Specialist Spotlight: Ben Porter Edition

Where, oh where do I begin? How do you describe a legend? Mr. Porter has been the music teacher at Beverly for 17 years. In those 17 years, he has instilled a love of music, a love of learning, and a sense of pride in thousands of students.

He is also an amazing father and family man. Being around him at school might make you think he throws all of his energy into his job. He does put a lot of time and energy in at work, but makes sure his wife,\ Candice and children Jack and Sophia know how much he loves them. He is also very handy, so I hear he puts a lot of work in around the house on that honey-do list.

When I taught first grade, my class always had music on Friday afternoons. What a fun way to end the week! I always went to get my class about ten minutes early, just so I could hang out in the music room and watch Mr. Porter in action. I always learned something, laughed, and most of all I had fun! Imagine how the students must feel? 

Ben is an amazing musician. Every year he writes a song for the Teacher of the Year and performs it for the school. When it was my turn for the TOTY song, he really nailed it. He even threw in my "T-Money" nickname! 

You can imagine how excited I was when Ben was nominated for TOTY. I got the great honor to help create a song for him and rap it out for the whole school with two of my fabulous coworkers. We had so much fun and it was so easy because there are so many wonderful things to say about Ben.

His concerts are a work of art! Each grade level has a theme and it fits perfectly with the classroom curriculum. In first grade, the program is called "All About Animals". It incorporates information from animal research and talks about the field trip to the Dallas Zoo. He loves to incorporate props and costumes into his concerts. One of the songs in 1st grade is a progressive song about different colored birds sitting in a tree. He came up with the idea to have the birds be the Angry Birds and collected all of the birds in stuffed animal form. 

He came to me one day with that excited twinkle in his eye and said, "What if we have a teacher launch the birds across the stage and have students catch them?". Now, y'all know I was all over this. We did it for several years and it was really cute. And then one year, it was not so cute. I was throwing the birds across the stage and one of them sort of misfired and flew right into a group of kids hitting a sweet little girl in the face. On her birthday. He continued to sing through his laughter and maybe one of these days I will live that down. Oh, and he still insisted that I throw the birds the next year. You're a brave man, Ben Porter. It is his ability to laugh and have fun, even when something is going awry.

You can check out Mr. Porter on Twitter @BeverlyEleMusic 

Get ready to get inside the mind of musical genius...

King Porter

How long have you been teaching? 

This is year 20!

Have you taught any other subject or worked in any other capacity in schools? 

I taught theater in summer school, but mainly just music.

He also teaches private guitar lessons and I have heard amazing things from students who have gone to him!

What is your favorite story about a student? 

A girl joined our 5th grade class mid-year after being at a Catholic school most of her life. One day in class, she was very eager to answer a question. I remember her waving her hand frantically yelling, "Sister Porter, Sister Porter". I have been called many things, but that was a new one.
I laughed out loud hearing this story!

What is your favorite lesson to teach?

I really enjoy bringing the history of music to life in my room. I tell the students that the word "history" sounds really boring. It should be called "Cool Stuff That Happened, Which You Need to Know About". For example, recorded music as we know it today has only been around for a century or so.

What inspires you? What is your strong?

Do you remember the kid you knew growing up that was always recording mixed tapes for people or making you listen to music you hadn't heard of? That was me! I can remember specific emotional connections to music throughout my life, and I really enjoy trying to fulfill my students with that same passion.

What is your favorite Techy Tool?

I could not live without my projector/powerpoints.

What is your favorite Caffeinated Beverage?

Trader Joe's Mexican Pinion Coffee

Favorite children's book?

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Favorite teacher you've ever had?

Barbara Bohenko (Powell). She was my elementary music teacher. She made music fun and gave me opportunities to shine at an early age. Because of her, I performed in two operas and had numerous solo performances singing with my guitar in elementary school. When I was in high school, I would meet people and they would say, "Hey, you're the kid with the guitar at Benjamin Franklin Elementary". We are friends on Facebook today and she often comments on posts relating to my concerts and students. I cherish having that connection with her.

And just look at that little elementary school Ben! I can only imagine that he kept his teachers very busy!

