A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Voices from Classroom: Amelia Brown says fire is spreading at Taylor Mill Elementary, and it’s all good


By Amelia Brown
Taylor Mill Elementary School

There is a fire in our school.  And it’s spreading.

I’ve been in education for sixteen years. In those sixteen years, I’ve seen a lot of different methods and approaches to teaching.  Some ideas are innovative, changing with the times.  Some ideas are old ones that went by the wayside and circled back around.  

But this past year was completely different.

This past year, our school had a chance at a new beginning.  Under [utterly amazing] new leadership, we sat down to ask questions like, “What are we all about?  What is our mission?  What are our values?”  Through a process that involved every teacher in our building, we discussed these difficult questions that, if unified in the answers, we knew would hold great power for the amount of growth and learning happening in our school.

Amelia Brown

It didn’t take long for us to come to consensus in answering the question, What is our vision for this school?
 
After thoughtful reflection, brainstorming, and dreaming…this is what we decided:

At Taylor Mill Elementary, we INSPIRE passionate learners,
create a community of LEADers,
and challenge ourselves to EXCEED expectations.

And that is how the fire started.

From the cafeteria employees to the administration, we are ablaze with a renewed passion–not only for teaching, but for learning.

When we decided that we are going to INSPIRE passionate learners, we are talking about our students AND about each other. Not only have we planned out exactly how we are going to do this in our classrooms, but also how we will do that as a staff and as individuals with a common purpose.  This summer for example, we all jumped at the chance to participate in book studies.  The books were suggested and chosen by teachers.  The studies are being led by teachers.  All staff were invited to participate–in addition to teachers, we have instructional assistants, administrative assistants, Family Resource Coordinators and principals all reading books that will have a positive impact on our students.  Each group is already chomping at the bit to share what they’ve learned with the others.

When we decided that we are going to create LEADERS, we are not just talking about creating this in our students.  We are also talking about ourselves.  There is a humbleness to teachers in general, so this concept of “everyone is a leader” wasn’t accepted right away.  Many would say things like “Oh, I’m not a leader, I’m just a….”  

Since last fall, eight staff members at TME have become Google Certified Educators, showing their love for learning and innovation. Here are Katelyn Callahan, Amelia Brown, Sharon Fritz, Natasha Arias. (Picture provided)

But a leader is someone who sees problems as possibilities, who communicates effectively and positively, who brings out the greatness in others, who doesn’t settle for the status quo.  In that case, yes, we are all leaders. The difference in our school now is the level of support. We teach these leadership skills and characteristics to our students, but we also support each other in developing them personally.  

For example, we’ve initiated a Teacher Leadership Team.  Comprised of teachers from each grade level, we meet weekly to discuss issues, ideas, or questions that came about throughout the week.  We then share out with our teams–complete transparency.  Within this team, we support and encourage leadership characteristics in each other.  This team is not static; each year, we will rotate in others who may be interested in order to spread
leadership capacity with opportunity.

When we said we are going to challenge ourselves to EXCEED expectations, we are not just talking about challenging our students…we are also talking about each other.  Every student in the building is held to high expectations and so is every adult.  Because we have strong support from our principals and from each other, many of us are now feeling brave and bold.  We are stepping out of our comfort zones to try new things.  For example, some teachers didn’t have a strong technology background and were a little afraid to try.  But now, they are collaborating with teachers that are more tech-savvy and taking the leap–adding so much engagement and resources to their classrooms because of it.  Some teachers that were nervous or hesitant to talk in front of a group are now signing up to lead professional development sessions within not just the school, but the district.  This sharing of experiences and expertise combines both inspiration and leadership.

This cohesive vision has unified us.  

It has brought so much light to the fact that we are stronger together.  This school has become a place where adults want to learn at high levels, and that excitement is contagious.  This fire that has been lit in our teacher hearts is quickly spreading to our students.

Keep your eye on Taylor Mill Elementary during the 2017-18 school year — big things are happening!

Amelia Brown is a Kindergarten teacher at Taylor Mill Elementary School. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early and Middle Childhood Literacy. She is a 2017-18 Hope Street Group Kentucky Teacher Fellow.

Voices from the Classroom is a new feature at NKyTribune, thanks to Beechwood teacher Amanda Klare’s initiative. If you are a teacher and would like to contribute to the column, please submit it to judy@nkytrib.com


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3 Comments

  1. Jack Brown says:

    Fantastic stuff!!
    Wish I was starting over!!

  2. Jodi Klaiss says:

    Love it! I’m inspired and pumped up for all of you! I’d love to join your team!

  3. Inspiring – speaks to the power of positivity and solutions focused collaboration among stakeholders.

    Awesome work, Amelia and Taylor Mill Elementary!

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