Hello everyone! I have not posted a blog entry in quite some time, despite several “attempts” or intentions to do so. After the birth of my daughter in September, my attention once I arrived home from school each day has been on being the best dad possible and I found myself saying, “I’ll do it later” when it came to posting on this blog (among other "missions" of mine).
I would like to think I have grown over the past several months into a great dad, but I must say my wife deserves much of the credit for the impressive growth of our beautiful and happy child. She is such a treasure, a genuine blessing to our family! I have had several discussions with colleagues, administrators, board members, and mentors of mine in education who are parents and they all agree; it puts what we do as educators everyday into a clearer perspective.
Here are a few points I would like to make as I “get back on the horse” and rededicate myself to posting entries on this blog, seeking to share my perspective and dialogue with others about this vital field of education:
#1 - I believe it is possible to be a great parent and great teacher at the same time.
I have always been a person who takes their job seriously and gives 100% everyday. I would like to think I have been this way since I had my first jobs as teen. Besides not screwing up being a dad, one of my worries was that my job performance would lag once I became a parent. It seems like a silly worry in retrospect, given that many of our best teachers are also great parents! I suppose I was just unsure if I could be as good at both as those phenomenal educators have been for many years.
While I have been more tired than in previous years (I’ve seen 2-3am more now than I have since college), I feel as creative and excited about teaching as I have at any other point in my career. My students are improving their writing and analytical skills, engaging in vibrant discussions daily, experimenting with technology to become 21st century learners and consumers of news and information, utilizing our Moodle and Google Classrooms to complete assignments and to extend learning outside the classroom, and working as active partners to help me build a truly 21st Century classroom.
In fact, I was just informed this week that my grant, "Building the 21st Century Classroom: Phase II" has been approved. I will be posting about this exciting $7500 grant in the future, how the learning space is being maximized, etc. Not to worry, pictures will be included in those entries!
#2 - Scheduling my time has never been more important.
While I promised my wife I would "scale back" extra events from my schedule (committees, volunteer chaperoning, etc.), we also agreed that it was important to be a voice in the decision making process when provided the opportunity and remain connected to the community as much as time allows. Living in town certainly makes this an easier goal to attain, but scheduling my time methodically also prevents me from "overbooking" myself, along with ensuring I do not miss my own appointments (neglecting a Chiropractor appointment has it’s consequences).
I also have started scheduling when I will grade assignments, update my Moodle/Google Classroom, and engage in other creative endeavors. Scheduling these activities has proven challenging, but I remain committed. Someone once told me, "Don't let the urgent crowd out the important" and "If you don't make a plan than you're planning to fail." Setting a schedule and sticking to it is an effective strategy to avoid procrastination or becoming easily distracted. It also allows me to make time for reading books (I shoot for at least 15 minutes a day) and to playing my colleague Mr. McInerney (@HistoryEB) in a game of Madden 16 on PS4 (there is a Championship Belt we play for…it can get heated and our students enjoy updates on who has won most recently and the cordial “trash talking” during the changing of classes).
“Marking your calendar” does not need to have a negative connotation or be restrictive. I am an adult, I am in charge, and I can ignore or adjust events as needed. That being said, writing down what you want to achieve on paper or on an iPhone/Google calendar allows you to hold yourself accountable without forgetting to accomplish all of the items on your “To Do List”.
I hope that everyone takes the start of the New Year (although it is February tomorrow), the start of a new week, a new quarter, or new semester to rededicate themselves to goals that may have gone unmet thus far. All of us can hit the “reset” button at any time, unless you are losing in Madden 16 to your colleague…
