Have you ever wanted to do something awesome? Something that is fun, exciting, and provides an opportunity to grow? Every school year, I try to figure out something awesome that I can do to not only help our staff and students but also help me become a better teacher, coach, and leader at our school.
Last year, as you all know, my "something awesome" was starting this blog and visiting classrooms around the building. It kept me motivated, excited, and present all year. The best part...I learned so much about teaching, learning, staff, students, and our wonderful school. This year, I have continued observing and writing, but it hasn't been as organized as it was last year with my weekly department highlights. While I have shared some awesome things happening at our school, I have still been brainstorming my "something awesome" for this school year.
As I reflected on first semester and the projects that I was passionate about, the Collaborative Learning Team's work with cross-curricular observations and discussions has been the most fun, challenging, and engaging. Click here to read more about our observation plan and here to see how it all played out. To summarize, we asked members of the team to choose one of their own students to observe in another class so that student learning would be the observation focus. What a great way to not only learn more about other classes at our school but more about our learners in different environments.
This got me thinking...wouldn't it be awesome to see all of my students in a variety of classes here at Neuqua? While this is impossible for most teachers due to their demanding teaching schedules, my schedule does allow some flexibility for this, as I only teach two classes. Hmmm...this made me excited and provided a pretty good process to observe classes all over the school. It would also provide some great opportunities to learn about my students and from my students. Think about the questions I can ask them about their learning experiences here at Neuqua after seeing them in a different learning environment other than just my classroom. It also offered the opportunity for me to be present in more classrooms to help and support staff as needed. Because, as we all know, if people see you, they are more likely to ask questions and/or for help. Being present is necessary if you want to be a good support system and leader.
And now, my friends, my "something awesome" for this school year has been decided. Boomshakalaka. My goal is to see at least four students a week and blog about my experience. This is my first week, and it has been an awesome start. But wait...there's more! My partner in crime and #BFF, Steve Wick, will also be joining in on the fun. He also plans to observe his students in various classes and share his learning. So, not only will I learn from my observations, but I will also learn from his. Now, that's #whatsup.
Get ready, friends...I am excited to learn, grow, and hopefully, share something awesome that motivates you and/or sparks an idea for your work in the classroom. Let's get it started....#whatsup
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