The Schoenblog

Today was day three of my school new year. Tomorrow is freshman orientation, and on Friday, I meet my new students. I’m excited for the new year and for the changes I’m planning in my classroom and teaching.

But I’m also excited for something else: there’s change coming. In the first two days, I felt it everywhere. From conversation with administrators, to our edcamp unconference day, to the opening assembly and keynote. It was a very different start to the school year.

It focused on learning, positivity, relationships, and culture. We discussed meaningful change, disrupting the norm, and reflecting on growth. And it left me excited to move forward and get started.

I wanted to write tonight to share some quick thoughts about why these days excited and inspired me and share two great experiences that started our school year.

#EdcampOssining

Last year, I ran our first ever Edcamp PD with #EdcampOHS, a building-level day of unconference style learning. We adapted the Edcamp model for 100 educators, and it was a real success. I wrote all about it in Making Professional Development Matter with the Edcamp Model and Life After Edcamp: What Comes Next?

This year, two district administrators teamed up to create an opt-in edcamp day to start the school year. They asked for input back in June but I was uninvolved in the real planning. That’s why it was so rewarding, inspiring, and meaningful to see 50+ educators choose to attend during the last day of summer vacation and to see a wonderfully planned event. Sessions focused on vocabulary, data, social media, Google Classroom, SIOP, collaboration, and so much more. A blank session board quickly filled up with 20 different topics and conversations for educators of all contents and age levels.

In addition to meaningful conversations and learning, many Tweeted and backchanneled throughout the day, sharing our work with the world. It was an awesome experience and I’m inspired by the leaps we’ve taken in designing meaningful professional development.

I’m looking forward to helping to plan more of it now that we’re back in school and to working to evaluate these models to determine their impact in our teaching and students’ learning.

#EdcampOssining session board is filling up! pic.twitter.com/sb1ezqdn1j

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) August 29, 2016

It’s Going to Be the Best School Year Ever!

For years, we started school with an opening assembly, bringing the whole district to the high school auditorium for long speeches. In a hot and crowded room, with so much to do, this rarely felt like the most productive or inspiring of starts.

For a few years, this changed to building level activities and prep, but this year the dreaded assembly was back on the schedule. I heard rumblings that it was planned to be something special, and it really, really delivered.

Our Superintendent, Ray Sanchez, started by looking for teachers who were missing in an awkward moment where the audience isn’t sure what’s happening yet. He told us he had to find them, directed the district photographer (@MrQPhoto) to follow and record it live, and raced down the aisle. As he did, the video below started playing.



It was fun and funny and showed thought, humility, and positivity. I think it was the first time I’ve started a school year laughing. And laughing in the room with 300 other educators, most who are never in the same room or even building together, was powerful.

The video was followed by remarks from union and board of education presidents, but they were short and purposeful. Then David Kirkland, Director of the NYU Metro Center for Research on Equity, took the stage for a powerful talk on students, equity, and relationship. We wrapped up the morning with student performances and continued on our day.

Beyond access and opportunity, Ss need hope and healing. Really powerful talk from @davidekirkland #OssiningPride pic.twitter.com/F7p9tEkc2b

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) August 30, 2016

And a day later I’m still thinking about it all. About culture. About change. And about tomorrow.



The start the school year is always a new challenge but it’s rewarding. It’s a change to start over, to build on successes, grow from failures, and impact students once again. Let’s get started.

What was your most memorable or meaningful start to a school year?

It’s the start of my summer vacation. On one hand, work is the last thing that should be on my mind. But on the other hand, this week was #ISTE2016 and #ModelSchools, two conferences that dominated my Twitter feed in the best way. I didn’t even follow the hashtags specifically, but because so many of the people I follow were involved in these events, I lived vicariously through social media.

And at first, I loved it. I was sad not to attend, but the ability to hop on Twitter or even Facebook this week and to spend as much time as I wanted scrolling, clicking, and retweeting was oddly relaxing at first. I saw so much great content: announcements from edtech companies, connections between my #PLN, and so much networking, collaboration, and learning. I was (and still am) jealous of the attendees of these great events.

But then, my brain started to hurt. I’m all for summer learning (I even wrote all about My Summer of Learning), but I was quickly overwhelmed from hundreds of miles away. Every time I refreshed, there were dozens of new Tweets, pictures, and ideas to learn from--my mind was racing a mile a minute, and was soon on overload. To all of you that attended, I wonder how you can relate to and overcame the sensation.

I needed a break to pause, relax, and unplug, but this soon turned into an opportunity for unconscious reflection. My realization was no surprise but is still an important reminder: It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the world of connected education, social media, and educational technology. As technology connects us in new ways and allows us to learn like never before, it’s hard not to get caught in the trap of the shiny and the new sometimes. And even when can, there’s just so much good out there, too.

