Live in the Lab Schools
A production of the University Laboratory Schools at Illinois State University. Co-hosts Andy Goveia and Ben Webb explain, explore, and share their expertise as teachers at one of the oldest, most vibrant Laboratory Schools in the nation.
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Live in the Lab Schools
Ep #15: TLC - A Transformative Learning Community at Metcalf
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Welcome To The Teachers Lounge
SPEAKER_03And welcome to Live in the Lab School. We are this week chatting with some teachers. We're calling this week the Teachers Lounge. We're excited to chat with teachers about their experience this year, what it's been like, and how they're viewing this year as we start to bring it to a close. You're in for a great conversation with a group from Metcalf, and we can't wait for you to hear it. And
Meet The Metcalf Educators
SPEAKER_03we are back. Welcome. This is the Metcalf part of this conversation. And I am super excited to get you three awesome people that I work with down here to chat and just share more about their school year and who they are. And so we are welcoming on the couch today Holly Zare, Rachel Wells, and Jessica Wargo. Welcome.
SPEAKER_02Hello. Hi.
SPEAKER_03Hi. Um, can we just start really quick so that listeners can hear your voice and know who you are? If you could just say your name and what you do here and how long you've been here. Whoever wants to go. It's just it's a dialogue. I can prompt you if you want.
SPEAKER_01I'm Jessica Wargo and I teach pre-K Gen N.
SPEAKER_02I'm Rachel Wells, and I'm a speech language pathologist. And my three children also attend Metcalf.
SPEAKER_00I'm Holly Zayer, and I'm the school library media specialist.
SPEAKER_03I think it's also important to note within this conversation, uh Rachel Wells, Dr. Wells, also is part of our HILIA program. We featured them throughout, and so she's in a really unique role um working as a site-based person in the HILIA program. So she kind of sees all of it, both the HILIA side and the Metcalf side, too. So she has definitely a unique perspective to share. And she loves talking about herself also. Um so we're gonna start off. We got a couple questions, we're gonna talk about our experiences this year, and you've heard a lot from Ben and I about what we're experiencing, and so we're turning this episode over kind of to everybody else.
One Word For The Year
SPEAKER_03So to start us off, when the three of you look back on this school year, what's one word that describes it for you?
SPEAKER_01My word is transformative, mainly because of the group of students that I have this year. Um, I have students that need more support and maybe some social emotional skills. Um, and so we've just seen a lot of progress since the beginning of the year, but also transformative for myself. This is my first year doing full-day pre-K at Metcalf, and I've learned a lot along the way. And I feel like a lot of progress has been made since the beginning of the year in both my professional life, but also the students, academics, and social emotional um time with me. So transformative, lots of progress. Um, and we're only at the end of April, so we have more time.
SPEAKER_02The word that comes to mind for me is collaborative. So, like Andy said, I uh I work with our HILLIA program, so the Heart of Illinois Low Incidence Association with our students who are deaf or hard of hearing. And um there's there's a lot that goes into that programming with our students here at Metcalf. So collaboration with our other special educators and related service providers, collaboration with um our regular ed teachers when our students are mainstreamed, and then all of the special studio area teachers as well when our students are mainstreamed into those um classes. So lots of collaboration that looks different, grade to grade, um student to student.
SPEAKER_03So your word's collaboration.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, is that what I said? I don't, I just I think I said collaborative. Yes, yes. So collaboration, collaborative, yes. Honestly, the first word that came to mind was chaotic, um, but I tried to frame that in a more positive way. Um and I think collaborative is the more positive way of saying it was also a little chaotic. Holly, what are you?
SPEAKER_00Um so I think my word would be flexibility. And I feel like I experienced that this year in a couple of ways. First, we have a new Friday schedule this year, and especially I think studio teachers um here at Metcalft, we call specials areas teachers, studio teachers, um, like myself, um had to think differently about our role and what we had to contribute and ways that we could contribute, and um what those special Fridays looked like went through several iterations throughout the school year. Um, so it was a lot of let's try this, let's try that. If we move this, can that make this better? So that, and then also uh this is my eighth year of teaching. Um, but I feel like this year I'm getting a lot better at recognizing what students need in the moment and being able to say, well, that worked for this fourth grade class, but this other fourth grade class, this isn't gonna work for them. They're at a different place, they need something else. So I feel like I've grown in my ability to be flexible, responsive.
