Blogging with Blair!

We have to discuss the type of access students are receiving in each school district throughout our country.  In my school district, we are constantly sharing student achievement data and creating school improvement plans to address the varying needs. This a good thing. We should be doing that. However, something happens when review individual schools within the system. It's clear some schools receive more access than others. Why? This leads me to my main question. No judgement! No need to hide how good or how terrible you might have it at your school... just share. In your opinion, what contributes to your students' success?  Image Created via Google Slides by me As math educator, my mind jumps to the following follow-up questions and topics: Calculators: Do the student tend to have their own calculators? Does your school have a loaner program? Does every student have access to a calculator in class? Do your students have to share calculators?  Devices: Do your students...

Pictured: A Screenshot from my Twitter Assignment (Image by: Me) In 2016, I created my twitter page to support students outside of the classroom. I tweeted reminders about homework, upcoming assessments, school closings, and other useful tips or jokes to keep the math energy alive online. I also showcased fun lesson activities and any fun extra-curricular activities like math competitions or other clubs.  Now, in 2021, I had the opportunity to rejuvenate my twitter and start branding myself as an active digital citizen. In the beginning, I spent time cleaning up my space. I changed my twitter handle from MCPSBlair to BlairJJohnson. Since my first name is also the name of a school in my district, I had to switch it up. I was very proud to be able to use my full name as it appears in my work e-mail address. That never happens. I always have to include a number or a special character. But not this time.  In addition to the name change. I had to edit my bio and profile. I changed ...

I am reading a book called Digital Leadership  (Sheninger, 2019). To be honest, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much. It's for class! It can't possibly be thaaaaaaat great. Well, I love it. It's taken me through quite a few emotions.  Phase 1: Who am I? Is any of this even real? When I began reading the assigned chapters, I was mind-blown. Sir Sheninger knows his stuff. At first, I was reading and responding as if I wasn't alone in my living room. If I had a dollar for every "that's what I'm saying" or "I know that's right", I'd be pretty set to order delivery for all 12 of my classmates right now. Anyways, Sheninger had me at "schools must prepare kids to do anything, not something". That was only page 3. Then, he shared a quote from Mark Prensky (2001) that says: Pictured: Quote taken out of Digital Leadership  (Image created by Me via Canva) Honestly, the quote had me walking around in deep though for a solid five m...

You name it. I've signed up for it. I am a textbook participant. Not only do I sign up for everything relevant to my career, I have the nerve to be an active participant and go HARD on all things. Pros? I've experienced plenty in a short period of time. I've taken on 3 different leadership roles in 6 years. I've attended multiple professional development opportunities offered within my school district and by outside vendors dedicated to education, math curriculum, or leadership. I've met plenty of wonderful people with the common goal of student achievement with equity in mind. I am a lifelong learner  dedicated to this work.  Cons? I'm drowning. I'm tired. I'm busy. I'm "Ms. Blair Johnson" or "Ms. Johnson" for more hours in my day than I am just "Blair".  I am NOT complaining. I promise. I'm just saying, I need to learn a lesson in recognizing my limits and finding balance in my professional and personal life. In th...

I am very new to this world of central services. As you might have noticed in my "About Me" or in a previous blog post, I was a teacher. A math  teacher. A middle school   math Teacher. I loved it. In this post, I'm going to talk a little bit about my experiences a teacher and how that led me to my new job as an instructional specialist.  When I was a Tiger: During undergrad, I studied math and science with a focus in middle school education. I loved my experiences throughout the middle school program. I was constantly in different middle schools observing, leading activities, teaching mini-lessons, and working with different students. During my student teaching year, I had the opportunity to teach 8 weeks of 7th grade science and 8 weeks of 6th grade math - it was AWESOME. I learned so much from my mentors and the students. Additionally, I don't know how science teachers do it. All the preparation that goes into getting ready for a lab is plenty to do, on top of the...

Pictured: Assassination Classroom Manga Series Covers (Image by Good Reads ) During the earlier part of the pandemic, I stumbled across a new interest: anime!  The Backstory: In Fall of 2020, I asked my students to create a virtual locker using Google slides. Of course, I modeled my expectations for the assignment by sharing my own version of it (pictured). As a result, I received a large variety creative and thoughtful submissions. I learned so much about my students and was able to revisit "lockers" before meeting with a specific period or student. It was a great way to remind myself of the students' interests and activities outside of the classroom.  Pictured: Screenshot of My Virtual Locker (Image by Me via Google Slides) After browsing through all 90 lockers, I found a common theme: anime . I kept seeing images for Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, Attack on Titan, and so much more. At first, I had no idea or ever heard of these titles. However, I was so excited about the stu...