An EPiC Year

EPiC's first year came to a close today. 

I don't know where to begin...

I guess I will start at the beginning. Our story began in January 2014 when openings were posted for a new school in our district. I wish I had been blogging back then and could see this unfold, but I'll have to go from memory.

I had attended EdCamp that January and met the AMAZING Kellie. She is everything I wanted to be as a teacher when I "grew up." We instantly connected and spent several sessions excitedly sharing our stories and ideas for innovation in the classroom. She filled me in on the new school I had only heard rumors about here and there.  EPiC is essentially the future of education. It is a project based learning pilot school with 1:1 ipads and macbooks in each classroom. To say I was excited was an understatement. I WAS THRILLED. THIS was what I had hoped, dreamed, imagined education could be. It seemed too good to be true. I knew then that I had to go for it. We decided to lead a session later that day together, and the principal that was selected for EPiC happened to attend. I interviewed for the position two weeks later and then had the excruciating wait to find out if I was selected to teach there. I found out that I was selected and would be co-teaching Fourth Grade with Jeni. Best. Day. Ever.

We met in April (I think??) and I walked away from that first meeting so excited for what the next year would bring. Jeni and I share a very similar vision for what teaching and learning can look like. She is the peanut butter to my jelly. We have such similar strengths, but we also compensate for each others weaknesses so well. We are a team. 

How to describe EPiC? Hmm..The video does a better job than I could:

We met all summer and had week long Professional Development sessions to prepare for the upcoming year. The EPiC Creative Team is made up of 12 of the most incredible, talented, innovative, and creative teachers I will ever have the privilege of working with. We challenge one another, build each other up, and constantly work to make each day better than the last. I'm definitely not the best with words on the team, but I'm trying to reflect from my standpoint so here it goes:

The past year was the most challenging year of my teaching career thus far. I have grown so much over these past months that I hardly recognize myself as an educator. It was also the most rewarding year. I can only compare it to running a marathon. We began on a high with excitement and creativity flowing. Everything was running full steam ahead and our students were doing amazing things. With innovation comes a wall. We hit that wall around November. Jeni and I had planned during the Summer and had everything ready to go. That planning ran us to November and we hit our first obstacle. We had been working each day and then going home and planning over facetime each night for 3 hours. Every Sunday from 12-4 we facetimed and planned as well. I think it's hard to keep up with that level of performance. We began to second guess each other and our communication fell flat. This was a rough time. Jeni was my "work wife" and pretty much my other half. It was hard to go through that period of time. Fortunately, we emerged stronger than ever and learned to communicate better. The workload evened out and we got into a new groove. That was the mid-marathon point where you realize that you are half way there! Wait, only half way?? HA! We had a lot of other inspiring moments along the way, and some potholes as well.

Our classroom is centered around student led learning. Our kids schedule their own day and get to pick who they learn from. It's pretty different, and pretty awesome. To explain everything we did this year would take a book. I think it would be best to slowly blog it. Anyway, I sit here today completely exhausted. I just ran a marathon...a non stop year long marathon of teaching, learning, creating, building relationships, pushing the limits of innovation, and building kids capacity for 21st century skills. WOW. We had 50 wonderful kids that made this journey with us. THEY are the ones to write about. I think the biggest thing this year is that it wasn't about the teachers. It was about the kids. The kiddo's were the center of everything we did. Man did they do big things. They emerged from this year so independent. They built, they created, the learned, they told stories, they changed the world. We made incredible gains. Several kids came to us 2 or more grade levels behind grade level. 95% left reading on grade level, and 97% left us on level in Math. WOW! They are the future, and I am so confident that the world will be a better place in their hands. We made an impact and made a real difference in our community. 

I leave this year tired, yes, but in mostly in awe of the growth that took place. These kids and this school were my life for the past year. I had to learn a work-home life balance. I had to learn a lot of humility. I had to learn to let go and let kids take control. 

The things I learned this year:

1. Flexibility is KEY

2. Kids will surprise you. Never underestimate them.

3. Teachers need to move out of the way and let students take the lead.

4. Build relationships with kids. Get to know them, their dreams, their goals, their learning style.

5. GET MESSY! Our room was a disaster zone at the end of each day.

6. Learning looks like a lot of different things. It is LOUD, it is messy.

7. Kids shouldn't have to sit still. In our classroom they MOVE. 

8. Structure doesn't mean doing the same thing each day, it means letting kids know what to expect.

9. Set expectations, but know that kids need different things to be successful.

10. Set goals, work towards them. Don't give up, just adjust.

11. Be willing to be silly. 

12. You can't do it alone. Two heads are better than one. Teamwork is essential.

13. Be open to new ideas. 

14. COMMUNICATE!!!! 

15. "Treat them like adults, but let them be kids." (Jeni)

16. Tell your story.

17. Reflect, reflect, reflect.

18. Don't be afraid to have a crazy idea. And don't be afraid to try it.

19. Get outside, break through boundaries, push limits.

20. Pilots never learn to fly planes by doing worksheets. (Another Jeni-ism!)

I loved this year. 

Beginning of the year: 

50 kids, 2 teachers, 50 ipads, one broken cabinet, 25 explosions, a stained table, hundreds of pictures, 50 bags of goop, one stellar parent helper, some flexibility - creativity - innovation, 4 very full trash cans, buckets of safety goggles, lots of hugs, and a VERY supportive community = an EPiC first day of school. Here goes nothing! I can't wait to see how these kids change my life and the story we get to help write. I'm a happy and blessed girl!

 

Mid Year: "Q: What happens when you give 50 fourth graders a powerful driving question, ability to explore curiosity and the tools to create? A: The makings of an amazing product while Katie and I stand in the corner of the room speechless with tears in our eyes, our kids are incredible! Sneak peek into our project coming soon!"

Jeni summed it up perfectly to End the Year: "Last day of school for EPiC and words do not even begin to explain how I feel. We started the year back in June and worked all through the summer, had a little over 72 hours to move into the building and set up our classrooms before students arrived, and have been running non-stop ever since. From letting go and letting our students amaze us with their abilities & knowledge, to inspiring other teachers to make small changes in their own classrooms, this year has been exhausting, energizing, challenging, and empowering all at the same time. I am looking forward to a month off but excited that this journey is still only starting for me! Happy Summer!"

A Happy Summer it will be. See ya in 5 weeks EPiC!