I worry about Education and the direction in which it is headed. I loved teaching, and I think every teacher should give his or her best every single day. I worry that teaching is not attracting enough potential candidates, and that even when they find a position, they might burn out quickly. The stress of being a teacher has never been higher, and it takes a person with more backbone than Stuart Little to step up to the challenge of teaching in the schools and demands of today's world.
After last Wednesday, I am less worried. I made the acquaintance of some terrific and motivated student teachers who will be strong candidates to become the educators of the future. I met them at Dr. Richard Gutkind's class at Point Park University, where I was the guest speaker for the group. I presented some important concepts regarding what I think teachers need to be effective, and the give and take of conversation in the group let me know that this group- every one of these student teachers- is committed to being the best he or she can possibly be.
I LOVE THAT. I love that young people share a passion for teaching (the same one that continues to burn inside my heart, even though my public school career began in 1974 and ended in 2011.) I love that they have already formulated a working philosophy to guide them through their careers. I love that they are thinking of their students as individuals, and asking questions about how to reach each and every student (leaving NO learners behind.) I love their dedication to show up for this class with me as their speaker, after their long day at school, eating their makeshift dinners while I talked, putting their sandwiches down to take a few notes. I love that they LOVE being in the classroom, even though they are guests in that classroom, and that they are dreaming of having their own classrooms. I love that they stayed after to talk to me, and that some of them have emailed me with follow-up questions. I love that they learned that teaching is really all about making relationships, and that they trust me enough to email me. I love that I STILL LOVE TEACHING!!! And teaching student teachers is SO wonderful- especially these student teachers.
I am so fortunate- I have the opportunity to speak at so many universities and colleges, and to see a multitude of student teachers, and no two groups are the same. This group was like a handful of newly minted bright and shiny pennies, and I am so excited for their particular futures. Looks like I don't have to worry about the future of Education quite so much- not with this caliber of teaching candidates.
As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
Contact Dede if you would like her speak to your faculty or student teachers. dederittman@gmail.com
Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading.
Signed copies are available www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics.
I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books. Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self. However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired!
Here is the link the my 15 second Grady Gets Glasses commercial! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=881Z3e34X9s
Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book. I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading. Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com . The website www.gradygetsglasses.com IS UP AND RUNNING!!!. Signed copies ARE available! Coloring books and Grady plush toys are ordered!
Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl
Connect with Dede!
Twitter @dederittman
Periscope @dederittman
Facebook Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn Dede Rittman
Google + Dede Rittman
Tumblr The Bunny Teacher
Instagram dede_rittman
Pinterest Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
Dede is the co-host of The Total Education Q & A, which can be heard on Blogtalk Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor
I think you will agree with me on the topic of today's post: it feels WONDERFUL to know you are making a difference in the life of another person. I felt that way every day of my 37 years in the classroom. But now? Please permit me to explain.
It seems that retirement is taking me places that I never thought I would see. I confess, that I am really not retired from life, just from teaching in the public school. And I also confess that unlike my retired colleagues, I work many hours every day at writing and speaking and social media and my new entrepreneurship. The good news is this: I am back to teaching- certainly not full time- but back in a new kind of classroom.
Loyal readers know that I enjoy speaking to student teachers in universities and colleges, because my book for student teachers offers so much practical advice that colleges just don't have time to teach. I feel happy to be able to assist student teachers with some information that they need. From the notes and comments I have received, I know that my work is making a difference. I missed that part of teaching after 37 years.
Two weeks ago, I wrote a post about reconnecting with Dave Martin, a former student teacher in my school, back in 1988. Dave is now the Director of Education at a charter school in Pittsburgh, and on Friday last, I was privileged to speak to his staff during a professional development day. The staff is quite young, and I was excited to share my modified-for-them "Three C's for Classroom Success- Confidence, Communication, and Creativity" presentation with them, which also included anticipatory sets, closure, empathy, body language, organization, and lots of other "must know" info. From their body language, I believed that my message was making an impact. After the presentation and discussion, I was welcomed and thanked, and the teachers stayed afterward to shake hands in appreciation. To my surprise, two former North Allegheny students are on the faculty - one of my former 10th grade Academic English students, and another young man I knew at NA, but did not have in class. What a wonderful coincidence to see these two young men again, and to discover that they have become teachers! (If you, too, are a teacher, you know that when a former student becomes a teacher, your heart is filled with joy, just hoping that you had a microscopic part in their decision to join the calling.)
I am thrilled to be living my dream, taking my expertise and book, and speaking to young teachers to help them to gain confidence and a better understanding of their importance in the classroom; their impact as role models; and their influence on young lives. Colleges are so busy teaching subject matter and standards that sometimes other important learning goes by the wayside. I am thrilled to be one (of many) who makes a difference for young teachers and student teachers, as I am confident that difference will ripple to infinity.
