, walking around the VMFA in your berets, engaged in the art after studying our art unit and embracing the countless service projects I put before you.

photo credit: Connor Ryan

Photo credit: Connor Ryan

My photo includes you, my IB English 11 students, who have had the courage to write about real-life moments in personal narratives about IB global issues, who have re-imagined John Lennon's "Imagine," and who have allowed me to play far more Beatles songs than I should be allowed to play in one class.
 


My photo includes you, the tutors in the Raider Writing Center, who have tutored over 160 sessions this nine weeks.

And my photo includes you, all of my former students, who I never forget and who I am so proud to have taught.

       I'm far from perfect. I may fail more often than not even though I often want to put on that mask to present a life of perfection. From that moment my permit blew off the dashboard, I learned not every situation is going to present itself the way I want it to. From that moment where I attempted the perfect lesson, I learned that sometimes, it's more important to pay attention to my students. From that moment when I failed you this year as I was not a pillar of strength you probably needed, I learned what's necessary--that showing the real Kelly Pace 2.0, owning my failures, and living in a world of imperfection is a pretty perfect way to live.

You Never Have to Wear the Cape All By Yourself

     "You don't have to wear the cape all by yourself."

     I was listening to a spoken word poem entitled "If I Should Have a Daughter" by Sarah Kay with my Dual Enrollment class when that line paralyzed me, ultimately allowing me to release a little bit of the stress I had piled onto my proverbial plate. I had heard Kay's poem many times before and used it as a writing warm-up in several classes I've taught, but I never noticed that line until that moment last week. It was then that everything became clear right there in the middle of my class as I sat writing with my students:

I don't have to be everything for everyone. I can share the cape.

     Should I tell my class about my realization that I was hoping would wipe away much of the stress I was perpetually lugging around? Should I admit that I had this huge epiphany right there in the middle of class? I stopped writing, wondering these things, but I decided to keep it to myself, allowing the idea of sharing my cape to marinade a little. Recently, it had felt as if people were constantly standing on my cape every time I stepped out to fly. Obstacles kept getting in my way; time was never in my favor--there just wasn't enough of it. Sometimes I think in life we feel like we have to be superheroes. Or maybe it's just me who is the foolish, unrealistic one. Regardless, this one moment has changed much of my thinking recently. 

      I've been working more and more on not wearing the cape all by myself--not feeling like I have to be everything for everyone. It hasn't been easy, but it's made me feel far more human. I had been letting the stress of life get in the way recently. It always happens around the month of September when I begin to tuck away summer memories into their box and begin helping students with their college essays, writing recommendation letters (I have 40 to write this year), learning students' names, teaching new courses. So when I had this epiphany in the middle of class, it was a freeing feeling to know that I can't get everyone into college myself (even though I would love to tell the college admissions office just how amazing my seniors are). I can't raise my children by myself. Thankfully, their teachers, their friends, my friends, my family are all shaping them into who they are. I don't have to wear the cape by myself.

      When I first started teaching, collaborative learning wasn't a routine practice. Students sat in rows all facing the same way and the teacher drove the content and knowledge of the lesson.  I remember attending a conference as a new teacher with my principal on this idea of collaborative learning. After the conference, I started to implement the ideas I learned. Students were suddenly in groups, looking at each other, learning from each other. My classroom was noisy and a little chaotic (well, very chaotic),  but there was far more learning going on than there was before. I was no longer the sole source of knowledge; I learned from and with my students. I remember veteran teachers asking me what I did all class while my students collaborated with one another. I never was sure how to answer that question, but deep down, I knew what I was doing. I was building a learning community. I was sharing my cape. 

     This idea of community is something I have been thinking about a lot recently. In Dual Enrollment, we have become a community of writers. I have been writing with you and sharing my own flaws in the writing process. You've shared your writing with others in our class and finally are starting to feel comfortable critiquing mine. It's one of the most vulnerable things to do--sharing what you write. Yet, you've embraced this and shared the cape in our community. You even gave me some lessons on taking a selfie.

     In IB English, I relinquished the reins as a teacher for two days as you taught the class about Elie Wiesel's Night and Clementine Wamariya's The Girl Who Smiled Beads. You engaged the class in ways I never would have thought to do (ice cream, author royale, an egg hunt, a bead scavenger hunt, etc). I gave you a chance to wear the cape, and you flew.

