A Story and a Celebration

In my last year in Kindergarten, after four years of building a home I felt great in, I tried to streamline my conferring note-taking with some tech. I stuck to what I knew and created a Google Form with quick and easy checkboxes to collect what students were doing well. After a few weeks, I had a ton of data I couldn’t stare at because it was like walking into Monica’s closet.

Then Kyle came to the rescue. He was our tech integrator and did his magic to help me make sense of it all, and just like the data masters say, I could now see “the story data was telling me.” A few weeks later, Kyle proposed we present together for the school’s yearly Celebrations of Teaching, a great gathering of colleagues where many opened their classrooms and minds to share something that worked for them. I agreed, and after trying for a few days to create a presentation worthy of every participant who showed interest in our idea, I came to Kyle with frustration and questions.

His response inspired the title of this blog and the way I now reflect when I write. He said, “Ana, start with a story. Everyone wants to hear a story, people want to hear the story of where the idea came from.” I’m not sure Kyle knows what he did for me that day. Beyond our presentation, he showed me how powerful it is to shine a light on people who do great things behind their classroom doors.

In April of 2021, I walked through the doors of KLA Elementary School as a new teacher. Without knowing what to do mid-year, I was trusted with supporting a 3rd-grade class through the end of their school year. I didn’t expect to put roots down because I had just arrived in Miami and wasn’t even sure which drawer to use for my [now useless] winter clothes I brought from Cairo. I stepped into that triangular classroom and thought, “This will keep me busy while I figure out what I want to do next.”

A few weeks later, I attended a Zoom meeting with the rest of my new colleagues. I stared at the many unfamiliar faces in rectangular boxes as they talked about a writing event the school had just held. Those conversations, especially the palpable passion teachers showed, resulted in an evolving professional development story I have often documented here. It all began with someone sharing something she believed in (I saw you, Liz) and me shining light on her, just like Kyle had done for me a few years before. It also resulted in my commitment to return to this new school, now known as KLA Academy, year after year.

Today, KLA celebrates its 15th anniversary, and I’m in awe as I learn about the ideas that became realities and gave life to such a wonderful learning community. KLA is a place where learning truly lives and breathes, and not just for children; I see evidence of teachers learning from each other everywhere I look. From anchor charts to documentation, the walls have signs of ideas that were born in shared minds. I don’t think I ever knew such a place could exist.

I’ve felt their authentic engagement heavy in the air each time I’ve led professional development. Every day, whenever I’m out of my classroom, I encounter opportunities to shine lights. I talk about teaching with colleagues non-stop: I help Amy make sense of her reading unit in between rushed bites at lunch, I answer questions about tiny notebooks in 2nd grade on my way to the bathroom, I share ideas about writing partnerships with 1st-grade teachers as we watch children play at recess… My brain is constantly provoked, and I know that KLA’s teachers have set the bar high for my next employer whenever that time comes.

On this special day for such an amazing school, I want to express my gratitude to every teacher, student, family, and admin team member who has shone a constant light on me. Thanks to their trust and encouragement, I’ve been able to do more of what I love beyond teaching. Today, I celebrate the passion, the drive, and the positivity that runs through the hallways like hungry 8-year-olds on their way to the cafeteria. Thank you, KLA, for being a place where learning is like breathing.