Okay, so I have decided that I can't possibly keep up with everything I had hoped to professionally AND be as innovative as I want in my practice. Guilting myself over not being able to keep up with the pace IMMOOC is moving is taking much needed energy and thought away from where it should be. So, I have decided to free myself from needing to do that. I have joined the Innovator's Mindset Voxer group, and it is moving at a pace I can manage better: 1 chapter each week, questions posted on Sunday, respond by Saturday. That, I can do, while keeping the innovation going in my classroom.
I hearby grant myself permission not to IMMOOC at this time.
I will still be lurking around the group, being inspired by the group, innovating, and blogging. And, I hope some of you will still bother to read my blog and comment on it. But, even if no one does, writing the blog is what I need, so I will continue to do it. Enough said about that!
Innovation in my classroom over the first quarter of our school year has come in many forms. I am listing here the topics I plan to create deeper blog posts about as I am able. I know I need to reflect in writing on these practices, but for now, I have reflected internally and verbally with my peers and am just reminding myself to revisit these topics at a later date. Most of these things have been brand new to me this school year.
1. I am teaching an 8th grade reading intervention class to a group of all boys. WOW - so much to share about that. In a nutshell, the research is being proven in my class on a daily basis as these boys open up in ways they never would with girls in the mix.
2. My classes participated in Roald Dahl Day (100th birthday celebration) virtually and physically. We connected with people all over the world and with our lifeskill students.
3. I have renewed my focus on the importance of independent reading and have been working hard to motivate my students to read on their own. I have implemented book talks with my kids, and it has amazed me how much they want to be able to have something to talk with me about.
4. My students were given in class time to spark their creative juices to become makers.
5. Students have been using sketch noting to aid in retention and memory.
6. My students and I have created video introductions of ourselves to share with a school across the country we are connecting with for The Global Read Aloud. I can't believe I never knew about GRA until this year!
7. Students are monitoring progress and setting goals in an attempt to build growth mindset and realize that grades and passing standardized tests don't show everything they have learned.
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