In the last few weeks I have felt a little intimidated to write. Over the holidays I spent some time reading some really inspiring blogs from some great teachers and educators and I guess my little blog seemed somewhat insignificant to so many other wonderful blogs. However I have come to the conclusion that like any book the writing reflects the unique character of the author and I can only be the unique person that I am and the process of blogging is good for my soul. The fact that I can share that is just a bonus.
When writing to an unknown audience, unlike writing a letter to someone you know, there is a certain amount of vulnerability by the author as they reveal aspects of their imagination or displays characteristics of themselves that remains in the public sphere for comment and rebuke. You open yourself up to a range of criticism that can be good, bad or indifferent. The writing becomes and extension of who you are and raw honesty with your audience shows the authentic side to who you are. I find the idea of peer criticism freaks me out. My fear of failure is as real for me as a writer as it is for my students. When I first started blogging I didn't tell anyone for two months. I had no intention of telling anyone however I have found that since I have shared my blog I have found it to be a very helpful exercise and have now passed the baton onto my students. Sharing their writing and their work with their peers is one of the most difficult things for some students and who am I to lecture if I don't model this myself.
When I finished uni 13 years ago I was so sick of writing and assignments that I had no desire to write for pleasure. I have found in more recent times that my writing has improved as has my confidence in editing my own work. Having never spent much time writing anything much prior to the blog I have to say it has been as much part of my journey as the many things I have learnt with technology and in my new job. It has also given me a fresh perspective on the sort of problems that students face as they write and edit their work.
I have also found that the criticism that I bring to a text is richer for my experience in writing and reading a wider variety of texts both for work and pleasure. I enjoy extending my knowledge in the variety of texts I read and write and enjoy engaging with others at work, in book club and online with different types of texts. It seems the more you read the more you seem to learn, relearn and become aware that the small amount of knowledge you know and understand is a mere drop in the ocean.
The human desire to share, engage and connect with others pulses through my veins and I share my knowledge and heart to those who would share with me. I am looking forward to the many great stories that will come from the Olympic Games over the next few weeks and I hope I will not become too absorbed by them and forget to blog. One such story I heard was that of the Timor-Leste weightlifter who had his weights stolen a few weeks prior to the games has been training with a pole and paint cans. Sheer pain, endurance and perseverance are timely reminders at this time to carry on when overwhelmed or faced with life's challenges to carry on and succeed.
I pray this will be a wonderful term for all my colleagues and friends.
Not having the internet at home for half of the school holidays just about killed me. I admit I did duck into the local library to check emails and tweet after about 3 days! I realise now that connecting with others is important in maintaining my sanity however I have managed to read a few good books.
I really enjoyed the opportunity to take a little time out in the holidays to reflect on my first 6 months in my new job. It has been a very rich and rewarding time.
The new term has kicked off and I am once again reminded by my new students who have signed up for their course for the next six months that for some of them are leaving behind what happened yesterday and moving on to a new future and it can be daunting. For some students they are really excited at this new challenge in their lives and some are worried about how this study is going to effect their families and their responsibilities at home. This new day for some will change the rest of their lives. It's amazing in life how some days are so pivotal in our personal development that they are worth remembering.
Have spent the last few days talking about learning strategies, the learning muscles we use when are learning something new, study skills and learning styles. I find that Guy Claxton's Building Learning Power very helpful to make learner's aware of the learning muscles they are working on in class. Resilience, Resourcefulness, Reflectiveness and Reciprocity.
I think this approach to learning is fantastic and I highly recommend it. I have used his book Building Learning Power often as a great resources to help students develop their understanding of how they learn and why knowing these things helps them to become life long learner.
Ideas I'll be trailing in the next few weeks....
In the next few weeks I am planning on trying out the 99 page test http://page99test.com/ Interesting concept and great to get some good discussion happening. Have started using Pic monkey http://www.picmonkey.com/ since Picnik was closed down and finding it quite user friendly. I Rubric http://www.rcampus.com/indexrubric.cfm looks like a good place to gather some ideas and not have reinvent the wheel.
I watched Dr Howie DeBlasi who was a keynote speaker at the ISTE conference and you can download his slides http://www.drhowie.com/Page_2.html to see where he thinks trends in education are going at the moment and great sites that teachers are using at the moment. Some of the above are links I gleaned from this presentation.
Looking forward to being connected once again. Will probably have a small melt down for a few moments from sheer utter frustration if the internet doesn't come back on at home tomorrow!
Well I am so glad I made it to the holidays. Wow. What an amazing first semester I have had in my new TAFE job. There have been times when I was truly excited by my student's progress and other times was really frustrated by their lack of motivation and commitment. However I have discovered that I really enjoy teaching adults. It is very interesting teaching a class of adults with age ranges from 17-50. No matter how old the learner the need to extend and challenge students in their learning and thinking remains the same. Student's responded well to BLP (Building Learning Power). It was really effective when asking students to reflect on which learning muscles they had used during the lesson. Students became more aware of how they were learning and were able to become efficient at self reflection and questioning. I really enjoyed the lessons we had on creative writing. So did the students. Noticed that their writing in other text types improved as they became more confident writing in their own voice.
