LiterateLife

Here we are back after a 3-day weekend. I was playing alot in Second Life, as I have joined a Star Trek role-playing (RP) group. We actually attend Academy classes and I am really curious to see an example of how virtual classrooms work! Unfortunately I am working with a school laptop that has a video card not quite powerful enough for  smooth running of SL. I keep crashing! Not a good way to try to take a class.

I may just have to bite the bullet and get a better computer myself.

I also had ordered Seeking Diversity by Linda Reif last week from amazon.com. It came Saturday, and I read the first chapter where Linda explains that she had been teaching 10 years. Nancie Atwell also wrote her book after about 10 years. I have been teaching 14 years and don’t feel nearly competent enough to write a book about my methods! How do these people feel get so good? I guess they are just “born” with it. Maybe I just haven’t found my “niche” yet…using technology in the classroom may be it, since I LOVE it!!!

I went to a technology inservice yesterday and found out that our district has chosen dotnetnuke as our blog provider. Now I have to figure out how to merge this blog with that one…if I want to at all.

Still administering state tests today.

 Colleague Discussion

I had a reassuring discussion with a colleague this morning.

Understand that I am a veteran teacher…14 years behind me.

 Tomorrow I will be having my appraisal observation from my assistant principal. I was telling my colleague that I am embarrassed by my lesson plans as documentation of my teaching through the year. My principal requests references to the TEKS covered in the lesson, a reference to what AVID methodology is used (writing,inquiry, collaboration, reading-there is a chart of AVID strategies under each of these headings), and what level of Costa’s questioning is used.

Both my colleague and I know we don’t consistently include all of this information in our plans that are to be turned in every grading period. Because of this embarrassment, we don’t always even turn in the plans (and worry about being called out on it). We both strive to use workshop methods in our classrooms, offering authentic reading and writing experiences and some choice to the students we teach in our Title 1 school. This often has me writing post-lesson plans about what occurred in my room on a given day.

I searched the web for online lesson plan templates/services that allowed me to maintain my plans online. I found and purchased Lesson Plan Locker, but have not been real happy with it. I have had printing issues (like it prints a blank form even when on the desktop it’s filled and saved). The collaborative elements promised are not there (because no one has used them, I assume).

We want to be GOOD (no, GREAT) teachers. We feel bad about our shortcomings. Is this a PD issue? A motivation issue (am I just lazy???) Am I overwhelmed by all I have to teach and how many choices I have that planning seems impossible? Is planning in a workshop model so different from traditional planning that I’m stymied?

It was reassuring to know I am not the only one who feels this way. I am on a personal search to resolve this issue and proudly have lesson plans that serve my and my administrator’s needs.

I would love comments about other teacher’s feelings about lesson planning!