Teacher blogs

I am happy to read the blogs that my students are writing about their year as interns in an urban school district. Most are trying to discover what it means to be a teacher -- not as a group, but as individuals. Each seems to be focusing on different aspects of school,kids, and teachers. I am wondering if it would make sense for each intern to select a different focus for their final internship in the spring, to develop their own reading list and create their own product to show competence in a self-selected area.

Chicken baseball

Did we really spend three hours in a hot gymnasium yesterday, running, throwing, leaning, squishing, dragging, screaming??? Yes, we did, and yes, I was limping a bit when I awoke this morning, remembering my race around my team to gain as many runs as possible. But I liked the pain a bit because it reminded me that I had done something a little different yesterday - and it did bring me "J" to think about it. It also made think that in teaching the "C" factor is very critical as well. The "C" factor for me is creativity. I have always viewed teaching as a very creative process - from developing a lesson plan, to decorating a room, to discussing project ideas with a group of students. I hope we can continue to stretch ourselves this year in J and in C and in other important elements we discover are important in teaching and learning.