#Whatsup Wildcats - Classroom Edition

Watching students learn is fascinating. While I am a teacher and feel like I constantly facilitate and monitor learning, I didn't truly see and appreciate the process as much as I have this semester as I have focused on student learning during my classroom observations. While the month of February is always a difficult time to stay motivated, various classroom situations energized me this week and provided a much-needed reminder of the importance of the work we do. Here's the breakdown... I found joy and energy in watching students find happiness when they figured things out in class.  In every class I visited this week, students were critically thinking and creating. Every class. And I would also argue that a majority of students were fully engaged in their work. As I watched them work either individually, collaboratively, or with their teachers, it was really awesome to see how they worked through various activities and how they asked questions, persevered through challe

As teachers, our 45 minute class periods fly by as we attempt to get through all of the learning targets and activities planned for the day. Our students, on the other hand, using a different tune when it comes to the passage of time throughout the day. While their day is very busy, they constantly complain that it "feels like the school day is never going to end" and that the "class periods are dragging." I always consider it an #EDUwin when one of my students tells me our class period flew by. That means they were engaged in the content and not thinking about when they get to leave. #whatsup This week, my classroom observations all shared similarities that created an engaging learning environment for the students. I would argue that every teacher had an #EDUwin during his or her class period as students were on task, invested, and motivated to complete various tasks. The class periods flew by, and students walked out the door with energy and new insights. Why, y