Still Busy!

Until further notice, this is my "home away from home." With 26 second graders to keep me busy, I feel like I'm not seeing much of my real home. After 10 years without my own classroom and then moving into a new classroom with an entire curriculum that I have never taught (except for a lesson here and there in another teacher's classroom) it is expected.
I'm sure it will get better and the planning and organization of all of the materials will fall into place soon. Then I may be able to have my old life back. You will probably see me then!

20th or 21st Century Educator?

I read over my list of things I didn't have last time I had my own classroom today and realized that most of them are technology based. I didn't have a lot of technology in my last classroom. Over a decade ago, I had one computer for 26 students and a teacher. Even though technology is important and necessary for teaching in today's schools, there is much more to being a 21st century teacher than bringing out a piece of technology and then trying to "work it into" my lesson.

I will soon have a chance to step into the many roles of the 21st Century educator. It won't be easy. I expect to have times when I fall back into traditional methods but I will try to stay in the correct century and engage my students in a way that will help them learn best.

Technology provides many of the tools but teachers provide the opportunities to learn and apply 21st century skills. The diagram below will be my map for the next year.