My 2018 KTOY Journey as a non-winner Leadership Training Conference & New KTOY Announced

Mid-November the KTOY (Kansas Teacher of the Year) leadership training conference was held. All state nominees and regional winners (high school and elementary) met for 1 1/2 days of intense training. The one thing I realized is that while I do have this overall idea of why I teach, I haven't really narrowed it down to the WHY. I have been reflecting on that concept for a few days now and realize that my WHY is going to change often. It has changed since I wrote and re-wrote all those papers last winter. This is a powerful idea. I don't want to be that teacher who teaches the same thing every year for 20 years, I want each year to be fresh and new, with new challenges for my students. This is such a basic concept, but to actually come to terms with it was shocking! As you're reading this, I challenge you to think about your own WHY!

Then we got introduced to our teams. Holy cow but I'm excited!!! Our teams get to spend several days visiting each other's schools. There can't be any better professional development than that! My team is incredible - a wide range of ages but all have something amazing to share. This is going to be the most exciting year in my career (and I've been teaching for 24 years now!) I'm going to update this blog after each visit, with LOTS of pictures to share!

My KTOY Team - soon to be close friends!

Saturday night we were treated to a London Broil dinner, paraded across the stage again, got to see this year's "Teachers of Promise" (2 nominees from each college in Kansas - pretty cool!), and listen to the speeches from the 8 Regional Winners. Listening to them made me realize they had done one thing I had not - reflected long before that paperwork was started. I plan on revisiting my WHY on a regular basis from now on! Last year's KTOY gave a goodbye speech and sang to his team - very touching! Not hard to see why he won last year! Then the 2018 KTOY was named - Samantha Neill! What a wonderful choice! When she was giving her speech I guarantee there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I'm so happy for her! I will update my blog again in January when the visits start!

Crazy story - when I got home from the conference I discovered I had lost my 30th wedding anniversary ring. I was devastated! I called the conference center & the guy was super nice on the phone. He took down my number & called me back after about 45 minutes. He told me that he & his staff had torn apart the room we were in but hadn't found my ring. I figured it was gone for good & was trying to accept my loss. Then, about 2 hours later the guy from the conference center called back - someone had found my ring in the parking lot & turned it in! The world is full of awesome people! <3

My Journey as a Non-Winner for the KS Teacher of the Year - the Regional Winner Banquet

This sounds depressing. No, I didn't win. But you know what? My district nominated my to represent them, and that alone is pretty darn cool! It all started last winter when I was nominated. I had to fill out paperwork. A LOT of paperwork. I wrote, edited, deleted, wrote, edited, deleted. I don't know how many times I restarted that darn paperwork! But in doing so I did a lot of soul searching and reflecting. I looked at my students working on their art, and I wondered just what makes me a good teacher? What makes me worthy of standing in front of anyone and telling them why I deserved the title.

September was the awards ceremony. My husband, superintendent & HS principal all came to watch me not win. At first I was really bummed, but then the speaker started talking and boy did he make sense! He said "you may not think you're the best teacher in your district. Heck, you may not even think you're the best teacher in your hallway! But you were nominated. You DO deserve to be here." I let that sink in. I know I'm good for kids. I cry with them, I laugh with them. I watch them grow up & leave the nest. I love them all, even the ones who are a bit hard to love some days. And, because I'm a competitor at heart, I started replaying everything over in my mind, kind of like an athlete reflects after losing the big game. Not because I lost, but because I AM a good teacher, and a good teacher reflects on what goes right, and what went wrong.

So now that I've rambled on, I'm going to let you in on the workings of all this, cause it is pretty darn cool. Kansas sure knows how to promote it's teachers!

KS Commissioner of Education Randy Watson, Me, Deputy Commissioner Dale Dennis

All the KS High School Nominees from Region 4 with our State Educational Leaders/Super Supporters!

Me receiving my certificate while I stood with KS Commissioner of Education
Myself, Deputy Commissioner Dale Dennis, and (I'll have to go find out who the last man was - everything was a blur!)

Costumes in the Art Room

I LOVE dressing up for class! For Homecoming & Halloween I dress up right along with the kids. When I can I tie in to famous characters. Here are some of my faves (and super easy as well!) Halloween's coming up... who am I going to be? I can't wait to find out!

