Why do I do what I do?

This post is inspired by the following video by Simon Sinek.

It got me thinking about my vision in teaching. Why do I do? What drives me to go to work everyday?? What is my vision of teaching????

Let's run through them, should we?

I believe that my students need to be creative and innovative. Therefore my students need to create and innovate.

My students need to be able to pull knowledge (off the Internet) and construct their own knowledge, be critical and be aware.

My students need to be problem solvers.

I am only a guide. Often, in learning, I am not always necessary. I am merely providing the structure.

I am responsible for creating 21st century students, ready for a 21st century world.

I am a teacher.

Constantly exploring the WHYs continually challenges me to teach in a more effective way. I now need to listen more to myself when I am asking these WHYs!!

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.

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.

Is this a calling, or is this an obsession?

It is Christmas, and with these few stolen moments, I find I'm thinking of school.

Teachers are in the business of problem solving: How can we get more computers in the room? How can I get this boy to buy in and write? How can I make this transition less crazy? I find myself thinking of school when I'm not at school. I carry it with my on my morning runs, my mind finds in when doing the dishes, vaccumming, even going to the bathroom!

Is this healthy? I know it isn't normal. I look to my other friends who have different careers or different jobs, and sometimes envy them their focus. They can be present, I return to my classroom.

Perhaps if I buy into the Hollywood myth, and continue chasing my dream of having a movie made after my life (starring Patrick Dempsey), then I will continue to obsess over my students, my marks, my teaching. This IS my strength as a teacher: I am all-in. I love what I do and love doing what I do.

The trick is balance. So, I sign off and return to my festivities.

Merry Christmas!

M.