So I'm trying to get an article published in a professional teaching journal. I could go on minimizing this (it's just a small yearly journal, teacher reviewed, small publication, etc.) but I won't. My principal, who read the draft before I sent it, told me this: "You don't give yourself enough credit." So here goes: it is a big deal!
I find it a big deal, because I chose to write about something very personal - my teaching. I've always maintained that teaching is incredibly personal. I'm reminded of the scene in Julia Roberts' movie Eric Brokovich, where she is freaking out at her boss. She comes back after being sick and finds new lawyers taking over the case. Her boss (played by Albert Finney) tells her "Its not personal", prompting Erin to yell:
NOT PERSONAL! That is my WORK, my SWEAT, and MY TIME AWAY FROM MY KIDS! IF THAT IS NOT PERSONAL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195685/quotes?qt=qt0266026
I feel that way about teaching all the time. Here, I have taken this personal - made it more personal by writing about it - then sent it off into the unknown. I'm now in the limbo period of waiting to hear back - will they like it? Will they like me? Did I do good?
Waiting can be brutal...
Now I'm searching for a personal connection to my teaching... as is often the case - perhaps I need to mark things more quickly? Is the waiting as excrutiating for the kids as it is for me?
Like a ship into the night, my work has been sent off. And now I wait.
M.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Investing in Creativity and Innovation
I'm supposed to be writing curriculum resources at this moment. I've been blessed with the opportunity to join a committee writing lessons for teachers, focusing on equity and diversity in the classroom. No small feat.
I find it is a rabbit hole of sorts - the more I read, the more I get inspired, the deeper and further I go - viral learning at its best. I've gone off on many tangents, been distracted (Hey! I can get Facebook at the board office!), been inspired. It is teaching me again and again that I need to teach my students the ability to manage information. Teach them to navigate the incredible amount of information, mis-information, distraction, filler - teach them to create and be innovative amid all that chaos.
Which makes be thankful that my board is investing in me. I've been given the precious gift of time to create and be innovative. Now, there may be no such thing and anything new - but I am able to spend time climbing up on the shoulders of giants to see further than I have ever seen before. Amid my caffeine fuelled wandering I am able to pluck, shine and present a couple of really good gems. Plus the time to network ain't bad either!
So here again is the power of time, collaboration, access to information... take your pick. It all works in order to be creative and innovative!
M.
I find it is a rabbit hole of sorts - the more I read, the more I get inspired, the deeper and further I go - viral learning at its best. I've gone off on many tangents, been distracted (Hey! I can get Facebook at the board office!), been inspired. It is teaching me again and again that I need to teach my students the ability to manage information. Teach them to navigate the incredible amount of information, mis-information, distraction, filler - teach them to create and be innovative amid all that chaos.
Which makes be thankful that my board is investing in me. I've been given the precious gift of time to create and be innovative. Now, there may be no such thing and anything new - but I am able to spend time climbing up on the shoulders of giants to see further than I have ever seen before. Amid my caffeine fuelled wandering I am able to pluck, shine and present a couple of really good gems. Plus the time to network ain't bad either!
So here again is the power of time, collaboration, access to information... take your pick. It all works in order to be creative and innovative!
M.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
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.
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.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Flipping it over: Let's try it the other way...
Thank goodness I can read - and do read, more regularly now that I am committed to write. In reading other teacher's reflections, observations and musings, I am often pushed and inspired to go beyond what I already do... and I find this exciting!
In one of my viral stints, I came across the idea of the Flipped Classroom. This idea has intrigued me to no end. I am now thinking of ways to get the classroom started on this - will it be math? Language? How will differentiation work with this? Oh, the questions!!!
Just like it all though, I gotta jump right in and give it a try. I'll figure it out while I go along.
In experiencing change and pushing/shoving at school towards progress, I am owning and taking pride in that quality about myself. It may seem reckless, but it is how I learn. I can't possibly figure out all the things I need to know, predict all the contingencies and know all the possibilities before taking one step. Things may get a little crazy, but we all go along together. So with my next unit, let's try flipping things around a bit.