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo

Bob Ross

Rosie Riveter

Allen House

I was fortunate enough recently to tour the Allen House in Wichita, KS. I have no idea how this Frank Lloyd Wright gem sat right in my backyard for all these years! It is in an area called College Hill, an affluent area filled with colonial style homes. The Allen House was built in Wright's Prairie Style. No indoor photography was allowed, but I doubt I'd have remembered as I was enthralled. Wright was a genius, far ahead of his time!

Gerry Brooks

I had the opportunity to see Gerry Brooks Sept.3, 2017 in Lawrence KS. His videos are hilarious, and his talk gave some background to his videos, which made them funnier. Then he opened this slide up and WOW! When he said that if teachers show up with their classes 5 minutes late they are often taking away 1/6 of the art teacher's curriculum time that week since that is the only time we see them. This was followed by "if a kid is supposed to be somewhere, send them. Don't keep them in your room to finish something for you (meaning classroom teachers). That's not fair or respectful." He obviously respects the arts. 
Respect is probably one of the most important things I try to teach my students. I model this to my students, my co-workers, the parents, and the community. If I see trash on the floor in the hallway I stop and pick it up. How else will our students learn respect if they don't see it modeled for them! 

Gerry Brooks is one of the best speakers I've heard. If you get a chance to go see him do it! 😊

Senior Pictures

It's that traditional time of year - seniors are graduating and moving on. I'm getting so many senior pictures and graduation invitations from all of my favorite seniors. A co-worker put the idea in my head that I should do my own take on senior pictures (thanks Tiffany!) Today I printed them out, signed them, and gave them out. My seniors loved them!

I "see" how amazing your future
is going to be!"

I "cinco" your future is
going to be amazing!

Add a little color to
your future plans!

Your future is "picture perfect"

Don't let anyone "rain" on your
future plans!

Your future is going
to "rock!"

I'm beside "my-selfie" with
excitement over your future!

I scream with excitement
for your future!

I can't wait to "watch" you
achieve your dreams!

I can't stop grinning
over your amazing future!

No matter what, keep
your head above water!

The Disrespected Art Teacher

I was on Facebook reading one of my art teacher pages and a topic of conversation came up on art teachers coming online to vent at the disrespect shown to them. I've been there & I totally get it! I got to thinking this might be a great blog topic for today and I have a few ideas for you to get that respect you deserve!

BE VISIBLE! That's right, BE VISIBLE! Notice how I did that in all caps? That's cause it's that important! If you go to work, do your job, do it well, then go home then you are that invisible art teacher. It's easy to ignore what you don't see. Here's a list of what I do to "be visible".

Art Teacher camoflauge

1. Form relationships! Eat lunch with the staff. Let them get to know you & how awesome you are! Get to know your students - they are the best promoters of your program.
2. Don't be a complainer! Be the positive! When you see someone walking up to you & you just KNOW they are going to complain you're likely to run the other direction. Don't be that person!
3. Get involved. Someone has to be on all those committees. If you aren't on any of them you're probably going to get noticed, but not in a good way. Find something you can do and volunteer to sign up. Let your voice be heard! I'm on the PDC committee & Technology Committee. Both take minimal time, but since administration is at those same meetings they see me sitting at the table giving input on how my students are impacted by the decisions we make.
4. Make your school look good! If they look good, you look good. I promote my program in multiple ways - Instagram, Facebook, the district webpage, our school newspaper. I put an article in every school newspaper (with pictures!). I post cool projects the students really enjoy on our school Facebook & my school Instagram. 
5. Get to know your community. This one is probably the hardest, but getting to know your parents really helps. Know the people on Booster Club or PTO. Go to student events & mingle with the crowd (if your district has staff shirts then wear it so parents know you're a teacher).
6. Use your talents to "WOW" them! I've had students create staff caricatures to hang outside their doors, organized and created videos of the staff to promote learning (we show it to the students before state testing begins), organize the annual staff dance that we perform as a 1/2 time performance at a basketball game, have students create giant canvas paintings to display around the school. I'm an organizer (not to be confused with organized! LOL!) and love getting people together to create experiences.  

Being involved in your school makes you feel connected and gives you a sense of belonging. If you are involved your peers and administration are much more likely to see you as a part of the staff and not as the "support team". Of course there will always be those people who view art as "fluff", and thereby assign your roll in the school as less important, but if you just keep promoting yourself and your program in a positive manner you're sure to start seeing a change. Plus it makes going to work a whole lot more fun!