1. What grade level to you teach, how long have you been teaching what is the name of your school?
I am an instructional coach for teachers grades K through five. I earned an Educational Specialist degree in Instructional Leadership through Nova Southeastern University’s BrainSMART program. I have been teaching for 13 years and currently teach in Bibb County Public School District in Georgia.
2. Has the content been useful to you in you work as a classroom teacher?
Yes, as an instructional coach. Our district is heavy into differentiated instruction, and to go through the curriculum in instructional leadership helped me to prepare teachers to differentiate in their classrooms. An instructional coach supports teachers with new initiatives, like a job-embedded staff development. Instead of sending multiple teachers to a workshop, we go to the workshop, then come back and teach it to colleagues. Learning retention and other BrainSMART strategies helps me go into classroom and get the children’s attention, because it is so interactive. It is a great way to start and end a lesson. I constantly use the 60 strategies. The "YES" strategy is one of my favorites. I tell the children to talk to another child about how you’re going to well, and they raise their hands and say "yes." They raise their hands over their heads and bring them down and put their thumb inside their fist and say "yes!" It makes them feel they’ve achieved something, builds their confidence level. It gets them energized, being able to get them up and move.
I try to tap into each of the five learning systems. Learning that the brain likes patterns informs my teaching, such as an increased use of alliteration or categorization to help kids retain the concept. I didn’t realize how important the reflective system is. Even though we don’t take much time to do it in the school setting, I had students do a lot of reflecting and self-assessment, and only through BrainSMART did I realize how important it is to let these children reflect.
It is so important to have an intact emotional system prior to engaging their cognitive system. My husband and I went through this together and we were both able to apply that in our classrooms. My husband teaches social studies in high school. He also earned the Educational Specialist Degree. First I build a relationship with the kids. They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. We try to help them feel successful.
3. What do you like about earning your degree 100% online?
It was wonderful. The only drawback was that both of our computers were not networked and we had to get another internet service. I like 100% online because I didn’t have to go out and waste time with a commute and parking. I met students with similar goals and experiences that I shared and did so much more efficiently. I have a younger son and I didn’t have to worry about arranging care for him in the evening, especially with both of us being in class. This allowed both my husband and I to do this and otherwise we would not have been able to do so. The last two quarters the teachers knew we were taking three classes and they would coordinate how we were going to chat. The instructors worked out our chats for maximum efficiency.
4. How does this degree compare with other higher education programs you have studied?
When I got my masters I had to drive 30 miles to the school, one way. By the time I got home I was usually too exhausted to get into my coursework and reading. With this program, I have time to reflect on the concepts and work on my homework. The quality of the information was very, very good. Instructors were helpful and responsive. I had not been in a classroom setting in ten years.
5. Would you recommend this program to other teachers?
I really would. In fact a lot of people look my way and say "that’s your program." It is stuff you can use in the classroom. I would certainly recommend it. It helps as far as being aware of different leadership styles. I got insight into my principal’s leadership style. I didn’t know his style actually had been given a name in the literature. It helped me professionally and personally. Of course, getting that extra degree, you do get an increase in pay.
6. What would you say to other teachers about the program?
If you’re interested in growing professionally and personally, it’s a great program. If you’re interested in boosting your students’ interest and energy, this is excellent information to use in your classroom and personal life.
7. What would you say to an administrator about the program?
Administrators could definitely benefit from the many leadership courses in the program. I would encourage them to push their teachers in this direction because we work with the brain every day and that’s where it all starts.
8. What would you say to parents?
As part of the program, we did a component of getting parents involved. It considers every stakeholder. I would say to parents this program supports teachers using things like graphic organizers and things that make learning fun and helps with patterns, which is how the brain retains information. This program encourages teachers to use patterns so the brain can retain and recall more information faster.
9. What have you enjoyed the most about the content?
The five learning systems were my favorite. Getting that depth of information about those learning systems and how as a teacher I need to tap into all of them. I try my best to tap into all of them when working with students. When I’m modeling, I might stay in a teacher’s classroom for up to two weeks and in that regard I am working directly with the students.
10. Did you have a friend or colleague who took the program? What did they say about the program?
They thought it was great. One has gone on to get her doctoral degree and she also found the program very convenient. I remember her saying that this has helped her teaching, and she extensively uses a lot of the 60 strategies for boosting test scores. I have modeled these techniques in so many of my peers’ classrooms. I feel I have had a real impact in my school.
