Monday Moanin Thoughts #96, Two Ideas To Enhance Your Teaching

Welcome to the Monday Moanin following the  2014 Super Bowl. I am writing this before the parties and the game begins. So hopefully your team  will win and you are ready to begin the week in a positive way. Over the past month I have spent much of my time meeting with administrators and teachers. One common topic that is discussed is good instruction. As a result of these conversations I have many takeaways and reflections.  This week I want to share two areas for your consideration. Neither area will be new to you. I believe by  giving some attention to them, your practice will be enhanced .  Here they are:

First,  reach out and form partnerships with colleagues. Make time to talk about best practice and share ideas. Consider meeting a few times a month to talk and share positive examples of strategies that are working for you and your learners.It is a given that everyone is busy and the challenges are time consuming. The bottom line is that one of  your greatest resources may be in the next classroom or office. Share and collaborate with each other, you can’t afford not too.

Second, commit to trying a new strategy or technology that scares you. The strategy does not have to consume you. It need not take so much time that you get discouraged. Jennifer Nichols writes: “whether you are using old technology in new ways or traditional ways, challenge yourself to do something scary- nothing terrifying, but rather an app or method of student access to content or digital communities that forces you to learn new things.”  Come on you can do it!

Enjoy this first Monday in February and keep finding the good stuff!