April is School Library Month

School Library Month is the American Association of School Librarians' celebration of school librarians and their programs. Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in transforming learning. The 2019 theme is Everyone Belongs @ Your School Library and the 2019 spokesperson is Dav Pilkey “Growing up with learning challenges in school after being diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, I’ve been fortunate to have had the encouragement and support of my parents who helped me to associate reading with fun. I have fond memories of going to the library with my mom who had a radical idea; she let me pick whatever book I wanted to read. I read lots of books and magazines that made me laugh out loud, which led me to discover many other books in different genres. Reading without judgment was a turning point in my life and that is what made me a lifelong reader. Over the years I’ve had the privilege to have met many committed librarians whose passion and dedication to literacy is life changing. I’m honored to be this year’s AASL ambassador for school libraries and an advocate for everything they do to make the world a better place.” Watch and share a new video from Dav on the importance of school libraries and reading.

Reading gives you superpowers!

   

Week of the Young Child 2018

This week is the Week of the Young Child. It is an annual celebration of children and early childhood education. It is hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Below are some fun suggestions to do with your children and students. Share and post ideas and pictures using the hashtag #woyc18. Enjoy!

Music Monday: Sing, dance, celebrate, and learn! Through music, children develop math, language, and literacy skills - all while having fun and being active!

Tasty Tuesday: Healthy eating and fitness at home and school! This fun, food-themed day is more about than just cheese and crackers. Cooking together connects math with literacy skills, science, and more. With the rise in childhood obesity, you can encourage healthy nutrition and fitness habits at home and in the classroom.

Work Together Wednesday: Work together, build together, learn together! When children build together they explore math and science concepts and develop their social and early literacy skills. Children can use any building material - from a fort of branches on the playground to a block city in the classroom, or a hideaway made from couch pillows at home.

Artsy Thursday: Think, problem solve, create! Children develop creativity, social skills, and fine motor skills with open-ended art projects where they can make choices, use their imaginations, and create with their hands. On Artsy Thursday, celebrate the joy and learning children experience when engaged in creative art making. Use any materials - from crayons to paint, clay to crafts!

Family Friday: Sharing family stories! Engaging and celebrating families is at the heart of supporting our youngest learners. NAEYC applauds family members' role as young children's first and most important teachers.

SXSW EDU Conference 2018

I am SO excited to get to attend the South By Southwest (SXSW) Education 2018 conference in Austin, TX. The SXSW conference "empowers a community of engaged stakeholders to advance teaching and learning." I will have a chance to network and learn from and with educators, leaders, business, and community individuals who all want to help our children and their futures. I will have a chance to participate in all my passions: early learning, equity, leadership, technology, and literacy!! I can't wait to share what I've learned!

Racial Equity Work in FWISD

I am so honored to be a part of the spring cohort of the Affiliate Program at Pacific Educational Group as a part of the Racial Equity work in Fort Worth ISD and Courageous Conversations. I will be working with a small group of educators in FWISD. I am also looking forward to the Hands on Peace Event tomorrow and to the Racial Equity Summit for Fort Worth on March 24th.

The Importance of a Quality Early Childhood Education

As a former Pre-K teacher and Librarian and current FWISD Coordinator, and as an Ed.D. in Early Childhood student, I am a HUGE proponent of a quality early childhood education!! It is the foundation for our children. I am so proud of the district I work in and our wonderful Superintendent, Kent P. Scribner, Ph.D. and of our Mayor, Betsy Price, as we work together as a community to ensure ALL students are prepared for college, career, and community leadership by starting with quality Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms and education. This important foundation builds up to reading on grade level by 3rd grade, which builds up to math/Algebra readiness in middle and high school, which builds up to college, career, and community leadership.

This is a link to a YouTube video of Dr. Scribner and Mayor Price as they visit a Pre-K classroom in FWISD and as they discuss the importance of early childhood education.

100X25 is FWISD's literacy initiative where our goal is 100% of all 3rd graders reading on grade level by 2025. This is a link to more information on our district webpage.

I'm so proud of my school district and community as we move forward working together to help our children!

2017 - Hopefully the Year I become Dr. Cissy L. Mattingly

Welcome to a new year! My friends/colleagues and I at Walden University are working hard to hopefully finish our research and our dissertations this year and graduate. I wish all my friends the best of luck as we work our way towards finishing this leg of our journey together!!

#DisruptRacism

Yesterday I attended and participated in the Border Crossers Training on Talking About Race in the Classroom. It was a powerful training and I am excited to share with the Racial Equity Committee in Fort Worth ISD as we move forward as a District in supporting the success of ALL Fort Worth ISD students and ensuring all students are prepared for College, Career, and Community Leadership.

