A Week Without Facebook and Twitter: Liberating

If you have a Facebook or Twitter and are active like me, you probably are involved in the daily carousel of posts, comments, news, and shares. It starts when you awake. You wipe your sleepy eyes, grab the cellular device, open your social media apps, and check to see what you missed while you were dreaming about that bear chasing you. You get out of the shower, dry off, and check it again. Your just about at work and find yourself at a stop light. Instead of thinking for yourself, taking in the scenery, maybe being mindful for a moment; you habitually check social media once again to see what’s happening. This cycle goes on all day long for the majority of people who utilize these platforms.

As I was sitting on my couch last week watching tv, my wife brought to my attention how much I was checking Facebook lately. I would watch tv for a few minutes, check Facebook. Go to the bathroom, come back, and check Facebook. I was doing this probably 50-100 times a day. I feel that in our society today, I am not in the minority of people who live their lives like this. After a discussion, my wife and I decided to challenge each other to live as if it never existed. We were going to delete our Facebook and Twitter apps from our phone and see how it would feel after a week.

The first day was hard I must admit. My habit was to go to the social media folder, and open Facebook when I had a free moment. Not having the app made it a lot harder. Through days one through three, I broke down a few times and used the browser to peruse. After day four, I think I checked it one or two times for only a minute. As the week went on, I cared less about what others were doing and invested more time into my life. It honestly felt good to break my mind of the habit and think for myself again. Some of the things I noted about the week through reflection were:

1. Who cares what others are up to all the time. Spend less time worrying about them and focus on living your life to the fullest. I found I have had way more time to work on important things in life rather than wasting my life on worrying about what others are up to.

2. Honestly, anytime I did something fun in life, it was in my mind, “take a picture and share it on social media.” It was so temping during that week to share the places I went to, my new walkway I completed, where I was running, etc. I now realize that sometimes the best memories don't need to be shared with the world, only with the people who truly care.

3. Stop comparing your life to others. One of the worst things about Facebook is we look to see what others are up to and then we compare our life to theirs. Recently, I saw someone’s post say, "OK, you all can stop getting engaged now." Basically what that person is says is, "I am not happy in my life and I am tired of seeing others getting engaged." Stop wishing it would happen, put the device down, and live your life.

4. I didn’t miss out on anything. I'll say that again. I DID NOT MISS OUT ON ANYTHING. What I had been missing out on is doing things to make myself a stronger person like reading, learning to program, brainstorming ideas, exercising, etc.

After going through the process, I feel I have a new perspective on life that has been deprived from me since I bought a smart phone with these apps on it. Truly, I feel liberated. Liberated from the habitual cycle of wasting time caring about what others are doing that is more fun than what I am doing right now. I am now into week two and have no reason to install the apps back onto my phone. Do I plan to use Facebook again and post? Sure. Will I check it 50 times a day again? No way. Life has been more enjoyable and I am choosing to live out there instead of inside of device. Try it. How long can you go?

-RD

3 Years In: Truths About Teaching

I am in the midst of completing my third full year of teaching. Each year has been completely different. Year one was about surviving, year two was about creating and innovating, and year three has been about trying to improve myself as a professional and make what I have created even better. As I take time to reflect on this year and education as a whole, I feel I have come to some truths about this profession. Feel free to weigh in and discuss.

1. If you don't have a true love for kids, you aren't going to make it in teaching very long. You need to be patient, kind, and understand them. Instead of saying "this generation is lost in technology," we need to meet them where they are. Unfortunately the clock doesn't go backwards, only forwards. Love them for who they are and be where they are. When kids know you care, they are more likely to want to learn from you. We must embrace technology and "teach" them how to use it responsibly.

2. State testing is destroying the creativity and innovation of our teachers and students. To be honest with you, if my field of expertise was in a testing subject, I might not be teaching K-12. I feel those who teach tested subjects. They feel "handcuffed" in their teaching practices because of the stress state testing causes on their evaluations. Instead of doing engaging and creative lessons, they are stuck doing test prep all year. Where is the "joy" in that? The kids know it as well and can't stand it. Quit preaching that we as teachers differentiate our instruction when you standardize test our students. The solution: Instead of standardize testing students to pass an exam, why not give them "choices" on how they demonstrate their learning. There are "eight" multiple intelligences Howard Gardner stated we as humans possess. Some of us have and can utilize more than others and all can be taught/developed. Standardizes testing only allows students to show two of them. To be continued in another post...

