Written by Don’t worry, I’m fine! Just trying to write my Action Plan blog post while trapped under the giant boulder of expectations…
While trapped under this boulder I did manage to read this blog post about meaningful teaching. It’s kind of miraculous when you find someone writing about the exact thing that you are personally experiencing. Wasn’t it C.S. Lewis who said, “We read to know we are not alone”? How comforting it is to find that I am not the only one who finds herself trapped under a boulder from time to time.
I wanted to shout, “YES!” when I read what the author says here, “When I am focused on how much there is to “do,” I lose some of my teaching magic…and unfortunately, so does my audience.”
So, in the interest of finding that magic I’m working on ignoring the boulder and getting back to what I know is truly important. Stay tuned for more details…
@mjohn Thanks for sharing.
Feel good knowing that @gnichols@ckirsh @ddoucet @shelleythomas @timrollwagen @adamcaplan @danielleganley @lmcbeth and I are all ready to help lift that boulder with you 🙂 Just say when….
Also thanks for this post too: http://www.middleweb.com/26367/teaching-by-doing-something-meaningful/
Just shared it with a few of my staff.
J
Thanks @jmedved et al! I appreciate the offer of help. Now, if any of you would like to do my Math AQ assignments just let me know! 😀 But in all seriousness, it feels really great to be a part of such a supportive community. The things I want to write about in my next post have been swirling around in my brain ever since the last Face2Face. I just need some mental space to put it all together and get it out there.
Love the boulder. @jmedved is right, we are all here to help lift it or perhaps chipping it away is more realistic.
Thanks for sharing the insightful blog too. I have also felt this way…as Mary put it, “Thoughts of impending deadlines and the inputting of online grades for a report card that doesn’t really align with my idea of authentic assessment slip into my head” and I like that concept of the unwritten curriculum and doing something meaningful.
Cohort 21 is often a two year adventure! Year one is figuring it all out…the learning never stops!
T
Thanks Tim! One of the things I love about this process is how it allows for learners (e.g., me) to learn at their own pace. It’s a great model for teaching children too, and yet so often difficult to achieve when deadlines and standards are imposed. Chipping away at the boulder is a great image, I’ll have to add that to my drawing!
Loved your post!
I also the link @jmedved shared.
Thank you both!