My trip to Washington DC, 11-2-2015

As I sit in the airport terminal in Washington DC, I reflect upon the journey that has brought me here. I began my teaching career, as a High School student enrolled in an Early Childhood Education career center class. I wanted to be a Kindergarten Teacher. I was always one who put the children first, thinking how I could teach them in a fun way. I was eager to learn so I took every internship, class assignment and babysitting opportunity that came my way. I was very observant and would help tie shoes, wipe noses, entertain or do what I felt was needed. Supervising teachers told me that I had the gift.

As a career center student I decided to create a community service project. I wrote a skit to teach young children the importance of bike safety and helmet use. A group of my classmates helped me pull this off and we presented to several preschool and elementary settings. I presented my project at the regional and state FCCLA competition in hopes of winning and being able to go to nationals in Florida. I was young and wanted to get out of Ohio. I ended up losing the competition and not traveling to Florida with my school. I was angry but the following year came back as an FCCLA judge, because I understand the power that the project gave me, even though I lost.   

I worked two part time jobs and attend a community college full-time but still stayed networked with my former career teachers and FCCLA. I was finding my path. In 2011, I was hired as the Early Childhood Education Career Teacher for the district I graduated from and replaced one of my mentor teachers. I am one of her success stories because she empowered me and modeled. I had no idea of the battle I would have to obtain a Teaching License in Ohio and that is an even longer story... I will share my survivor story of the Ohio Resident Educator process another day, because today I want to tell you how I came to be in DC by joining the Teacher Leadership Initiative.

My grandfather was very stern, real and set in his humble ways. He told me that unions are what saved Americans from the great depression and he should know, he lived it. My grandfather retired from the Columbus Fire Department the year I was born. I knew as a young girl that my Dad, who was a non-union blue collar worker, struggled to make ends meet and would tell me of the corruptness at his job. My Mom, a devoted stay at home Mom and Grandma, worked briefly for a retailer. My Dad would say get a union job, if you’re going to do this teacher thing. Teaching and little Director Experience in the private sector frustrated me and I was feeling a call to public school.

At 21 with an Associate Degree and Ohio Pre-Kindergarten teaching certificate, my mentor Teacher asked me to apply for an assistant position. In 1999, I started my career teaching public school children. I was a non-traditional college student, back before it was defined. For two years I got involved in the school and with my local classified union. In 2008, after earning my Master’s Degree in Education, I transferred unions and positions, becoming a Teacher and part of the NEA. I have passion for what I do and for all Teachers! It makes me upset that Charter and Private school teachers are underpaid. They are not my enemies; I know that they have a passion to educate, just like I do.

The education systems in America frustrate me, as I read about mismanagement of money, data scrubbing in all school settings and as a classroom Teacher who was navigating my own district’s confusing path to obtain funds, for real world field trip opportunities; I read my local union’s newsletter for the TLI project. I signed up that day, back in the fall of 2014. I had no idea that my work would be selected to represent the 1,000 public school teachers who make up TLI. I am humbled and thankful for the honor of this opportunity. My work is not over and that is why I am joining my local union as a member of the “Social & Economic Justice Committee,” advocating for education and poverty in America.

The journey still continues, so stay tuned, because I will need your help in making sure our point is heard by the powers in Washington D.C. 

Research evidence

If you would like to see photos/items of evidence of my research process and/or my FCCLA chapter timeline, please send me a message and I can add you to my Google Drive.

TLI and What it taught me over the 2014/2105 School year; this is my story...

Rebecca E. McGrath-Hinkle

TLI, NEA/CEA 2015 Captone

My contextual information can be viewed by going to “About me” and “View my Complete Profile” on my blog; mcgrathh.blogspot.com

Description of My Challenge

This information can be viewed by going to my blog, posted 7/29/2015; mcgrathh.blogspot.com

My original passion and statement that lead me to join TLI, is as follows;

I was dissatisfied with the current process teachers have to go through to secure funds to provide high level, real world, out of the classroom field experiences. Schools receive weighted funds and I want to learn more about how Teachers can gain control over the dollars invested in experiences to build student's professionalism and skills to be productive members in society.

I discovered that in my district, principals can help support teachers with how these weighted funds are used. I met with my Resident Educator/PAR mentor teacher and Union Faculty Representative Teacher in my building, who both suggested that I join building leadership and start discussing my concerns, however, in a collaborative way where I ask for their help. I began sharing my story and signed up to be apart of the ABC, Association Building Council.