3. You have to bring it everyday and choose to have a positive attitude. Unlike some jobs, you can't hide behind a desk if you aren't feeling well. You have to be ON 24/7. You are an artist, entertainer, counselor, motivator, and disciplinarian all in one. There is nothing that can prepare you for that unless you do it. Also, each year you will develop thicker skin and learn what works best for you and your students. My first year, I was awful at disciplining students and having those hard conversations. After year three, I feel I have seen and dealt with many interesting situations. Wisdom can only be gained by experience.

4. Most teachers that I talk to LOVE teaching. Teaching is the easy part. What many don't realize is all the "extra" stuff they have to do along with grading, making phone calls, lesson planning, etc. The number one thing that teachers whom I have talked with beats them up is all the other things that need to be done. SLO's, testing meetings, eight hour long evaluations, committees, etc. We do it because we love our jobs but it takes away in many cases from us being better teachers for our students.

5. If you want to become a better teacher, you need to push yourself to do so every year. After three years in, I can see how it can become easy to get "stagnant" and do the same things every year. Many "scoff" at teachers who get summers off. Teachers NEED off in the summer for a few reasons. One, at the end of each year, our "energy" and "creative juice" are at a low. The battery needs to recharge to deliver 180 days of enthusiasm, encouragement, and guidance. Two, we need time to brainstorm how to we can make those lessons better for next year. The great ones use that time to push themselves to be better than they were last year. Lastly, the students need a break as well from everything that is thrown at them. When they come back in August, they are excited and you as a teacher are pumped to get fresh faces and brains.

6. Overall, this is one of the most rewarding professions in the world. We as teachers do this job not to become millionaires. We do it because we want to change lives and empower our students to become better people. It can be easy to get "caught-up" in all the other things at school, but it is important to remember that we as teachers are the molders of the future. We are the ones who can change the world with one spark lit under a kid for an eternity of time. Congratulations to all the teachers who made it through another year. Rest up this summer; get back those creative juices, because your students need you to be better than you were this year!

-RD

Five Things We Need To STOP Doing In 2015

As a new year approaches, many of us will think about goals we want to accomplish, things we want to improve, and how to be better than last year. As I reflect on 2014, I believe there are five essential things we can do as humans in 2015 to make our world and country a better place for ourselves and others.

1. Stop wasting so much time on your phone: Sometimes I think back to a time when man existed in nature, had to explore to find new things, hunt to eat, told stories for entertainment. Now, we sit on our phones and play games, text, tweet, etc. We check it every minute to see what notification we will get next. It is as addicting to some as heroin and nicotine. So much of our humanity continues to get sucked from us every time we waste hours on our devices. I am not saying they are all bad because I enjoy my technology to communicate and learn, but limit it. Read a book before bed. Put it away during dinner. Enjoy a nice walk without it strapped to your hand. Have a deep conversation with someone. Are you a slave to your own device?

VIDEO: Live life the real way and look up!

2. Stop the racism, hate, and killing in our country: History is for us to learn from and we haven't learned very well. Currently in America, we are almost at a civil war with each other over race once again. We are acting like we did 50 years ago and it is leading to nothing but anger, hate, and killing. What makes America great is that all races; White, Black, Latino, Jews, Muslim, Indians, can live freely amongst each other and have the same opportunity to succeed. We need to stop pointing fingers and come together as a country and support each other. Follow the laws put in place, do your part, and treat each others fairly and with respect and things will work out well for all!

SONG & VIDEO: This land is your land & my land

3. Stop thinking about yourself so much: Yes, you are priority number one but happiness doesn't come from thinking about yourself all the time. Much of happiness is derived from helping others and giving back. Go volunteer this year. Spend more time with your family. Tutor. Life is fragile and you never know what someone is going through. When you ask how someone is doing, genuinely  mean it and listen. Call an old friend you haven't talked to in a while. Notice the world around you and help it!

