Favorite Instagramers

I must confess that this summer Instagram has taken the place of Pinterest as my go-to teacher inspiration place. I think I enjoy it more because I get to know the people and I feel like I can trust their ideas more than Pinterest. It's also real-time, so for example, everyone is posting their back-to-school ideas right now which is really helpful to me. I also think it exposes me to new and creative things I wouldn't necessarily search for on Pinterest.

Today, I'm going to share my top 5 Instagramers I follow.

1. Easy Teaching Tools: I love this one because she has some really great teaching ideas on her posts, but it's her videos that I love watching. They crack me up! She has a great sense of humor and is always willing to do silly things.

2. Teaching in Room 6: This is my go-to for curriculum inspiration, especially for social studies. She provides so many engaging activities that go beyond paper and pencil. She is very student-centered and finds innovative ways to teach.

3. Hello Fifth: I follow Hello Fifth for her awesome flexible seating options and classroom decor. She has a very clean sense of style that makes her classroom organized and cute. She also has some great resources that I love to use.

4. Elementary Shenanigans: When I'm looking for ways to engage my students and make my classroom a place the students beg to come to, I look to this one. Hope King also wrote a book with her husband called Wild Card*, which I'm currently reading. She really pushes you beyond your comfort zone and encourages wild, crazy things that will truly engage your students in the learning process.

5. Teach Create Motivate: I love getting ideas from this Instagramer because she creates some fun and colorful resources that I love using in my classroom. She also has so many great decor and organizational ideas. As I scroll through my feed on Instagram, I always stop and look at her stuff.

*Affiliate Link

I'm More Than a Title

I have to say that this week's readings were quite though provoking for me. I began by reading Prensky's article and it got me thinking about how I teach. Prensky was a bit offensive to us "older folk" whom he classifies as Digital Immigrants and basically said we need to create only games to teach our Digital Native students. But underneath his cryptic thoughts on teachers today, there was an underlying message to hear: Education is changing. While, in fact, it has always been changing, I think today we're seeing a much bigger shift than in previous years. But as I read Steve Wheeler's "A Convenient Untruth" I realize how easy it is to be sucked into thinking we have to dump everything we've ever done and switch to a singular form of teaching through video games. In doing so, we're creating a huge disservice to our students. We're allowing them to narrow their views and boxing them into a single learning opportunity.

The reality is that we must find balance in our teaching. Yes, students are learning through technology in my classroom, but that isn't all of it. Wheeler points out that by putting our Digital Natives into a category, we are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that ends up hurting our students. I work to find a ways to incorporate meaningful technology into all areas of my curriculum, but I also look for ways that gets my students talking and interacting.

Another thing that Wheeler had me thinking about was how much we label our students. I've seen our school counselor have the students take the "learning styles" survey (I even remember taking that same survey as a kid). She has the students stand up for each different style. I always wondered what purpose it served. How many students give up a task before even really trying because the activity doesn't match their learning style. It becomes an excuse to not do anything.

So while Prensky has labeled me a Digital Immigrant, I will continue to be true to myself as a learner and teacher. I'm always changing and learning new things and while my "accent" may be there, it's ok. Diversity is a beautiful thing. When everyone brings something different to the table, we expand our learning and become better people.



A convenient untruth by Steve Wheeler

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants – Part II: Do they really think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6). Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

McKenzie, J. (2007). Digital nativism: Digital delusions and digital deprivation. From Now On, 17(2). Retrieved from http://fno.org/nov07/nativism.html

Reeves, T.C. (2008). Do generational differences matter in instructional design? Online discussion presentation to Instructional Technology Forum from January 22-25, 2008 at http://paeaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/10c-Gen-Diff-Matter.pdf

Guest Post: Back to School Already?

I'm excited to have a guest post by Kayden from Always Thinking About Teaching. Kayden is a 4th grade teacher and fellow BSU Alumni. She is a a super upbeat person whom you will instantly love chatting with. She is a big proponent of flexible seating and has the cutest classroom pets!

 

 

 

Back to school, here we come! I have to say I can't believe it is already almost August. August means "go time"! As a teacher, the back to school to-do list is one of the longest. I feel like there is so much to do in such a little amount of time. Even with helpful tips and tricks, it seems like there is always something more you need to do. I am in the middle of resetting up my entire classroom. My whole school had to change classrooms because upper and lower grades swapped hallways. The process of back to school preparation seems a lot more stressful this year. Not only am I doing the basic preparations, I am having to reorganize and set everything back up.

If I had to prioritize my top three back to school items here they are. 

• First, figure out your classroom rules. Classroom rules are essential to be successful for the year. You need to start strong to end strong. The most important thing about classroom rules is teaching, rehearsing, and reinforcing. 
• The second thing would be classroom management. Figure out what works for you. You do not need to use what your teaching partners do, but something that you are comfortable with. It can be a clip chart, economy, classroom coupons, Dojo, Love & Logic, etc. 
• Last, write and practice lesson plans for the first week of school. Over plan. You never know what it's going to look like in real life. Plan to teach your expectations, drills, procedures, etc.

In the end, even if you don't get to your entire back to school list completed, remember it will all be okay. Remember the "why" of becoming a teacher and know it is alright to make mistakes. Be confident, have fun, and don't be too hard on yourself. You are only a human, not a superhero. Do your best and smile.