 

  

    TOK has also given me a chance to reflect on this idea of not wearing the cape by myself. Having been in class last year, I feel like you are especially comfortable as a community. I didn't really have to build one. There's something special as a teacher when you get to have the same students back again in your classroom. What I've noticed most about you is your willingness to question and not accept everything for face value. In doing so, we've learned from each other. We've embraced those who have different opinions; we've debated the arts in a way I never thought could happen. We've discussed an area of knowledge that is so subjective yet somehow we've made sense of it together-- as a community. We are better together, not standing on the cape but sharing it.

     My goal for you this month is to let others in your life share the cape you are wearing. Forget about those who seem to be standing on your cape, preventing you from flying in the direction you want to go. There will always be obstacles in your life, people who suffocate you or situations that stress you out. Stop letting the daily stresses of your lives overcome you. Do the best that you can with what you have. Communicate with your teachers and peers when school gets stressful. Take time for yourself.  I see the stress on a regular basis. I see it in your tired eyes, as you walk into my classroom on any given Friday, yearning for the break that is coming in the form of a weekend. I saw it on my own face as I looked in the mirror and thought about how I possibly was going to get everything done that I needed to do. Know you don't have to do this by yourself.  Seek out the help of your community. You'll never fly without others. As your teacher, I will help you soar just as you continue to help me to fly. 

After all, you never have to wear the cape all by yourself. 

When You're Here, You're Family: An Open Letter to This Year's Students

    This summer, when I looked through the rearview mirror of my car as we headed to the Outer Banks, I couldn't help but smile at the laughter coming from the back seat. I no longer remember what my kids were laughing about, but I do remember the sounds and sights--Katie's laugh was high pitched and incessant, Jack's head was tilted back, and Maggie rolled her eyes but still erupted in peals of decadent laughter. In less than fifteen minutes, though, the three were arguing, elbowing each other for car space, control of the radio, etc. They know how to push each other's buttons and know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and they know how to use such things to their advantage. As I thought about the 360-degree turn this moment took, I couldn't help but realize how this journey in the car with my three kids was a metaphor for what I want my classroom to be. All of the inside jokes, elbowing, understanding of one another's strengths and weaknesses, are important to me as we, as a class, become a family.

     I've been thinking a lot about the kind of classroom I continually want to build over the years. I've changed as an educator in the 21 years I've been in the classroom, but two things have remained constant--my love for teaching and my desire to see every student succeed. In order to do that, the most important thing I can do as a teacher is get to know you. Over the years, I've learned so much about getting to know my students, but one example from my daughter's third-grade teacher stands out in my mind as a moment that made me question the way I build relationships in my own classroom.

     Back in August of 2015, my daughter Katie walked into her third grade classroom for the first time. She had a teacher we knew well, as my older daughter Maggie had her two years prior. She was what I call a "no nonsense" teacher--she had high expectations of her students and held them to those expectations. She taught the same concept three different ways so that every learner in that classroom could experience mastery. In her classroom, students learned how to advocate for themselves; they became eloquent public speakers and learned how to study. This teacher was tough but by the end of the year when she gave each child in her class a video of photos set to music from the entire year, I could see that one thing was evident--they had become a family.

     So when Katie walked into her third-grade classroom four years ago, I had as people of your generation would say, "all the feels."  I was excited for what was ahead. The teacher looked at Katie and said, "Someone told me last year that your feet don't touch the floor when you sit down. Is that true?" Katie nodded shyly. "I went ahead and got you a smaller desk," the teacher told Katie. "You can't learn if your feet can't touch the floor." Katie smiled from ear to ear. That small gesture was just what she needed to make her comfortable in that third-grade classroom. That small gesture brought her success and a love of school--all because the teacher knew who she was.

     This year when my son Jack met his fifth-grade teacher, she got down on the ground eye level shook his hand and introduced herself by first and last name, talking to him like an adult. Jack is the kid who will look you in the eye and reason with you. He's always wanted to know why things work the way they do. He doesn't like to be spoken to like a child despite his short ten-year tenure on this earth. Somehow this teacher knew exactly what Jack needed because she learned a little bit about him.

