This week school begins for students in my school district. Once again, I will meet dozens of new students and reconnect with hundreds of friends from previous years. For someone who has been teaching as long as I have ( I got my first teaching certificate in the seventies) it is also a time to choose. Will I embrace the new beginning or will I hold on to the past? Frankly, the past has its share of failures and bad feelings, but some brilliant successes, as well. Even so, the future beckons. I have a chance to offer a clean slate to my students, and most importantly, to myself.
I choose to embrace the future. I have a new mantra for this year.
I choose to try new things, from a new online plan book system to a new schedule for allowing more free, unscheduled access to the media center and to me, myself, as a professional resource. This will undoubtedly cause me some time stress in the beginning, but I believe that in the long run the adjustment is worth it. Students deserve access to both books and technology and all my education does no one any good if I choose to keep what I know to myself. So happy New Year everyone. Let’s celebrate a new beginning/
makingthinkinglearning 