Confession: I remembered this blog late last night! Trying to fall asleep was difficult, as my mind raced like a little “hamster” in a ball…finally an idea… my top four discoveries from this week. Enjoy the ride…
1. Laugh. Teaching is busy. One thing that gets me through a week is laughter. Whether it is friendly banter or practical jokes (Karen- thanks for the stapler hunt this week), laughter brings teams together. Laughter strengthens us and makes us a better collaborating force that is willing to take risks and improve our practice
2. Converse. When I am not teaching, planning, assessing, emailing, or working with kids, I am in a meeting. Although I am not a fan of meetings per se (occupational induced ADHD), I love conversations. My “takeaways” this week evolved from conversations with other teachers. Brainstorming and collaboration are incredibly powerful - teachers need time to converse.
3. Play. We know that hands on learning opportunities are awesome tools for our kids, but they are also powerful for teachers. Thanks to a team member, I found out about the Google Drive Widget for my laptop (where have I been?). After playing and experimenting, I have a new tool in my toolbox all because we had time to play.
4. Connect. I work in a grade 10 learning community, and sadly, a parent of two students passed away this past week. When I looked around at community members supporting one another, I knew we were doing something right. Building a learning community full of positive connections is a formidable force in both good times and in bad.
Gayleena teaches at Robert Thirsk High School. When she is not running around the building, she is usually hanging out at home with her boys!
1. Laugh. Teaching is busy. One thing that gets me through a week is laughter. Whether it is friendly banter or practical jokes (Karen- thanks for the stapler hunt this week), laughter brings teams together. Laughter strengthens us and makes us a better collaborating force that is willing to take risks and improve our practice
2. Converse. When I am not teaching, planning, assessing, emailing, or working with kids, I am in a meeting. Although I am not a fan of meetings per se (occupational induced ADHD), I love conversations. My “takeaways” this week evolved from conversations with other teachers. Brainstorming and collaboration are incredibly powerful - teachers need time to converse.
3. Play. We know that hands on learning opportunities are awesome tools for our kids, but they are also powerful for teachers. Thanks to a team member, I found out about the Google Drive Widget for my laptop (where have I been?). After playing and experimenting, I have a new tool in my toolbox all because we had time to play.
4. Connect. I work in a grade 10 learning community, and sadly, a parent of two students passed away this past week. When I looked around at community members supporting one another, I knew we were doing something right. Building a learning community full of positive connections is a formidable force in both good times and in bad.
Gayleena teaches at Robert Thirsk High School. When she is not running around the building, she is usually hanging out at home with her boys!
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