Year One

An Anniversary Post

I’m sending you an email midweek, because today is the one-year anniversary of Adrian’s Newsletter. I started this Substack because I want a place where I can think aloud and share resources with other teachers. Writing about my classroom experiences helps me process being a teacher. I first started writing a monthly blog documenting my return to the classroom during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, I didn’t care who read my posts; I was just trying to deal with teaching during a global pandemic. After that first year, I began posting semi-regularly, where I discussed my journey transforming lesson plans into learning experiences. I had no idea who was reading these posts because I never really interacted with my audience.

Over the last few years, Twitter has become a poisoned well. I mourned the loss. I had spent over a decade growing a learning network and connecting with teachers from all over the world. I didn’t want to let go of Twitter, but I felt less fulfilled each time I logged on; too much yelling, not enough dialogue. I missed connecting with others.

I don’t remember how I found Substack, but I knew immediately that this was a different place. I quickly claimed my spot, and then promptly waited seven months before writing. I wanted something different this time around, and was hesitant to get started. How would this space be different from others? I wanted to write about being a teacher, and connect with people: teachers, parents, writers, anyone willing to open my emails, read what I have to say, and receive what I have to share. Substack fit.

My inaugural post welcomes anyone and everyone to my weekly posts. I work to make this Substack space to mimic my classroom: safe, fun, and a place where we can grow together. I really enjoy posting every week. I absolutely love connecting with y’all! I welcome each new reader like a new student to my classroom. I get excited when you messages me or leave a comment telling me that you plan to use a particular resource in your classroom, or that something I wrote resonates with you. I’m grateful for all of you who read this Substack, however often, because you motivate me to keep going and keep connecting. I love seeing this community grow!

A Quick Story

Early in the pandemic, my family and I needed an activity to keep our individual and collective mental health in tact. We were looking for something we could do together, preferably outside and inexpensive. Living in Colorado, we decided on family hiking.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I have lived in Colorado my entire life and have never been on any sort of hiking trail. I’ve taken walks along paths that surround our suburban area, but before pandemic, I rarely visited the mountains or nearby foothills. When we all decided to begin hiking, I asked friends for some recommendations. Early one morning, I Googled a trail, packed some snacks and water bottles in my old high school Jansport backpack, and we all headed out. To celebrate, we grabbed some coffee and hot chocolate for the commute, driving west toward the mountains. I had no idea what I was expecting, but when we arrived, I was stressed. We all had to pee and there were no outdoor port-o-potties. In fact, there wasn’t even a trailhead. People were parked on the side of the road and entering a receded footpath directly from their cars. I decided to turn the car around, and drive to the nearest gas station so we could all use the restroom before our hike. We returned, a little less stressed, ready to get started. We followed the other hikers and set off on our first family hike.

This trail was way above our ability level. The inclines were steep and rocky. My kids were wearing threadbare tennis shoes with no traction. Our steel water bottles kept bruising the lower part of my back. Still, we persisted. A friend had told of a beautiful waterfall at the end of the trail. If we could just make it to the top, it would be worth it!

Sore and cranky, we arrived at the end of the trailhead. Colorado was experiencing severe drought conditions, making the majestic waterfall resemble a drinking fountain trickle. Everyone was so disappointed! We sat disgruntled, ate our snacks, took a family photo where no one smiled, and dejectedly descended the trailhead.

The promised waterfall

The car ride home was quiet. My back and feet were killing me. The hike took us longer than we anticipated; it was late afternoon when we left. We drove home, ate lunch, showered as quickly as possible, and crashed onto our beds. I’m pretty sure everyone passed out for a few hours before convening at the dining table hungry.

Well, what did y’all think of today’s hike?

My wife and I braced ourselves for the inevitable tirade from the kids.

That was a blast! Can we do it again next week?

What? They had fun!? I was so confused. I pointed out to them that we were all miserable; we were unprepared, and once we got to the top, utterly disappointed.