One quote in particular resonated with me and I wanted to share:

"When those who have power to name and to socially construct reality choose not to see you or hear you, whether you are dark-skinned, old, disabled, female, or speak with a different accent or dialect than theirs, when someone with the authority of a teacher, say, describes the world and you are not in it, there is a moment of psychic disequilibrium, as if you looked in to a mirror and saw nothing. Yet you know you exist and others like you, that this is a game with mirrors. It takes some strength of soul—and not just individual strength, but collective understanding—to resist this void, this nonbeing, into which you are thrust, and to stand up, demanding to be seen and heard."

-Adrienne Rich, "Invisibility in Academe"

Here is a link to Border Crossers if you are interested in learning more. Here are two articles we read for the training as well as a link to a video. 

Thank you, Cissy

#DisruptRacism  #TalkingRace  @bordercrossers

Fort Worth ISD Racial Equity Committee

I am proud to be a part of the Fort Worth ISD Racial Equity Committee. This committee will work on, develop, and recommend policy and priorities for addressing race and equity concerns in FWISD.

FWISD will be working with the Pacific Educational Group (PEG) using their training in Courageous Conversations. Founded by Glenn E. Singleton in 1992, the Pacific Educational Group is committed to achieving racial equity in education. They engage in sustained partnerships with educational organizations to transform beliefs, behaviors, and results so people of all races can achieve at their highest levels and live their most empowered and powerful lives. The Pacific Educational Group believes, "Systemic racism is the most devastating factor contributing to the diminished capacity of all children, especially children of color and American Indian children, to achieve at the highest levels, and contributes to the fracturing of the communities that nurture and support them." 

I have also personally attended the CBMCS training. The CBMCS training is based on rigorous research method and is a powerful diversity-training tool to take mental health practitioners and educators from cultural sensitivity to cultural competence. 

I am very excited to be a part of this work as FWISD moves forward to help ALL students! 

Happy Teacher's Appreciation Week!

Happy Teacher's Appreciation Week!

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” — Carl Jung

“I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.” — Alexander the Great

Great article on School Libraries in Education Week

I read a great article today on the importance of school libraries and what they mean to our students. Here is a link to the article. Enjoy!

How the School Library Saved My Life - Education Week

My Brother's Keeper

I am very fortunate and blessed to be a part of My Brother's Keeper in Fort Worth ISD. The My Brother's Keeper initiative was started by President Obama in February 2014. President Barack Obama launched “My Brother’s Keeper” (MBK), in a call to action to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color and ensure all young people can reach their full potential. The President’s vision found its roots in the idea that “my neighbor’s child is my child – that each of us has an obligation to give every child the same chance this country gave so many of us.”

In March of 2014, the FWISD Board of Education pledged in collaboration with the Council of Great City Schools to address specific areas related to achievement for young men of color. FWISD held a community summit, developed a task force, and has worked with the young men in all of our high schools in developing our young men as leaders in our schools and communities.

Here is a link to President's Obama video encouraging you to be a mentor as he, our country, FWISD, and our communities continue to work with our young men.

Week of the Young Child

The week of April 10-16, 2016 is the Week of the Young Child. It is an annual celebration hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers, and their families. Here is a link to their webpage. Here are some fun activities to do with your young children.

Music Monday: Find the beat to connect music, movement, and math. Practice clapping, drumming, or stomping to the beat of the music while counting. Link to music resources. 

Taco Tuesday: Measure your ingredients while making your tacos! Ask children if they’d like the same or different amounts of each ingredient.

Work together Wednesday: Practice organizing blocks by size! Try building a block tower with large blocks on the bottom and little blocks on top! Share pictures of children’s creations on NAEYC's Facebook page or Twitter using the #woyc16 hashtag.

Artsy Thursday: Bring art outdoors! Offer dark and light paper, chalk and pastels, and suggest children create their own versions of the day and night sky! Share pictures of children’s creations on NAEYC's Facebook page or Twitter using the #woyc16 hashtag.

Family Friday: Invite parents for a Family Friday breakfast, where children can prepare and share breakfast treats with their families!

Becoming a Key Influencer with Social Media

I am at the Fort Worth ISD Technology Conference today learning about digital learning & how I can be an influencer in education. #FWTC16  @FWISD_PLI   @cissymattingly

What a great day! I have had a great time &  I have learned so much!

http://www.ischoolinitiative.com/advocates/

@iSchoolAdvocate

Great video on why we should invest in early childhood programs

The Walden University Early Childhood Organization (WUECO) is a great organization that I'm involved in and a fellow member shared a video that her professor shared and I wanted to share. Thanks.