VIDEO: Caring for each other

4. Stop being complacent: This year, I believe I fell victim to a disease called "complacency". I am now married, have a house, and have a terrific job. All things I worked very hard to get. But now that I have them, I find it easy to be satisfied in life. We need to stop being satisfied with where we are and continue to grow and improve ourselves! Wherever you are in life, learn a new skill, practice your networking/speaking skills, work on a new hobby, and aspire to be more! This year, I plan to stop wasting time on non-essential things and work harder on me and my relationships.

VIDEO: How costly is complacency inspiration speech by Coach Sean Payton

5. Stop making excuses why you can't change things: We fear change and many of us hate it. We make excuses all the time why we can't workout, why we can't find time to read, why we can't eat better or go to church more. Whatever it is in 2015 you want to accomplish, STOP making excuses and write your goals down. Start with one small thing you want to work on and change. It takes at least 30 days for a new habit to stick. Track your progress through a journal. Whatever it is you want to accomplish in 2015, the mind and body can achieve!

VIDEO: CHANGE

-RD

Students Think They Know Tech, But Do They?

It has been my experience from teaching classes that require students to use technology frequently, that they think they know how to do everything with technology, but have a limited skill set. It is our job as educators, no matter what subject we teach, to demonstrate and practice these necessary 21st century skills with students as much as possible when applicable. Having these skills are just as important as being able to solve an algebraic equation in today's workforce.

1. Email: During the first week of school, I show students how to set-up and use their email. Many have never used it before because they communicate via text for almost everything. In the business world, email is still the most preferred way of communication. Students need to understand the importance of giving a subject line, how to compose a professional email and attach documents. I have them during the first week send me an email about their short and long term goals. The email has to be perfectly spelled with an appropriate subject line and attachment. They need to understand that spelling mistakes in an email can be seen by anyone who shares it and can cost them a job!

2. Digital note-taking: Some students really enjoy taking notes by hand, while others if given the opportunity would utilize a program such as Evernote to organize and collect thoughts from a lecture. Showing students the apps and programs that are available for them to take notes through allows them to be exposed to how college students and adults take notes when at a conference or meeting. Taking notes digitally is much easier to organize and save in a safe and secure place! 

3. Organizing digital files and documents: It amazes me when students go to save a document for the first time A: don't know how to save it, B: Where to save it to, and C: What to name it. We use the Cloud (Skydrive) to store all of our files now and students need to be taught where to save them, how to create folders for classes, and what to name them. I had a student last year name all his files by his name. When he went to find his resume, it took forever. The old saying goes" It is better to do it right the first time than waste time doing it again."

4. How to search effectively: Search engines can be complicated if one has never been taught search operators, how to look out for ads and narrow search content. To many students when asked to find something, type the whole sentence into the search box! There is a lot of great info on the web but also a lot of junk. Teaching students how to effectively search is a huge time saver and skill to have.

5. Google Docs: I use Google Docs for almost every team project we do in my classes. Reason: There is no better tool in my opinion to communicate and collaborate with when working on a group assignment. Students love working on a report or presentation where they can see each other doing the work. It is extremely powerful. Not only can students work together at the same time, they can create and share documents that can be accessed from anywhere. No more excuses why the paper didn't get completed! Not to mention it makes my life a lot easier when grading. I love giving comments in Google Docs and allowing them to see and fix them immediately!

Essentially, teaching these skills in our classes will not only better prepare students for the professional working world, it will save you time in your classroom this year. Feel free to comment and add any that I missed. Thanks!

-Rob Donatelli

A Year In Reflection: When Opportunity Knocks, Kick The Door Down

As I was gearing up for year two of my teaching career at Northern Lebanon School District in August, I was as excited as ever to start a new school year. With year one under my belt, I knew all of the staff fairly well and had terrific students on my rosters. My room was set-up for success and the technology was ready to roll. About a week before school, I received a few texts and calls from several of my friends/former teachers at my alma mater high school, Dallastown in York, PA. One of my former teachers in the business department had been promoted to assistant principal and there was an opening. Teaching at Dallastown has always been one of my dreams because in my opinion it is one of the best school districts in the state of Pennsylvania for education and helping students prepare to move onto the next level. It is also where I attended high school and working there would allow me to be much closer to my fiance as we begin our lives together as a family. The problem was, I was very happy at Northern Lebanon. The staff and students were a blast to work with and I was really drawn to culture. I wasn't even going to apply for the interview if it hadn't been for so many of my family and friends support.