The CEA Union explains, www.ceaohio.org/?cat=746, “Article 202,”

the Association Building Council (ABC)

202.01 Each school or CEA Association unit shall have an

Association Building Council (ABC) to be organized

during the first month of the school year, consisting of

not less than five (5) teachers, which will meet with the

principal and members of the staff at least once a month.

 

202.03 The Association Building Council shall be advisory

only and is intended to assist the principal and the

school staff in developing policies and programs for the

school involved. The ABC shall assume the responsibility

for being knowledgeable about matters in this agreement which relate to its functions.

In the fall of 2014, I became the Secretary of my building’s ABC. Immediately, I was given opportunities to share my classroom frustrations and gain advice from others in my building. My Principal approached me and asked me to sit in as a member of the Building Leadership Team, BLT. Lastly, I was selected to attend monthly meetings with the career education Teacher Director’s, as the “Career Cluster Representative.” All three of these leadership opportunities got me out of my classroom to share my story and aspirations for my students.  

My challenge for TLI changed, as I realized that in order to gain power over funding for my students, I needed to become active in building decisions. Also, I was able to understand that grants are limited in what they can fund: for example, grant funds can only cover material items or registration fees for programs of professional development within a time line but cannot pay for traveling expenses. Traveling expenses for FCCLA leadership opportunities have to be funded by private donations and/or from the participant. Through my leadership meetings, I was able to make contacts with individuals in my district to create a plan to get approval for private donations to fund high level, real world, out of the classroom field experiences, such as options offered by FCCLA.

My students are 11th and 12th graders who elect to take high school courses in Early Childhood Education, taught by me but aligned with to the Ohio Department of Education, ODE, Career and Technical requirements for teaching professions. Thus, I teach future educators.

Please refer to my timeline attachment of events for FCCLA and my students during the 2014/15 school year.

Thus, what is my challenge? Based on my new involvement with my building leadership and my original passion, I concluded the following;

This is happening...

Students are distracted & disengaged by current learning processes but attracted to their phones/technology. Teaching and learning time needs to change...

because...

Students do not know how to use technological resources for educational gains...

but what if... We taught digital skills and project based blended courses?

Introducing...Next Generation Learning!

Here's how it works... student powered classrooms with anytime and anywhere learning times.

Featuring... Blended Learning and... Instructor Certification and... Digital Citizenship certification for students.

That's Next Generation Learning because our students deserve high expectations and ownership of their learning experiences!

Opinion Survey Link;   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TQQM28W

References;

http://www.fordfoundation.org/issues/educational-opportunity-and-scholarship/more-and-better-learning-time

http://www.blendmylearning.com/

https://www.google.com/edu/products/productivity-tools/

The TLI web sessions used several graphic organizers, but the one I used above helped me compile my thoughts. My TLI capstone focus aligns to the Instructional Leadership competencies. At the start of my capstone I was in the emerging level, because I see the value of participation in professional development to help me manage and engage students to the best of my ability. I wanted to just collaborate with the those that teach my subject area, so before I started my capstone I was thinking I could serve my student’s best by staying isolated and focused in my content area. My passion for change and pursuing opportunities for students, I have transformed into a teacher leader who is know performing at the Instructional Leadership level. Part of me really does not want to be a teacher leader; in fact, I recently completed the Hogan assessments survey created for TIME magazine's article “How High is your XQ?” by Eliza Gray (2015), and agree with it’s conclusion that I …”struggle in situations where your personal performance depends on your ability to outshine others.”

With that being said, let me stick to explaining what I am doing as a performer in Instructional Leadership. First, under the competency, Coaching and Mentoring, I am in the position to share my classroom successes and struggles with other new teachers in the building, who just happen to be going through the Ohio Resident Educator and Career Technical licensure requirements that I am 4 years into. I feel that TLI had helped me be confident in sharing these new experiences of coaching others. Sometimes it is just sharing my resident educator binder and organization of it. Other times, it is just me saying hello and then that opens the conversation up for them to ask me.

This leads directly into the second competency, Facilitating Collaborative Relationships. My role as in the ABC and BLT in my building has helped me build relationships that I did not even realize I needed. I was frustrated and had to change my approach. I went to meetings and started listening before I became more involved by sharing my teaching practices. My ability to keep paperwork organized from past experiences has given me something to share with teachers, new and veteran. For example, please see my attachment from ABC and BLT meetings. Again, these connection opportunities have helped me to learn that change has a process and the only way I can have an impact is by being apart of the process. My TLI capstone has helped me begin performing this process.

