Planning Tomorrow's To-Do List

Wow! It sure is easier to keep one's head in the sand when it comes to teaching: pretend that the trends aren't changing and that everything one has been doing for the past 15 years is just fine-and-dandy. Unfortunately, there are too many teachers doing just this. My daughter comes home constantly, complaining about this and that teacher who basically has the students open a textbook and read from it. There's nothing engaging and one needs a knife to cut through the blanket of boredom. Each year as I begin yet again, I, too, become concerned about falling into this rut of teaching and wonder if it will be my turn: the final straw when I am no longer interested in my subject or my audience.

With these concerns in mind I have mixed feelings about our work this week. On the one hand, it's very exciting looking at ways to expand my knowledge and professional development as Chapter 9 outlines. I like the concrete way I can evaluate what I'm doing and where I need work. I also thought it helpful having access to guidelines and affirming to see that I'm doing many things right. What I found most beneficial and yet daunting was the description of the professional development that needs to happen at my school. As the only tech person on staff and one of the few who actively searches for ways to include technology, I feel a bit overwhelmed at what I am seeing as my future role at my school. Somehow, I have to get myself adequately prepared and then figure out how I'm going to do the same for my staff. For the majority of the past two years, my staff has spent in-service days working on our self-assessment evaluation for our accreditation. No time has been dedicated to technology or to other professional development for that matter. After reading chapters 9 and 10 and thinking about professional development, I was talking to one of our parents who comes in once a week to help in the library. As I was drumming on and on about all the things I think needs to happen at school, my principal walked in. It seemed a perfect time to share my thoughts with her. After hearing me out, she suggested that I prepare a tech day for our August In-service week. Although it's a start, I was a bit fed up and emphasized that staff development can't happen in one day. I also stressed to her that what I'm talking about isn't just about technology: it's about project- and problem-based learning and collaborating. I think I may have convinced her to at least examine the issue.

Sometimes I feel like a complete spaz when I talk to her - like the Titanic is sinking, and I'm trying desperately to get more people stuffed into the lifeboats and off the shinking ship. Do I need to just breathe and slow down? The thought of doing that, however, makes me crazy because I keep wondering just what are we waiting for? Why does change in education have to occur so slowly as Chapter 10 points out? I keep thinking there are so many little things we can do now to improve the content of what we teach, so why isn't everyone on board? Do I have to keep being the squeeky wheel? One of my friends who is a principal at another school suggested that I get my five year plan together because that will help drive what we do at school. I couldn't agree more, so beginning this week I'm going to start gathering key people together for the committee. Again, these last two chapters are very helpful because they provide not only a vision for me but also the language that I need to bring to the table. I will be the first to admit that part of my panic and excitement has to do with the fact that I have never had formal training in technology so never really thought about what I was teaching. As long as my students left St. Ann's knowing how to operate a bunch of software and do some troubleshooting, I was good. And because few others really know the technologies out there, I've always been sung as the tech-no-hero at school for the few things I do accomplish. As I finish out this year, I will have to focus on finding balance between what I do well now and what I will need to do in the future.