Start With Why

For me, this was a reminder to revisit my why. In Start With Why, Simon Sinek argues that “People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe. ” He also writes, “All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.”

Technology is the what and the how but never the why. It’s a tool that can have tremendous impact on teaching, learning, and relationships but needs to be used with purpose.

With all of this in mind, here’s my reminder to myself and my advice to anyone struggling to find the balance: always but learning and students first. It seems so obvious, but with the bureaucracy and constant new in education, it’s also easy to be distracted from.

Thanks, Steve Wheeler, for creating this image at steve-wheeler.blogspot.com.

Focus, Grasshopper

For me, this means deciding what’s important to my beliefs about education and finding the rights tools to support that vision. For example, last year I wrote about 5 Big Shifts for My Classroom in 2015. One of those shifts was creation: I wanted students to actively create learning experiences and products. I believe that this creation can transform learning, empowering learners with choice and creativity, and developing essential skills through our English class. It’s a big idea, so the instructional shifts and tech tools I chose this year needed to support it and help make it concrete. We used tools like WeVideo, YouTube, Blogger, and Piktochart to film, create, collaborate, and share in new ways.

Meme from diylol.com

Today is June 1 and there are 23 days until my school year officially ends. But as most teachers will tell you, having summers “off” is the big misnomer of the teaching world. Whether it’s summer jobs, lesson planning and reflection, professional development, or the millions of other ways that teacher spend the months of July and August, vacation isn’t always the best descriptor.

For me, this summer will be spent learning. A lot of it will be enjoyable. Some of it will be by choice. Much of it relates to my many hats of student, teacher, and coach. Most of all, though, I want to make it meaningful, and for that I need your help.

I want to--and need to--spend my summer learning and growing in positive and reflective ways. I want to evolve my teaching and thinking about education next year. I have questions, and I need your suggestions. I want to rethink a lot of my classroom policies--late work and student accountability, in particular. I’m also struggling to wrap my head around a shift in grading and what grades mean, with the idea of moving away from the point-value economy that dominates too much of education. These are just two of the big ideas on my mind.

I want to do more to innovate, build, create, and disrupt--on my own, with and for my students, and my teachers. And to do it right, I need to read, to learn, and to reflect. I need to read and do things that make me excited about education.

Summer Reading

This isn’t really an article about must read education or professional development books. If that’s what you’re looking for, I recommend Summer Reading List: 5 Books on Professional Development from Ross Cooper on Edutopia and The Top 8 Professional Reads for Educators 2016 (plus more) by Craig Kemp. They are great lists that I hope to come back to again and again.

This article is about my goals and inspiration. Maybe it'll inspire you and hopefully you can inspire me.

I’m a collector. Part English teacher and part nerd, I have a compulsive habit of buying books, and so many of them sit unread. This summer, I’m going to change that with the goal of reading books that help me rethink my professional practice and work with positivity. I want to get excited about education and my part in it.

To start off, I plan to order Kids Deserve It! by Todd Nesloney and Adam Welcome and Launch: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student by John Spencer and AJ Juliani. Both are new releases that have me excited.

In no particular order, here are some of the books in my current to-read pile:

• The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros
• Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
• Teach like a Pirate by Dave Burgess
• Uncommon Learning by Eric Sheninger
• Start With Why by Simon Sinek

I’ve read articles and posts from these authors, been in Twitter conversations with many, and explored some of the books, but I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t read them fully. This summer, I’ll change that.

I also want to explore some of the books from the Hack Learning and Corwin Connected Educator serieses (check out the Corwin bundles from Fall 2014 or Spring 2015).

I Need Your Help!

Will I read all dozen-or-so books listed above? Maybe. I hope so. But I find that writing about it here creates an expectation in my mind and solidifies the intent--when I share it here, it’s more likely to happen.

Add this reading to my doctoral research and classes, administrative internship hours, a few conferences, and my regular reflection and planning on my school year, and it adds up to quite a summer.

My goal is to grow my passion, evolve my practice, and focus on the positive in the world of education, edtech, and innovation, so that I can come back next school year better prepared to make change and to be excited to do so.

Every week or two, I’ll share my thoughts on what I’m reading--whether it’s scholarly research or some of the books listed above--and ask for your thoughts, too.

I hope you’ll join me on this adventure, or at least help steer me in the right direction.

What are your plans for summer reading and growth? Where should my reading and learning begin? Share your ideas and recommendations in the comments or on Twitter @MrSchoenbart

I’ve been pretty happy with my writing lately. I have a list of ideas for potential blogs on a Google Doc, and usually one rises to the top. Some weeks, it’s so clear what I want to say, and even when it’s not, my notes or teaching usually spark something worth writing about. Sometimes, though--like today, I’m just stuck. I hit the wall of writer’s block and just couldn’t figure out what I had that was worth sharing today. A half a dozen ideas, two different series of posts, and a question or two are all circling through my digital to-write pile, but nothing seemed just right, yet.

