Day 23 Write about one way that you “meaningfully” involve the community in the learning in your classroom. If you don’t yet do so, discuss one way you could get started. I like this topic because it offers me the option of admitting that I don’t do enough and then gives me a chance to …
Day 21 Do you have other hobbies/interests that you bring into your classroom teaching? Explain. I collect vinyl records. I have a couple of record players at home, and two years ago, I bought one on Craigslist just to take to school. I got some free speakers, a cheap amplifier, and now I keep the …
Create a metaphor/simile/analogy that describes your teaching philosophy. For example, a “teacher is a ________…” This is a bit more challenging. A teacher is a rock in the rising current of stupidity trying to slow down the flow. A teacher is the catcher in the rye, keeping kids from falling off the edge. A teacher …
This one is easy. If I had one superpower in the classroom it would be mind reading. I would be able to tell which students were actually paying attention and getting it… I could teach to their interests by knowing what those interests are. Of course, this power would come with the awfulness of constantly …
I am way behind, so I’m blitzing to remain reflective. I read a story in the Atlantic about how American teachers spend way more hours teaching and grading than teachers in other countries. So we are frantic and burned out… 3 Strengths: 1. Passion for the subjects I teach. 2. Open to new ideas. 3. …
What is your favorite part of the school day and why? The easy and obvious answer is the end of the day, but honestly, I love the mornings before school starts. I am usually at my desk an hour early. I love the quiet of my office space before students and other teachers arrive. I …
Day 9 Write about one of your biggest accomplishments in your teaching that no one knows about (or may not care). One thing I love about teaching is that we actually get the see the fruits of our labor, now and then. We may not see every one of our students thrive and grow, but …
That is a loaded question. After all, between my office desk and my two classrooms, I have many, many desk drawers. One drawer is a unique drawer from the rest. So to ask what is in “my” desk drawer is perhaps a metaphor for something bigger? Desks, after all, represent a work space. A desktop …
What is a mentor? The word is ancient, and actually comes from the name of a person in Greek legends who apparently helped Odysseus. Good to know. When I teach, I call myself a “facilitator” because I see my role in the modern classroom to help my students come to terms with the knowledge that …
Prompt number four is a good one. A nice open-ended question. What do I love about teaching? I have this strong desire to start off sarcastically right now. I want to make a list of things I don’t love so I can pare down the list to something that floats to the surface. I could …