Finally after many months of hard work I can reveal my logo. Thanks to Tracey at On the Level Playing Field Graphic Design. It has been a dream of mine to start a business as a consultant to train other teachers on how to use technology in the classroom. I am currently working on my website site. Apart from Google sites I've never built a website so I'm teaching myself from videoes on Youtube and using wordpress to put things together.
Have been having some interesting conversations with teachers in the last few days about the changes that are occuring in education and I've been interested to see the revolution taking place with the impact of technology on students. Some of the ways they communicate are morphing into the cyber world and for some these realities and conversation are as real to them as if they were talking face to face. A real challenge for parents and teachers to guide these young people through this brave new world of technology to develop well rounded individuals who can cope with the stresses and strains of life. Hoping to do some more reading on this. An interesting article in the Sydney Morning Herald about the ipact of ipads in the classroom.
The great thing about the holidays is it gives me time to play and find new ways of engaging students or catching up on some reading about the new changes and thinking in education. I might add that I do plan also on reading for pleasure and will be out and about spending time with the kids. Going on a bushwalk to Somersby Falls. Can't spend all my time on the computer.
This last week has been such a sobering week for me. There are have been great highs and some real lows and am feeling really emotionally exhausted at the end of this semester. During the week I was able to attend several celebrations for some of my students who had completed their certificate courses. For some it has been a life changing event for them. For those of you that have been following my blog you will know that I teach a class of older learners who are trying to re-enter the workforce. Quite a few of them were able to get jobs as a result of this course and others have decided to continue to re-train for a new career. The feedback from the students was so amazing and they were beaming with confidence and pride. I was really chuffed for them.
There was however a small group of students who didn't hand in their last task so unfortunately they haven't completed the course. I felt that in some way I had failed them. I woke at 3am on Thursday morning with this sick feeling in my gut they I had failed them because they didn't complete. I had tried so many times to help them finish and encouraged them but when it came to pen and paper or just turning up to class for one reason or another they were unable to succeed. I know now that it was always their choice and not mine to put pen to paper but I was still sad they were not able to complete. Unfortunately the State Budget was announced this week and we have all had our hours cut. That has meant that I have lost my HSC class as the classes were combined. I have managed to get quite attached to these students and yet again I was feeling rather sad at my loss. However I have managed to pick up a new TPC (Tertiary Preparation Certificate) course instead next term.
When you are in a job that is very relationship driven you can't not be affected by the lives of people you come across. As a teacher you are not a rescuer, perhaps a friend, coach, facilitator or trainer but the power of the people always remains in their decisions to succeed or fail. It is not to say that we wipe our hands and pretend those students who don't finish never existed in our lives but not to feel their loss in your class is what makes us human. "No man is an island"- John Donne. This really sums it up. I do hope and pray that at some time in their lives these students who may appear to have failed on paper have gained skills and experiences that they can use in life. I do find this part of the job rather difficult. Perhaps it is because I care too much. However I am not about to change anytime soon as I know that this aspect of my personality also makes me a good teacher.
I am really looking forward to the holidays so I can put my feet up and catch up on some blog reading. I really enjoy reading other blogs as much as I like writing my own. I have had some wonderful feedback from friends and fellow bloggers in the last week and I thank you for all you support. @Innovatemyschool has asked me to be a guest blogger and I am really chuffed. Thanks. Looking forward to sharing.
Unfortunately I have had no time for surfing the net for good ideas. Was looking for some new apps for my ipad this week but nothing really grabbed my attention. Must get into it in the hols.
There are times in your life when it would be great to cut corners. Whilst I am sure we have all tried to from time to time it usually ends up badly. It has been hard at times to see students who are genuine in their attempt to finish something but lack the finishing touches. I remember when I was at uni and I couldn't understand why they were so nick picky about bibliographies but I can definitely see the value in the detail. It is in this detail that true recognition is given to the author for an idea, or perhaps research that has been quoted that substantiates a belief or value.
There are many times when educators harp on about plagerism but for some a quick copy and paste is worth the risk to get the job done. It really doesn't matter what type of technology is used if you know your students the voice in the writing is clearly not theirs and it sticks out like a sore thumb. For those students who write using correct technique and quotations their success lies in the good marks they receive. True power and dignity come to those who have overcome their battles with integrity and truth. It is only then that pride shines through as their success is well and truly earned.