Like usual, I turned to my #PLN for support. Chris Nesi suggested I write about what I do when I have writer’s block. One thing led to another, and my notes for a rambling post about how to handle writer’s block brought back to one focus: purpose. Why do I write? Why should educators write? And what should we write about? And like most things in education, it all goes back to goals and purpose.

Calvin & Hobbes comic strip from 1995

3 Reasons Educators Should Blog

If you’re already blogging or sharing your classroom in a different way, you probably have more to add to my list. If not, think about what you might have to share. While there are many reasons I like to write about my teaching and work, my 3 best reasons are explored below. When I’m stuck without a topic or focus, rather than just writing for writing’s sake, here are the reasons I try to come back to.

1. For Reflection and Growth

Writing about my teaching, student’s learning, personal growth, and professional life makes me a better teacher and a better writer. It forces me to organize my ideas, reflect on my practice and experiences, and think in new ways. While I hope that my readers find value in my writing, more and more posts are about my own reflection. For me, it’s cathartic and powerful to see growth unfold on the page.

In past years, I would intend to take notes on a lesson, revise a unit, or keep better track of model student work. Sometimes this worked, but more often something else got in the way. Between grading, planning, student meetings, and other professional responsibilities, it was hard to make the time. It’s still hard to make the time, but having a platform to share these reflections--even if only for myself--makes it so much more real and meaningful. These are the notes and messages that I can come back to again and again to always grow and do better.

2. To Recommend and Inspire

No teacher has a perfect lesson every day. But we all have those great days, inspirational ideas, and transformative practices. Whether it’s the activity you revised, new implementation of technology, or a really successful class discussion, the best learning rarely happens by accident. We have to plan for success with intent and critical thought. So when the lesson works (and even when it doesn’t), share it so that others can learn from the experience.

When I start a new unit or approach an unfamiliar text, the first thing I do is search Google for inspiration. I look at web sites and blogs, ask questions on Twitter, and e-mail my colleagues. Instead of inventing brand new content and units, I want to make better use of my time and technology and #GoOpen by adapting from the great stuff that already exists. I hope that by sharing my challenges and successes, lessons, student work, and edtech recommendations, I can inspire others to do the same.

2. Share Your Awesome

I’ve used this phrase before and stand by it. Educators need to share their awesome. It’s not just about sharing with other teachers, but about telling the stories of our students, schools, and classrooms. Technology--whether it’s blogging, social media, or something else--allows us to make connections and open our classroom doors like never before, and to share what we do with the world. When we do something awesome (and we all do), it deserves to be shared with an authentic audience.

Too much of the story of education is told from skewed, displaced, and inexperienced perspectives. The more educators take control over the narrative of education, the more power the story has. Information today is transmitted around the world with a click and virtually anyone can create everything; the power of communication and branding has never been more powerful. I want to tell my story with transparency, honesty, and clarity to share our awesome.



As educators, we need to always remember our purpose and consider our impact. Whether it's in a conversation with a student, a lesson plan, or a piece of feedback, purpose matters. In blogging, too, I think it's important to step back once in a while and reflect about the why.

For more on the whys and hows of blogging in education, a quick Google search reveals hundreds of articles. They range from lists of blogs to follow to how to guides, and so much more. For more inspiration, I've incorporated Sylvia Duckworth's awesome sketchnotes on blogging. Take a look at her Sketchnote Flickr and website--they're great.

I NEED this furniture for my classroom!! @KItweets @CorbettInc @sarah_mae_mc #EDnado pic.twitter.com/dhFy0YzqZd

— Wendy Morales (@fabhistory) October 10, 2015

Can I have 30 of these please? #EDnado @CorbettInc pic.twitter.com/f3Ku3SMABX

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) October 10, 2015

I think I'm going to bring a gallon of white board paint to school one day and paint my walls. And everything else. #edumatch #EDnado

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) October 11, 2015

Conference room with walls to write on #ednado @CorbettInc #edumatch pic.twitter.com/nrvo690mYx

— Regina Schaffer (@reginaschaffer) October 11, 2015

How can learning spaces empower students, inspire creativity, and support collaboration? How can I change my learning space to best serve my students?