Great Article on First Year Teachers and Not Giving Up

Hello. A friend of mine shared with me a great story that was on NPR on first year teachers. Here is the link. The mentor teacher referenced in the article also recently wrote a book of advice for teachers by teachers called, 'See Me After Class,' and she emails advice to new teachers who sign up, and, of course, tweets.  She identifies this time of year as the critical time – between the end of the first six weeks and Thanksgiving break when first year teachers contemplate quitting. 

Also, in the article is a link to phases of first year teachers. One of the phases is "disillusionment." This was a great article and I look forward to reading her book. Enjoy!

The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Education

Fred Rogers says it best in regards to the importance of play in early childhood education.

Thank you Mr. Rogers!

EDUC 8856, EDUC 8081 & Surviving Our Dissertations

Good afternoon. I am currently taking my last class for my doctoral program along with taking my "Completing the Prospectus" class. I am so excited to be in my last class and I am excited and nervous to start my dissertation process next semester. While I do not have any assignments for my blog this semester, I wanted to share a resource that was shared with me:

"Surviving Your Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process, Fourth Edition".  I just ordered my copy on Amazon . I love the photo on the cover; that is how I feel - nervous and excited and feeling like I'm on a ledge, hee hee. I have had so much wonderful support on my journey from my family, my friends, my colleagues at work, and my fellow doctoral student friends. We're almost there!! Thank you! Cissy

Early Childhood Education and Sesame Street

Good evening. I am taking EDUC 8855 - Research in Practice this summer semester. While I do not have any blog assignments in this class, I wanted to post a personal post on an article I read in The Atlantic on early childhood education. The article title is Sesame Street is Just as Effective as Head Start - And Much More Diverse than Most Preschools. The article discusses how the children's show has enhanced learning in America and the show is a reminder of what's lacking in early education today. I watched Sesame Street as a child and I still remember songs and lessons from watching it. I think it helped me learn how to read as much as my mom reading to me did. I grew up poor but PBS is free. When I taught Pre-K I used to reserve time in the computer lab and take my students in to watch Sesame Street. I think it is effective in teaching young children and helping them be prepared for school and I agree that the program is more diverse than most classroom teachers and programs. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did and I hope many more young children are influenced by its wonderful programming. Thank you, Cissy

Week of the Young Child

Good afternoon. The week of April 12th-18th is the Week of the Young Child. The National Association for the Education of Young Children has activities parents and children can do together to celebrate. Enjoy!

Good afternoon. Today I am blogging to discuss two communication skills that are important to embody when leading policy change. The ability to communicate with people at all levels is one of the most important skills one can have. Clear communication is essential in understanding one another as well as enabling us to resolve differences, build trust and respect, and create safe environments for open and honest discussion (Helpguide.org, n.d.). One communication skill that is important to embody is listening. Listening is both understanding the words spoken by another person as well as understanding how the speaker feels when they are communicating and what they are communicating about (Helpguide.org, n.d.). Listening is an important skill, especially when leading policy change. You are listening to students, parents, the community, your school district and or early childcare center, other early childhood professionals, community leaders, and political representatives. By listening effectively to all of these stakeholders you are building connections with them as well, which will aid in changing policy.

Another communication skill that is essential to embody is managing stress while communicating. Chronic stress affects effective communication by disrupting the capacity to think clearly and can lead to knee-jerk reactions (Helpguide.org, n.d.). Dealing with stress during communication is important at all times, especially when leading policy change when tempers can run high. There are several things to remember when dealing with stress during communication: know your buttons and recognize when you are becoming stressed; take a minute to calm down before continuing with the conversation; use humor to lighten the situation; be willing to compromise, especially important in policy discussions; and agree to disagree, again, especially important in policy discussions (Helpguide.org, n.d.). One idea that helps me is to remember that others can be feeling stress too and to put myself in their shoes.

In relation to these two skills, I have both strengths and opportunities for improvement. One strength I have in listening is that I focus on the speaker by showing interest; I make eye contact and I do not check my phone for emails or texts. An area for improvement is that I need to listen fully and not be waiting for my turn to talk. One strength I have in managing my stress during conversations is that I can usually always see the positive in everything. In addition, I use humor to de-escalate situations and I am always willing to work with others to find a middle ground. I use these strategies daily in my work and I feel I can apply them to other areas, like policy change.

Being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important of all life skills. Communication, whether it is verbal, written, or nonverbal, how well we communicate with one another is a vital life skill. Thank you, Cissy

Helpguide.org. (n.d.). Effective communication. Helpguide.org: A Trusted Non-Profit Resource. Retrieved April 8, 2015, from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.htm