I've had a hard time sitting still and compiling a single thought since school began last week, but this is my attempt. I am absolutely in LOVE with my job and my students. Each day is challenging, each day there are moments where I consider shedding a few tears...but each single day there is at least one student that surprises me and makes me want to keep going.
Tomorrow I'm introducing Edmodo to all of my classes, something I had showed them...but they had been unable to get on at school thus far. What I didn't expect was that when students learned their usernames and passwords for my sites they would take it upon themselves to go home and try it out!
What ensued today and yesterday were students who jumped off the bus or out of the car, ran into their house and practiced their typing skills and played around on Edmodo. I was floored. To have students tell me that they went home and practiced their typing was one thing, but to see the students talking back and forth about how much they loved class and all of the cool things they got to do was completely another.
As I fight to try to be 100% safe and responsible while also teaching my students responsible social networking skills, this tells me that I'm doing at least something right. I can't hope to be right all the time or that every lesson will be effective...but I know I'm going in the right direction. I have lots of support, and still lots of naive first year teacher blood...so I think I'll keep going full charge.
Lesson of the week: Never ever underestimate the power of your students or tools that you use with them. Most of all, don't be afraid to be the first to try what others have been afraid to do.
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