But, it was so much fun!

And so, our family began hiking. We bought a bare minimum of supplies: hiking shoes and hydration packs. Each week, we got a little better. We started with beginner trails and slowly, we were hiking longer and steeper trails. Every so often, we mistakenly chose a trail that was too challenging, or we started too late in the day, making for a hot and miserable trek. But, over the course of these last four summers, we have continued hiking as a family. Sometimes we go out to lunch afterwards, but most times, we come home, take naps, and then play games, watch movies, and eat dinner. We are not expert hikers and have no plans to climb every Colorado 14er.

So What?

I created this Substack a year ago in the same manner as that first hike. I just started writing. I had no experience with marketing or “creating content.” I just wanted to write and connect with others. My first posts are sparse, but throughout this last year, I have slowly learned a ton about writing a weekly newsletter. Each week, I add more resources and I believe that my writing is improving. Many of you have probably seen other Substackers’ milestone posts where they reflect on what they’ve learned. I don’t have any advice for how to grow your following or gain paid subscribers. I’m not really interested in any of that. I just want to keep writing, processing my experience as a classroom teacher, sharing resources, and help others get a bit better each day.

I’ve also learned a lot about myself, both as a teacher and a writer. One thing that our first hiking trip taught me is that I don’t always know the impact of a particular experience. During that first hike, we all felt miserable. I could not have predicted that we were making unforgettable, positive memories. The same is true for teaching. Some days are hard, but there might be one interaction that has a positive impact.

Some weeks, I don’t feel great about my outgoing post. I worry that it isn’t written well or that I bumbled what I wanted to say. You know what? Once it leaves my laptop and magically appears in your Inbox, I have no control over how you will read it. I don’t know if the resources I suggest will be helpful to you. You may just delete it.

That's okay.

I often think about all of the things my family would have missed if we had quit after that first hiking trip. If I had quit writing and posting because no one clicked the heart or added a comment, then I would not have made some incredible connections this year. Even when the writing is challenging, I always look back with positive feelings. I feel good about what I’m creating and sharing with this community.

Carmy getting advice from Thomas Keller

There is a scene in The Bear, Season 3 where Carmy is learning how to truss a chicken from Thomas Keller, an American chef of the landmark Napa Valley restaurant and The French Laundry in Yountville, California. I love his advice.

Come in every single day, and just try to do a little better than the day before. Just a little better; a modicum of effort. And that will compound over the years you are here.

We cook to nurture people.

This is my goal as a teacher. I have no presumption that I am a master teacher. I try each day to be better than the day before. Yes, life happens. Sometimes I’m irritable. Sometimes the lessons don’t go as planned. Sometimes I have a challenging group of students, and the stress of being a teacher feels too heavy. Learning is messy and I make no claims to have solved all of public education’s problems. I work to make school does not suck. I work to improve every day. A modicum of effort to nurture my students.

Undoubtedly, this is also my goal for this newsletter. I work to improve my writing each time. I strive to have each post be a bit better than the preceding one. I hope that each week, you find something of value in my posts. Even if you don’t use any of the resources I share, I want my posts to help you improve or maybe just brighten your day with dancing. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do work to help teachers be better for their students. I write to nurture this growing community of readers.

Thank you for reading my Substack! I plan to continue writing and sharing each week. I’m grateful for y’all and hope that this newsletter provides some value in your life.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

—Adrian

Resources

• I love visual representations of ideas. There are some incredibly talented artists that use pictures to help explain concepts. These two examples come from Wisdom Made Easy, and encapsulate my beliefs about learning and growth. I work to learn as much as I can about teaching and learning so that I can be the best teacher possible for my students. No matter what I learn, if I don’t apply it to my pedagogical practice, than the information doesn’t serve anyone. I don’t want to grow on my own, I want to grow as part of a community.

• If you like these types of visual graphics, I recommend you check out Liz Fosslien and Marissa Shandell.