Jill Puchacz; I just want to DANCE!

I am a super high energy teacher who LOVES to always be moving.  I can't really grasp the idea of making students sit still while they are learning and I especially can't understand why anyone would EVER want to have a QUIET classroom.  I know I know I know, WHAT IS THIS WOMAN THINKING!  I really hope that other educators can relate, understand or better yet agree, that students don't always learn in a quiet environment.
I would like my classroom to sound like a very large and busy bee hive.  Lots of discussion collaboration.  It would be silly for me think that I am the only person that they can learn from.  When you have 30 students in your classroom, you have 30 extra teachers.  Who better to explain a concept than someone who just learned it?!  I love the sound of busy bees, ones who are bringing pollen back to help create honey!  Sharing ideas with each other will only create better and bigger ideas.  If we don't teach our students how to collaborate with each other... how are they going to survive in the future when they need to work in a job where there is constant collaboration?
We need to teach students how to work together successfully.  When I say that I want all the students talking and buzzing around, it does not mean I am going to just let them loose!  There are guidelines to teach and classroom management to work on.  I don't believe that students are going to come in to my room knowing exactly what I am going to be expecting of them, and that is where collaboration will come in.  As a teacher I really shouldn't know exactly what I expect from every one of my students until I get to know them and they get to know me! PLUS I can't expect anything from my students until they trust me, until they know that there is a safe place for them to be themselves and to ask questions and make mistakes.
Now you may be asking.... how will she create that environment?  Well simply by being me!  I will make mistakes and let them all know I made a mistake and that it is OK.  I will trust my students and show them what it means to be able to trust someone.  I will ask lots of questions and not ever make a student feel as if their question isn't important.  Now with that being said, will I ever mess up and not live up to all of my goals and standards? Yes. I will probably mess up and be ashamed of how I handled a situation.  I might fail.  I might stay up all night long racking my brain on how to fix what I might have done the day before, or even how can I get one more student to understand the lesson we are working on.  I might not be able to fix what I did wrong, but I can make sure I don't do it again. In short I will learn to dance like a teacher.  I will boogie up and down and sing different songs and use different lyrics but overall I might dance a little or a lot, I might dance all night long trying to get the steps 'just right'.  Maybe its a dance I have already 'perfected' so I sleep like a baby... only to find that the dance doesn't quite work and I have to make a whole new one up off the top of my head.  Luckily I really like to dance.  I really like to look silly and make people smile and realize that there isn't any mistake that they can make that will make them look sillier than I do.  And in that... there is comfort and trust and a really safe place.  At least I think so.

Jill Puchacz; 'The Call'

So a few nights ago I was laying in bed when I got a text from the teacher that I did a Long Term Substitute position for last year asking if I could talk.  I was pretty tired and it was super late so I asked if it was important and she said, "No, just give me a call tomorrow."
So the next day it was about 830 in the morning when I got a call.  I was going to wait until 9 to call her as I just figured that would be a good time, but she had different plans I guess.  The call went something like this... "I got a job and I was wondering if you already got a teaching job as well, because if not I am going to let the ladies in the office know that you are available if you are interested."  My response internally and externally were two very different things.  I am pretty sure I was cool calm and collected and responded with a, "Congratulations! And, No I don't yet have a job.  I would be very interested in the job."   Inside I think I sounded a little bit like a balloon when you are letting the air out and you pinch and stretch the neck at the same time... that high pitched squealing sound. 

So for right now that is all... I am really a teacher now with my own classroom, mailbox, parking spot, and roster!