Student Moments They Will Never Forget
SPEAKER_03So when you think about this year and you look back on it, what's a student moment, some interaction you've had with a student that you know you will never forget? And that could be the cell more celebratory, maybe there was a more critical moment, maybe it's just something funny, but maybe what's a what's a student memory from this year you're never gonna forget?
SPEAKER_01Mine is in pre-K. We recently read a book. This was actually just happened last week. Um, and the book was about a cat and how its tail um held all these feelings or were showing its feelings through its tail. And towards the end, the cat starts kind of masking its feelings and um the tail isn't showing the feelings, and eventually um the tail explodes, it gets really, really big. And so after we read it, we discussed how, you know, in our classroom, we have our rest and reset space, and that's kind of how we release our emotions and big feelings, and that's kind of how the cat was using its tail. And we talked about what do you think would happen or how would your body feel if you continued to kind of push those feelings down or keep them inside? And so friends were giving feedback, and then a little girl raised her hand and she said, kind of like Elsa. And I was like, tell me more. And she was like, Well, she um, you know, she kind of kept her feelings to herself and she kept pushing them down and wouldn't show them to anyone. And then she exploded and she hurt her, she ended up hurting her sister. And so, like, just her taking like a connection that mattered to her, um, it being frozen and Elsa and connecting it to the conversation we were having about feelings and holding them in and how that could make somebody feel, and eventually, you know, you explode, um, was really like eye-opening. And I had clinical students in my room at the time, and they were like, I can't believe that there's four and five-year-olds that can talk about feelings this way and make those connections. And so um, that was really cool to experience kind of like as a group. Um, and then just making those personal connections is always nice that they're getting the conversation that we just discussed. Um, so that was my like, I'm gonna hold on to that for a really long time.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome. And that's from a four-year-old, and I think that's so cool.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, she she just turned four. She's actually the youngest in the group of 14. Um, and she made that connection like by herself and just on her own, connecting it to her own interests and what she's kind of experienced up until this point of life. So that's amazing.
SPEAKER_03Holly, what about you?
SPEAKER_00Um, well, they're there they're kind of two separate student um events or whatever that coalesce into one for me. So in the library, I feel really privileged that we can um tackle some content and build some background knowledge that a teacher in a regular genetic classroom might not feel comfortable with. So because I have pre-K through fourth grade students primarily in lessons every week, we end up talking a lot about holidays, which ends up, we end up talking a lot about religion. And I try and be really conscious that I am representing the religions that are represented in front of me. So we talk about holy, we talk about Diwali, we talk about Easter, we talk about Passover, we talk about people who may not have religious beliefs. And um kids are so just frank and honest, you know, they don't understand the um, you know, how they might be stepping on someone else's toes or whatever. And there's one little girl who comes from the Hindu tradition when we were talking about um, we were talking about Easter, and she raised her hand and she said, Um, yeah, I'm not really a Jesus guy. It was so adorable and so like I can say that and I can be that and I can talk about who I am and what I think. And it makes me feel very proud and privileged to have in my library a place that is that safe where your personal experiences and beliefs can be bridged in your academic experiences. I think sometimes teachers are afraid of that, but for me, it brings a lot of fulfillment to my teaching, my experience with my students. Um, and related to that is a student actually from last year who is still contacting me. Um, this student is uh going to be a sophomore this year and is still asking me to look at her papers and revise them and things like that. Um, this is also a student who invited me to a ceremony called Grovindana, um, which is a Hindu ceremony that honors teachers, and um also required me to kind of stretch myself out of my comfort zone, I guess, but experience such a tremendous blessing from this student. Um, and then to uh continue to have a relationship with her as a librarian, especially, because like we're kind of like in the margins of the school culture. Um, but that there was a student that connected that strongly with me to remember me and keep up contact. That's so cool.