This is gonna be interesting!
M.
In one of my viral stints, I came across the idea of the Flipped Classroom. This idea has intrigued me to no end. I am now thinking of ways to get the classroom started on this - will it be math? Language? How will differentiation work with this? Oh, the questions!!!
Just like it all though, I gotta jump right in and give it a try. I'll figure it out while I go along.
In experiencing change and pushing/shoving at school towards progress, I am owning and taking pride in that quality about myself. It may seem reckless, but it is how I learn. I can't possibly figure out all the things I need to know, predict all the contingencies and know all the possibilities before taking one step. Things may get a little crazy, but we all go along together. So with my next unit, let's try flipping things around a bit.
This is gonna be interesting!
M.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog-gone it...
...I'm a good teacher!"
I am slowly, but with such persistance, reaching a point in my career where my whole world won't come crashing down whenever I have an upset parent.
In the past, I worked so hard, setting up my house of cards, trying to do it all. I can not. I love this particular post, entitled I am not superwoman! In all of its common sense, so often lost on the teaching community, it speaks about what we do, not what we can't. Too rarely are we allowed time, space or a platform to celebrate the work that we do. The doors are shut and we retreat to our rooms, sharing little to none in some school cultures!
I had a problem, particularly nagging sort, centred around one of my identified kids and his parents. Today was a moment for me - I realized that I am not a bad teacher because I have a parent who feels her child's needs are not being met. I am an excellent teacher. I still need to solve this problem. Together, perhaps, we can figure this out.
Having a parent issue is an opportunity for me to reflect on my practice, and improve upon what I am trying to do: educate her child.
Teachers are problem solvers. This is one more problem to solve. A few years/months/days ago, I would have resented this parent, crying "How dare you challenge me!!", promptly spiralling into a shame of shattered confidence. Today, though, it has rejuvinated me: I can solve this!
As ever, teaching is a work in progress. We need to keep at it in order to improve.
M.
I am slowly, but with such persistance, reaching a point in my career where my whole world won't come crashing down whenever I have an upset parent.
In the past, I worked so hard, setting up my house of cards, trying to do it all. I can not. I love this particular post, entitled I am not superwoman! In all of its common sense, so often lost on the teaching community, it speaks about what we do, not what we can't. Too rarely are we allowed time, space or a platform to celebrate the work that we do. The doors are shut and we retreat to our rooms, sharing little to none in some school cultures!
I had a problem, particularly nagging sort, centred around one of my identified kids and his parents. Today was a moment for me - I realized that I am not a bad teacher because I have a parent who feels her child's needs are not being met. I am an excellent teacher. I still need to solve this problem. Together, perhaps, we can figure this out.
Having a parent issue is an opportunity for me to reflect on my practice, and improve upon what I am trying to do: educate her child.
Teachers are problem solvers. This is one more problem to solve. A few years/months/days ago, I would have resented this parent, crying "How dare you challenge me!!", promptly spiralling into a shame of shattered confidence. Today, though, it has rejuvinated me: I can solve this!
As ever, teaching is a work in progress. We need to keep at it in order to improve.
M.
"I'm just checking my feedback..."
It was a good day yesterday. I was determined to start the new year fresh, and be on top of my game. I was really going to focus on my low and struggling students, and consistently meet with them everyday, specifically about the work they are doing during the literacy block.
I had my "high" group started (that hierarchy I've implied is, in and of itself, worthy of another post), freeing my up to float around the room and check in with my struggling students who are working away on the computers. I made my way over to O, who traditionally, and in every possible way, avoids any and all work, responsibility, liability. He lives to not work. I braced myself for the reply to my now-routine question: "What's your plan today O." I was presently surprised by his reply.
"I'm just checking my feedback," he said. "Then I'm going to do some writing."
Now, I'm not hoping for miracles here, but it was yet another reminder about why I love my MOODLE. In another setting, O would have quickly lost the original assessment, forever gone with the descriptive feedback I had so carefully constructed for him. Now, it is always at his fingertips. All the work is centralized and neatly displayed for him. He simply has to access it, then go from there.
