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>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I am excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles, and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the state teachers of the year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 state teachers of the year will share how they use the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #NTOY21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org. That's N-T-O-Y.org. Welcome, everyone. This is Sarah Brown Wessling and I am here today with Donnie Piercy who is the 2021 Kentucky State Teacher of the Year. Donnie, how are you today?

>> I'm good. So, you know, our school year has been going on for about a month and a half now. We started mid August, so I am well caffeinated this morning. I am ready for a good conversation.

>> I'm excited too. I'm excited too. So before we jump in, can you just tell everyone a little bit about what you teach, where you teach, just give us a little bit of context.

>> Yeah. So like you said, Sarah, my name is Donnie Piercy. I teach fifth grade here in Lexington, Kentucky as part of Fayette County Public Schools. I've been teaching for -- oh gosh, I've reached that age of teaching where it's like I can never remember if it's one or the other. But we'll call it about 15 years. I've worked all around Kentucky. I've worked in rural Kentucky, you know, Irvine, Kentucky here in Lexington. But I've only ever taught fourth or fifth grade. I kind of stumbled into it by accident. You know, when you graduate with that teaching degree it's like, well, what's that first job? And some people, that grade level that they get it's like, "Well, this is not for me. Let's try another one." But I was pretty fortunate. Right off the bat, I was hired in a fourth grade position and learned that I really enjoy upper elementary. And I mean, I've been told I'm pretty good at it. So, it's been a lot of fun for the last 15 years.

>> Oh, that's fantastic. So, my mother was a fourth grade teacher for 30 years.

>> Nice.

>> So, I feel like whenever I meet someone who is a fourth grade teacher or a fifth grade teacher, I kind of have just this like, I don't know. Just understanding of what that means. She always talked about how she loved the way that the students were old enough to ask kind of new questions.

>> And tie their shoes. And tie their shoes.

>> Right, right, right, right. But still young enough to love their teacher and be excited about learning.

>> Yeah. It's been -- well, 30 years, by the way, I've always said that if you can teach for 30 years, you should be given an honorary doctorate from somewhere.

>> From somewhere. Right.

>> Yeah, from somewhere. But no, I agree with you. And the other big thing that elementary school has that I didn't realize how much I would enjoy as a teacher is just recess in general.

>> Yeah.

>> Like there's still something to going outside and playing football with kids, you know, shooting basketball. One, because it makes feel like I'm actually good at those sports but two, it's such a cool time to be able to interact with them, kind of show you -- show them what you're like kind of as a person where you're not in that instructional role.

>> Yeah.

>> And I feel like there's a lot of modeling just for kids --

>> Yeah. Absolutely.

>> -- that happens during recess time.

>> There is no doubt. Some of my favorite memories of all elementary were the days when my fourth grade teachers played dodge ball with us.

>> Oh yeah.

>> I still remember. I still remember how exciting it was to get one of the teachers out, you know.

>> And, you know, as a fifth grade teacher too, it's one of those things when it's like, yeah, it's kind of fun sometimes to play dodge ball against kids.

>> Yeah. That's right.

>> Because a lot of them can't throw yet. It's like, I really want to throw but I'll just hit you. It's all right. It's fun.

>> Yeah, exactly.

>> Yeah.

>> Well, we are here to think a little bit about just what the school year is like, you know, in a lot of ways wherein you're free of the pandemic, you know, in terms of schools which means that -- I just feel like it's another phase of it. We're not out of it, certainly, but we're in a different phase of it. And, you know, certainly, a lot of teachers have been really reflective, what they've been learning about their practice, about classrooms. And so, I'm just really curious about thinking what it means to hang on to something and let go of something and how that kind of influences your practice. So, I would first like to really hear about something that you have kept. So, so much has been taken away, right, but what's one thing that you have really kept as a teacher?