After much reflection and coaxing, I did decide to apply, take an interview, and landed my dream job as a business and computer science teacher at Dallastown Area School District! This year has provided me with many opportunities to do amazing things with my students which I am so thankful for. Though it was only year two of my teaching career, every year matures you, teaches you wisdom, and helps you become a better teacher. Here are some things I learned from year two of teaching:

1. As a teacher, you are a salesperson. It doesn't matter what subject you teach, if you can't sell the relevancy in what you are trying to get the students to learn, they won't care. In everything we do, we need to show meaning. Having meaning translates into results.

2. Every year you will deal with tough kids. Instead of whining about them and complaining to yourself, seek them out, embrace them, and believe in them. Many times, you are the only one who will. Yes they will try your patience, but instead of throwing them out in the hall or sending them to the office all of the time, be the role model they need in their lives. Show them what is right and what is wrong. Let them know you expect better out of them. You may not see the results this year, but they will remember you and hopefully you will have taught them more than a definition, you have taught them how to be more respectful and polite.

3. Provide real opportunities as much as you can for your students. This year I was able to take my students to York College to see entrepreneurship in action, students presented their business plan to business executives from the community, they had guest speakers from all departments of business, we went to the Harrisburg Capital to show-off student work at the technology expo, and students in FBLA had the opportunity to compete at regionals and states. Yes this requires a lot of work to set-up, but your students will remember the experiences they had, not the lectures you provided. 

4. Celebrate success as much as you can. Many students in today's society suffer from a lack of self esteem. Anytime you can, celebrate something great a student has done. It can be a sticky note that says "I really appreciate you in my class, keep it up!" or a student of the month board, or a positive call home. It is not enough as educators to just teach, we must build, encourage, and celebrate success!

5. Be willing to go out of your comfort zone. There was an opportunity to present to the teachers of my school during an in-service this year on engaging students and I jumped on it. As a young teacher, this was a challenge especially since many of the ones in my session taught me when I was in high school. I was definitely out of my comfort zone but when you push yourself to do things you don't feel comfortable doing, you grow as a person and are willing to take more risks.

6.  Change is the only constant in life. This year at Dallastown, we have a new principal who has strong visions to be one of the premier districts in the nation in 5-10 years. In order to do that, we have to change and get better. There will  always be the people who are happy with the status quo, but those are often the ones who are left behind when the ship sets sail from port to find the riches and treasures. Don't miss boarding the boat. Change, grow, and adapt. If you don't you may be left behind waving at the ship!

7. Build strong alliances with those who share your vision. Some may be in your school, some may not, but find those who build you up, brainstorm with you, and share ideas. No matter how many years you have been teaching, you can always do things better and learn new tricks. Be you, because no life is worth living if it isn't your own, but also be open to the fresh ideas of others.

8. If you want to be a great teacher, simply love kids and understand where they are. When you show them you care about them as a human and not just a number in your classroom, that is where you build relationships and can change lives. We have one of the most important jobs in the world, never take it for granted! 

I hope all of you take time this summer to reflect on your school year, recharge your battery, and come back fresh for the 2014-2015 school year. Your school and students need your passion and energy. Thanks for all you do teachers!

-Rob Donatelli

How I Turned Flappy Bird Into A Leadership Challenge & Lesson

The craze this week at school has revolved around a new app/game called Flappy Bird. The concept is simple. You touch the screen to make the bird go up and fly. If you don't keep tapping it, he will fall to the ground and crash. Your goal is to get him through two green pipes without hitting them. Everytime he gets through a pipe, you get a point. If he hits a pipe, he dies. The game has no end. The goal, get through as many pipes as possible and beat your high score. 

Students have been competing against each other during breaks, study halls, etc. It is highly addicting and a lot of fun for such a simple game. As an advocate of gamification in education, I asked myself how I could use Flappy Bird in my class? I came up with HUMAN Flappy Bird!

Before the students arrived Friday, I arranged the tables in my room in a different order for each row so it would replicate the green pipes the bird has to go through. As students entered, I had on the board that our warm-up today was "Human Flappy Bird." Students were very confused, yet intrigued at the same time. As class started, I informed the students that after playing Flappy Bird, I have discovered at least 3 things playing the game can teach us about being successful in life and that we were going to play Human Flappy Bird!

