OOPS! Not So Fast...

After my last entry, in which I bid you all adieu, I forgot I would need to reflect on our final class! As my students would say, "Oopsies!"

I was, in a word, awed by what everyone created as their final projects. Many of them gave me such great ideas for future projects.
As I discussed in class last night, it was not just the technology use that impressed me, but the overall creativity that was shown. It brings me right back to Sir Ted Robinson, whose video on Creativity I have touted throughout this blog and on my web site. Children need to be inspired, engaged, and motivated to learn and this cannot happen without creative teaching. Yet, as we also discussed last night, creativity in teaching seems to be lacking, with many culprits pointed to such as older teachers, lack of technology, lack of time, etc. I still maintain it does not have to be that way! Look at what our class produced. It was a cornucopia of creativity! Even if we find that it is difficult to implement larger scale projects in the classroom, that should not sap our creativity in designing lessons that are engaging and authentic. I so rarely see this and it disturbs me greatly. Is it a product of the system? Will I, too, become one of these by-the-(dullest) book type teachers? Is teaching creatively or differently frowned upon?

In an earlier blog I talked a lot about how one should present new ideas in their classroom and, ultimately, to the school at large. It must be done humbly, with enthusiasm, and with the message to other teachers that they, too, can do this and that you will help them! Teachers, I have found, are usually sensitive and easily threatened. We, new teachers, must employ the most diplomatic of skills in introducing new ideas if we want to affect true change. We must cast aside ownership and temporary accolades in favor of the big picture. In short, we must collaborate with fellow teachers and make everyone feel that they had a part in whatever endeavor we are trying to push forward. And, never forget, how intimidated and terrified we felt when we began this class--that's exactly how these other teachers are feeling. Always keep that in mind!

In closing, I, again, want to say thank you for all I've learned and a special thanks to certain people in our class who took the time to help, advise, and support me throughout this journey. You all kept me going and your kindness and words of encouragement touched me more than you could know. It's a reminder of how very important encouragement is when one is trying to accomplish something difficult. I know that all of you who reached out to me will do the same for your students and that makes me so happy-as it will your students!

So, for the second, and final, time...GOODBYE and GOOD LUCK!