The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Wanted to put something pretty up for those of you who have this blog on your feed. I apologize for keeping the signature up for so long! Happy Fall!

Find Me On FACEBOOK....gulp!!

I know, I know! I have been avoiding Facebook for several years for lots of reasons......

1. I can't even keep two bathrooms clean at once, how would I ever find time to check Facebook?
2. It's for kids! I like the thought of letting my kids have their own clubhouse, a place to call their own, a place that I am not invited.
3. At the end of the day, I like to hang up my parent ed hat. In all sincerity, I take pride in being very available to my students.  I worry that if I come out on Facebook, that I will be doing parent education in my jammies at all hours of the day.
4. I do NOTHING in moderation. Not. one. thing. I am attracted to bright shiny things and have to force myself to be a grown up sometimes. Does Hazelden have a program for Facebook addicts yet?

With these concerns in mind, I did a thorough investigation about a possible future relationship between me and Facebook.  I asked friends who know me well.  I asked my kids.  I asked small business owners.  I hemmed, I hawed, and I stewed...... Eventually, I sat down between two twenty somethings that held my hand as they walked me through privacy settings and administrative details to my new place.

I am happy to announce that you can find a small part of me on Facebook beginning today!  I have a business page so that all of you who love to know what I am doing and where I am speaking next can keep track of me. I am working hard at making my classroom bigger than the one I occupy in Winona and I am very serious about engaging Minnesotans in a conversation to save childhood.  I am looking for champions of childhood.  I hope you are with me!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katy-Smith/501711756519108

Flipping for Books

I am so excited about Jon Klassen's new book! I will read it to you all on Saturday at the high school at 10:00am!

Time to Say "Goodbye"

 

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” 

― A.A. Milne


I think I have it.  I have been obsessing for awhile about how to say goodbye to my blog.  It is time.  I don't want to say goodbye until I have a place to send you, my loyal readers, to though.  I will have that new place next weekend.  For now, for you and for me, it seems like a great time for some reflection and gratitude. I am truly grateful for the life and career changer being named the 2011 Minnesota Teacher of the Year has been.  I think I just might spend the rest of my life thanking people for the great opportunity to make my classroom so much bigger than I had ever imagined it could be. I have always been curious about limits, especially the ones we put on ourselves.  I had no choice in this but to embrace the advice from Dr. David Walsh.  He told me to "walk through every door that opens for you" and I did.  I am a better person for it and braver indeed.  I have been given a new sense of confidence in the work that I do.  Thank you for that!

Anoka, The Halloween Capital of the World!

I spoke last night in Anoka, MN the Halloween Capital of the World! I didn't mean to take a spooky picture but it fits.  I got all caught up after my talk to a house full of parents with a fellow Winona State University Alumni. By the time I remembered to take a picture for my blog, I was outside laughing with my new pal.  She agreed to let me post whatever showed up on my camera! I love spontaneous, fun folks and Minnesota is full of them. I am so honored to spend time with parents talking about what kids need from the grown ups who love and care about them.  My youngest audience member to date is little Elin, she is ten days old today and I was happy to be the first keynoter in her life! Thanks to Miscelle for organizing a great evening.  I hope to see you all again.

Thank You Aldrich!

What a pleasure to spend the evening with parents, teachers and staff at Aldrich Memorial Nursery School last night.  Some of the teachers had heard me speak last fall in Pine Island and worked hard to make last night happen.  Aldrich is a beautiful facility in Rochester, MN.  A warm, inviting place full of nice people....just the kind of place you would want your child to be. I was thinking on my drive home that I ought to be taking names. When I think about how many people I have asked to be champions for childhood in the last 18 months or so, the list would be impressive.

 

"I Want My Hat Back" was a big hit.  I am starting to feel like that old bear is my friend.  I took the time to find an email address for Jon Klassen and told him how much I love his book and how many Minnesotans do too.  I got the nicest email back from him. I love to read to kids. I believe that parents who love to read pass that love along to their children through hours of lap time and piles of books. It's cuddle up season in Minnesota, a perfect time to snuggle in with a child and a great book.

New York City!

Oh My Goodness!! Here it is, the Big Apple. She is full of sights, sounds, people, and so much fun. We hit the ground running, the class of 2012 and I. We were all torn between crossing things off of our own bucket lists (I need to see Lady Liberty!, I need to shop!, I need to eat a _______!, I need to find David Letterman!) and sticking close together, knowing that we had just two days left to be together.