The last Instructional Leadership competency is Community Awareness, Engagement and Advocacy. I feel that I am and have been at the performing level from day one, because teaching in a Career Technical school it is required that you have an Advisory committee. The advisory committee helps decide internship opportunities, curriculum and fundraising efforts for students in my class. It was determined by the state that my district was out of compliance with Advisory meetings so great changes have been put in place. The minimum requirement is 2 scheduled meetings a year with a at least 4 attending. Please refer to my attached info regarding my meetings from this past school year. I really enjoy building relationships with community members.  My future plan is to find local businesses who can sponsor and donate funds to pay for student leadership opportunities. Throughout my TLI capstone this past year, I have learned that the first step is to start communicating needs and wants for student opportunities.

The next part the capstone is to pick overarching competencies that align to your capstone. I immediately put a star by 3; Personal Effectiveness, Communication and Group Processes. As I read the first level of Personal Effectiveness, I realized that I am at emerging. I definitely posses passion about teaching and learning; however, I really had not thought about how to turn my passion into a leadership style, let alone take on a leadership role. My capstone has me in a developing role for personal effectiveness, as I am learning to trust and build credibility in my building. The examples I explained above paints this picture.

The second competency I will discuss is Communication. I can stand in front of my students and facilitate a lesson but with a group of my teaching peers I get overwhelmed and usually avoid communicating. I prefer to focus on positives, for example, what strengths a student has and/or look at the bright side of a situation. I avoid other adults, who I feel should possess a higher level of maturity but tend to focus on negatives or the easy way out. I have been told that I am an overachiever and that I need to slow down, not rock the boat or I will form enemies. This really shook me up my first year of teaching, because I assumed that all teachers wanted what I wanted… to provide to the best of my ability educational opportunities for each student sitting in my class. I had to realize that somehow I have to work with others who idea’s are different mine, because somehow we have to make transitional changes as a team.

Through my experience with my capstone and building leadership team roles, I have discovered that data on student progress can open up conversations for change. The district began questioning the effectiveness of our school offering blended learning courses; however, we have data that proves its success. This gave me the opportunity to move from emerging and developing into a performing level, as my TLI capstone took on the blended learning focus as a way to bring building staff together to defend our schools focus. Please see attachments of my BLT meeting notes for examples.

The last competency that I focused on is Group Processes. I became emerging this year as I joined leadership meetings and became the secretary of the ABC. I have always felt the benefit of professional development opportunities and group meetings in my subject area; however, until my TLI capstone experience I did not emerge in any other activities. I am still in the developing level of this competency, as I am learning to navigate through difficult situations and accept that I with varying needs, my big dreams for students will take time and resources.

In conclusion, the purpose of my challenge that included a survey discussed above, was to see what percentage of my co-teaching staff that understand may already being using resources for blended learning. My new goal to is to continue what I have put in place with my TLI capstone while continuing to learn as a new leader. I want to present professional development opportunities from within the school building that can include google classroom and possible conferences to attend to continue our blended learning career center school focus.

I am looking into introducing the Ford Foundation’s work on “More and Better Learning Time” with other building staff which can be retrieved from;  http://www.fordfoundation.org/issues/educational-opportunity-and-scholarship/more-and-better-learning-time

Also, I would like to see the staff make a goal to attend professional development that is not subject based, but school based like opportunities for career technical educators; for example,

ACTE's (Association for Career & Technical Education) CareerTech VISION 2015 When:November 19, 2015 to November 22, 2015 in New Orleans, LA. Lastly, I would like to become an innovative leader or school with the Ford Foundation. Perhaps, they could present at an Ohio ACTE conference, usually held the end of July in Columbus at the Hilton Easton.   

The compiled survey results were shared with other leader staff members in a n email so that we can begin to plan what to do with the results, which are as follows;

...

You forwarded this message on 8/19/2015 9:14 AM

At the end of the year meeting, I shared my NEA/CEA TLI capstone research and asked staff to complete the following survey, "CDHS Teacher's Re: Next Generation Learning" and the results show the following;

-14 staff members "are likely to try using Blended Learning or Google apps..."