SPEAKER_03And and working in a place like this, the longevity of connection you can have too is really cool. Yeah. Um, then you also that you all and it's also cool you didn't feel you don't feel like you had so much on your plate you couldn't still still connect with this other student too. That's really cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
unknownDr.
SPEAKER_03Wells, what about you? It's your moment this year.
SPEAKER_02Um, my moment is kind of a collection of moments, and it's related to one of our preschool students and one of our kindergarten students in the HILIA program, uh, both of whom are deaf, and they've both started using AAC, which stands for alternative and augmentative communication, um, which that could be something as simple as pointing to pictures, or it could be something more high-tech, like using an iPad or other kind of piece of technology to select icons and communicate words, phrases, and sentences in that way. So these two students in particular, one is an ASL user, she only communicates through American Sign Language, and uh there are some communication barriers then at home with a family who isn't quite fluent in sign language. And so we were trying to brainstorm some different ways where we could bridge the communication gap between her and her family in AAC is something we've started to explore. And she's honestly really taken to that. Um, it's been exciting to see her overall language skills increase and develop and her to be excited about using this modality to communicate. Um, and then also this second student is a preschool student, and she is also deaf, but she is someone who would like to use her voice more than um she uses her voice a lot to communicate. It's just hard to understand her speech due to a variety of factors. And so AAC is something we've explored in order to help her be more intelligible. And that word intelligibility is just referring to her ability to be understood. And I'm clarifying that because sometimes people hear that word and they think intelligence, and it's totally different. But her intelligibility can be improved when she is using AAC to clarify uh what it is that she's trying to say. And so it's giving these two students a voice in very different ways using that same modality. And we've gotten these two students together so they can use their AAC devices together and um kind of learn from one another and with one another, along with other teachers of the deaf, um, myself and other individuals who work with these students. Um, so again, a collection of moments. It's kind of been a long, um, a long learning process, both for us as teachers and the professionals using those tools, and then also for those students as well. But it's been pretty exciting, pretty exciting to see.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome.
The Work People Never See
SPEAKER_03Um, so we think about what we do and what you all do on a daily basis and working with kids. Uh, if you were gonna tell someone who didn't work in a school, here's something we do or we have to take care of or handle that you may not even know that we do, what would that thing maybe be you'd want someone to know that hey, you may think it's all reading books and helping kids talk and talking about different cultural experiences, but or if I should say not talk, but find their voice with your students, Dr. Wells. What is something we do that maybe the general public doesn't know that we have to engage with? And whoever wants to go first, please.
SPEAKER_02Sure. Um, I can tackle that one first. So I guess one thing um as a speech language pathologist who works in a school, a lot of times people hear that that title of an individual, speech language pathologist or SLP or speech therapist. We're called a lot of different things. A lot of people assume that professional is just working with speech. So the ability to produce spoken language. Um, when in reality, there's a lot more that goes into the work that an SLP does. So it's not just the way sounds are made, um, but kind of like I was talking about before, you know, we're using different modalities. We're using um AAC, American Sign Language. Um, we are working with that language piece, so words and word meanings, we're working on social skills, executive function skills, um, which is things like flexible thought and organizing your thought and memory. Uh, so there's a lot more that goes into the work that students do when they're coming to speech therapy than just um making their R sounds or anything like that.
SPEAKER_01I think one thing in pre-K is that how often I'm having to pivot or differentiate um for students um or for families. And this year specifically, uh something that we really had to work on that I don't think a lot of people realize is just basic play skills with each other. Um, we have some students that have no siblings or only children, or we have students who maybe have been in an in-home space and only have two other students or two other students with them. And so um just working on basic play skills and then just differentiating almost every lesson that is presented to them because based on past knowledge or their experiences up until this point, um, there's just a lot of pivoting constantly in pre-K. And to someone just kind of walking in, they might see me communicating with students and just thinking, like, oh, she's just having a conversation, but really what we're talking about or whatever skill we're working on is presented to maybe these two students one way and then to this one student this way, and then these other two a completely different way. So I think the amount of times that my brain is having to pivot within a 20 minute span is mind blowing and something that I don't think a lot of people realize is happening. Um, because I don't say, okay, now I'm going to, okay, now I'm gonna pivot and talk to you. Okay, this is how you would handle this situation or let's practice this situation. Um, and just the amount of modeling that goes into it. Um yeah, so it's very interesting sometimes in pre-K, and each year is different. So I'll think like, oh, I've got it, or like we've got it. And then I get a new group of students, and I'm like, okay, they've got this, but we don't have this skill. And so um I feel, you know, every year and sometimes it's every semester we're pivoting.
