In many ways, I always felt as though my ImagineIT would never be complete or correct. I always felt like an impostor when I discussed my “albatross” as it seemed to be. Thanks to some patient instructors, and my drive to make what I do golden, I kept at it. I realize that no really good project is ever complete. It should stay a work in progress. The goal of a good project is to stay relevant.
I have begun to embrace the fluid nature of my project, and move forward to its future. What I learned about myself and my project is I love what I do. I am evolving as a teacher, because of my project. What began as an elaborate study project has morphed into this tech-infused classroom - -flipped, purposeful, and always on the move.
At first I felt bogged down by little things. Lack of technology, student ambivalence, no support from administrators, and lack of understanding from administrators. I addressed all of those issues directly with positive outcomes for each.
Moving forward, I am secure in my decision. My current students are moving along nicely. My previous students visit and question constantly. Even my administrators are starting to take notice. This week I am presenting to my team and administrators on differentiating in Google classroom.
The beauty of this is that it ties to the heart of my project. Instead of forcing my hand, making the students do what I want, I have given up the role of boss, and moved on to guiding their learning. I spend very little teacher time with them, and much more time facilitating success. In many ways this has made my life easier. I don’t have to discipline often and my students are developing a good work ethic.
Moving forward, I will stay the course and complete the school year. My ImagineIT project will continue to evolve. I would like to see it spread to other grade levels. I will need to subtly guide it forward. For my current students it is what they demand. I don’t see them going back to paper and pencil next year. For others, I want them to start earlier learning tech tools, to save time. I want to get a group of middle school teachers working with me to push this process forward. Like I always know, the future is now.
I have begun to embrace the fluid nature of my project, and move forward to its future. What I learned about myself and my project is I love what I do. I am evolving as a teacher, because of my project. What began as an elaborate study project has morphed into this tech-infused classroom - -flipped, purposeful, and always on the move.
At first I felt bogged down by little things. Lack of technology, student ambivalence, no support from administrators, and lack of understanding from administrators. I addressed all of those issues directly with positive outcomes for each.
Moving forward, I am secure in my decision. My current students are moving along nicely. My previous students visit and question constantly. Even my administrators are starting to take notice. This week I am presenting to my team and administrators on differentiating in Google classroom.
The beauty of this is that it ties to the heart of my project. Instead of forcing my hand, making the students do what I want, I have given up the role of boss, and moved on to guiding their learning. I spend very little teacher time with them, and much more time facilitating success. In many ways this has made my life easier. I don’t have to discipline often and my students are developing a good work ethic.
Moving forward, I will stay the course and complete the school year. My ImagineIT project will continue to evolve. I would like to see it spread to other grade levels. I will need to subtly guide it forward. For my current students it is what they demand. I don’t see them going back to paper and pencil next year. For others, I want them to start earlier learning tech tools, to save time. I want to get a group of middle school teachers working with me to push this process forward. Like I always know, the future is now.