So for this interview, I did something a little different. Ben's sweet daughter Sophia is in 2nd grade at our school and I thought it would be fun to interview her along with one of her friends who loves Mr. Porter too. Sterling happily agreed to help with the interview. I had Sterling answer first, and then Sophia answered with what she thought would be the correct answer. No one knows you like your family, right? It turned out to be one of my favorite interviews so far! Enjoy! 

1. How old is Mr. Porter?

Sterling: 40

Sophia: 49 and his birthday is December 18. This interview was done before this post, so he is now the big 5-0. I still have trouble believing that though.  

2. What does Mr. Porter do for fun?

Sterling: Play music with his daughter Sophia

Sophia: He watches TV, like on Sunday he always watches the Cowboys and gets really loud when they score.

3. What would Mr. Porter do with $1,000,000?

Sterling: Buy some guitars, pianos, and some electric guitars.

Sophia: Since our dog chews everything, I think he would get some new carpet.

4. If Mr. Porter wasn't a music teacher, what would he be?

Sterling: A Rock Star!!! His band would be called the Rockin' Porters

Sophia: Well, he used to work at Burger King. He might want to just do that.

I think I'll go with Sterling's answer on this one, but Sophia's answer cracked me up! 

5. If Mr. Porter was a fruit, which one would he be?

Sterling: A peach because he is sweet and nice.

Sophia: A strawberry because he is sweet.

6. What scares him?

Sterling: A huge, gigantic, ugly spider.

Sophia: A haunted house with zombies in it

7. What is something Mr. Porter doesn't like?

Sterling: If kids don't try their hardest to sing and then they sound terrible

Sophia: Black olives

8. If Mr. Porter could teleport, where would he go?

Sterling: Hawaii

Sophia: Alabama to the beach

9. What makes Mr. Porter so special?

Sterling: He likes kids and he teaches us really sweet. He helps if we need it and he is very encouraging.

Sophia: He is honest, sweet, and gets along with lots of people. He is the best dad ever! 

That's a wrap, folks! Have a great Tuesday! 

What's Up Wednesday: Conference Wrap-Up

This What's Up Wednesday is a little different. Monday and Tuesday I was able to attend the Lone Star State School Counseling Association Conference. I had so much fun and got a ton of great ideas to take back to campus that I can start using immediately. Also, I got to spend some time with some of my favorite counselor buddies, Pamela and Sally.

Here are just a few of my takeaways from this awesome experience...

We All Need to Grow Up

So, I totally geeked out when I got to attend a breakout session with Julia Cook as the presenter. I have talked about her before because she is one of my favorite counseling authors. Scratch that, now she is my favorite because not only are her books amazing, she is hysterical.

This is her newest book...

In this story, a blue flower gets a new neighbor that is purple. He doesn't like the purple flower. He doesn't want to be anywhere near the purple flower. That purple flower is a nuisance and looks different and likes different things. But here's the deal...All flowers grow roots. All flowers grow the same, no matter what color. The sun shines on every flower regardless of their status in life. Are you listening, America? I am starting to think Julia wrote this book for adults. Children are often the best at looking on the inside and not judging too quickly. This book is a great reminder of acknowledging our unique differences and celebrating them. You don't have to agree with them, you just have to listen respectfully. Speak your own truth and let others speak theirs. 

Heart

Julia Cook also spoke about heart. She cut out a red paper heart and put it on her sleeve. 

Some people wear their heart on their sleeve. Then she hid the heart under her jacket and reminded us that some people hide they heart and never let you know how they feel. But no matter what, when you give someone a mean look or say something to bring them down, they feel sad and they cry inside. Then she folded the heart and turned it upside down like a tear drop.

Then Julia tore the heart apart and threw it on the floor. An apology can act like tape, but if it isn't sincere, it won't stick. Either way, once the heart has been torn it will always have scars.

Anxiety

I got a ton of cute new ideas for my anxiety and worry groups from an awesome set of counselors that work in Keller ISD.

Look at these cute worry dolls made out of pipe cleaners. What a fun, cheap way to get the point across and give kids a visual. Plus, who doesn't love playing with pipe cleaners?

They also gave some great ideas for those bodily-kinesthetic learners. Allowing students to act out their worries helps them connect to them, make them into something silly, and get a sense of power over them.

They asked questions like these...

 If your worry was an animal, what would it look like? 

If your worry was a sound, what would it be?

