A Head Full of Dreams

As I was listening to Coldplay's single "A Head Full of Dreams" I found myself thinking that as an educator I have a "head full of dreams."  I feel fortunate to be teaching in an era where education is moving forward.  Never could I have seen the transformation coming to the classroom when I began my journey teaching.  I often think back to that first classroom I taught in, with the wooden desk attached to the chair and cubby underneath.  If someone had told me then that my students would eventually be sitting on bean bags, stability balls, or laying on a carpet during instruction I would have laughed.  Those flashbacks of my blackboard filled with chalk, or of transparencies on an overhead projector have now been replaced by that of whiteboards with digital projections that are manipulated electronically.  I could have never envisioned teaching in an elementary classroom where each student would have a laptop at their desk the entire school day.

As a result of the advances in technology, education has taken a leap forward.  It is an exciting time to be an educator.  This past school year was one where I saw most progression.  With the new technology that Broward Schools purchased we were able to jump right into blended learning and flipped classrooms.  Even my students who were born surrounded by technology had many moments where they were impressed by what could be done. Gone are the days of taking notes in a black & white composition notebook that would later get thrown into the garbage.  With Microsoft OneNote the students are able to take notes online, have separate digital notebooks per subject area, and the information is automatically saved into OneDrive.  The students will essentially have the capability of accessing any notes, projects, and presentations created in elementary school through their senior year in high school.

The amount of tools, resources, apps, and software available to our students grants them the opportunity to become decision makers.  They are able to explore and test the features and capabilities within each program and then weigh the pros and cons of each to help decide the one that will allow for the best project or presentation.

In my opinion, one of the most beneficial implementations I have seen has been the integration of coding into the curriculum. Something that may have seemed complex at first has become second nature to students in every grade level. I have no doubt in my mind these students will be better equipped for a technology filled future. It all came full circle when I found my Kindergarten daughter, this past year using voice recognition through google to research information on whether aliens exist.

As the beginning of the next school year approaches, I find myself wondering and researching what new technology will I learn, will I teach, and will I incorporate to be most effective at what I do.  Every school year brings new excitement, ideas, and new possibilities.  The classroom is evolving at a rapid rate and envisioning what it will look like in another 10 years is exciting and leaves me with a head full of dreams. 

#LoveTeaching

I have spent the past week doing some self-reflecting and thinking as to why I love my profession.  I found myself going back to my childhood and thinking back to the teachers that left a print on my heart. I found myself smiling when I remembered how caring and friendly my 2nd grade teacher was, so much so that I still haven't forgotten. I then remembered Mrs. Page, my elementary school art teacher.  I have such vivid memories, I could still describe where each art supply was stored in the room 30 years ago.  The reason I remember Mrs. Page so well was because she awakened my passion for crafting.  She took art way beyond markers and crayons.  She taught us needlepoint, cross-stitch, and how to make latch-hook rugs among many other crafts.  My love of reading I believe started in 3rd grade when I would rush through my classwork to have enough time left to run to that colorful SRA Reading Laboratory box and pick a new story to read.  I flew through books and read more and more as each year passed, but it wasn't until I met Ms. Nazzaro and Mrs. Long, two of my high school English teachers that I realized how transforming and moving a novel could be.  These two teachers were so passionate about the novels we were reading that they would practically take on the personality of the characters in the books.  As a student, I fed off this excitement and passion and became a life-long reader.

Teaching gives me the opportunity to continue to surround myself with the same buzz and excitement for learning. I feel the same enthusiasm when working with my colleagues in search of the best way to craft our lessons.  Because we all want the same thing, to see our students' eyes light up with the very same excitement we once felt when we discovered something new or mastered a concept.
Looking back at all these childhood memories makes it so clear to me what I truly LOVE about my profession.  It is knowing that I have the power of leaving a print on one of my student's hearts or awakening a passion or interest that they can cherish for the rest of their lives.  It is a profession that goes beyond the walls of a room or the content in the textbooks. It is a profession that goes beyond the school day and the school year. The students that are entrusted to me each year are never forgotten.  On the other hand, I find myself often wondering, years later, where they are in their journey and hoping they have found that very thing that drives them to success.