Publishing Product

A few years ago, I was in an after-school workshop, and the presenter was showing another great site where we could find lots of great resources to support our teaching. It was great - not only were they great, but they were made by teachers.

Then - and here it comes - he dropped the challenge: As teachers, we are used to taking. But how often do we give back?

How much do we contribute to the larger conversation?

So, sporadically, I would like to use this space to share what I've been working on, to add to the larger conversation.

M.

What's going on here, anyway??

Well, it has been a while!

In the erstwhile spaces between posts, I usually get distracted by minor things. This past space, however, has had some pretty interesting distractions!

I have engaged in some PD sessions, leading workshops for eager teachers who wish to infuse technology into their programming. I have had some success, I'd say, but also a lot of frustrations. I am still trying to figure out what is going on here. I try not to wax egotistical about it, but I don't seem to be connecting to my audiences, and I don't know why.

Perhaps I am travelling too fast - going to far into my practice in too little time - my last session was an hour long: just enough time to pull back the covers in my literacy program, but that is it. The session before that was 2.5 hours - and that didn't seem long enough.

Perhaps what is needed is a more personal approach - where we all work together to build an understanding together. True teacher PD should never be spoon-feeding, right? Teachers (me included) like to see how what is presented would work in our own rooms. Teaching is personal, right?

So what makes good PD?

I had originally titled this post "Investing in Teachers" and had intended on writing/thinking about how lucky I've been to be in the presence of administrators who are seeing that the future of teaching is in the teachers. However, I quickly got sidetracked by a tickling problem I've had.

My colleague has experienced wonderful success with her PD outings, and I can conclude that she is giving the people what they want.

Perhaps (this being my 3rd time starting a sentence with 'perhaps') I need to honour the teachers in my room and build together what we all would like - a better understanding of teaching!

Let's give that a go, and call it a day.

M.

I've been writing...

I have stepped away from the blog-o-sphere for a few days as I was in a cocoon of report cards, and a pleasant distraction of writing. Yes, I've said it. I'm writing an article. I hope to get it published, as I have an insider at the journal... and I have something to say! Perhaps I should change the order of that last statement.

This isn't an apology. It is merely an observation. I am working later than usual, for me, on a Sunday night. Mondays are quite busy - never mind the typical rush of starting off the work-week, but a new unit begins in earnest tomorrow - and I have snowboarding club after school. This makes for a very long day. Plus I have some IEPs to finish, as well as mark one more assignment for the Reader's Workshop to successfully begin this week. But I found myself called back to the blogging world. One quick click and I'm inspired again!

I have enough self control to not run with my next idea tomorrow - but not enough self control to close the computer and not write. I needed to write tonight - even though I've been writing all day.

It is a funny thing, this creating and sharing. Once you start, you just have to keep going.

M.