It’s Friday again. Soon, once school starts, this will be the day to look forward to for some. Over the summer, it’s sort of a countdown day. Regardless, it’s time to take in some great reading from Ontario Edubloggers.
How Do You Want Families to Feel on the First Day of School?
I had this wonderful post from Sue Dunlop all queued up and had so many of my own thoughts ready to go. As a parent, I was always super nervous for my kids as they prepared for that opening day. Probably the most nervous night of all was the night before the first day of Kindergarten. We weren’t really prepared; we just had our own fond or not-so-fond memories. Kids today have it so much easier with things like the “First Ride” program to help ease into things. We just had a photocopied piece of paper indicating -ish bus times. The saddest part, as a teacher, was that I couldn’t be there to send her off on the bus. I did call my wife afterwards to get the scoop. The cool thing was that she never looked back. The kid’s all right. There’s so much in Sue’s post; it’s really worth the read. My thoughts are superseded by a post from Stephen Hurley.
Back To School: The Family Context
There’s your Friday motivation from two of my favourite writers.
Introduction – How can we make eLearning more accessible?
I’ll leave the introduction to this blog to Donna Fry.
I am looking forward to learning with this new blogger in #onted #elonted https://t.co/fhIocieEgG @dougpete @lastczarnian83
— Donna Miller Fry (@fryed) August 22, 2016
If you consider yourself a connected educator and that you have a connected classroom, then consider Peter Cameron’s offer. He’s looking to START the year with his class connected to as many as possible. It’s not an experiment; he’s done this before and celebrates 75 messages from the first day of school last year. He wants more.
I know that here are global projects offered from all over the world. <grin> Many fail but here’s one with a proven track record and stated deliverables. If you’re considering something like that for this year, here’s your chance for success.
Regrets of a First Year Teacher
Brian Aspinall shares an interesting post that I suspect would apply to so many – that first day in front of the class and how you’re going to establish superiority. Doesn’t this history resonate for all?
However, I went to school in quiet hierarchical rows and I learned to teach at the Faculty in very similar settings. I was complimented for getting them to conform so I continued to dictate because I needed to impress the hiring committee. There existed a silo / fishbowl in that best practice was shared in the staffroom and I wasn’t up to par based solely on the volume of my class.
I feel compelled to point out that the desks at the Faculty were nailed to the floor in our computer lab – but hopefully, he remembers that the chairs moved. But didn’t we all go through that moment on our first day? For me, at a secondary school teaching a Grade 12 class, I was only a few years older than the students. I felt I needed to prove who was boss. Looking back now, what a bunch of wasted time and energy.
It doesn’t matter how or where you start your teaching profession, I think that the key message from his post is that no matter what, you’re going to inherit a whack of baggage. What you do with it will determine how quickly you’re able to be successful.
Learn. UnLearn. ReLearn. Repeat.
I think this is a perfect read from Jennifer Casa-Todd to tack on to Brian’s post. It could just as easily have been the title from his post.
Here’s your inspiration to read her post. She uses these words…
- Risk-taker
- Networked
- Resilient
She builds the post around those words and applies them to her own learning. I would suggest that they’re easily transferable.
A few other teasers from her post …
- change
- complain
- panic
- generous
How can you not check it out?
Heather Theijsmeijer will be assuming a new role with her district this fall. Of course, we all wish her the very best in her endeavours.
I remember when I left the classroom and moved into a leadership role within the district. As the starting date loomed, I had the feelings of excitement and doom filling my mind. Both answered the question “What did you get yourself into?”
Heather’s asking and answering questions and elaborating.
- What is my educational passion?
- What drives the educational engine of my position?
- What am I best at?
It’s never easy. I look forward to reading of her successes this upcoming year.
A View From the Side of the Road
There are a number of things that go into a great blog post for me.
One is a great story, another is an educational insight, another is a turn that takes me as reader on a path not predicted, and yet another is an affirmation that the kids are all right.
Sue Bruyns has them all in this wonderful post about her educational trip to the Dominican, a road trip in a van, and the people involved. And a great opportunity to muse.
I can’t help but wonder if we’re giving our children the right things to watch and engage with. The young boy, at the side of the road in the Dominican, certainly didn’t need reminders about paying attention ~ his view from the side of the road was enough!
In case you missed it, I had the opportunity to interview Rodd Lucier (you may know him better as @thecleversheep) this week. It was an interview. long in the creation, because there was so much to ask and I didn’t want to miss anything.
How’s that for a good collection of reading for your Friday morning? Enjoy, and please take the time to drop off a comment or two for these wonderful bloggers. Consider Peter’s offer to connect to his classroom
If you open the hamburger menu above, you can see the complete collection of TWIOE posts.
doug -- off the record 
Please share your thoughts here. I’d enjoy reading them.