Take a look at the amazing space at @CorbettInc for #EDnado pic.twitter.com/fkV4z3AulE

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) October 10, 2015

And here is some of what they said:

• I write slowly and i need time to take notes
• I try to try my best
• Sometimes I can be shy but sometimes I can be very outgoing. I have a kind of changing personality.
• They can click "Allow" for the popup to go away at the top of the screen when watching videos in fullscreen
• I sometimes need extra time to complete tests and assignments
• I re-read the same book over and over again.
• i don't like it when teacher r make me get a pass even if im 1 mintue late
• I don't speak much in class.
• i lose focus easily
• Im not the the fastest reader or writer.
• One thing i wish my teacher knew is that sometimes I get too overwhelm, stress out that i get frustrated.
• im not really good essays, i honestly dont read books outside of school so sometimes i tend to slack on that.
• I am not the best test taker.
• I absorb information very quickly but I am very bad at just memorizing vocabulary.
• I need help structuring my sentences and replacing everyday words with big fancy words.
• That I love working with my friends and that when I work with them the assignments actually get done.
• My essays never truly express my train of thought, and my opinions.
• I don't like celebrating my birthday. 
• I don't have a phone
• I can sometimes be easily distracted if the class becomes too much fun
• I can get a bit out of task sometimes I'm a very hyper kid. Try and challenge me to do my best work.
• I am also NOT just a mini-version of my brother.
• I try to do good in my classes.
• I play a lot of sports and i am very busy 

The responses ranged from obvious and simple to surprising and deep. And some were funny. Most were honest. I almost changed my mind about this post and resisted the urge to share students’ responses as there was something private to it. With anonymity, though, I decided the power of #IWishMyTeacherKnew was worth sharing, if only to inspire other teachers to ask the question, too. Now I know more than I did before, and I won’t forget it.

This weekend went out with an education-filled bang, as I, along with hundreds of other teachers, devoted the last precious days of summer to learning and connecting. While I envy the late sleepers, relaxers, beach bums, and binge watchers, who were able to soak in those last few hours of their respective vices, I was thrilled to have a weekend filled with #edcamps.

#edcampMville was on Saturday, August 29. If you’re reading this blog or following me on Twitter, you probably know that already. You can even follow the whole event via Storify here. But I’ll let you in on a secret: I was nervous. I was working with people I didn’t know all that well, it was only a half day, and at the end of summer--and at a college, not a school district! Would anyone even show up? And in the end, I realized, everything I worried about and feared turned out to be our strengths.

Love all this learning in session two at #edcampMville!! pic.twitter.com/Cubw1gSnDF

— edcampMville (@edCampMville) August 29, 2015

Great day at Google NY with #gegnj first lesson plan jam! #njed #edchat #edtech join us! https://t.co/nv7TVwbjTk pic.twitter.com/HgxIEe04bt

— Chris Aviles (@TechedUpTeacher) August 10, 2015

A few weeks ago, Richard Byrne put out a call for guest blog posts at http://www.freetech4teachers.com. I proposed a post about how my students' learning has changed since we started creating video and content. I'm really proud of the post and my work this year and was very excited to see it featured yesterday. Thanks for the opportunity, Richard.

Find the post here. As always, I'd love your comments and thoughts.

A short post today. I'll be away most of the weekend and wanted to keep up my streak.

I'm a bit of a contradiction with planning and organization. I can be super organized and well planned with somethings and am a total mess otherwise. You don't want to try to find something on my desk, for example, but there is one right place for every file in my Drive and every piece of work a student submits. I like procedures and expectations, and I like backwards design. It's tough to teach my students unless I know what I want them to know, do, and learn. You have to know where you're going before you figure out how to get there.

However, sometimes you just need to adapt, adjust, and revise. Sometimes to meet student needs. Sometimes because it feels right. Sometimes because it's just fun.

My next few posts are going to be about times that my students have inspired me to change my lessons and teaching for the better, when their excitement or interest has made me find a better way. This just happened this week.

This week, I introduced argument in my tenth grade class to prepare for the Common Core NYS Regents task 2, which is an argument essay. I had planned a fairly clinical overview of argument: what makes an effective argument?; models and examples; mock debates. Still, the lesson was more about me than the students.

That changed when students started their mock debates. I introduced three SAT-essay prompts, and in groups students prepared arguments and debated. We used polleverywhere.com for students to choose the winner. I planned it as a basic intro but it was fun. The students were creative, innovative, and prepared. When one student took his self-proclaimed "power-stance" in front of the class, started his speech, and opened a slide show of artwork to support his point, I was having fun. And so were they. Even better, they showed an effective start to developing claims and counter claims and supporting them with creative and fun evidence.

After this student finished, I had a realization--I WANT TO FILM THESE! I thought about pulling out my iPhone but thought it would throw off the work in the moment. I wanted more preparation, thought, and even some production. And so was born the Argument Video Assignment...and I got excited and re-inspired by my students and teaching. Next week, I'll share the results.

I started by saying this would be a short post. Oh, well. Next time.