Anyone can make a difference, not just teachers!! This message is for everyone! Make a positive difference in someone's life today. I promise you will feel great about it. . . I speak from experience.
As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
Contact Dede if you would like her speak to your faculty or student teachers. dederittman@gmail.com
Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading.
Signed copies are available www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics.
I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books. Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self. However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired!
Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book. I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading. Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com . The website www.gradygetsglasses.com IS UP AND RUNNING!!!. Signed copies ARE available! Coloring books and Grady plush toys are ordered!
Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl
Connect with Dede!
Twitter @dederittman
Periscope @dederittman
Facebook Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn Dede Rittman
Google + Dede Rittman
Tumblr The Bunny Teacher
Instagram dede_rittman
Pinterest Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
Dede is the co-host of The Total Education Q & A, which can be heard on Blogtalk Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor
Powerball Fever has been motivating the country for these past few weeks, and finally, the furor ended when three people hit the jackpot this past Wednesday. Television cameras in California and other states showed long lines- stretched around city blocks- of people waiting to buy tickets, dreaming wildly about what they would do with their new found wealth. In this country, the fever, the fervor, and the passion for that which could be gained by winning the Powerball has never been higher.
Don't you wish Education could be like that? As a teacher, I wish that people could be as passionate about all of the good that could be derived from Education, and that they would share their dreams about what they will do when they win their degrees.
Call me crazy, but I think the pursuit of the Powerball jackpot, elusive as it may be, IS similar to the pursuit of Education.
After all, those pursuing an education have wonderful rewards (monetary and others) ready to reap when they complete their degrees or advanced degrees. Both playing the Powerball and working toward a degree require time and waiting - sometimes in long lines, and sometimes spending time writing papers and reading textbooks (which are not desired to be read.) Both the lottery players and those pursuing their educations are dreaming wildly about the successes they will achieve and enjoy when they win their (jackpot) degree.For some, those pipedreams of success help to keep them going! Until the winning ticket and the winning names are announced at graduation, both must be content to dream their dreams. Perhaps most importantly, sometimes the winning ticket belongs to someone else, leaving wishes unfulfilled. The circumstance of losing, either the lottery or the credits, requires the mustering of courage and fortitude to continue studying, reading, writing, and acquiring knowledge, until the prize is awarded.
The chances of winning the lottery are miniscule; furthermore, the player has no control over winning or losing, since lottery games are purely games of chance. I think it is a far better investment to bet on and believe in oneself, and to apply fervor and passion to that which can be controlled by oneself, rather than by chance and longshot odds. Set goals, dream your dream, believe in yourself, and work hard to achieve your desires. I will stake my bet on YOU! You can do it!
Remember what Ben Franklin said: "An investment in knowledge pays the BEST interest." Good luck!
As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading.
Signed copies are available www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics.
I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books. Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self. However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired!
Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book. I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading. Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com . The website www.gradygetsglasses.com IS UP AND RUNNING!!!. Signed copies ARE available! Coloring books and Grady plush toys are ordered!
Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl
Connect with Dede!
Twitter @dederittman
Periscope @dederittman
Facebook Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn Dede Rittman
Google + Dede Rittman
Tumblr The Bunny Teacher
Instagram dede_rittman
Pinterest Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
Dede is the co-host of The Total Education Q & A, which can be heard on Blogtalk Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor
Thirty years ago, a terrific young man named Dave Martin was a student teacher in my building, under the watchful guidance of my friend and excellent (and award-winning) teacher, named Kathy Coll. Kathy and I were the 9th and 10th grade English teachers on the Impact Team, a special program for challenged learners, so we spent a lot of hours together planning, strategizing, and discussing "our kids." Dave quickly became a part of the team, and when Kathy was busy with her wonderful Student Council projects, he spent some planning periods with me, both observing and discussing teaching strategies. I still remember how sad the students and Kathy and I were to see him leave when he completed his student teaching semester, as he had become a true team member and part of the staff.
A few years later, and long before email and the Internet, I received a desperate letter from
Dave. He had secured a 10th grade English teaching position somewhere near the "big woods" of northern rural Pennsylvania, and his new district was using the same book as North Allegheny. He had a big problem- no teacher guides were available, and he had no resources. "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE" he wrote, "Send me your stuff!!" Kathy and I discussed his terrible predicament, and my quest to help Dave began. I spent hours methodically going through my filing cabinets, clipping stacks of papers together, along with handwritten notes for each unit. Handouts and quizzes and tests and vocabulary words were shared, enough to take him through the entire school year. (If you have never been a teacher, these papers represent thousands of hours of creative work and typing, since we were moving from the ditto age to the Xerox age back then.)
12 Angry Men, Julius Caesar, a short story unit, a nonfiction unit, poetry and creative writing, and expository writing, along with a teacher-created SAT prep unit were stuffed into numerous brown envelopes and sent to Dave, who rejoiced upon receiving the teacher-care packages. He sent a lovely thank you note, and then we lost contact. Kathy and I wondered how he was faring, but he had moved on. We were sure he was teaching somewhere wonderful and being successful.
