Written by Two days after the first Face-2-Face of Cohort 21 Season 4 and my mind is still spinning. I cannot stop thinking of new ideas and positive changes at all hours of the day (and night). I am asking myself questions I haven’t dared to ask in a while and I can already feel excitement at thinking this is going to make a big positive difference to my practice and my students’ success.
Within 48 hours I’ve pretty much become a Twitter addict, I’ve tried new technology in the classroom (Kahoot was a major success), I’ve downloaded new education apps to try and contemplated an action plan that I feel will influence my students, my colleagues and the wider school community.
What I’m enjoying most is the inspiration to push myself. The adrenaline rush of feeling vulnerable, trying new things and reflecting on the outcome.
(http://weheartit.com/entry/group/298736)
My first steps to vulnerability and the good that has come from feeling uncomfortable:
1) Writing this blog – definitely a new thing for me and a challenge because I’m quite shy. I’m putting myself out there (quite literally in the wilds of the internet), with the hope of getting something good back.
2) Watching a video of myself teaching – I avoided watching the video for four days, fearing my own criticism. I’m always hardest on myself. The amazing thing is that, even before watching the video, I already became much more reflective – almost imagining what every lesson would look like on replay. It has also helped me to focus on what I want to improve most and has informed my thoughts concerning my action plan.
With all this new found vulnerability, I’m taking a time out as I write this. I am currently firmly in my comfort zone, cup of tea in hand and slippers on my feet, recharging for another exciting teaching day tomorrow where I can keep trying new things!
Love the image, Heather! It is a great reminder of where that magic/growth happens, and it is happening to us right now.
And I can’t agree more that Twitter is highly addictive!! I read it all the way home on the TTC Saturday! Have you set up a Tweetdeck yet?
Love the new theme and the reflection! So great to have you onboard. I’m sure I’ll see you contribution to #cohort21 soon 🙂
Hi Heather,
Tell me more about your video recording of your teaching! What inspired you to do it; what device did you use? how long? How will you use that to analyze your teaching?
So great!
garth.
The video recording is part of the instructional coaching initiative taking place in our school. It’s purpose was to help me in analyzing what I wanted to focus my efforts toward in terms of an action plan, and achievable and measurable goal. A colleague of mine filmed the class with a focus on the students. She used a flip camera and discretely moved around the room to get a look at student interactions and engagement for 45 minutes. I’ve since watched the film, taking notes and completing an analysis using a resource from “Instructional Coaching Group” that focused on how student behaviour and teacher instruction matched ‘ideal characteristics.’
It was a great experience overall and I’ve really learned a lot. I have a clear vision of where I want to go and am developing ideas and strategies on how to get there!
Hi Heather,
Your first blog post post can be hard, but now that you’ve taken the plunge and embraced that vulnerability, I bet you’ll become an addict, just like with Twitter!
Your thoughts about vulnerability remind me of Heather’s (@hadams) post and Brent’s (@brenthurley) posts from earlier this week. If you haven’t had a chance to read them, go check them out and you’ll see your not alone!
Like Garth, I’m also interested to hear about what prompted your video recording of your class, and what you took away from it!
Les
Heather, I missed the first F2F and am just joining the cohort. I, too, just wrote my first blog post ever and I’m so nervous about technically being published in the “webosphere.” I’m looking forward to meeting you at the next session 🙂