     Like these two teachers, I desire to be the teacher who gives you what you need, who learns who you are. I want to know what kind of rap music you like or if you hate the novel we are reading. It's important to know if you play lacrosse or if you are stuck in the middle of a large family or if you are a rules follower. And I'll allow you to learn a lot about me as well. You'll soon find out that I am a Beatles fan, but they are not the only band who makes the hairs on my arms stand up when I hear their music. I like unsweet tea, dark chocolate, and am a decent Italian cook but much better at baking. In my eyes, there is nothing more powerful than a handwritten note or a good book or a smile. Most of the ideas for my lessons are done on my daily 5:20 a.m. runs (Yes, you read that right; I get up that early). I try to champion kindness on a daily basis and adore teaching. One day, I want to write a book.

     This school year, I want to give you, my students what you need, to make you feel so comfortable in my classroom that it feels like home, to create an atmosphere where everyone feels like family. I want you to feel comfortable enough to laugh or joke around but I also want you to see the serious side of our learning.  Like the journey on my family's vacation that I witnessed from my rearview mirror, I want you to feel like family.

      So how do we get to this place? Here's what I believe we need to do:

1. Don't worry about the friends you have in this class. We become so comfortable hanging around the same people, so I encourage you to attempt to meet new people. Talk to someone you never have spoken to before this year. You might have more in common than you think.

2. Work together. I teach by often having you collaborate with one another. It develops leadership skills and allows you not to exist in a vacuum. More often than not in life, you will have to work with others rather than promote your solo career.

3. Be yourself. Never, ever in life try to be someone you're not. Don't give in to others. That's the beauty of a family; they see you at your best and your worst and love you anyway. Know in Room 211, you can and should only be yourself.

4. Work hard. No strong family relationships exist without hard work. Put that kind of effort into everything you do.

5. Don't be afraid of differences. There will be moments in this class where you disagree with what someone else is saying. It's okay to elbow one another (metaphorically speaking). Learn to disagree but to respect the other side.

6. Choose kind. I constantly am reminding my own kids of this idea. I promise to teach you about writing and literary analysis and critical thinking, but I also want to promote the idea of kindness. It's what I believe can truly change the world in which we live.

     About fifteen years ago the Olive Garden launched an advertising campaign with the slogan, "When you're here, you're family." I always have loved that idea of having a place where any time you entered, you felt like family. I'm hoping Room 211 can be that place for you. I'm hoping that once I know you, I can keep your feet on the ground as you learn and look you in the eye to give you what you need. 

     Welcome home to Room 211! From the rearview mirror, I'm excited to watch what's ahead!

A Comforter, Shampoo Bottles, and Fear: What I Took to College

 I wrote this blog three years ago, when my first group of IB TOK seniors headed off to college. I have continued to share it each year because the sentiment still remains the same. Today's blog is dedicated to anyone headed off to college this month--especially my former students from the Class of 2019 who I am going to miss when I head back to Room 211 in a few weeks. Know I am proud of you! I will always  be proud! 

     I remember the car was filled to the brim when I went away to college. My dad is good at so many things, and I am sure from the looks of the picture below that my dad's "packing system" was unparalleled to none. I don't really remember how that empty car suddenly transformed into 18 years of life packed into one place, or where my brother, sister, and I sat. Yet, somehow we packed everything in and found a way for the five of us to get to Richmond. .

August 1993

My Dad and I right before I left for college

I felt like we had all of Costco in our van. We were never members of the megastore conglomorate, but weeks before I headed off to college, my mom took me there as her friend's guest to shop for "the essentials." Quite honestly, I felt like I was taking more to college than I would ever need. What I needed was courage. I needed friends. I needed grit and determination. I needed self-confidence.I needed to know how to balance a checkbook and make a long distance phone call (real struggles in the world before on-line banking and cell phones). Yet, as we made our way down the driveway, headed seven hours south to the University of Richmond, I went with none of those things in tow...Only a comforter, sheets, and shampoo bottles that would last me all four years of college if you want my honest opinion.

