The Conversation that Never Ends

Honestly, I think I could talk about teaching and my students all day, every day, to anyone who will listen.  I spent yesterday flying across the country to visit my best friend in Massachusetts and sat next to a very sweet family with a first grader, a pre-K-er, and a toddler.  Of course I chatted up the kids learning about their favorite apps on Daddy's iPhone and the cool movies they were watching.  You can take a teacher out of a classroom, but s/he will always be a teacher.  As thankful as I am to be on vacation to recharge, I just cant see a little one and NOT talk to them.

And of course my best friend, a fellow first grade teacher, and I always talk about school when we are together.  I find it really interesting to compare our schools and get some ideas from the other side of the country.  We stayed up until long past midnight talking about our favorite Pins, education videos, etc. We went to bed only because both of our phones died and we couldn't share any more ideas.  Her favorites: Bill Nye videos, Envisions math, and a few cute youtube videos.  My favorites: Harry Kindergarten, Edmoto, and my new blogging world. We swapped tales of hilarious comments, lessons gone really well, and this changing climate with Common Core.

I am fully capable of having other conversations with people, but I definitely light up when I get to talk about my kids or my ideas for the classroom.  I don't think I'll ever run out of things to say about teaching my little ones!

Still talking...

Adie

My love of Pinterest!

I joined Pinterest one year ago. I held off out of fear that I would be as addicted to it as I had become to Facebook.  I was so glad to find out that Pinterest was not just going to suck hours of my life away into a screen, but rather connect me to other teachers, at home cooks, and help me to spruce up my home. Like all pinners, it would be a full time job to make/do/create everything I've pinned, but I have made any home renovations, baked some delicious goodies, and brought some great ideas to my little ones.  I can't get enough of Pinterest, the more I search around, the more inspired I am by teachers I've never met before.  I loved that teachers from all over the country were helping me to improve my practice and give me ideas for my little ones that I never would have thought of before.

Well........joining Pinterest led me to join Teachers Pay Teachers which led me to join Twitter which led me to join the blogging world.  I am so excited to join a new league of teachers who blog their fabulous ideas. I hope very much to bring some new ideas blending special education and general education. What are you most looking to learn in this area?

Thank you, Pinterest for opening the door for me to start connecting with some pretty stellar teachers. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next!

Adie

National Board Certification

Last winter I began the process of getting my National Board Certification.  Looking back, I couldn't be happier that I made that choice, but I'm also looking forward to submitting my portfolio entries!  For those of you who are considering the National Board process, I highly recommend it!  I have become better at defending why I do what I do for my students and I have learned so much from my wonderful cohort of fellow applicants.  I have one reflection and some editing left to do and then I will have to wait patiently until December to see how I've done.  In the meantime, I will be studying away for the big test that (combined with my portfolio scores) will determine if I can call myself a National Board Certified Teacher.  I will keep you all posted.

Are you interested in the National Board process?  Here are my words of wisdom:
1. Join a cohort!  This is not a solo process, you need to read the work of other candidates and you need to have other people read your work.  My cohort meets once a month and we have a facilitator who is a NBCT.  Although I really appreciate my whole cohort, I meet separately with the people working toward my same certificate at other times to continue the collaborative process.
2. Start early!  Four portfolio entries and a 3 hour test does not sound like something that would take 14 months to prepare, but trust me...it has!  You can only use student work from the current school year in your submissions, but there is plenty to do before then!  Read and reread the directions, write Entry 4 (the only one not about student work), and get your test prep materials in order. You will be thankful later.
3. Have fun! Yes, it is a ton of writing.  Of course you have a million other things to do.  But the process has been so enjoyable that it makes the many hours spent in front of Microsoft Word feel worth it.

The ePortfolio system opens on April 1st!  I'm looking forward to sending off my hard work to be evaluated!

Are you a NBCT?  Are you thinking about starting the process?

Adie