I joined the group heading to the "Top of the Rock" and was blown away! New York City is massive.  We had so much fun finding places that are part of the American experience, The Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building, Central Park, The Statue of Liberty, and St. Patrick's Cathedral and the list goes on and on. It is fun to run around with teachers.  Every few minutes, no matter who is leading the line, a teacher turns around to count to see if everyone is keeping up and to make sure he or she hasn't lost one.

Our time in NYC included some work for the Pearson Foundation, one of our sponsors. We needed to contribute our thoughts and a recording about 5 Things I Know about education. This was harder than it sounds. We all wanted to honor the work we all do in classrooms.  I wrote about what children need from childhood and supporting parents. As soon as my turn was over, I thought about what I forgot and just needed to let it go. We also had the opportunity to "debrief" with CCSSO (the Council of Chief State School Officers) about our year as Teachers of the Year. More on that later...

I knew I had to visit the 911 Memorial Site. I went with three other teachers. We each told the story of what it was like to teach on that day. The memorial knocked the wind out of me.  It is beautiful and gut wrenching at the same time.  It is hard to explain  how it felt to be there at night running my hands along all those names....so many, many names. The water crashes down and down again and it felt like it was pulling my heart right along with it.  I had been standing there alone for quite some time when my friends reminded me that there was a whole other pool.  I had forgotten, or maybe I never knew, I don't know but there it was. I will carry that experience with me for the rest of my life.

 

 

I was so moved by the story of the survivor tree that the volunteer told us. It was good to leave with a story of hope and promise at the end of a very emotional experience.

 



ETS

We have wrapped up our work at ETS. We took some time to process our year together and identify what we have learned and where we go from here. Five National Teachers of the Year were with us at the conference to facilitate our conversations and inspire us with their stories.

All this learning in a historic, breathtakingly beautiful place called Princeton. I am inspired!

That my big brother was able to join us for lunch was icing on the cake.

Princeton, NJ

It was a beautiful day here in Princeton! The ETS Conference Center is a perfect location for a teacher gathering. Our morning was spent learning with a focus on neuroscience and technology. We had a feisty discussion among us about what is best for kids.

We spent the evening at "Grounds for Sculpture". It was a stunning place for a field trip! The collection of contemporary sculptures was amazing. I took lots of pictures and had so much fun. Dinner at Rat's Restaurant was so, so yummy with the cutest mini deserts I have ever seen.

Pledge Met!

When I signed on to "Read for the Record", I pledged to read to 100 kids this week.  Thanks to Pod 3 and Pod 4 here at Goodview, I made it! Happy Reading Everyone and thanks to all the great kids in Goodview Elementary School for helping me meet my goal.

Reading Mania

We are reading like crazy here at Goodview School in preparation for Jumpstart's "Read for the Record" on Thursday.  Thanks to all the great listeners in Ms. Bodas' and Mrs. Weaver's classes! We love "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad".

Who Me?

I am blogging from my car sitting by the lake. I am posting a picture I took with my phone on this spectacular day in September. Who said you couldn't teach an old dog new tricks? I am ready for the big city now...4 days until NYC!

On The Banks of Plum Creek!

Months and months ago, when I was just saying yes to everything and worrying about it later, I said yes to a very kind email from Doug Nelson to speak to educators in Tracy, MN.  I will give you a minute to open a new page in map-quest and see just how far Tracy is from Winona......I was nearly at the border of South Dakota!! Considering that I start any journey just minutes away from the Wisconsin border, this road trip was not for the faint at heart.  There were plenty of cows to count and I played "Going on a Picnic" with myself just to pass the time.  I was really wondering about the whole deal when I came upon Walnut Grove.  Walnut Grove....a place I dreamed about growing up in with millions of other kids totally in love with the Ingalls family so beautifully written about by dear Laura.

I don't know why I got all teary but I did.  I devoured those books one right after another and loved them all. I got to the museum with 10 minutes to spare before closing time.  In all my years as a Minnesotan, I had never been to Walnut Grove, until this week. It was worth the drive to throw a shout out to Laura in my shiny high heels there, on the banks of Plum Creek.

I also had the opportunity to meet and school a whole cafeteria full of great teachers from the surrounding area at their fall drive-in. I was worried about keeping teachers engaged after a long day at work and bellies full of Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy! I met some really nice folks way out there in Ingalls country.  After I was done, I kinda thought about driving to the Corn Palace....heck, I had come so far already!

Here it is!

This was a highlight of my year.  What fun to record "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad" for the Pearson Foundation's "Read for the Record" event.  Learn more about the wonderful work they do at www.wegivebooks.org.  Enjoy!

