So Many Colors in the Rainbow

And she said, "Flowers are red, young man

And green leaves are green

There's no need to see flowers any other way

Than they way they always have been seen"

But the little boy said

"There are so many colors in the rainbow

So many colors in the morning sun

So many colors in the flower and I see every one"

-Flowers Are Red by Harry Chapin

Have you ever had that experience of doing, smelling, feeling, tasting or hearing something from your childhood and realize suddenly that your whole life was defined by that whatever?

I grew up on a song. Harry Chapin's beautiful, lurking voice was always a picture of comfort for me, particularly in a beautiful song called "Flowers are Red". It turns out it is one of those triggers that fills me with intense emotion that brings no less than tears to my eyes nowadays. I urge you to check it out, especially if you're an educator. 

My name is Kyla. 

I am an educator, and right now I teach at Grand Canyon School, in Arizona. 

A fun fact about Arizona:

    - the most recent ranking of AZ's education system has us placed at 44th.  (1)

    - A poll has us ranked as 46th (being low) on a list of best and worst places to be a teacher. Mostly due to our low wages and student to teacher ratios. (2)

Another fun fact about Arizona: there have been a lot of flattering articles seen nationally about this state including headlines like

  -Long Term Substitutes Filling Teaching Positions (3)

  -Arizona ban on ethnic studies to go before appeals court (4)

  -New Gov Chops Education Budget (5) (Okay I can't say I know that this one is national but it is important)

Some even bigger issues that make me knock on wood every time I hear about. You can look those up on your own time. I didn't feel the need to discuss the backlash we are seeing on the Common Core Standards, the new state assessments, the amount of money the state legally owes the schools and the reformation we are seeing in schools (scripted education anyone?)

Anyway, let me tell you about myself, while the state of Arizona's education system is a big piece of my identity, it is not the only piece. So without further ado:

I grew up in Arizona, I live in Arizona, I want to get out of Arizona. 

I live at the Grand Canyon. Like near the rim. 

It is a beautiful place, filled with a lot of amazing people, and educators. 

It is also filled with a lot of people who don't, and won't bother to know anything about education. 

I grew up in Tempe Arizona. 

I received my bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona university from some of the most incredible people, who taught me that education is not about test scores. 

I believe in multiage education. Every bit of the way. 

I have just started my second year of teaching. 

I started teaching half way through the year in a 3/4 multiage classroom in 2013. 

I now teach 6th grade. 

I also taught K-2nd grade music one period a day last semester. It was incredibly difficult. 

I believe in homeschooling but I am not religious. 

I am starting this blog in order to archive my successes and reflect on my experiences. I will post materials that you are welcome to use or make your own example of. If you are reading these posts and have suggestions to make these ideas better I would love to know them!

Most of all I want you to know that I never want to be that teacher who tells students that there is only one color for a flower. These are the teachers who keep students sitting at desks all day. Who work at places where the kids have 10 minutes of recess and are not allowed to talk to their friends at lunch. Who, instead of telling themselves that the kids are off task because I give them worksheets, say the kids are off task because they are bad. I have known these teachers, had to work with these teachers and will never be this teacher. 

There is no such thing as a bad kid. 

There are so many colors in the rainbow. 

Kids are not test scores, and it scares me more than anything else to think of them this way. 

Okay enough of the high horse for today. I just had Navajo tacos delivered to my house. 

Navajo taco house deliveries

that's a plus one for AZ everybody. 

sources:

1. http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2014/07/22/arizona-lags-child-well-being/12980673/

2. http://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-teachers/7159/

3. http://www.kpho.com/story/28028065/long-term-substitutes-filling-arizona-teaching-positions

4. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/01/12/arizona-ban-on-ethnic-studies-to_ap.html

5. http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2015/01/new-gov-chops-budget-for-higher-education