>> Yeah. It was weird. Somebody shared with me the other day, you know, like as much as I try to avoid like sharing internet memes around as facts, but somebody shared one the other day. I was like, that's actually really true. Like the class that I have this year, my fifth graders this year, the last normal, like without any interruption school year they had, was when they were in second grade. And I think about that. And so, the last year was just like they haven't had any type of -- you know, no COVID restrictions. It just felt like a normal year. So, as I was reflecting on this last year, I realized like, "Wow. I should be thinking about like the past three or four years.

>> Right, right. Yeah.

>> How much things have changed. You know, one thing that I've just always tried to do in my classroom is try to incorporate technology and I realized like since -- you know, in the age of virtual instruction, sometimes saying technology, it's kind of like a dirty word. It's like, "Oh, you can't say that around some teachers because it might trigger them," you know.

>> Right.

>> But last -- in March of 2020, when the pandemic hit, I mean, every single teacher, not just in Kentucky, not just across America but all around world, was just literally thrown into the fire.

>> Yeah.

>> Right. And some of us, we came out of the frying pan and hit the fire, right?

>> Right.

>> So, it was definitely rough but, you know, every teacher was really resilient. I know even that word nowadays, it's almost turned into jargon but it's true. I mean, every teacher for those two, three weeks when we're preparing for, you know, what we thought would just be six to eight weeks said, "Well, if this is what I have to do, if I've got to learn how to finally use Google Docs, if I finally have to learn how to like record a video lesson, if that's what it's going to take for my students to be successful, then I'm going to do that." And it was hard. It was definitely not easy by any means and there were a lot of issues that came up.

>>Yeah.

>> And important discussions around equity, important discussions around just even like internet access at home.

>> Yeah.

>> But for the majority of teachers, they did it. They got that base level of techno, that thing that for years we're like, "Oh you've got to learn, you've got to learn." And so, as the pandemic hopefully, fingers crossed, knock on wood, you know, comes to an end now every teacher has that base level, right? So, the question becomes like, what are we going to do with it?And to answer your question, you know, one thing I've always try to do, the thing that I'm keeping is not to just use technology for a substitute, for something that could be done on pencil and paper. We've been like taking students on a field trip somewhere. You know, there's a instructional model. I don't know if you're familiar with it. It's SAMR, it's the SAMR model. It's a model for incorporating technology into the classroom.

>> Yeah.

>> Right? And, you know, it stands for substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition. And it's all about when you are looking in an app, when you're looking at a tool, when you're looking at bringing some type of piece or, you know, some piece of technology into your classroom how is it that you're going to use that tool? And one thing -- you know, when I learned about the SAMR model five or six years ago, I've kind of structured any time I bring technology into my classroom around it. I've tried to always avoid just those -- I mean, sometimes you have to but try to avoid, you know, those activities, those lessons where it's just a substitute for something that could be done on pencil and paper.

>> Right. Right.

>> Classic example, right, like Google Earth is a really cool tool.

>> Yeah.

>> I always have a problem with that phrase. But it's a really cool tool. It's like [inaudible], you know? You know, but Google Earth is a cool tool but there's nothing that says you can't have a physical map up in your room that the students can go up to and also explore.

>> Exactly.

>> As you make your way down the SAMR model, you know, it turns into augmentation. Like is this app or this tool, is it something that is augmenting your instruction for the better? You know, a simple example will be, let's take Google Earth one more time. You know, instead of having the students use a ruler to measure the distance between places and then use the map scale, they can use the measurement tool and figure out how many miles it is from like, you know, Boston to Quebec.

>>Yeah.

>> Or Montreal. You know, then when you talk about like modifying learning, that's when like -- you know, let's take Google Earth one more time where, you know, students are using different map layers to maybe explore some collaboration -- sorry, some correlation between like population growth and like CO2 levels. But ultimately, when you're looking at the SAMR model, it's all about, you know, can you use this piece of technology to redefine what instruction looks like? You know, could students use this tool to do something that they couldn't do without the tool? And, you know, collaboration is so important, collaboration across schools and grade levels where students get to chat with people all around the world. I mean, even Zoom, like we're on right now and recording this podcast on.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, this is a great example of that. Yes, we are all burnt out on Zoom. We're all burnt out [inaudible] the fact that I can have my class in Lexington, Kentucky, talk to a class in Sydney, Australia, that's amazing, right?

