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There are many things that I’m doing with the kids this year that I planned on (and they are working well):
- I have all my upper-grade classes blogging on a regular basis
- I am doing instruction based on both standards, and themes/units they are working on in their regular classrooms. I am communicating well, and regularly with my colleagues to coordinate what I’m doing in the lab.
- I am helping to get out a school newspaper on a regular basis.
There are many things that I haven’t gotten to:
- I’m not creating movies and video with students as I planned.
- I’m not having students connect with other classrooms because I ran into problems with stuff being blocked that should have been unblocked, etc.
- I haven’t done any research projects with the kids.
There are projects I’m not keeping up with to the level I would like:
- I’m not podcasting regularly enough with the students. I should be doing this every other week. I haven’t restarted this since returning from break.
- I’m not approving comments and giving feedback quickly and regularly enough.
I feel like I’m dropping balls, because I’m trying to do too much. I think I need to reassess, scale back and focus on what should and can be done.
5 responses so far ↓
1
Mathew
// Jan 28, 2008 at 8:24 pm
It does sound like you’re trying to tackle a lot and accomplishing much. Thank you for your reflection and inspiration.
2
Kate Olson
// Jan 29, 2008 at 8:28 am
I completely understand the feeling of trying to do it all - there are so many wonderful resources and tools that it seems like we need to use every one, every day! I’m going to follow your lead and scale WAY back - I look forward to watching your progress on your goals!
P.S. I found your blog through the Classroom 2.0 forum
3
alicemercer
// Jan 29, 2008 at 9:27 am
Thank you for your feedback Matt and Kate, and I’m glad you were able to find me!
I’m thinking about how I’m blogging here too. I feel like I’m not getting to things I say I’m going to do. Like in the Marketing Monkeys post, I was going to reflect on how Dan’s contest were helping me communicate to parents and peers–but I never got to it. I’d like to reflect on PowerPoint and how it’s used in Elementary.
Another thing, I get great responses to posts like this one, where I reflect more specifically on what I’m doing. My day in a sentence posts are not getting a response. I think they are not talking specifically enough about what’s going on. It’s difficult in a lab situation to convey what’s happened in one sentence because I have 6/7 different classes in here at 2-4 different grade levels. I may revisit that process.
4
Mathew
// Jan 31, 2008 at 9:49 pm
I empathize with the challenge of teaching, blogging, and living simultaneously.
I still use your tip of post-dating entries and that’s kept me in the game…when I have time, I write three posts and then I can go several days without posting until I have the time and inspiration again. And then when I forget things I can usually go back and add them into upcoming posts before they’re published.
I personally enjoy your posts on the specific successes and challenges teaching in a lab even though I feel you’re usually too hard on yourself.
5
tnturner
// Feb 7, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Alice…
Seems like forever and a day that I’ve left a comment for you on the blog here. Going to quote part of your post and then add a reply:
# I’m not creating movies and video with students as I planned.
# I’m not having students connect with other classrooms because I ran into problems with stuff being blocked that should have been unblocked, etc.
# I haven’t done any research projects with the kids.
As Jen Wagner and I are apt to say to each other is baby steps. From what you are describing, you are doing many WONDERFUL things in your classes. Some of which I wish I could pass off here at my school, but that’s wishful thinking.
Tom.
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