-4 staff members already use Google Apps, but 1 said "not enough to help other's."

-16 staff members feel that the school could benefit from "better learning time"

-19 staff said they would consider attending professional development on Blended Learning and/or Google Apps

-12 staff members said they feel our students should be taught digital citizenship, but some concerns are;

"I'm still unclear on what we are talking about"

"Students do not know how to research with technology"

"Teachers need training how to use such technology"

"I would like PD on this"

"Blended should be more than just packets"

"What blended is defined and what it is in our school is a bit of a conflict"

In conclusion, I would like to meet with you all to discuss what can we do with these results to further meet our staff PD interest and continue being innovative as the Blended Learning school in our district. I chose you because through my observation you have been at the forefront of our past PD experiences. Please share with anyone else you think would like to be involved.

I will see you all Monday and I hope you enjoy your last few days of summer break!

Thanks,

Mrs. Rebecca McGrath-Hinkle

Early Childhood Education Career Tech Teacher

FCCLA Advisor & CDA P.D. Specialist

Columbus Downtown High School

364 South 4th Street Columbus, Ohio 43215

Voicemail; 614-365-2283 x223

Rmcgrathhinkle1727@columbus.k12.oh.us

“What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the human soul." -J. Addison

I thought I was failing my TLI capstone outcome because I felt like I needed to reach some big change, but instead I realized how to navigate systems, ask for help and share my idea’s. My student’s deserve teachers who will question things and present new ideas. I am excited to see what happens this year and in my future now that I have more confidence to get myself out there!

The TLI competency rubrics have given me a guide to focus my leadership goals. I hope you enjoy my attachments and understand that I need to get back to writing my donation approval and letter to local businesses, asking them for sponsorship and Advisory involvement. “Keep growing, Keep Dreaming, laugh some everyday,” quotes like this keep me in the moment and remind me to enjoy the relationships I am building with other’s everyday on my way to making dreams a reality!

My TLI, Teacher Leadership Initiative, Capstone Description

TLI Capstone Description

Rebecca McGrath-Hinkle

December 2014

I am dissatisfied with the current process teachers have to go through to secure funds to provide high level, real world, out of the classroom field experiences. Schools receive weighted funds and I want to learn more about how Teachers can gain control over the dollars invested in experiences to build student's professionalism and skills to be productive members in society.  Thus, I realized that I needed to come out of my classroom to connect with building and union leadership colleagues to make changes to processes that affect my classroom outcomes. 

After reading the Implementation Guide, version 2 “Ohio Community Collaboration Model for School Improvement.”

The common words I read throughout the document were; Communicate and Compromise.

I believe that this is the keys to forming a successful collaboration with local businesses, youth development organizations, faith-based and higher ed. I have to have an Advisory board for my class as part of the Perkins funding career center education receives. However, I have lacked in communication. I did not know what to ask for and/or was ashamed to ask. I am going to be more honest with the problems that I have regarding unmotivated students and what I have done to try to get them excited about school. I want students to see that their education today links directly to their life after high school. What is needed; real opportunities and the funding to do so. Lastly, a true collaboration is compromising on these outcomes.

I picked “School Redesign” as the focus of my TLI capstone and watched the following on youtube;

“Denver’s MSLA – Teachers, Learners, Leaders,” video by NEA Priority Schools Campaign, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me2hCwlWqWM

Again, the common theme is communication and community collaboration. One teacher said, “Teach to kids Passions.” I feel that as a Career Education Teacher, that is exactly what I get to do. The Denver MSLA public school explained that they have built relationships with parents through communicating about their talents and family outreach needs. Parents come in the mornings and hang out in the classrooms, reading and teaching their children. Teachers, with district and union support, get to provide team coverage so that teachers can meet individual student’s needs. Lastly, the teachers observe one another and complete peer evaluations using rubrics that help them set education goals.

I am excited about the relationships between parents and teachers. I have been told to not be honest or apologize to students or parents. However, I feel that this is the human side parents need to see from teachers. They need to know that we care and that we make mistakes but that we always have the goal of learning at the fore front, but we need help to get their student there. “It takes a village,” and I mean that literally.

NEA missions that align to my capstone;

“Equal Opportunity. We believe public education is the gateway to opportunity. All students have the human and civil right to a quality public education that develops their potential, independence, and character.”

“Partnership. We believe partnerships with parents, families, communities, and other stakeholders are essential to quality public education and student success.”