The Over-Under of it all

Becoming a classroom teacher has been a roller coaster ride for me.  It all started about 18 years ago... I was in Fourth grade and my teacher had a 'Be a teacher for a Day' event planned.  All of the students in the class voted to chose who would be the teacher for one whole day... and they chose me.  I remember being so excited and I couldn't imagine what I would teach everyone but I knew that the options were endless.  I decided I was going to teach a lesson using "The Lion King" as my guide.  I was going to have the class watch the movie and then talk about all the different animals in the movie and what 'The Circle of Life' was.  It was amazing and from that day on I knew I wanted to teach.  As they years passed, there were other interests that started to form for me, like culinary, biology, the ocean etc. etc. and I decided that I should go to school for Marine Biology.  I thought it would be, that I would become a trainer for animals like Killer whales and work in Florida at SeaWorld and everything would be incredible.  What I didn't really know, was that Marine Biology is really quite boring to learn about.  It is not that fun and it involved being in a lab and even worse... being quiet for hours at a time. I came out of the womb talking, I talk in my sleep, and honestly I talk sometimes without knowing I am actually talking.  So the whole Marine Biology thing... just didn't quite work out for me. 
I took some time off from school after that thinking, I can totally make a ton of money painting houses.... yeah that also was very short lived and I quickly began realizing how much I missed being in a classroom and how much I really enjoy teaching.  See, to this point I had also been teaching swimming lessons for a few years and it kept my teaching passion alive. So I decided that I would check out the local community college and take a couple courses and possibly get my Associates in Education.  About a month later, I was starting classes and realized how much I loved learning about teaching.  See, I come from a family of educators.  My mother is a Guidance Counselor, my Aunt is an Occupational Therapist and my cousin is an Autism Teacher.  So I guess education is in my blood.
After working towards my Associates, I transferred to another local College to finish my Bachelors.  I was side tracked by how much fun History is (Yes I know... very nerdy of me) and ended up changing my major to European History.  This was right before the economy took an even worse nose dive.  So upon graduating there were no jobs anywhere, I was actually turned away from a fast food restaurant because they couldn't hire any more people.  During the two summers before this point I had gotten a  summer job working at an Outdoor Education facility where I got to work with all age groups doing incredible things.  I did ropes courses, team building, leadership training, hiking, kayaking.... I got some pretty significant experience and thought that the mix of all of my education and experience would surely land me a great job. Nope.
This is when I started to consider the Peace Corps, and AmeriCorps.  I ended up applying and being 'hired' by AmeriCorps (hired is in quotes because if you know anything about AmeriCorps, you know we don't really get 'paid').  My position was working with a mobile food pantry locally where I got to work with many large companies and organizations to recruit and train volunteers to help pack and deliver food to home-bound elderly in the greater metro area.  It was an amazing experience and I was lucky enough that when my one year term with AmeriCorps was over, one of the companies I had been working with so closely, hired me into their company immediately.  I thought... FINALLY!  Things are all going to work out!.... and then I was working a desk job, where I was seated for 8 hours a day and being chained to a desk isn't really an attractive thought for a person like me, so I decided to start going back to school for a Graduate degree in Education.  I knew after my first course that I had been foolish to not pursue this more aggressively earlier, but I thought, "Hey I am 26 and I know what I want to do... I'm actually ahead of a lot of people".  So as I continue my Grad degree I stop working at the 'desk job' and begin actively searching for teaching jobs.  I have me SOE, which is a Statement of Eligibility, for the state saying that given my education and experience, any school can hire me before I actually finish and get my teaching certificate.  I thought that this was truly the light at the end of the tunnel.... well that was almost 2 years ago now and I am still not anywhere closer to a job. 
As you can imagine, I have applied for at least a few jobs and been on a couple interviews, I have even been offered a couple of jobs, but they didn't seem like the right 'fit' for me.... I did work for a few months with a program working with students who are deemed to be 'High Risk'  for dropping out, which was AMAZING and I loved every single day of it, but that was a temporary position and came to an end.  I am almost done with a dual Masters in Education, I have 11 years of experience teaching swimming, 3 of which I was a director, I have been Nannying for 5 years, I have 3 years outdoor education experience, I taught English in a foreign country, and I have been subbing in public schools for a year. I LOVE TEACHING.  I have energy for days and will do everything include sing and dance for students if it means it will make a difference in their learning.  I am versed in the Common Core State Standards, I can write a Behavior Analysis, an IEP with benchmarks, and a Behavior Continuum.  I could write you a lesson plan that would blow your mind and I can differentiate instruction as easily as I live and breathe.  I have never wanted anything more than I want to be in a classroom.  I am not your ordinary run of the mill person and I know that I will make a really great teacher, I know I need to wait until I find the job that I know is meant for me and all my incredible energy.  I just wish that job was here now!