Kids In Need Foundation

I was so honored to be asked to keynote at the luncheon celebrating the grand opening of the Teacher Resource Center in Minneapolis.  Kids In Need Foundation stocks warehouses full of school supplies for children all over the country.  Minneapolis is the newest warehouse and it is beautiful.  Before the luncheon began, I was lucky enough to be the inaugural shopper.  It was so fun to shop for goodies for our ECFE program. Teachers all over the state will benefit from the efforts of Dave Smith and Jeanne Mock and their staff as they work together to get supplies into the hands of kids and classrooms who need them. They have so much to be proud of.  Read more about the great work they do at 

http://www.kinf.org/

Before the luncheon began, I spotted the keynoter for the Kids In Need Gala to be held later that evening.  I met Zach Bonner.  When I asked Zach how it came to be that he traveled from Florida to keynote a Gala in Minneapolis, Zach began by telling me "Well, when I was seven, I started a foundation called Little Red Wagon Foundation, to help get school supplies to kids in need". Wow. When I followed up with a question about how he went about finding funding, Zach told me about walking across the United States of America to raise awareness and raise funds!!  This articulate, caring, generous young man blew me out of the water. His is an amazing story! I wish I could have stayed in Minneapolis to hear him speak.

http://www.littleredwagonfoundation.com

Instead, I traveled to Jackson Minnesota (I sang "I'm Going To Jackson" more than once) to meet with Education Minnesota members who live and teach in the area.  Here I am with teachers Rodney Rowe and Cheri Drever. I have met so many great teachers along the way.  They make a great audience at the end of a day. They keep me motivated to gather champions of childhood!

A MN TOY Gathering

I belong to a really cool new club called Minnesota Teachers of the Year.  We had a gathering last week in Bloomington. Meet Brett Smith (1999), Jackie Roehl (current), Derek Olson (2008), Me and Barb Stoflet (2001 and 2002), really great teachers and wonderful storytellers.  I look forward to getting to know them all better.

Jumpstart Read For The Record

Here is the link to my promo for Jumpstart Read for the Record!  I will be reading "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad" to elementary school kids for the rest of the month in preparation for the big day on October 4th.  When you log in on the 4th, it will be me reading the on line version of the book.  How cool is that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_omjYcOfiS0

Anoka Hennepin...Really!

It was such an honor to address the entire early childhood staff at Anoka-Hennepin school district.  When they all gather from the largest district in the state, there are over 100 of them.  I put myself way out on a ledge technology wise. My friends in Winona would have been shaking with nerves for me knowing that I was going to use a power point, a DVD and my iPhone during the presentation.  It seemed pretty seamless to me but I have been known to be a little delusional. We covered a lot of ground and felt more committed than ever to the work we do with families in Minnesota. I got such great encouragement from some amazing folks, one in particular whom I have admired for so long, Beth Yokum, a fellow parent educator was in the audience! I had a great morning and look forward to going back to the Anoka- Hennepin district to speak to parents on October 12th. It is so funny to me as I go to post this entry that for the life of me, I can't make the underlining go away.  In a post where I brag about my technology game, that's pretty funny.  Karma, it will get you every time1

I Left My Heart In Hopkins

I was surprised at how emotional I was returning to my high school to deliver the opening day address to the teaching staff.  It has been years since I have been there.  What used to be Lindbergh High School, my alma-mater is now Hopkins High School, home of the Royals.  You can change the colors, you can add on to your hearts content, but it still felt like home to me.

Before I even started, I was met by a classmate,  Laura Thompson (she has a different last name now but I was so happy to see her that I don't remember it). She has been teaching in the Hopkins School District for 30 years. It was teachers like her that I was there to honor by honoring the many wonderful teachers I had in that district.  I know that many of them would have been surprised to see ME on that stage without a clarinet in my mouth.  I was an emotional hot mess until I knocked the first story into the balcony.  From there, I was on a roll.  I told story after story of lesson plans that still echo with me.  We laughed, we got teary, and we all felt so proud of our profession by the time we left.  I am forever grateful to the Superintendent, Dr. John Schultz for capturing this wonderful moment that I wont soon forget.

I can check another Minnesota Teacher of the Year off of my list of folks I long to meet.  Barb Stoflet teaches in the Hopkins School District and I was so happy to give her a hug!

I was able to have thoughtful conversation with the Early Childhood staff at Hopkins before we were all treated to an amazing picnic lunch served by the superintendent and the school board....YUM!  Becky Allen, the Staff Development Director, was my buddy all morning, thanks!  The very next evening after speaking to the staff and heading out of town, my high school track coach called.  He had heard that I was talking about him......it really is a small world and indeed, you can go home again.