I asked for two volunteers and made everyone push their chairs in and move to the side of the room. The challenge was for one person to be blindfolded and flap their arms like a bird while their partner tried to guide them through the tables without hitting anything. All they could use was their voice. Throughout the entire day, the high score for the fastest group to make it all the way through was 42 seconds. Some teams did great because they communicated what they wanted their partner to do very well. Others crashed and burned becuase they didn't communicate what they wanted specifically and in detail.

After a few teams went, I asked the class what can Flappy Bird teach us about being successful in life? How can this simple game have meaning? Below are three of the best ones they came up with:

•  It teaches us about patience and focus. In order to get a higher score and do well, you need to be patient and focused. Just like in life, pateince and focus are important leadership traits.
• It teaches us that when we fall down, we need to get back up and try again until we succeed.
• It teaches us how to be relentless. Don't be satisfied with having a score of 20 when you can achieve a score of 25. Never settle until your good is better and your better is best!

When it comes to teaching, we always need to keep it fresh with kids and think about what will get them excited to learn. Through doing this activity as a warm-up, the students were
excited for the rest of the class and brought a lot of energy to
their ideas and participation.

Midway Teachers: Get Energized to Finish Strong!

Congratulations TEACHERS! You have made it through the first half of the 2013-2014 school year. Hopefully you had a lot of fun, grew as a person, and felt like you made a difference! As we reach this midway point, it can be tough to be as motivated as you were back in August to give your best for your students everyday. Sometimes you feel tired, unmotivated, feel in a rut, run out of creativity, etc. It happens to even the best! I wanted to share some ideas with you that will hopefully provide that motivation and energy to finish the year stronger than you started it. Below is a list things you can do right now to ENERGIZE your thoughts and CREATIVITY for the rest of the school year. Please feel free to add more and always remember why you teach and why you went into the profession. Your students will not remember what you taught them, but they will forever remember how you made them feel...

1. Take a period or two to observe other teachers in your building. I know time is precious as a teacher but it is refreshing to see what others are doing. Who knows, you may have some fun and learn something new you could use in your classroom? It doesn't matter if you have been teaching for 5 years or 20, you can always learn a new trick! 
   
2. Do something fun with the people you work with. As a teacher, especially in a larger district, it is hard to get out and really build relationships with other teachers. Get people together for a dinner one night, ask people to do a Mudd Run, take a trip somewhere. It is relaxing and enjoyable to do something fun with other people you work with! If not the people you work with, join an organization and meet new people that you can build a positive network around.
3. Join Twitter and get involved in a Twitter Chat for educators. Each week, there are over 100 different education chats happening on Twitter where professionals talk and discuss all topics in education. CLICK HERE for a list of all the chats, dates, and times. I am amazed at all the wonderful ideas that are shared and relationships that can be built!
   
4. Go to a conference OR take a class. As you read this, I am sure some of you are yelling at me. Conferences are a great way to meet new people, network, and learn. I am very much looking forward to presenting and attending the PETE & C conference in Hershey, PA in February. Secondly, taking classes can be tedious due to the amount of time we have in a day, but continuing to learn new things is rewarding. It inspires us to get better! Taking a class doesn't just have to be education related; it can be cooking, fitness, learning how to do something new, etc.
5. READ!!! It is easy to come home after work, eat dinner, and plop down on the couch and watch TV. The most successful people in this world read everyday. Feed your brain. It is just as important as taking care of your body. You are what you think and put into your mind! CLICK HERE for a list of the best education books to read. 
6. Call your students parents with positive phone calls. How many of us actually do this? Parents love it and you will feel good about doing it. I challenge you to call five parents a week with a positive phone call. It will make you feel great about what you do.
   
7.  EXERCISE!!! If you aren't exercising at least a 3-5 times a week, you are doing your students a disservice. That sounds unfair but the more you exercise, the more energy and creativity you will have to give to them and your family. I am not going to tell you what to do or how to do it, but as Nike's slogan states, "JUST DO IT."

Thank you for all you do. Teaching is a hard job but a job where you get to impact lives everyday. It is all in your attitude and outlook! Get better everyday and never rest until your good is better and your better is best...

-Rob Donatelli
@DTown_MrD