Kentucky Connected Educator Brison Harvey

Social Studies Teacher  Lafayette High School Fayette County

In what ways are you a connected educator?

When thinking of connectivity, I try to envision myself as a hub on a network of lines. Some of the lines connect with my students, whom I focus my energies on facilitating their growth throughout the year. Other lines connect with other professionals, with whom I respect greatly. I have gotten to know many great educators across the state and the country through the Common Assignment Study, Center for Teaching Quality online collaboratory, and my work with Literacy Design Collaborative. All three have their own inner networks with some overlap, but the primary reason to connect with these groups revolves around their promotion of student learning. These connections exist online through teleconferences, webinars and social media chats. They also have deep roots in offline interactions, including conferences, seminars and work sessions.

How does being connected impact your practice in schools/classroom?

I believe that in order to be a great facilitator of students, a teacher must translate the collective knowledge of the teacher universe and make it usable for their classroom.That is my goal with my involvement with the various groups that I connect with. It has allowed me reflect on my own practices at a deeper level, but also incorporate new ideas that keep the classroom fresh. The amazing part of being connected with amazing teachers is how easily the amazingness of the others becomes part of my own routine. Strategies as simple as political cartoon analysis and as immersive as “Inside-Outside” discussion circles now become part of the learning routine.

How does being connected impact you as a professional?

Finding other teachers, with similar passion and terrific skill, has lit a fire for professional growth within myself. Every session adds fuel to the fire to be the best educator I can be, to try new things and expand the learning opportunities for my students. These connections replenish me on the days where I feel like I am dragging, professionally. It is like an extra bold coffee in the morning; it reaches out of the computer screen and slaps me on the face and gets me ready to get better tomorrow. If I were a teacher on an island, I would find it easy to get discouraged and give up on the profession. Fortunately, I have found paths to plug into, creating a never-ending supply of energy and innovation for professional consumption.

What advice or resources would you recommend to colleagues interested in becoming connected?

1. Find a network outside of your school building. By finding other teachers outside of your world can help you learn about other situations and apply new methods into your classroom.
2. Make an effort to stay connected. It is easy to gain connections, but maintaining your lines of communication are key to remain intellectually fed.
3. Return the favor. While learning and receiving ideas are beneficial, equally as beneficial is throwing your own ideas out into the pond to see if they sink or float. It may turn into a brilliant idea or fall flat but giving back to the educator community keeps the information flowing.

Brison's Bio: After graduating from Asbury University in 2011, Brison received his first teaching job at Lafayette High School. Since then, he has been involved with the Center for Teaching Quality, Common Assignment Study, Literacy Design Collaborative, and is a teacher leader for the Continuous Instructional Improvement Technology System.

Want to participate in Connected Educator Month? Consider:

• Following our blog daily where we will highlight a different educator each day in October
• Adding tips and resources to a shared Google folder