Let down? Inspiration? Questions? Answers? Random thoughts floating? Are they random or are they purposeful and not organized? I have had several opportunities over the past few weeks to have insightful amazing conversations with authors, publishers, creators, and super smart friends. I love these conversations because they challenge me to think deeply about best practices in my classroom. However I struggle with these conversations because I start to think about my own classroom and implementation of my new learning.
As December crept in and I realized that I had only three weeks left in the year, I did not panic oh wait I did but not for very long. I wanted to implement every idea from all of those rich conversations all at once. Luckily for me as well as my students, something hit the pause button on my thinking as well as my lesson plans. Lesson plans for me need to change (which is another blog post about how I no longer can live inside the boxes). But for right now I am trying to wrap my thinking around all of the conversations. Conversations that truly changed my thoughts about my practices in my class. Sessions at #NCTE13 that touched me enough to shift my science plans on Monday when I returned.
My teaching partner asked me about my new learning, and I told her I think about my brain as a file cabinet. I have all these files with information which started from reflecting on last school year, my summer learning, professional books that I have read, conversations, and most importantly who are my learners this year in Room 228. I believe the most important part of any new learning for me as well as my students is having a place to connect the new information. As I process it and realize where I can begin to make small shifts, I feel good about my instruction but for me the end result that is crucial is how do those shifts enhance the learning in my classroom? I am curious how do you process a new shift in your thinking?
Big question. No easy answer.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'd have to say...I try to take the smallest slice possible of the new thinking and tuck it into what I'm already doing. I resist taking new ideas wholesale because they most often fit like someone else's favorite coat. But if I take one button, or the color, or the design of someone else's idea/coat, I can add it to mine, enhancing, but not completely changing my coat/path/line of thinking/teaching philosophy.