Becoming a Real Teacher??

My high energy and passion for teaching has led me to where I am today and that is an imaginative, effective teacher that has a lot of experience to offer.  I have always thought of myself as a different kind of teacher.  I believe that connecting with each student is the most important part about teaching.  They need to know that they are valued and important to a classroom before they will feel safe enough to learn.

I know that every student that walks through my door will be different than the next, and I not only look forward to it, but my role as a teacher relies on it.  Working with any group of children there will be a wide range of abilities and  it is important to understand that every student comes into the classroom with different understandings and different experiences.  Using student pairing and group work can allow for students of different levels to fine tune their skills by helping other who are not yet there.  Being able to have  students play an active role in the instruction is not only helpful to the teacher but can have a positive long lasting impact students by allowing them to be proactive and take on leadership roles.

I have a passion for working with youth and find it greatly rewarding. I have been a Youth Specialist Long Term Substitute working for New Hampshire Jobs for Americas Graduates, where I created highly differentiated lesson plans that meet the needs of a highly diverse group of High School Students.  As a member of the Adjunct Conference Staff for Boston University Sargent Center I worked with multiple age ranges and this work provided me with valuable experience working with individuals having diverse learning styles and physical needs. I also spent time over in the Dominican Republic teaching English to 5^th grade classrooms and seeing that even though I was not nearly as fluent as they were, I was able to communicate in other ways to help them understand.  Being a teacher means changing gears as often as you need to make sure that every student is able to understand the concepts you are teaching, and when I see a student finally ‘get it’, it makes every challenge along the way worth it. 

With all this being said, I am still not a 'Real' Teacher.  I sometimes wonder if I am going about this all the right way.  I am imaginative and super high energy and I love being able to teach and learn, but I can't seem to get my foot in the door to save my life.  Are there any 'Real' teachers out there with any advice on what to do?

Let me tell you a story about a cool guy I know.

So this entry will be a little bit less about education and much more about family.  I do believe that family though is a huge part of how we learn.

Let me tell you about my Uncle Tommy.  He is the youngest son of Patty and John Puchacz and younger brother to my father John. He is also one of the funniest men I have ever met.  He can make you laugh so hard you cry about something that doesnt really even make sense.  He has this amazing aura around him that makes you just want to sit and talk to him.  He has lived a really cool life to this point and has some amazing stories to tell.  My uncle Tommy has jumped out of an airplane more times that I can imagine and has lived more places than I know. Yet with all of his amazing stories that he can tell, he is always so ready to listen and learn from everyone else.  He doesn't have arrogance about him even with all that he knows, he has grace and a big smile.

I was a flower girl in his wedding along with my sister and I remember even at the age of 4, I knew he was a really cool guy.  I hadn't seen my uncle in about a decade until a couple years ago when he came up a few times one summer to help my father with a new property that he had bought.  It needed some serious work and my uncle being the amazing carpenter that he is, was able to do incredible things to help out my dad.  Being able to see my uncle Tommy flooded back all the memories of my childhood when he came to visit with his daughters, my cousins, and helped my dad with tapping the maple trees and making maple syrup in our back yard.  I also remember one time him picking me up from my Swim team practice in his jeep.  It was the kind with canvas sides and I had never been in something like that before,  Driving down the high way doing like 65, it sounded like the sides were going to blow in and I was going to get swept away.  That was when I knew he really was the coolest man around!