SPEAKER_00And I feel like that pivoting goes back to kind of what I was talking about with my original word with flexibility. And that is that um, I feel like, in addition to what you were saying, Rachel, I feel like a lot of people also don't understand a school library media specialist role and think, oh, you just check out books or put books back on the shelf, um, but actually teach lessons. I have, you know, four, five, six classes a day. Um, and in the process of teaching, uh, those pivots that you're talking about are you have to be so conscious and intentional about them. Um, and you know, after teaching for a certain number of years that subtle shifts in the way that you phrase a question or ask kids to think about a concept makes a difference for a learning outcome. And so um it's a lot of like interior background chatter like going in my head as I'm making decisions in the moment for what a particular student or group of students need. Um, and which leads me to the other thing that I think people sometimes don't don't think about for teachers, and I think it's similar to pairing in a lot of ways, is that when you get to May, there's like a cumulative exhaustion. Um it's not just, oh, so I had a break first for spring break, and so I've only been teaching straight through for a couple weeks now, couple months. But that that builds up, that builds up from August to May. And there's a there's this accumulation of exhaustion, and a big part of that exhaustion comes from decision fatigue. Yes.
SPEAKER_03That is the word. Spring, I always tell people spring break is like a breath.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03It it yeah, you get to take a breath, but it may not be the best breath.
SPEAKER_01But it's like not deep enough.
SPEAKER_03Not deep enough. So I'm gonna move some questions around here because I think you you've all kind of Holly, your decision fatigue and the the cumulative buildup kind of leads into this question.
What Brings Them Back Each Year
SPEAKER_03Like, we're at the end of the year, maybe this is a great time to do this conversation. What keeps you coming back? Like that we all go through that cycle, a school year cycle of exhaustion and excitement and celebration and struggle and all of that great things. Like, what what makes you go? All right, I'll see you August 4th.
SPEAKER_01Mine is hands down the people. And when I say the people, I mean like the entire community that surrounds us. Um, whether that is the students, our students, uh, my colleagues, the clinical students that I get to interact with, I am a parent here as well. And the amount of support that have been shown has been shown for my children and the relationships and friendships I have formed just in that sense, um is really just makes my heart really, really happy. And then on the other side of it, coming to school and being surrounded by people that have the same passion that I do, and but also on the flip side, being able to either disagree or have a different opinion, and being able to work through that and talk about it um in kind of a calm, professional manner is you know, that's what everyone wants when they're in a school and working in a school. And I, you know, not everyone has that. And so I feel really blessed to have that in this space. Um, and then just with admin, um, I've felt extremely supportive of just all the changes that have happened in the pre-K space recently, with um going from part-time to full-time. Um, also, we started a new curriculum that was designed for deaf students and received permission to implement it in a hearing classroom. Um, just the support I received with that of time to organize it, to get the training. Um so I just all around the people are just what makes me come back time. And time again.
SPEAKER_00I would I agree with that about the people. I would also say for me too, it's like I want another crack at it. It's like I had this year and some things went well this year that are better than last year. And I think, oh, I can do it even better next year. Like I feel my own skills growing, and that's exciting to me. Um because then when I see that translated into the way that my students also grow because of the way that I'm growing. And there's like that feedback loop of teaching one another, and that's exciting.
SPEAKER_02I mean, honestly, can I say the same thing? I was hesitating. I'm like, it's not creative, but it is the people, a slightly different response. I'll elaborate on it a little more. But um, I like being able to be part of so many different things. So, in addition to being the speech language pathologist for HILIA, I teach a class uh for the special education department. And so I get to really be involved with undergraduate and master students who are our future educators. And that's really exciting. It's it's hard work in a lot of different ways. I feel like that's a whole separate topic working with college students, but I really do enjoy getting to have them in my office with me learning how to um work with the young students alongside me. So kind of, you know, working with my own students, working with the older students. Um, I just like all of the variety and getting to do a lot of different things and see a lot of different sides of education.
