Waiting for cool weather in the Lone Star State!

I've always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. As teachers there are days when we all wonder if we're making everyone else's dream come true except our own. Then you're in the middle of WalMart and you hear a big voice...that you don't quite recognize. This young man is talking to you like he knows who you are, and you stand there racking your brain to figure out who this is. 

You know the eyes...because eyes never change. Finally he says something that rings a bell. "Do you remember when Sam lost his tooth and we were all looking for it...on the playground?" It hits you and a flood of faces fills your mind. You remember worrying about this kid when he was in your class. Math was difficult for him but you spent extra time making sure he understood. He was a great kid, and a hard worker...probably still is.

You ask what he's doing. He tells you he's in college studying Biochemical Engineering. And then it hits you. You were/are part of something so big that you can't see its future. AND you realize that the small part your playing isn't so small. It is the building block of someone's LIFE. Actually you laugh to yourself because you wouldn't have a clue in a Biochemical Engineering class! He'd be tutoring you!

I know the whole motto "Teach Today Touch Tomorrow" but sometimes we really need to be reminded. All the little sayings we hang in our class mean nothing without the experience behind them. Well, except for the following, "Often the student who is ALWAYS sharpening his pencil never turns in work." OR "A TEACHER IS NEVER TRULY APPRECIATED UNTIL AFTER A RAINY WEEKEND!" Ha! 

The hardest part of our profession is that we often play a part in act one, but we never see the end of the play. You know that the student with challenges will be replaced next year by another student with challenges. The face changes from year to year, but we stand still in the obstacles that are perpetuated. 

I really needed to hear my name yelled out in the middle of Walmart...we all do. Obviously I have my doubts about the profession I chose, and how much I've sacrificed my own family to do it. Think about it...do you know of one profession where you don't make sacrifices? Choice is sacrifice! 

So, yes Educators do play an important part...we are a vital role in "Something Bigger." Lots of people fall under this umbrella. For example the lady that figures out your insurance at 5 AM in the hospital (this is her second job). The parent that sends in school supplies because he knows how late you stay at school...he sees your car in the parking lot when he picks his children up after work. There are "NO SMALL PARTS." We can't survive without each other!

Well the weather man says we have a 50% chance of rain today , and I'm on my way to Walmart. (wink)

Know that whatever your vocation in life you will have doubts. If you chose your profession based on what your heart told you...you're in the right place.

I love technology, but I'm not sure it's always the answer.
As educators we have the responsibility of building resourceful learners, but as a nation we fall short. It is sad that we've known the answer for so long, and have yet to put it into practice.

Smaller classroom size is a key component of success. I know that teachers NOT technology is imperative to our survival. Educators teach children more than facts...they instill a love of learning, a place where all ideas are valued, and the safety to become who they are regardless of family expectations. We are guides.

Watching technology infiltrate the classroom...sometimes dehumanizes learning. Why commit a word or fact to memory when you can look it up ? I wonder if storing everything on a computer will challenge our ability to carry on conversations. There seems to be a decline in the ability to convey ones thoughts or feelings...we are becoming dependent on keyboards to communicate.

And that's the trifecta...we are desperate to communicate so we stand in lines for hours to attain the new iPhone...so we can sit in restaurants with our families... texting to whomever. A vicious cycle indeed.

Honestly by the time I teach my students all the latest and greatest programs/apps they will be obsolete. Teaching them how to talk to each other, brainstorm ideas...wild ideas...things only children will dream of...that could be tomorrows great novel or medical cure...this is timeless.

Our classrooms need 1/2 of the technology they have and also 1/2 of the class size. We are always compared to other countries who have higher test scores, one language, and smaller classes. How can we bridge the gap? Some of our greatest minds were not born with a cell phone in one hand and a Macbook in the other. It is this writer's opinion, and certainly not revolutionary, that we need more educators. Being dependent on our pc will certainly undermine our world, and the ability to truly problem solve.

What a whirlwind of a start. Starting the new school year is one of the busiest, and at times the most frustrating to teachers. Staff development, getting rooms ready, wondering if it will be done by the first day are a few of our frustrations. Then we pound the pavement racing through reading assessments, spelling assessments, math assessments...we assess EVERYTHING!

Are we crazy? Well possibly, but most of us deal with our profession because we feel fulfilled by teaching kids. Yep, it's that simple. If you were created to teach...you have no other option. You're in it for the long haul.

Burnout is easy to succumb to if you don't 1. share your ideas 2. keep it creative 3. stay on top of new and cutting edge teaching strategies. This doesn't mean that we need to run to everything new and shiny. What it does mean is we need to reflect and decide if what we're doing is outdated, or maybe could be strengthened by a new teaching technique.

I've just begun this blog...so I do have a learning curve. Hopefully, I'll post some ideas that will help inspire you at the end of the day. I'll also be posting products on Teachers Pay Teachers that you can change to fit your needs. For example maybe your vocabulary varies from the one my district uses...by unlocking various parts of my document you won't buy a product that doesn't fit your needs...and you won't need to reinvent the wheel.

If HGTV had a show for teachers we'd all be glued...DVR set! Just picture it wine glass in hand, HGTV, and the EZ grader!

Keep it fun ladies and gents...because after all you were

Created2Teach!