Personal Photography 'Reflection'
Personal Reflection:
After this past week's Wimba, I have been really overwhelmed with how crazy fast this program has gone as we began to speak about graduation...I have truly been blessed to have met and connected with so many amazing people through this program. I think a lot of times teachers really need to touch the outside world and hear and see what other educators are doing in their classrooms and see what we are ALL capable of. I guess the biggest thing for me is to now just find the time to get all of these great ideas into my classroom without overwhelming myself. It is scary to hear from outsiders and the news about how education in the US is failing to reach our students but if we all just take a bit of each of what we are learning and doing and share it with others....we hands down can revamp the world of education for these learners and future educators that need it.
This week has been intensified by solidifying my website and figuring out when and where and how I can iron out this graduation stuff....(keeping my fingers crossed that I will graduate) The website has been intense and from Roxanne's feedback I have and had a lot of work to get it right but it is nice to think back and reflect upon what I think I offered as a great experience to my students. They really stepped up to the plate and did a wonderful job with helping me with it. And not only has that filled my plate up but the pressure of me finishing this program and making my family proud. I was and am the first in my family to graduate from college and seek higher education. I was never really looked as as the intelligent one that would succeed in what I wanted to do so I just want to make my family and parents proud of me. They have done so much for me and I feel like this is one little way of me giving back by making them proud of me.
I have also decided that I LOVE blogging. I have now pronounced myself as a blog stalker....which is quite similar to a facebook stalker....so all of you that know I follow...beware. As of about two years ago, I told my principal that I really wanted to implement blogging in my classroom and having this course as well as Rena's course it has just proven to me how much MORE I want to do it. I think it's a great way for students and myself to 'let loose' and just write...even just thoughts and ideas...I just need to find a way around the issues we had with it in the beginning and I know my students are just going to take off with the idea.
It can be very overwhelming and I remember how difficult it can be to change/revise ones curriculum/classroom especially when it was still ongoing. I used to tell my fellow teachers that it was a bit like working underneath your car fixing critical systems while it's traveling 70 miles an hour. One does not want to make a mistake under those circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that it's so essential to have other teachers, not necessarily on one's school site, to regularly interact with to keep a healthy perspective on things. As much as most teachers seem to not want to work in groups of other teachers it is an important survival skill to not work alone or feel alone in one's work.
And finally, welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. The potentials are limitless and when working with students their energy can be well utilized. Enjoy.
Blogging is awesome Helen! One of the many gifts EMDT gave me also!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the reflecting in this last bit of your amazing year... you will never be the same! :)