Do-Overs, Grace, And Balance
SPEAKER_03So if you were gonna go back in this year and you were gonna change one thing, or you could, if you could go back, get a do-over, like Holly said, get another crack at something, what is something you go back and change or adjust or do again?
SPEAKER_01Hmm. I think I would tell myself to provide myself with more grace uh with this year of a lot of newness um with the curriculum and a schedule change. I felt a lot of pressure. And so I think just giving myself more grace of that. I've never I've never taught this curriculum before. I've received training on it, it's very hands-on, there's lots of materials. Um also a lot of it is presented in for deaf students, and so learning that piece of it. And so I think just I provide my students and my colleagues with a lot of grace, and so just being okay with that for myself as well. And that not everything is going to be perfect that I'm also still learning, and I try to teach that in pre-pay of like even as adults, we're still making mistakes, or we're still maybe, you know, not going at something with our full effort or you know, whatever it may be. And so just kind of taking my own, you know, what I'm telling them that I'm I'm also receiving that. And so I just think if I could go back and tell myself that, um, that would be a much better approach than stressing out or having that work-life balance really off. Just having some more grace.
SPEAKER_02Honestly, I feel like this is a year where maybe I said yes to too many things as I'm sitting here and kind of reflecting on this. Um, I I mean, I say that out loud. I don't know what I would say no to, but I feel like maybe next school you're trying to um streamline some of the things I'm doing and not not being involved in as many areas as I've been so that I can really concentrate more um on things that matter. You know, my um my immediate students and my my family, of course. I want to have the time and energy to go home to them and give them as much of a good effort that I give my own students here.
SPEAKER_00I Grace was on my list for this question too, Jessica. Um, that I would um be more gracious with myself. Um not that I would have like different standards or whatever, but but more like recognizing that I am resilient. My students are also resilient. And um just like this exhaustion accumulates, learning is a cumulative process too. So all the little bits and pieces that come together, they accrue over time. And so dropping the ball here or dropping the ball there, it doesn't eliminate the this big long marathon project that we're working on together, you know. Um yeah, that I think the other thing that I would do is try to find ways. If I want to do this for the next 10 or 15 years of my life, um, then I I need to find a way to connect the ways that I want to grow as a human being to the content and the um the things that I expose my students to, so that I don't feel that separation between my real life and my work life. Yeah. Um yeah, I could say more about that, about the balance about it, you know, not getting unhealthy so that they're enmeshed either. That's not the right way to do it. But also, the more I can infuse my own personal passion into what I teach, I think I'm a more effective teacher, and I also experience more joy in teaching.
SPEAKER_03You want your identities to be complementary of each other and not take away or detract or overwhelm. Yes. And that's balance is a great that'd be what I go back and tell myself, balance. Yeah.
Shout Outs And Quiet Heroes
SPEAKER_03So one question that I didn't give you ahead of time, and I hope it's okay that I didn't give it to you ahead of time. If there was someone or something that happened this year you want to give a shout out to, someone who's doing something really cool you've noticed, or you're grateful for someone and something they've done, um, we're ending this episode with just shout-outs. So if there's any anyone you want to shout out, something you're like, oh, this I shout out to this person. Um, we're trying to just spread a little posity here at the end of the year and give people some recognition for things they've done. So I'm gonna shout out the three of you for responding to my email and saying you were willing to do this conversation. And shout out to Brittany Tar as well. She is not available to be here, but she also said she was willing. So shout out to you all for taking time to chat with me.
SPEAKER_02I feel anxiety when asked to give a shout out, I won't lie, because I feel like I'll forget someone or um insult someone. I'll take the cop out and shout out a whole team. I'll I'll give the Hillia team a shout out. Um, I feel like this year we've made some really good gains as far as the cohesion amongst our team members. Um, you know, I mean, I feel like each of us, we only know well our own area, right? It's hard to hard to know and empathize with other professionals when we don't know exactly what they all do. So um I I feel like, you know, special ed is its own kind of sometimes forgotten about world. Um, not by not by anyone here in this couch, of course. Um, and and I mean that. I wouldn't just say that if they weren't here in front of me. Um, but sometimes it's just, you know, it's it's the not so pretty part of education. And that can be really um hard to work in that and not feel burnt out. And I think our team this year has done a really good job of coming together and working through some really tough student situations. And I think that just means we all deserve a shout out. So thanks, Hillia team.