Had a bit of a shocker this week and dropped the ball a few times. Accidently sent the kids to school in mufti one day only to be emailed by their teachers informing me it was mufti next week. They were the only kids in school with mufti. Then I had booked the computers in the library and forgot to take the students there. Forgot to have lunch with friends. You know it was one of those days. So I guess my only option was to laugh, rather than cry in frustration and move on. Work /life balance crashed and burned this week. Thanks goodness I am only human and there is next week. At least the kids get a second chance at mufti this week!
This week am looking forward to some celebrations with students who have finished their 6 month courses. A time of reflection is also on the cards for the students and myself. I have already been talking with my colleagues about the things that worked well and things I am planning on changing in the next six months. I am running a training sessions for some teachers on Google Docs on Thursday and am looking forward to that. On Friday the Work Place training guys are visiting for the day at Wyong and I am planning on picking their brains for some Moodle suggestions. The week after next I am going to a Careers Expo with another colleague at Corronbong to represent TAFE and inform potential students of the courses that are available.
All in all a busy few weeks. Am looking forward to the holidays. Favorite sites for this week: A great way to video conference http://meetings.io/
For many students perseverance is a life skill that is hard as they draw to the end of their course. In the faculty I teach in, Pathways, many of the students sign up for a 6 month or 12 month course. For two of my classes we are getting down to the final weeks of the course and some students are finding their motivation lacking as they near the end of their course. I remember when I was in my final weeks of uni after five years of study I had just about had it. I think the end stretch is what tests our character and fortitude to the max. For some students they like to get it an get it done but for others it's like pulling them over the line step by step. For many students they have left school some years ago and so are experiencing study as never before. Perseverance is definitely a study skill which is tested but developed over time.
I really enjoy reading poetry in my spare time. This week I have been reflecting upon a poem by Felicity Plunkett entitled "A flake of life". The poem considers the idea that we leave a piece of ourselves where ever we go. Whether that be a flake of skin, hair, fingerprint, conversation etc.. Sometime you never quite know what impact you will have your students in years to come and I find this notion so strange. The idea that memory and feelings about a time in their life can so impact on the students that you become a frame in their mind. Stuck in time if you wish. I remember my school reunion and seeing how my teachers had aged. You never remember them like this. As I age I also see how memories can sometimes seem distorted and unclear over time. It's a rather interesting concept. Perhaps I should have a crack at writing a poem. I might just keep that one to myself.
In the last week I had a wonderful opportunity to be a guest presenter for an online eFacilitation course. I presented to the group the wonderful world of Google docs and how they can be used in class. I am such a major fan and I use them all the time. I created a Google site, very plain but useful to run the hour long session. If you are interested you can have a peak at https://sites.google.com/site/tafe2012elf/home. I'll leave this site going for the next month or two if you want to have a look.One of my favorite Google products is the 'Hangout' in Google plus. The majority of teachers had no knowledge of Google Docs so it was very plain and simple. I had wonderful feedback from the teachers who participated and the lovely Maria d'Angelo who gave me the opportunity.
For me I am coming to the end of my first semester at TAFE and only have a few weeks to go. It has been such a fruitful time in my career and I realise I still have much to learn.
Over the past few years it would be fair to say that my self confidence has taken a bit of a battering.
When I was a teenager I was involved in everything school could offer, I was confident and ready to face what life had to throw at me. Well as I look back over my life as the ripe old age of 35 I feel as though I am re-inventing myself again. Deciding to have children in my mid twenties was rewarding and I don't regret it but re-launching my career this year has been a real challenge.
I came to the year feeling like a first year out at TAFE but am discovering that remnants of my old confident self are bubbling to the surface. My self doubts are being replaced with the possibility that I am actually really good at what I do. I am not trying to put tickets on myself but merely reassuring myself from the feedback from students and staff that I have made connections with people that a few years ago I never thought were possible. As a result I have taken on board new possibilities and a new outlook of who I am as a teacher. This has largely come about through an awesome boss who believes in me and staff who are so supportive and honest, yet so professional and let me know when I am wrong. I have learnt so much from them all.
This drive has further helped me encourage my own students to have confidence and belief in themselves. I have been so proud to watch them gain self confidence more than anything else. For many students who come to TAFE it is second chance education. For a variety of reasons the school system and life have let them down and they have picked themselves up again and are giving it a red hot go. I had never expected adult education to be so rewarding and I can now see that confidence in being a life long learner is crucial to the success of students not just for their education but for life.
When one is faced with negative comments from bullies at work or those in your life over a long period of time you start to believe them. Slowly but surely they eat away at you until you forget who you are. Once they leave your life and you have the opportunity to rediscover what is right and true I am happy to say that I am a much happier self. I am more aware now of the challenges my students face than I was five years ago and I feel that God was really preparing me for this year. I guess I can empathise with students struggles in a different way than I would have a few years ago.
I suppose reading this blog you may feel like you are listening to a therapy session but I want to highlight the importance of encouraging confidence in students and as teachers we will never know how far reaching that is.
