What's happening in 6th grade?
Whew! It's been a while...I've meant to check in recently! I didn't realize it had been so long. I actually forgot to reflect on my experience at Ed Camp AoP, where I met Rachel Murat in person, again! We were able to talk teaching over a yummy desert at Perkins. (#notsketch) What a privilege! Such a brilliant mind. The ability to collab with Rachel in person is something that I never would have imagined before teaching and in my first few years in the classroom. In the past couple years, my professional learning network (PLN) on Twitter and Voxer have filled me to the brim with excitement and a drive to always be the best I can be as an educator. This is my 5th year, 4th full year, teaching. I can look back at my first couple years teaching when collaboration meant bouncing ideas off the one or couple teachers who were generous enough to give of their time to share with the excited newbie in the building. Today, collaboration means sharing with hundreds, if not thousands some weeks, of teachers in a week via social media. I have found a PL(F)amily!A couple months ago, I joined an incredible community of teachers in a #4ocf Voxer Book Study. The 4 O'Clock Faculty is written by Rich Czyz, also a part of the study. The book revolutionizes the traditional paradigm of PD in the school setting and, for some, introduced PD on a personal level. This book study has come and gone, but this group of educators has transitioned into an incredible support network, and a family of sorts! I'm likely the baby in the group, but I am SO thankful to be amongst such brilliant minded educators always looking to push the limits. Every day, I look forward to hearing the conversation between these friends from afar. (Yes - always a conversation before I'm even awake at 6:30am EST. (Usually @emerced_learning or @CoachJonCraig!) In the past couple months, I have found some great friends in the field who have challenged me to think beyond the status quo and seek what is best for my students. The support is tremendous. I'll go as far as mentioning, when I was having a tough time at school, one of the group members side-voxed me to "pray over" me. I was almost brough to tears on my commute home. This book study, turned "think tank," has turned into an incredible PL(F)amily! I'm still not quite sure how to explain this group to my professional colleagues (book study group? voxer group/friends? I've tried a bunch!) in my building, but I know that they are a second family, of sorts. I realize everything has its season. This incredible community will not stay the same forever; it will change, grow, evolve... My biggest takeaway is the need to surround myself with educators who will challenge me in my thinking and support me. They do say, afterall, that you are what you eat. You are the top five people you surround yourself with. I aspire to be more like these amazing experienced educators everday! Every professional, whether educator or not, needs to find this network, or family.We must be fed. We must be challenged. We must grow together. The learning does not stop here. So thankful for this group of amazing educators.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
About MeLouie here! 5th Grade Teacher. Level 2 Google Educator. Love all things Google. 1:1 Chromebooks. Archives
June 2020
Categories |