Another idea I really liked would be great for tactile learners. You tell your students to close their eyes and picture the thing that makes them the most anxious. What does it sound like, look like, feel like? Then you tell them to build a model of their worry using play-doh. Ask them to describe it in detail, get them to connect to it, and then...have them smash it! I have several worries I'd like to smash right now! 

Tacky Box

Tacky Box is a Social Emotional Learning program that teaches students to choose kind words over tacky ones. It is a proactive approach, rather than reactive and has had much success in schools all over the nation. There are sets for girls and for boys with literature included, but the basic idea is that we keep those tacky words in the box. Spread kindness, I think we all need a little bit of it right now.

Skill Sets

One of the presenters, Betty White...

(not this one, unfortunately)

...spoke about the emotional skills sets students are coming to school with. More and more we are seeing emotionally undeveloped students entering our school systems. Technology, parents working long hours, the economy, and media role models are all contributors to this problem. Students are lacking empathy, problem-solving skills, and social awareness. As elementary educators, we are charged with teaching the curriculum, but also with making sure our students are decent human beings. It is so hard for many of us to understand why students are lacking these skills. That doesn't mean we can shirk the responsibility of teaching them. I loved this quote from one of Betty's friends...

"You can't ask kids to color with crayons they don't have in their box." 

We have to teach them these skills before they can fully "color" the way we want them to. What a great reminder that we need to incorporate social-emotional learning into every classroom.

Uplifting Inspiration

This quote was in the back of one of Julia Cook's books, Baditude.

This reminds me of another great quote from an amazing therapist, 

While I will never understand how my dad tried to explain this to stubborn, headstrong, little me, I am appreciative for the advice. Only you get to dictate your reaction to a situation. People can be mean, they can break your heart, they can try to bring you down. YOU get to have the power to react with either despair or hope. I for one, choose hope.

Motivation Monday: How Do They Do It?

I think I have made it pretty clear that I believe our school is the best school in the universe. Year after year, the scores prove that our students are learning and reaching above goals that are set for them by the state. But it's not just the scores. It's the relationships, commitment, and dedication to the craft of education that makes this school a success.

Collaboration makes a team, a school, or a district a cohesive unit and a model of support. We have often had teachers from other schools come out to observe our teams and their teaching strategies. I think that's great, but it hardly ever answers the question, "How do they do it?".

Just the other day someone said to me, "What's in the water over there at Beverly? How are your students performing so well?" I really thought about that question. It's hard for me to put it into words. Also, I have never worked anywhere else, so I don't really know how it compares to other schools. I think I can narrow it down to 3 key things:

1. Is this parking lot ever empty?

School starts at 7:30, but at 6:10 in the morning, the first cars start to pull into the front lot. It is full by 7:00, so if you needed to make a Starbucks pit stop, you might have to park in the back! It's not just the morning. School ends at 3:30, but at 6:30 pm, there are AT LEAST 15 teachers still in the building. Many nights there are teachers here until 8:00 or 9:00. So what on earth are teachers doing in the building hours after their contract time ends? Getting paid overtime? Haha NO!

Our staff doesn't have time to plan, come up with lessons, or finish a project during the school day because they are tirelessly teaching. These type A teachers I work with know that they will not be able to sleep if they haven't figured out the new tip or trick to reach that one student who isn't quite getting it. They plan elaborate lessons that they know will have the greatest impact on their students, even if it takes up a ton of their free time.

2. They never stop learning EVER.

Lifelong learning isn't just something we tell our students about, we model it too. Every single person in this building loves to learn new ideas, share new strategies, and discover new technology. I know some people can't stand professional development, but everyone at our school actually loves it. I know, we are a bunch of weirdos. You can feel the buzz in the air after a great training and see the excitement when someone is trying a new idea.

Our district recently started a digital badges program. It is an optional way to further your technology skills and earn a little reward. Kind of like girl scouts. Well, at one point they mentioned a competition and our staff was off and running with that challenge. I can't tell you how many people have come into my room beaming about something new they learned or they are emailing a new video creation. Their genuine joy over the love of learning is contagious.

3. Their students are their children.

All you need to do to see this in action is to be here on the last day of school. You would think that teachers all over the world rejoice and look something like this on the last day...

