It's an exciting time to be an educator! v3,535,125.5

It's the most.. tiresome time.. of the year!!!
As the first semester of T.E.A.M. comes to a close, I must sit back and reflect. I only sit back because my legs hurt from running around, but it's a great match for my headache. Between report cards, curriculum, state tests, outside school family responsibilities like building my little girl her new bedroom, T.E.A.M. responsibilities, my own hobbies (my poor car has already started sitting waiting for the spring. It was barely driven all fall! Oh the humanity!) and trying to infuse technology into my classroom at a pace that is reasonable and comfortable for both my students and myself, I have found very little time to actually just sit. The semester has been one of growth, frustration, trial and error, and successes and failures: and often can be all in one week! Whenever I stumble on something new or hear about some type of resource I suddenly wonder if it works with my educational style and philosophy (at least I think I've got style!), and if it is suitable for the developmental, academic and technological level of my students.

What an exciting time to be an educator! I think that I might have said that before. I heard it in grad school from quite a few professors. At first I thought it was because of new student-centered strategies and theories that were being used in classrooms. Then, I thought it might be because of new special education reforms that were on the horizon. I heard a variety of reasons that it was "an exciting time to be an educator." Now, a few years later, here I am saying yet again that it is an exciting time to be an educator! I think (in my subjective reality) that it is ALWAYS an exciting time to be an educator! Just the other day, my Technology Integration Facilitator Noel Forte, my Library Media Specialist Karen Kliegman and myself used SKYPE to talk face to face with a class in South Carolina. My kids LOVED it, and to be honest I was quite impressed and enjoyed it as well. Our students are working on a native american research project with them (along with a few other classes) with Noel and Karen, but to speak with and see them was an incredible opportunity. We didn't ask questions about our research. We took the time to get to know them, their school and what they are exploring in thier classroom. They also did the same. Imagine... projected on the SMARTboard was their class, and conversely on their SMARTboard was us! It was almost as if, through technology, they were there with us.

So what is the point of all of this rambling? I don't know, you tell me. I don't interpret, I just write it. I know it's an exciting time, because I see it on the faces of my students. I know it's a tiring time because without coffee I probably wouldn't exist. I know it's a challenging time because Advil has become a good friend. When asked if I would trade it all away for peace and quiet.. well.. with all of that peace and quiet how would I get any work done?