>> Yeah.

>> That's not something that I could do without the technology tool. So, you know, that's something, that SAMR model is something that I'm going to be holding on to.

>> Yeah. I love that. You know, they're so -- you know, your description is so rich, I think, with so many important traits of strong pedagogy. I mean, you know, underneath this, you're talking about authentic, you know, experiences for students. You're talking about inquiry model. You're talking about I think making sure that students understand the relationship between the tools that they already have and, you know, like the maps and the physical things that we can still have in our classrooms and touch and look at. And then the way that you mentioned, you know, that like Google Earth can augment that. And giving them the opportunity to discern between them, I mean, that's just so important. So, here's the thing though. I think with teachers in general, we like to hang on to stuff, right? We hang on to physical things. We hang on to, you know, the lesson that we haven't used in 10 years, but we still might use it one day. So I'm really curious, what do you have to let go of in order to create space to do all of these really incredible things that you're talking about?

>> Yeah. Well, I think it's the idea of control, right? And not that I don't have control of my classroom, not that --

>> I know what you mean. Yeah.

>> -- I don't have control over but, you know, it's letting go with that control that I'm always going to be the one who is in charge of the learning that happens in my classroom. And I know that sounds really cliché but it's very true. Like as a educator, like in the 21st century, in the year 2020 -- what year is it, 2021.

>> '21, yeah.

>> Like you have to be adaptive and not be afraid to listen to your students. Where if you're picking up on the fact that -- you know, let's take technology, if they're not into the tool that you're using, you know, to never be afraid to say, "Class, give me five minutes. I need to," you know, like Ross from Friends --

>> Yeah.

>> -- pivot on this.

>> Right.

>> I need to pivot on this, come up with something different so that way one, you're not bored but more importantly, that this lesson can go to the level of learning that it needs to go to.

>> Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. That control is -- it is a hard thing to let go of, right? Because you're so -- you're vulnerable but I think what I always feel like is when I get past that moment of vulnerability, I am so present with my learners, right? Like I am learning with them, but you do have to cross that threshold. But once you do, it's like a really special space to be in.

>> Yeah. There's got to be that level of -- you know, I think like you mentioned, that level of openness.

>> Yeah.

>> Right? Where you have to, from day one, you know, let your class know that sometimes we might have to change things in the middle of a lesson just to make sure that the learning that's happening in this space is what it needs to be.

>> Yeah.

>> And that's hard sometimes. I mean, that's hard for all stakeholders. You know, one, for me, as a teacher, right, it sounds strange especially in elementary school for a student to hear that. But also, when you factor in like parents and administrators, even like on days when your principal walks in and you're teaching a lesson and five minutes in you're like, "OK, this is garbage. I need to scrap this."

>> Yup.

>> But I feel like good administrators value that reflection, right? And yeah, you might not get as high of a score or whatever that means on your evaluation but ultimately, you know, I don't think that should be the case. I think that, you know, being reflective and being able to adapt on the fly is such an important skill, not just with technology but just in education in general because you're modeling that for your students.

>> Yup. Absolutely. Well, I have appreciated this conversation and this time. I know this is just a tiny little slice and snippet into all of the amazing work that you do with your students. But I know there are going to be a lot of people looking up the SAMR model as soon as they get done listening to this and really be inspired to think about the ways that technology continue to -- can continue to amplify their classrooms and the learning of their students. So, thanks so much, Donnie.

>> Yeah. No worries. Thank you so much.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag #NTOY21. That's #N-T-O-Y-2-1. Let's keep the conversation going.