And then Dave found me on LinkedIn. Isn't the Internet wonderful?
We had a great conversation last Friday, and I discovered that, indeed, Dave has been successful, as both a teacher and an administrator in several districts, and that he is currently working to help to improve a charter school in an administrative position. he talked about the practices he learned during his tenure with Kathy and the Impact Team, especially regarding accommodations for students with special needs. We had a practice in our building that teachers would submit their written accommodations into a "special ed" mailbox, ensuring both teachers and the students were on the same page regarding expectations and work. Dave shared with me that when he got his first teaching job, he handed his lesson plans and accommodations to the special education teacher, who asked "What's this?" "My accommodations and plans for our shared students," he answered. The teacher could not believe his initiative and work ethic, but he told me "That's what I learned to do at North Allegheny, so of course, I became what I learned."
As our conversation was winding down, Dave said something to me that touched my heart, and that one simple statement is what prompted me to write this post. He said, "Dede, just think how many students' lives I touched in a positive way because of what you and Kathy taught me." (Kathy, I know you are crying, and that is OK. I cried, too. It's a good thing we hung up after that.)
Teachers and reader friends, this post is not about Kathy or me, or even Dave. It is about YOU and the impact you make every single day, reminding you that your influence will continue . . . ad infinitum. You see, a teacher's influence never stops, which is why teachers must do the very best job possible every minute of every day. Happy 2016! I hope it is your BEST year yet!
ADDENDUM: I completed this post and sent it off to Dave and Kathy, and I need to share an irony of ironies. Turns out Dave had just finished telling the lesson plan story - the same one I told in this piece - to his Charter School principal, when my message reply to him on LinkedIn popped up! And for the record, Dave has already paid his lesson plan gifts forward, sharing ALL of his files with his replacement teacher when he moved to administration. Little ripples can become large waves, friends.
I published this piece with permission from those whose names appear in this post.
Read Dave's post ACCEPTABLE HEARTBREAK- all about teaching- at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/acceptable-heartbreak-david-martin?forceNoSplash=true
As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading.
Signed copies are available www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics.
I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books. Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self. However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired!
Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book. I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading. Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com . The website www.gradygetsglasses.com IS UP AND RUNNING!!!. Signed copies ARE available! Coloring books and Grady plush toys are ordered!
Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl
Connect with Dede!
Twitter @dederittman
Periscope @dederittman
Facebook Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn Dede Rittman
Google + Dede Rittman
Tumblr The Bunny Teacher
Instagram dede_rittman
Pinterest Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
Dede is the co-host of The Total Education Q & A, which can be heard on Blogtalk Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor
And so a new year begins, crammed with resolutions that will be abandoned before a week's time has passed. I can think of one resolution that is so much easier to keep than "losing 50 pounds" or "stopping smoking." It is health-related, but not in the way you are thinking. My idea is all about emotional health, and it is one resolution that could start a great revolution - of people connecting in person again.
Take a look around you, wherever you happen to be. Couples are together, people are traveling in families, attending parties, and seemingly congregating in packs, yet so many people are so preoccupied with their phones and other electronic devices that they have lost the ability to connect on a personal level. This even happens in restaurants and family
meal time. I believe that this umbilical cellular phenomenon with eyes glued to a screen is a detriment to our overall society.
People have a basic need to connect on a personal level. Human interactions help all of us to experience emotional highs (and lows), inclusion and well-being, as well as and feelings of trust, empathy, love, acceptance, and loyalty. Most people want and like to be looked in the eye during a conversation; electronic device usage has subtracted eye contact from the equation of many interactions, creating feelings of unworthiness in some individuals. I read a study a few weeks ago about children and their parents, and the number one desire stated by the children was this simple wish: that parents put their cell phones away and give their children their undivided love, attention. That does not really sound like too much of a demand.
Let's get back to connecting with each other. . . through eye contact, spoken words, written words, and time together - without cellular devices in our hands. I think reconnecting with others will make ALL of us happier in 2016. Happy New year, Friends! Wishing you much love, happiness, and success in 2016! Dede
As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books. Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self. However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired!
Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book. I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading. Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com . The website www.gradygetsglasses.com IS UP AND RUNNING!!!. Signed copies ARE available! Coloring books and Grady plush toys are ordered!
Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl
Connect with Dede!
Twitter @dederittman
Periscope @dederittman
Facebook Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn Dede Rittman
Google + Dede Rittman
Tumblr The Bunny Teacher
Instagram dede_rittman
Pinterest Rittman Publishing, LLC ®
Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading.
Signed copies are available www.dederittman.com
Dede is the co-host of The Total Education Q & A, which can be heard on Blogtalk Radio at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor
