Breaking the June Curse...

June hasn't been my month.

June has typically been hard and trying.

In June of 2012, Sienna had what should have been a two day stay at Primary Children's Medical Center to recover from a Ureter Re-implanting Surgery.  But her bladder ruptured post surgery.   She was terribly sick.  Doctors couldn't figure out why.  And after a broken-up nearly three week stay at the Children's Hospital, they diagnosed her with Pyelonephritis - (which means her kidneys were swollen, full of infection and not working properly.)

During that time, I was trying to coach my 2012 SkillsUSA Broadcasting Team and help them prepare for Nationals.  I brought Sienna with me, to practices - catheter and all.  Poor baby.  I remember ending one practice early, driving straight to the hospital, where she was again admitted for another stay.
  

She was sick.  And I was scared.

I missed my flight to Kansas City with all of the SkillsUSA competitors.  I was holding my baby in the hospital.  I flew out days later, after Sienna was home (for good this time).  I made it to Kansas City just in time to give my four students a good luck pep talk before they competed behind closed doors.

They didn't place that year.  And in the Post-Contest Meeting I wrote down everything the judges had to say.  I didn't even have a notebook.  (Great journalist, huh?!?!)  I tell you, I wasn't 100% there.  I had been sleeping on a hospital cot for 2 weeks, worrying my brains out.

So NO notebook, but I did manage to find these Holiday Inn post-its from the hotel where we were staying.  

I wrote down everything that a National Winning Team needed to know.  And once I was back in Utah, I hid these notes in my sock drawer.  I never said it out loud....maybe whispered it to my husband...but I was ready to take a team back to Kansas City...and this time, come home with a different outcome.

In March 2013, four dedicated students showcased their skills -- winning the SkillsUSA State Competition.  And the Post-It's got to come out of the sock drawer.

I worked with them on perfecting their broadcast writing, their storytelling and their believability.  Camera Cues were solid.  Team Chemistry was evident.  These are good kids.  Our Male Anchor hosted his own radio show, our Female Anchor re-wrote political and world event stories each week; not for an assignment --  just to have me correct them...so she could improve her newsworthy sense.  At State, the judges from ABC4 told me they would hire our Student Technical Director on the spot, "he was just that good." And our Floor Director, brought the team together with his accuracy in cues and his sense of humor.

They were the right group of students.  I spent the first month of summer vacation holding practices so we could fine-tune their skills.  We spent a ton of time at that school practicing!  Gracie and Sienna came with me often.  They acted as comic relief or the world's biggest distraction.  Either way, it was good practice for the students to try and keep their focus.

We were just days away from the competition, and my June Curse hit again.

I was 7-weeks-pregnant, and I lost the baby.

My doctor teetered with the idea of me leaving for a week, but finally gave me the okay to travel with the team.  I was in pain and sick the entire trip, and an emotional tornado.  But being there and focusing on the team was the best thing for me - it helped distract me from feeling sorry for myself.

OCC Girls and Advisor Chris Griesemer

The broadcasting competition lasted two days.  My team drew the 9:30 am time slot on the first day.  We were all excited about that time placement.  The morning of the competition, I did make-up for seven girls competing in 'Opening and Closing Ceremonies'.  They were darling, and definitely looked the part.  I then caught the bus from our hotel.  The convention center was a 20 minute bus ride away.  We hit traffic.  I was panicking.  I had one of the Floor Director's props.  So there I was flying off of the bus when we got there, running in my 4-inch heels across the space of two football fields.  For those of you who know me...this sounds about right....yes?  I got there with four minutes to spare.  I gave them their cards I had written for them, we huddled up, said a prayer, and they were off.

They had 2 hours to build their newscast rundown and write a 3-minute show based off of 20 Associated Press Stories.  And then they anchored, called and directed the show live.  The show had to end exactly at the 3 minute mark - one second over or under would penalize their scores.

Friday night -- Closing Ceremonies.  20,000 people in Kemper Arena.  It is so full, our team gets separated.  I end up standing at the top of the arena by my co-teacher, Dustin.

"Broadcast News Production", the announcer's voice booms.

"Here we go", I think to myself.
"Bronze Medal -  Washington."

"Okay....come on....come on....they deserve this," I am saying under my breath.
"Silver Medal - Delaware."  

My heart sinks.  Florida has won this competition for the past FIVE years.  And it looks like their winning streak is about to continue.

"Gold Medal - UTAH"

It is as if time stood still.  And then I start screaming....and screaming some more...and crying.

It is one of the most authentic moments in my life.  So pure.  So unexpected.

Not unexpected because Matt, Krista, Chase and Bailey didn't deserve the title.  Because trust me they do, and their scores prove it.   But because how often can you say you've been a part of a National Championship?!?!

It's like I won Miss America -- only BETTER because seeing the unbelievable excitement on these four student's faces, quadrupled my joy.

Look at them!  Students who put their minds to something positive and made it happen.  Lehi High School has never won a National Gold Medal in any of the 98 SkillsUSA competitions.  These four students brought home the Gold

...and they broke my June Curse. 

**National Champions**

By winning Gold, this team won the 10-thousand dollar EZNews Software Program for Lehi High School.

Krista Hintze who just started her Freshman Year at BYU.  She has declared her major as Broadcast Journalism.  She will be fabulous!

During the week, we spent a great deal of time walking around Downtown Kansas City.  It's a beautiful city.  Here we are having a "Brittany Pose-Off".  Apparently, I have a certain "pose" I strike in pictures.  Everyone did a "BTait" pose for this one.  What do you think?  Who won?

Here's a story to restore your faith in humanity.  Before I flew out for Kansas City, my husband said to me, "Hey Brittany, try to not lose our camera this year at the competition...okay?"  I have a bit of a history misplacing our camera.  And this year was no exception.  Before Closing Ceremonies, I realized I didn't have the camera.  I searched EVERYWHERE, called every place of business we had visited. It was MISSING.  I had to tell Jody that his crazy wife had indeed done the very thing he asked me not to do.

Fast-Forward 7 weeks.  I get a letter in the mail from a Nadine Russell in Clinton, Missouri.  She's writing me to tell me she has my camera.  Nadine was one of the bus drivers who drove the Utah Schools around at Nationals.  She found the camera on her bus - scrolled through the pictures and wrote, "I recognized you in the pictures as the lady that ALWAYS wore the high heels on the bus."  

Nadine didn't know my name, what school I was from, or anything about me....(other than the high heels.)  She did some serious investigation - running into numerous blockstops.  But she found me.  Isn't that so nice?!?!  Nadine is a friend for life.  What a lovely lady with a good heart.  Thanks to Nadine, we have our camera back.

**The Entire Lehi High School Crew**

This is my co-teacher, Dustin.  He invited me into his well-estabilished classroom more than two years ago.  It's safe to say I shook up the routine with my quizzes on attribution, news judgement and the journalism inverted pyramid.  We both have different methods; but the whole 'fire and ice' thing really worked out.  It's been such a wonderful experience to be an educator, and I am thankful Dustin believed enough in me to let me teach along side of him.     



At the annual national-level SkillsUSA Championships, more than 5,900 students competed in 98 occupational and leadership skill areas.  The organization has 13,000 school chapters.  




This event is larger than life!! 

Sweet Success

The Adventures of Mrs. Tait

When I started teaching two years ago, I truly thought I would teach second period every day and that would be that.  Silly, right?  Teaching is 20% in-class quizzes, lectures and grading.  However, the majority of what makes a class a successful one and students better off for taking it...is what happens when Ms. or Mr. Teacher has gone home and they are PREPPING for the next big project.  It's been time consuming and enlightening.  I wouldn't change it for the world!



Two years ago, my view on education was a tainted one.   My background as a journalist had taught me Education was all about Test Scores, Teacher Protests and Overcrowded Class Sizes.  And the TV show 'Glee' showed me there would be outbursts of singing and lots of drama.  So pretty much I was ready to teach.  Ha!  (After two years, I wish there was more choreography and singing...Glee is not accurate.  At. All.)  Really though, after having an inside look at how schools function I realize our greatest problem is certainly NOT whether every student in a class can pass with a B-average to receive federal funding for the next year. We need to take a step back and focus on believing in these kids; showing them it's worth it to keep trying. Taking away their phones during class, and showing them a real world exists - they can be a part of it...in fact they can change it, for the better, if they so choose.




This is the School Studio where we broadcast a 10-minute Morning News Show, Four Days a Week.

 

I took my students on a tour of the KUTV News Studio.

Here they got a front row seat to all of the pre-production that goes into the 5 o'clock newscast. They also met some talented local celebrities, after watching them anchor the news live.



MARCH MADNESS!  March is the busiest 31 days for a Broadcasting Teacher. We kicked off the month with the •High School Broadcasting Awards• Students from schools along the Wasatch Front competed in Radio, Video and Journalism Competitions. Lehi students did well. Krista Hintze, one of my Seniors, won "Best Female Anchor".

Video Production Teachers from Mountain View High School, Pleasant Grove and my Co-Teacher at Lehi facilitating the event

My dear friend, who was also one of my BYU professors, Robert Walz came and spoke as the Keynote. After a long day of competition, one of my favorite news anchors spoke to the students. 2news This Morning's Mary Nickles shared perspective and advice with these aspiring journalists. Mary is so kind & down to earth. She is genuine, accomplished, and just as charming off camera as she is when you watch her on TV. I love working with her up at KUTV.


Jody joined me for the awards ceremony and dinner. By this time, I was starting to feel a bit worn out...the sleepless nights leading up to the event started to catch up with me.

Watching the students hear their names announced as winners was awesome! And then I received the surprise of my year -- "The Utah Broadcasting Teacher of the Year Award". What an honor. I was beyond surprised. My co-teacher, Dustin Topham, wrote a letter to the Board, suggesting I be considered for the award.   I was nominated and then chosen.



In the beginning of the school year, I had a lapse in judgement. I forgot HOW BUSY March is. I signed up for every Preschool activity during the month of March: Moms and Muffins, Homework Correcting, Helping at the Lizard Show, and St. Patrick's Day Party. It was go, go, go!

Back over at Lehi High School, we prepped all month for the State SkillsUSA Competition. Each competing school can send TWO teams to State. Last year, Lehi was the only school to do that, and we took First and Second place. This year every school with the exception of North Summit and Tooele sent TWO teams. The competition was steep, and these other teams were ready to knock Lehi off of their Defending Champions Status. In fact I overheard one team walk out after they
finished anchoring/directing their show, "I think we did really good! Good enough to beat Lehi!"

                      My students were the team to beat.

It's tough sending and preparing •two• teams. You know one team will inevitably place higher than the other. So there will be broken hearts and tears from one team, and excitement and celebration from another. It was difficult to split myself last year; be there for all of them in that moment. And this year, it happened again. One of my teams took the Bronze Medal and the other Won Gold. The winners represent Utah in the Broadcast News Production Category at the SkillsUSA National Competition later this month. I was ecstatic that both teams worked hard enough to place on the podium. However, it was clear they both were competing for that top spot. I expected crying from my female students, but it broke my heart to see those 18-year-old boys choking back the tears. They watched their dream of representing the state, earning scholarships, and national exposure fade away. It hurts. And it's something I know a little about.

Every Miss America Pageant, when that epic moment arises and two women are left standing...one woman is called as Miss America, while the other is quickly ushered off to the side. The contestant soon to be forgotten is the one I watch. I know how she feels; I lived that moment. It wasn't The Miss America Pageant -- but it was on the Miss Utah Stage with nearly 60 other contestants. And now watching my students experience their own highs and lows, I can confidently say,

"Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes you won't.
I am sorry to say so but sadly it's true, that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. FAME! You'll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes you won't.

But will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed. Kid, you'll move mountains!"

What does Dr. Seuss teach us? Success is not determined by medals or awards. It is however, measured by showing class in disappointing situations and the ability to pick yourself back up after a devastating blow. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. It is not judged by a moment on a podium with a large audience watching.

It's a way of life.

Success is progression; growth to a better you.

And the Gold Medalists from Lehi; oh I am thrilled for them!!! We are prepping for Nationals which happen the end of June. These students are coachable, talented and I know they will shine on that National Stage in Kansas City.

I can't believe the year is over! Congratulations to the Class of 2013. The biggest shock of teaching - well it's this: caring about someone else's kids in a way you didn't think you could. You see, Jody and my sweet girls take up all of my heart...but these students found a way in. I received some letters from students on the last day of school. That is by far the BEST Teacher Gift ever. One letter listed some life lessons this particular student had learned from me, which she attributed was more important than journalism terms. She wrote,

"To smile even when it's hard, to show respect even when you don't like the person, to be humble even when you think you are the most qualified in the room, and that losing doesn't kill you nor stop you from trying again."

High School is a roller coaster, and it's been a thrill to say the least.  I will miss watching the Class of 2014 graduate next year, since I am not coming back to teach.  But I am thankful for the opportunity I had to be called an educator. 

Pride TV Banquet

The Class of 2012 graduated!  And I made it through my first year of teaching.  The first two terms, I was more sick than I have been in a long time.  It took my body some time to get used to being around all those germs you come in contact with at a high school.  By the half-way mark, things were starting to fall into place.  The students in Pride TV worked hard and accomplished great things this year.  I worked with a number of the students (pictured above) as they shot, wrote and edited their pieces for the State High School Film Festival.  Both Entries Lehi Submitted, Placed!!  The students took 1st and 3rd Place at the Film Festival in "News Story".


I am still practicing (over the summer) with another team of students, as they prepare to represent Utah on a National Level in Kansas City at the end of this month.  These four students won State at Skills USA back in March.  They compete in News Broadcasting Production.

We had a fun End-of-the-Year Banquet to remember and honor the students.  Jody came with me, and it was fun for him to see what it's like for me to be Miss Brittany.  I have referred to myself as Mrs. Tait since Day 1.  However, many of the students started calling me Miss Brittany, and it just stuck.  (That is comical to me, because it sounds like I should be teaching pre-school...and many days that's the grade level I felt like I was teaching!)  My Co-Teacher and I awarded the students BAM stars at the Banquet.   These Stars hang in our classroom and show their accomplishments.

Below you can click on the link and watch some of the students do their BEST impression of me.  The funny part of the video is parts of it have sound - but NO video picture.  AHHHHH.  A work in progress...that's how our year has been.

https://vimeo.com/42871801
 

I have wanted this year to be about prepping the students for the real world, and encouraging them that they can make a positive difference.  It is so easy to be mediocre - to just blend in and perform at a average or below average level.  But to be remembered for the right reasons - means you have to work hard and elevate your character.  And I'm not talking directly about quiz scores or AP tests - I'm talking about how you treat people.  

The last week of school a certain girl got called a certain offensive word by a certain boy.  I remember how awful that feeling was being called names in high school and how rumors would fly.  But now, it's so much worse.  

Because students don't just bully face to face - they text it, they tweet it, and they fb it.  

And it hurts. 

As this particular student left the classroom, ready to find a bathroom stall to cry in....I followed her into the hallway.  She told me about her frustrations for being made fun of because of her standards.  And I told her the high road isn't an easy one....but it's worth it, and she's worth it.  We talked some more, and I could tell she felt a little better.  Later that week, she gave me a letter.  It is seriously one of the best gifts I have ever received.  I won't share what she wrote, because it's personal.  But it made me feel like a rockstar - like I truly helped someone.  And that is why I love teaching.  Because so much of meaningful teaching - isn't what's written on the whiteboard.  Cheers to the Class of 2012!  

Skills USA 2012

This school year, I have worked with lots of students in the TV Journalism Classes at Lehi High School. However, eight dedicated students represented Lehi at the Skills USA State competition this spring. I was so thrilled to have our two teams take home the Gold and Silver Medals in their competition. Each team of four students has 1 hour and 1/2 to write and produce a 3-minute newscast. Then they go live -- floor directing, tri-casting and anchoring their show. The winning team scored a 907 out of 1,000 points. Our Second Place finishers were only five points behind them with a 902! These numbers are super exciting to me because last year's winners won with a score of 750. These students worked hard. Looks like my lectures on the Inverted Pyramid of Journalism, Strong Leads, and Attribution seem to be sticking! Hooray. Great Work LHS!



It wasn't easy for those four students who placed second, to see their peers win Gold - when they wanted the top of the podium just as much. But it clarified again to me, it's not if you win or lose...but HOW you win or lose. Class, dignity and gratitude for the experience. If I have learned one thing in my first year of teaching high school; it's that the most important lessons I'm teaching don't have anything to do with broadcasting. Teaching character reigns supreme. In 33 days, those Seniors in my class will bid farewell to their high school experience. It's my hope that something positive I've said will stay with them. Life is what you make it....so make it SPECTACULAR!

Back To School

Let's blow all of this dust off...there we go.
Blogging again.

It's been awhile. The transition to teaching everyday at the High School has eaten up oodles of time. I co-teach second hour - that's 2 hours in the morning. But it's been a stiff reality to learn teachers invest SO much more than the hours shown on their time card.

High School: The experience - never dull - that's for sure! I am so excited for these students. They are at that pinnacle of life, where options are endless. Their dreams are attainable, and the future is theirs to own.

Sometimes I think I am way more excited for them than they are for themselves. So many of them are completely fine with coasting - often at a below average rate to get to graduation. I want to inspire, I want to lift - I want to teach. And it's been deflating when some of them simply don't care that I care.

But there are others - eager, excited and listening. And I enjoy seeing them reach their potential.

This is NERD DAY during Red Ribbon Week.
I fit the part nicely.

This picture below is me with a student {not in my class} who told me she facebook stalked me to see what I looked like. Apparently numerous students told her she and I look alike...she told me she saw some "ugly girl" taking pictures awhile back and was bummed because she thought it was me.
Actually we never clarified if that was me or not...anyway...hmmm...here I am with my Student Twin.

The Second Time around in High School is teaching me to laugh -- alot -- in order to keep my head above water. My days are crazy. My Co-Teacher was gone a few weeks ago...so it was just me {and the knitting substitute in the corner - who didn't make a peep} verses 50 kids. Things were going well. Class was almost over, and it was time to Floor Direct the Student Live Broadcast we do at the end of 2nd Period. Clearly not all 50 kids have a role in this live five-minute show. So when I walked out of the studio, into the classroom to find a student duct-taped to a table -- I was slightly humored.

"Look Taiter-Tot -- Weston Duct-Taped me to the Table! Awesome Right?!"

Yes. Awesome.