Week 4: Midterm Reflection

 I love being able to use my creativity and dressing up, so this assignment felt like it was made for me. 

Organization is also a love of mine (can it be considered a hobby? I do make a lot of lists…) so I created an outline to brainstorm how best to respond. For each role, I thought about possible concerns and then looked through my resources from this class to match the concerns with sources that would address them. There was also the problem-solving aspect of how to best film. In the end, I chose to use Zoom to film because of its virtual backgrounds and video filters. I then edited the video with WeVideo to cut out all of the extra material where I was transitioning between each role. It was interesting to put myself in other people’s shoes for the purpose of this assignment to attempt to see how those in different roles would have varying opinions. 

It was difficult to be authentic with the concerns coming from the parent, administrator, and teacher. I did not want to brush off valid concerns by looking only at the surface value problems. As a teacher, I am so often focused on what my actions will mean for my students that this provided me an opportunity to expand my empathy. I am especially glad that I was required to put myself in the shoes of a parent. Too often, parents are left out of the conversation and they really shouldn’t be. 

Surprisingly, videoing myself was not awkward or uncomfortable. Spending this entire school year seeing myself on Zoom while I have been teaching my students has helped with the uneasiness that comes with seeing and hearing myself on camera.

Here’s the video:

Week 3: My Leadership Traits

Watch the video below for my Leadership Traits Questionnaire results and connections to my Leadership Action Plan.

Week 2: So Many Tools, So Little Time

 Communication may be the most important aspect of education. It is what allows us to share with our students, learn from them, connect with parents, and collaborate with our peers. I have found that I employ different types of communication for different groups.

With my students, I use lots of visuals. This year, my district started using Schoology as a Learning Management System and it has an Announcement tool. Though you can type in word-only announcements, I like to make graphics with my Bitmoji and checklists. I use Google Drawings and the Bitmoji Chrome extension to quickly create my images. In the Multimedia Writing & Design Support page of Brandman’s website, Canva, Lucidchart, and Piktochart are given as websites to create graphics. I have used Canva before and also shared it with my students because it is a great tool for creating clean graphics. The reason I tend to use Google Drawings instead is because it gives me more freedom and is quicker to use.

Below I have included one of my most recent announcement graphics:

A tool that I have recently started using for communication purposes is WeVideo. My school bought a subscription this year which allows the recording and editing of videos. At the beginning of the pandemic, I started using tools such as Screencastify to make screencasts for my students. I have switched to using WeVideo because the editing tools allow me to do more to communicate better with my students.

My preferred method of contacting parents is through email or other messaging platforms such as ClassDojo or Remind. This allows me to think about how best to communicate and also has the added benefit of being able to include links, pictures, and even videos to explain things. For example, I have sent many emails this year to parents with screenshots showing how to view their students’ assignments. My introverted nature means that I would rather use text forms of communication than calling parents because it gives me ample time to decide how best to respond.

I use many methods of communication with my colleagues depending on the situation. I like to talk in person with my department because it allows us to bounce ideas off of each other. Sometimes I will text my peers when I have a quick question or something short to say. If I have to communicate a more lengthy or complicated idea, I turn to email.

One tool I have not used is Prezi. I am hesitant to use Prezi because it feels too busy. I enjoy art and graphic design and know that there must be a balance between form and function. I like to make my Google Slides interesting, but not so plastered with graphics and different fonts that the main idea is lost. To me, Prezi feels like a tool where it would be too easy to have the graphics and animations overpower the material.

In Dr. Greene’s presentation, I found a link to Kathy Schrock’s Twitter for Teachers webpage. I first joined Twitter at a SLOCUE conference in October of 2013.

Well, it looks like I'm finally joining Twitter! Inspired by all the teachers I've met since starting my SS credential. #slocue #ed412

— Anne Welker (@AnneAWelker) October 6, 2013

 Though I have heard that Twitter is a great place for teachers to learn, share, and communicate, I have never been able to stick with it. I want to utilize Twitter more in my quest to become a better teacher and leader. I Tweeted my first post in about six months this morning. Follow me HERE if you want to join me in using Twitter to grow.

https://t.co/MtdYVeu8LH
Finished The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune this morning and I think I found a new favorite! I laughed and cried and loved all the characters.

— Anne Welker (@AnneAWelker) May 15, 2021

Week 1 Journal - A Leader I Know

 When I think about a leader I know personally, my mind jumps to my mom. She has been an educator my whole life, but did not actually become a classroom teacher until after I did.

History Time!

My mom received her Child Development degree from Cal State Northridge and worked at their Children’s Center from before I was born until I was in elementary school. She then got a job as the librarian at my elementary school and continued there for a few years. Due to budget cuts, she eventually had to switch jobs and worked for awhile as a Special Education Aide. The year after I earned my teaching credential, she went back to school at Cal State Channel Islands and earned her own multiple subject credential. Since then, she has taught elementary students in all grade levels.

Teacher Leader

My mom works tirelessly as a teacher to do the best she can for her students. First, she served as the PTA president of my elementary school after I attended. Why? Because she cared so much about the school, and especially the library, that she wanted to have a leadership role. As the PTA president, she organized a reading night for the students to attend.

Next, she has worked with technology to solve problems she discovered in her schools. She realized that many of her students did not have many books at home or their parents could not read to them. Her answer? Creating a website and filming videos of herself reading countless books. Instead of students only being able to read at school or the books they could check out from the library, they could now watch videos of as many as they wished. Since she created a website, these videos can be shared all over the world to anyone who wants them.

Click Here to check it out! --> Ms. Perry's Storytime

Another great quality of a leader is to be encouraging to their followers. In this case, I will consider her students as the ones she leads. When she taught younger students, my mom realized that many of them did not know how to tie their shoes! Instead of tying dozens of shoelaces a day, she created the “Golden Shoe Club.” When students could prove they tie their shoes (by tying the shoelaces on a spray-painted golden sneaker), they got to be a part of the club. If a student needed their shoelaces tied, they could then seek out any of the club “members” for help. Leaders should empower their followers to solve problems. By creating this club, my mom was able to empower her students to learn a skill and then use it to help their classmates.

When I read about teacher leaders this week, I instantly thought of my mom. I am proud of her and strive to be as good of a leader as she is.