    I knew no one at the University of Richmond. Displaced from the North, I suddenly found myself among southern accents and barbecue that was vastly different from the way my family used the word. The cafeteria's inclination to fry everything (including things like okra--a vegetable I had never heard of before coming to Richmond) was unsettling. So was the idea that I was on my own. You see, when I think back on it, I'm not sure I was ready to be independent. I loved spending time with my family; I was a homebody.  I was close to my teachers; some even attended my graduation party. Everything in college was big and new and so vastly different than the world from which I came. When I said goodbye to my family, I didn't want to look back. I knew I couldn't turn around just to see them get smaller and smaller down the road until the now empty mini van disappeared in the distance. I didn't want that to be the last image of them in my head until I saw them again over Fall Break. So, I walked straight ahead into my dorm without looking back. I went to my room and turned on the radio. To give you perspective on how far technology has come, my radio was one of those giant boom boxes. Picture John Cusack in the movie Say Anything (Please tell me you've seen that 80's flick) when he plays Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" below the love of his life's window with the giant boombox suspended in the air over his head. That's the kind of boombox I had in college.

The first song I heard on the radio was an R&B song called "Ooh Child." The lyrics blared from the boom box:"Ooh child, things are gonna get easier. Ooh child, things will get brighter." I started to cry. For those of you who witnessed my goodbyes at graduation, you know I don't have an easy time. This experience was no different.

      When I think about it, the biggest thing I brought to college along with my comforter and shampoo bottles was fear...fear of not making friends, of not fitting in, of classes being too hard, of not connecting with professors, of missing home, of getting lost on campus, of not feeling like myself, of dropping my tray in the dining hall (I never did that, but I did spill scalding hot chocolate all over my lap once and screamed so loudly the entire football team stopped eating to look my way). I left high school with feelings of pride swirled with hope, dreams, and passion. I was the kid who was friends with everyone in high school. I had the respect of my teachers. I could walk down the hallway and know I belonged. But amidst the comforter and bulk shampoo, I brought fear--packed into my suitcase so that you had to sit on top of it to close it. Fear wedged its way out slowly, though, creeping in all aspects of my initial college life. This summer I stumbled upon a box of old memories, including my college ID. This photograph was taken during freshman orientation. I look at it and see the fear in my eyes. You may not see it, but I know it's there, accompanying my more youthful face.

The main thing I was afraid of? I was afraid to fail. Who was going to be there to catch me if I did? Who would show me how to brush it off or tell me to keep going despite the mistake? All of my life, I lived in this padded room. Yes, I made plenty of mistakes, but for every mistake, I had a cushioned landing. Someone was there to protect me, defend me, forgive me. What if college wasn't like that now that I was on my own?

      I wish I knew not to be so hard on myself when I entered college. I wish I knew not to put unnecessary pressures on myself, not to be afraid to fail. And I wish I had a teacher tell me it's okay to fail when I was eighteen years old. Trust me, I would have listened. All of my failures have made me stronger. All of my failures have made me who I am today. Bottom line: If there's one thing I could tell you before you head to college, it's this. It's okay to fail. You will do it more times than you will want to admit, but I can promise you every time it will make you stronger and better.

     So, own your failures. Don't make excuses. There might not be anyone to catch you when you fall this time; you've got to figure out that for yourself. Yet there comes a time in your life where you don't need that cushion; you don't need that padded room to allow your failures to fall upon. Now is that time to continue to stand up after you fall.  In college, you will grow and change and work hard and study and stay up late (okay, I think you already do that) and meet new people. High school will start to feel like a million miles away some days. There's no more tardy table and dress code and set lunch times and classes from 8:30 until 3:30. Make good choices and take responsibility for your actions. And know more than anything, you have so much to offer the world. Know that new experiences help you grow. New experiences help you acquire courage and demonstrate grit. New experiences help you learn how to balance your checkbook.

    After writing all of this, I realized that maybe my words are wasted. After all, I taught some of the most bright and confident young people I know who probably don't have the fears and insecurities at 18 that I had. So here's the final thing I want to tell you that might apply. If you listen to anything I've written in this blog, this is what I want you to know: I need you to know that you matter. You will always matter to me. As a teacher, I never stop thinking about my students--where they are, what they're doing, who they're becoming. So as you pack your car and drive away from your homes, remember to leave your fears behind. Bring your confidence and your desire to make a difference and your oversized shampoo bottles. Hug your family. Call your parents. Let your former English/TOK teacher know how you're doing every so often. Spread your wings. Soar high. Remember I will always be proud, so very proud that you were my students, that I was your teacher.