Cinching up my tie for the first day back at work, I was thrilled for the upcoming school year to support teachers with the implementation of technology and shifting the pedagogy with their newfound knowledge and resources. As I got onto one of our campuses, a familiar face met me and said:
"It must be nice. No students, no classroom to prepare for, no syllabus to prep."
This shouldn't have rubbed me the wrong way, but it did, no matter how hard I tried to play it off. If you only knew how much I missed the students, the interactions with colleagues around content, the hustle and bustle of the first days of school, and the genuine looks on kids' faces as they stroll into class on Day One.
But yes, it is nice. For the past two weeks, I've seen quite a bit of incredible things. Teachers from all over our district have had a lot to say.
It is nice. You know that feeling when you see a student get it? Like, really get it? How about the one when you see a group of students get a sark of curiosity and dedicate themselves to chasing it? That's what's happening right now in our district, and in districts all over the country, as technology is becoming ubiquitous in the workplace. It isn't easy; I'm going campus to campus, classroom to classroom, supporting teachers with the myriad of questions they have.
I still consider myself a teacher, even though my students are a bit older than yours and have more formal education than yours.
But... it's worth it, and it's nice.
Happy "Proud Educator" Fishing
"It must be nice. No students, no classroom to prepare for, no syllabus to prep."
This shouldn't have rubbed me the wrong way, but it did, no matter how hard I tried to play it off. If you only knew how much I missed the students, the interactions with colleagues around content, the hustle and bustle of the first days of school, and the genuine looks on kids' faces as they stroll into class on Day One.
But yes, it is nice. For the past two weeks, I've seen quite a bit of incredible things. Teachers from all over our district have had a lot to say.
- One has turned her syllabus into a hyperlinked adventure for students to explore and dive into some of the content.
- Seven have created a digital journal document with an Add-On called DocAppender that will automatically add a new prompt to the bottom of each student's Doc with the submission of a form.
- One has decided to flip his classroom, use Google Forms, and figure out a way to teach math differently.
- One has realized that technology is everywhere and will be redesigning every unit throughout the year to accommodate where students' skill levels are at.
- Four have seen Assistive Technology for their students and have already asked about me coming in to help with learning ways to improve instruction with their students with disabilities.
- Eight have received a new iPad as teachers who are new to the district, only to immediately ask questions about how they can be used in the classroom.
It is nice. You know that feeling when you see a student get it? Like, really get it? How about the one when you see a group of students get a sark of curiosity and dedicate themselves to chasing it? That's what's happening right now in our district, and in districts all over the country, as technology is becoming ubiquitous in the workplace. It isn't easy; I'm going campus to campus, classroom to classroom, supporting teachers with the myriad of questions they have.
I still consider myself a teacher, even though my students are a bit older than yours and have more formal education than yours.
But... it's worth it, and it's nice.
Happy "Proud Educator" Fishing
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