Make Time to Play!

There is not one educator that is "really good at tech stuff" that doesn't have multiple jobs and titles in their school. If you are shaking your head right now then you know that these extra duties can really wear you down at times. I will admit that sometimes they are so overwhelming that it distracts me from the part of my job that I love the most: creating with students.

Yesterday I got a rare opportunity: time to play. I was at a workshop with The Art/Tech Guy and other techies during a school day learning a new piece of software for our labs, Frames 4. I got a chance to work with clay and it brought back great memories of Play-doh. I did love those little, yellow tubs and the smell when you took off the lids.

There was laughter, creativity, and learning: who could ask for more? So if you haven't had to play in awhile, I highly recommend it! It was life reminding why I LOVE my job!

In case you were wondering, here was my finished product. There is a million mistakes and for one of the few times in my life, I don't care!

How I want to be remembered...

There are a number of events lately that put me in a reflective mood. Of course no school due to thirty inches of snow with an additional ten more inches on top of that. On February 1st I found out that I was named my district's Outstanding Educator using Technology for 2010. Finally a message from a former student saying "You haven't been forgotten." It made me think, "How do I want to be remembered?"

How I don't want to be remembered:
1. By awards or grants that I won. While they are great, they are just quick snapshots in an entire career.
2. By what I call My Professional Learning Moments. Mistakes, I have made more than a few, on the journey to become a better teacher. I really hope those moments don't overshadow the good ones.
3. As that teacher that has used the same lessons for the past 5 or 10 years. While I don't think this one is ever going to happen, I never want to get too comfortable with my curriculum.

How I want to be remembered:
1. As a teacher that always put the students first. I know that this is my district's motto, but I am not sure how many educators take that motto to heart. I try never to voice an opinion or take an action without thinking about the impact on students.
2. As the different teacher. The teacher that didn't believe in useless homework, in the current grading system, or test prep.
3. As the professional that made technology just a little easier for other educators.