I am sure in some places that is true. Here at Beverly, teachers, students, and parents are all in tears. They love each other so much and realize that a special year is over and that they won't see everyone they love for the whole summer. Many teachers organize play dates or fun treats over the summer just so they can see their sweet little babies one more time before they go to the next grade level. We look more like this on the last day...

You'll also hear teachers saying, "Oh are you talking about MY Sally Jo?" And guess what? Sally Jo hasn't been in their class for 3 years, but once you love those babies like your own, you love them forever.

So that's it. There is no magic trick or big secret. It's the culture of this school and the dedication of the staff, students, and community members that make this school unique. I am thankful every day to be a part of it.

Happy Monday!

The Friday Five: Songs That Take You Back

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I recently read an article about music and memory. The author was pondering why she could hear a song from two decades ago and be instantly transported back to that time and place. It really is amazing. There are certain songs that evoke a feeling so substantial that you can hear them and you are 7 years old again dancing without a care in the world.

Psychologists have called this the ‘reminiscence bump’. Many of these song memories are from our first 25 years of life. They believe this is because songs from our past are connected to memories of when we are experiencing things for the first time, becoming independent, and searching for meaning.

I started thinking about what songs bring up the most heartwarming memories for me. I challenge you to think of 5 songs that instantly bring you joy when you hear them. I know it is hard to think of just 5 and when I hear some of your top 5 songs I know I am going to have music FOMO!

Here we go...

1. Bop by Dan Seals

This was the first song I thought of when I read the article. The home video above is one of our family favorites. I think I am about 5 in this video and it basically proves that I have basically been a hot mess since birth. This song almost makes me feel the childhood joy running through my veins. My dad is very musical, he can play almost any instrument. Of course, I wanted to be just like him. I guess we probably should have started with how to hold the guitar correctly. Clearly, I knew none of the words. But check out minute 2:40 to see some real power ballading and a wardrobe malfunction. 

2. Carry On by Pat Green

Hearing this song takes me right back to West Texas. Pat is my favorite Red Raider alum and I have seen him in concert at least 15 times. My favorite concert ever was in Amarillo. TRL (Tracy, Rachelle, and Lexie) took our show on the road and drove from Lubbock to see Pat play. We got to meet him after the concert and took all kinds of pictures. It was before he was big and before Nashville and Uptown started calling. This is one of my favorite college memories. Oh, and we stayed at a Motel 6 and ate Waffle House. #college

3. Shimmer by Fuel

Every time I hear this song, I am transported back to Plano nights, sixteen years old, with my BFF Alison, driving around with the windows down and singing at the top of our lungs. Back then, I drove a red Ford Explorer. It had a Clifford alarm system so naturally, I named that car Clifford. I even got vanity plates put on it. I only drove Clifford for 2 years, but it was the single biggest symbol of my teenage independence.

4. Heaven is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle

Oh, the 80's! I can remember my dad playing this record for me and dancing around my room like a whackadoodle. This ridiculous 80's dance outfit was not for a costume party, but I wish I had something similar now. Leg warmers, suspenders, and tights, oh my! 

5. Surfin' USA by the Beach Boys

Anyone who has known my family for a long time knows I had to choose at least one Beach Boys song. I had a REALLY hard time picking just one, but this one eventually won out. It reminds me of summers in the pool. I mean, who doesn't love "surfing" on a pool  float? I used to play a game where you had to stand up on the float and start singing "Surfin' USA". The challenge was to see how far along in the song you could get before falling over into the water. Side note- I can sing this song really fast.

Also important to know- I didn't listen to the radio until 6th grade. My knowledge of oldies music is vast and it has helped me from time to time at trivia. My dad would love nothing more than to go back in time. He has an entire room of old collectibles...

A Fender signed by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys

Jukebox

Pinball Machine 

Slot Machine- I used to sit here in high school to try to earn extra allowance money :) 

Digger Prize Machine

Coke Machine- it is always stocked with fun different flavored sodas 

 

Side note- I almost picked Kokomo. Am I alone here or did anyone else think the song said, "Your mom's a rotten steak" instead of "Montserrat mystique"?. This picture just feels a little like Kokomo...except the glasses. I also had a red pair just like these. Hello, Sally Jesse Raphael!

That's it for the Friday 5! Join us next time for favorite quotes!