A couple weeks ago, he came to visit because he had recently gotten news that there was something wrong and that there was a chance he had cancer.  He wanted to come up and visit with my dad and go fishing up north. Seeing my uncle Tommy made me smile not only because I love spending time with him, but because I could see how happy my father was to see and spend time with him.  My dad is a great man with a huge soft spot for his family, like any other dad I guess. They had an amazing time and Tom flew back down to North Carolina to meet with his doctors and get the prognosis.  As you can probably imagine, it wasn't that great.  He was diagnosed with Stage III Lung Cancer and was told he has a 15% chance of beating this.  Now if any of you know me, when I see 15 percent, that means that there is a really BIG fighting chance, but unfortunately that fighting chance comes with a huge medical bill.  I am hoping that you can all take the time to visit the link below and either pass on the link or donate to help us help him!  ANYTHING will help!  I would love for you all to one day be able to meet the amazing man I call Uncle Tommy and hopefully with your help you will!

Thanks again in advance!


Please Donate and help out my Uncle Tommy!

Jill Puchacz : updates and changes

So it has been a little while since my last post.  There have been so many changes!  I finished my Long term Position with the JAG program earlier this month and it has been a huge change for me.  I miss my kiddos so much and am not really sure how I am managing without them!  I talk to a few of them here and there but it is very different not being able to see them every day and getting the constant updates. 

I did however get to go to prom!  And let me tell you... that was a roller coaster and a half.  seeing all  of my seniors dressed up and having the time of their lives really brought back a lot of memories for me of my senior year and I am so honored that I was able to be a part of that for my kids.


One of my students had been convinced that he would not eb attending the prom as he and his girlfriend had broken up and he didn't want to go if he couldnt go with her.  I talked to him a bunch and was so hopeful that he would go because even if prom isn't what it is like in the movies... its better to have gone than to regret not going later on in life.  Sure enough... I saw him walk through the doors... and as you can imagine... I got all weepy.  Seeing him with his big proud smile made me so happy.

Since prom, I have substituted in a number of schools, today I am actually at my rival high school and its incredible.  Working with students nearing the biggest transition of their young adult lives... moving from high school to 'the real world', is such an amazing and fun thing to do.  How could I ever imagine doing anything else?

Jill Puchacz and thoughts on Digital Learning...

Last night was my first class of the new term.  I have a professor that I have never had before and I am willing to admit I think this is going to be a fantastic class.  The other students are intelligent and engaged and the professor is witty and very knowledgeable.  With that being said, I learned a lot about myself as a teacher last night.

As we were going through the class I found myself struggling when he would explain the next task to us orally. I began to get confused and then I realized that it was because I couldn't actually SEE what he was talking about.  I then informed him that I had no clue what he expected from me and that I needed to see what he needed us to do.  In a great show of humor he then began to draw a visual depiction of the assignment on the board and it all made sense, he made it into a joke overall and I knew that he was being playful.  It made me think though... Do I teach enough to all of the three learning styles?  I am a Masters of Education Student and it took me some time to recognize that my learning style wasn't being met... what about MY students who really don't have a clue what a learning style is and can't self regulate and realize that they aren't understanding for a specific reason like that?

I began to think through my lessons and how I implement them, and even though I do try to have part of my lesson be hands on, listening, and visual... I realized that not every specific part of my lesson is differentiated to be all three.  On top of that I realized that even when my lesson plans are differentiated to be all three... I really am not sure if I have been doing as good of a job really making sure that I am sticking to that lesson plan 100 percent.  Depending on the class period, sometimes my lesson plan goes completely out the window as if it was just a rough draft.

So I began to really think about what this all means.  I realized that during my other grad course work I always assumed that I would have technology in my classroom and be able to use power points or youtube videos or be able to put things at the very least on an overhead or have a computer that students were able to access to work on specific programs.  I have none of that, so what do I do? I realized I have to make class more interactive overall and have the students be doing while I am talking and demonstrating.

How can I make things interesting to a class of students who really have no interest in anything that doesn't have a screen? Should we consider a new kind of learning style?  The digital style?  Is that why digital media is so popular?  On a smart phone you have visual, auditory and kinestetic all at once.  I wish I knew a way that I could really grab the attention the way a phone or an iPad does, I guess it will come with experience, but if anyone out there has any thoughts I would LOVE to hear them!!


Jill Puchacz: How to make it work!