Now, as I've just said, I'm not hoping for miracles. This is one small step solved in the many that will help O be successful. He still needs regular and intense interventions, but he is more empowered in his educational choices.
Here's hoping the miracles do happen though!
M.
I had my "high" group started (that hierarchy I've implied is, in and of itself, worthy of another post), freeing my up to float around the room and check in with my struggling students who are working away on the computers. I made my way over to O, who traditionally, and in every possible way, avoids any and all work, responsibility, liability. He lives to not work. I braced myself for the reply to my now-routine question: "What's your plan today O." I was presently surprised by his reply.
"I'm just checking my feedback," he said. "Then I'm going to do some writing."
Now, I'm not hoping for miracles here, but it was yet another reminder about why I love my MOODLE. In another setting, O would have quickly lost the original assessment, forever gone with the descriptive feedback I had so carefully constructed for him. Now, it is always at his fingertips. All the work is centralized and neatly displayed for him. He simply has to access it, then go from there.
Now, as I've just said, I'm not hoping for miracles. This is one small step solved in the many that will help O be successful. He still needs regular and intense interventions, but he is more empowered in his educational choices.
Here's hoping the miracles do happen though!
M.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Creativity and Innovation
I seem to be returning to this theme quite regularly within my reflections upon my practice, then quite acutely when I read this post by Jon Castelhano, entitled This and That: Creative Juices. This post spoke of the necessesity of creativity and innovation in today's education.
Well, I seem to be working towards that! My writing program, I feel, is really leading the students to be creative in their work. Just today, one of my students M was looking for his next piece to write. Having just written to describe, he needed to choose another purpose to write. I suggested writing to socialize - perhaps choosing an apology to write? He wanted to write something about hockey. Together we came up with the idea of someone writing an apology letter to Sidney Crosby for hitting him too hard and giving him a concussion.
This was an amazing event, that was over in a flash, but set this child upon a writing task that is creative, innovating, engaging and motivating! He is writing! He is inferring! He is commenting on the state of hockey today! AND (to add panache to my writing) this is a reluctant boy writer (well, before he came to my room). Look! Boys who write!
All joking aside, this is a clear example of how creativity and innovation are thriving in my room. With just that short intervention, I have taking a struggling child on a path that is going to get him writing.
This creativity spreads around the room. With that loud conversation, others (who were meant to) overheard and were inspired to do their own writing. Very quickly I heard from two others who wanted to write something similar. Soon I had a couple of boys lean in and help M with his writing, giving him names, dates, games, locations that he could refer to. Off M went with his plan! Collaboration!! Amazing!!!
Though we, as teachers, spend little time recognizing when we do good work, I want to take this space today to do just that. I foster creativity and innovation in my writing program, and its a good thing!
M.
Well, I seem to be working towards that! My writing program, I feel, is really leading the students to be creative in their work. Just today, one of my students M was looking for his next piece to write. Having just written to describe, he needed to choose another purpose to write. I suggested writing to socialize - perhaps choosing an apology to write? He wanted to write something about hockey. Together we came up with the idea of someone writing an apology letter to Sidney Crosby for hitting him too hard and giving him a concussion.
This was an amazing event, that was over in a flash, but set this child upon a writing task that is creative, innovating, engaging and motivating! He is writing! He is inferring! He is commenting on the state of hockey today! AND (to add panache to my writing) this is a reluctant boy writer (well, before he came to my room). Look! Boys who write!
All joking aside, this is a clear example of how creativity and innovation are thriving in my room. With just that short intervention, I have taking a struggling child on a path that is going to get him writing.
This creativity spreads around the room. With that loud conversation, others (who were meant to) overheard and were inspired to do their own writing. Very quickly I heard from two others who wanted to write something similar. Soon I had a couple of boys lean in and help M with his writing, giving him names, dates, games, locations that he could refer to. Off M went with his plan! Collaboration!! Amazing!!!
Though we, as teachers, spend little time recognizing when we do good work, I want to take this space today to do just that. I foster creativity and innovation in my writing program, and its a good thing!
M.
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