Time Flies - and So Do I!

When I stepped into the elevator last fall, I wondered if this padding was a sign of things to come!

It is absolutely delightful to have some time to catch up. Catch up on life! A new semester begins this week and I am extremely thankful it is a light one for me. The fall was too heavily focused on "work," and there was little or no time for me to write, photograph, and enjoy my family. Last night I set about putting last semesters photos from my classes into Shutterfly so I could share them with my fall students - and it brought some closure to the courses, and relationships I built with my students.

In the fall I taught 2 sections of an Introduction to Education course, and 1 of Inclusion for the General Education Teacher. When I walk into my collegiate classroom for the first time, this is typically what I see:

And then it quickly becomes this:

Of course, I do not teach in a lecture format, and this course is an exploratory of the teaching field, and the importance of professionalism, so I have to get to know the students well to help them make the most informed program decision they can. That focus leads to this:

And this:

By the end of the semester they have learned to process the information and synthesize their findings into a more informed decision about their career path. A wrap-up mind-mapping activity draws from their connections to content over the course of the semester:

And in the end they leave wiser, for the most part, and ready to tackle the next step on whatever path they decide to take.

One more semester in the books, and I will admit I am glad to be taking a break from the campus classroom this current semester to head back into the field. I LOVE to mentor student teachers as they learn how to navigate the mysteries of lesson planning, classroom management, professional skills, building relationships and networks...and so much more. My group of 6 began in their area classrooms today and I am anxious to hear about their start.

So...we are off again! But hopefully I will also be able to squeeze in my writing and photography a bit more, as well as catch up with my blogging friends and acquaintances.

Happy New Year!

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