. "I will ALWAYS have your back." ... Jill Puchacz

So this past Friday I was in my room eating my lunch during my lunch period.  Normal day for the most part until a familiar face walked through my door.  This student is a frequent flyer in my class during this period as they make up detentions during their lunch period by helping organize things and keeping things in working order.  It has been a pretty great arrangement actually as other teachers probably can imagine.  They seemed a bit different though because there was no friendly smile and "Hey Ms. P Whats up?".  Just a frustrated look and a plop on a chair.  I knew this couldn't be good as this is a student that tends to act on frustration instead of working through it or talking it out.
As the student began to tell me what was going on, I found it to be a common issue, High School relationships... As my student vented out what was going on I listened and offered up some advice, trying to get them to realize that as an 18year old, they needed to remember to act like an adult as they would be treated like one... After a long discussion the period ended and then new period came... and class began.

I was a little bit worried that there would be some trouble that weekend for my student and hoped for the best as I really wanted them to make some great decisions. On Saturday I got a text message from an unknown number, all my students have my cell phone as my program does follow up outside of school hours as part of our overall goals, and it was from that student. I was relieved when the message said "Hey Ms. P, thanks for the advice I let the issue go and nothing happened, it felt good to be the bigger person."  I am not going to pretend that I didn't get a bit teary eyed realizing how proud I was of them.  My response was "I am so proud of you, and I hope you are proud of yourself, you are a total rock star!" The kicker to all this... and if anyone has ever worked with any child ever will probably get a bit emotional as this next part made me sob like a baby.... "Ms. P, there is a reason I keep your number, it's really great to know that someone has my back."
I have goose bumps just typing this out.  It made me realize that all the singing and dancing (literally) that I do in class to try to get my students attention and all the times where I tried to level with my kids and tell them the way it is.... was worth it!

I am just a long term substitute... this is the first time I have been in a public school classroom as a teacher and I was able to connect with a student enough where they know that they can trust me and know that the things that I tell them are true.  Being a teacher is my dream, not because I get to grade papers or teach kids things about subjects that I really enjoy.... but because I can be that person that helps a student believe more in themselves than they ever did before.

Jill Puchacz and thoughts on Full Moon and Attention Spans

So this is what I have noticed... Please keep in mind I am not a scientist and there is no real proof other than my observations of my small group of students.

My kids lose it around a full moon.  Its almost as if my voice doesn't exist and they forget that when they are in school it means that they have to accomplish things. I am a very loud and animated person, very difficult to ignore or tune out, but I feel like they manage it!  I have tried writing the assignments and topics on the board, handing out a list of things to accomplish as well as stating it 3 or 4 different times... and I still get blank stares as if I am either a mute or speaking a whole different language.

I wonder if other teachers have the same experiences as me.  Any thoughts on how to make this a little more workable?

Jill Puchacz and The icing on the cake

So as some of you may know me on a personal level, you may know that I work with students who some may feel are a 'difficult' group.  I find them to be some of the most amazing people I have ever met.  Their perseverance and positive attitudes (most of the time), are contagious.  I love my job and find myself to be one of the 'lucky ones'. 

Some may say that just that in itself is a reward, which it is... but truthfully it gets better than that.  I am a pretty high energy and positive person as is, but what happened on Sunday just makes me so happy.  Let me tell you a little bit about how great my students are.

I will start with Friday.  Typically Fridays are one of the most trying days as its the end of the week, my students are usually a mix of excited/anxious for the next two days away from school.  My last period especially has a high amount of energy as they are my largest class and there have some pretty funny personalities in there as well.  As the period was drawing to a close I mentioned to them that I was running in the Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday morning before the citys Saint Patricks Day Parade.  They all thought it was especially funny when I told them that I would be wearing a tutu and some pretty awesome shamrock jewelry.  So I put the offer out there for them to come early to the parade and watch me run, promising them that they would not really be able to miss me as I would be looking particularly green. The response was a bunch of 'yeah rights' and 'good luck Ms. P', but not a single 'sure Ill be there'.  Even if I had heard that as a response, I probably would have assumed that there would be no follow through because, who actually wants to see their teacher when they aren't in school?