SPEAKER_01I think my shout out this year is my assistant, Mrs. Jill Runyon. And I'm gonna make sure she listens to this because I can just see her like flipping her hair and just being like, yes, tell me, tell, tell me I'll be able to do that.
SPEAKER_03She's gonna print off the exact quote and put it on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we'll have it framed for her on her bulletin board. But in all seriousness, um I I don't know if she wasn't here with me in my classroom that we would be able to accomplish as much as we do. Um, or that we wouldn't um make as much progress as we do. Because while she, you know, her job title is an assistant, she jumps in. And if I need her to lead a small group, or if I want her to work on a special project with the kids, she's willing to do that without really any questions. Um, and she gets to know the kids and builds connections with them just as much as I do, which I think is why that trust and that connection is built so quickly in our class and why things typically run um smoothly. And so shout out to her for just always giving it 100% and going along with the crazy ideas, coming up with crazy ideas and being able to handle the chaos that comes with the age group.
SPEAKER_03Jill's awesome. Jill, shout the your whole pre-K team. Oh, yeah. The joy down there between all of you is just it is contagious.
SPEAKER_01It has to be. It has to be. Awesome. And it the kids make it easy.
SPEAKER_03I really get excited about everything.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, everything was hat day this week. It was. We weren't we learned how to blend the word hat. And so we all we all wore a hat for hat day, and we talked about different hats and what you might wear them for. And it was funny because when I saw kids coming in with the hats on, it was like that fits your personality. Like if you were a hat, that's what you would be. Um, and so it was it was just fun to see like what others, like what students picked. Um, one one student wore a magician's hat, and I was like, yes, yeah, yeah. I yeah, I would, yeah, that makes sense that you would pick that hat to wear for hat day. So um, so yeah, it was just those fun, fun moments and keeping learning fun and engaging um as much as we can towards this end of the year. I feel like we really have to ramp it up.
SPEAKER_03So make it till you make it. Yeah. Holly, what about you?
SPEAKER_00Well, there's so many people that I want to shout out. I don't think it's nice you asked me to do just one. You could do this. Okay, okay, here it goes. So, one of the people who I think does a fantastic job of aligning their passions with their profession is Brittany Tarr. Like, I see her and I think, wow, I want to be that when I grow up. Um, like she the the whole forest school thing, and it's good, it's just good and on so many levels. It's good from a research perspective. She has done the research. It's good from her just saying, This is what I think is best for kids, and gosh darn it, let's find a way to do it. And she has. Um, and yeah, I that's that's incredible to me. Kim Carthans, she is magical, um quiet, behind the scenes, doing the work every day, and you see it on her on the faces of the kids in her classroom, like how she sees each child. Um yeah, Cassandra Mattoon stepping up into the assistant principal role and being such a great listener. I have I have experienced her as an amazing listener this year, um, with all of those flips and flaps and changes that we've had on those Fridays. So yeah, there's so many unsung heroes in a school, so many people. I think teaching it can be a very loud profession for some of us, but then there are other people who are so quiet, just come in and do the thing every day.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03Well, thank you all for coming in and having this conversation. Um
Closing Thanks And How To Connect
SPEAKER_03for those of you listening, we've just been hanging out on my couch and chatting about our jobs, which is pretty cool. I want to thank Jessica Wargo, pre-K Gen Ed teacher, Dr. Rachel Wells, speech pathologist in the Hillia program, and Holly Zare, our library media specialist here at Metcalf for their conversation in our teacher's lounge this week. It's a great conversation looking back on this school year. Keep listening, keep subscribing. We appreciate you all. Just a couple more episodes left before we hit summer break. Live in the Lab School is a production of the ISO Laboratory School, recorded on the campus of State University. Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram at Live in the Lab School.