I went through my weekend and woke up Sunday morning and got on all my Irish gear, I was looking pretty fantastic to be fair! Met up with my friends and off to Elm Street we went.  As we were standing around waiting for the race to begin, I saw a familiar face scowering the crowd, and to my surprise it was a student of mine walking around with a couple of his friends.  I didn't think much of it but said 'Hello' as he walked past and when he realized it was me he get a huge smile but then tried to play it cool.  I was so happy to see one of my students but didn't read much more into it, as the race was about to begin. 

The airhorn sounded and we all took off on our two mile journey and there wasn't much going though my head past the fact that it was really windy and I would have been okay still snuggled up in my bed as I was freezing!  As the race continued and I drew closer to the finish line I began to pick up the pace, and out of the corner of my eye something grabbed my attention so I looked to my left, and sure enough there was my student waiting at the finish line cheering me on lounder than anyone there.  I waved at him and of course had a huge smile on my face as I was honored to have a student there cheering me on. After I crossed the finish line I wasn't able to find him which was a bit of a bummer and I am still looking forward to seeing him in school today to say Thank You.

The reward was not so much that I had someone cheering me on, but that a student took time out of his weekend to come and cheer on his goofball teacher at a race.  I don't think that he knew how much that meant to me, and honestly I don't know if I can put the right words together to express it either, but I can say that something like that makes all of the late nights and early mornings a little bit more worth it.

A cool speech I came across... "What do I make?"

A couple days ago my mother sent me this incredible e-mail.  It was of a principles speech at a graduation.

I thought I would share it because it made me smile and it also made me happy to see something that makes sense about what a teacher really gets 'paid'. 
I also LOVE the part that talks about how keyboarding isn't everything and writing is so important. The timing of me reading this couldn't have come at a more appropriate time!

Hope you enjoy!

From A School Principal's speech at a

graduation...

He said

"Doctor wants his child to become a doctor.........

Engineer wants his child to become engineer......

Businessman wants his ward to become CEO.....

BUT a teacher also wants his child to become one of them..!!!!

Nobody wants to become a teacher BY CHOICE" ....Very sad but that's the

truth.....!!!

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided

to explain the problem with education. He argued,

"What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life

was to become a teacher?"

To stress his point he said to another guest;

"You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Teacher Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied,

"You want to know what I make?

(She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't

make them sit for 5 min. without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make?

(She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them how to write and then I make them write.

Keyboarding isn't everything.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math.

They use their God given brain, not the man made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need

to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they

were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life

( Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money

isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because

they are ignorant. You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ALL YOUR LIVES,EDUCATING KIDS AND

PREPARING THEM TO BECOME CEO's ,AND DOCTORS AND

ENGINEERS..........

What do you make Mr. CEO?

His jaw dropped; he went silent.

 http://agogodavid.com/2012/04/from-a-school-principals-speech-at-a-graduation/

Always up to learn: Using Daybooks: Jill Puchacz and talking on paper

Always up to learn: Using Daybooks: Jill Puchacz and talking on paper: I started using daybooks in my classroom and I have had a mix of responses, some students love using them and other say they would rather us...

Using Daybooks: Jill Puchacz and talking on paper

I started using daybooks in my classroom and I have had a mix of responses, some students love using them and other say they would rather use a lap top or text their thoughts on their phone.  Even though I understand that using a paper and pencil is archaic to them, I find it important and almost freeing to leave the phone or computer behind for a few minutes a day and just write.

I wonder how I could get kids more excited to use paper.  I model it for them and show them how I write and that its okay to be messy and spell incorrectly.  They have such a hard time writing for the sake of writing because they were never taught that.  How do I teach them that writing isn't only for when you need to pass in  a paper for class, but as a way to organize your thoughts and sometimes find out thoughts that you didn't know you had?

This goes back to a post I made a while ago about being a digital native or a digital immigrant.  How do we express the wonder of using paper?


Jill Puchacz