Monday, 2 July 2012

School Holidays and Finding Inspiratiion

Recently I was told I don't need more PD - I just needed to use what I already had and get better at doing it. Now although I understand where she was coming from, I also know from experience that I'm one of those people who need to be immersed in creativity in order to feel inspired and feel like I can accomplish what the day throws at me.

So recently, and mostly because it's the school holidays and I have the time, I've been on the search for inspiration.

I bought a new phone about a month ago which has proved immensely useful. It's a smartphone-Samsung Galaxy Gio. It is most easily the best thing since sliced bread. At first I just thought it was cool because I could play music again but now I've found the real way-social media. Facebook, twitter, blogger, flipbook, pocket, stuff.co.nz, tumblr, instagram....the list will keep getting bigger. Amazing little apps that make life so much more interesting, helpful and above all, inspiring.

The best thing I've been using so far is Pocket. If you haven't got it yet you're missing out. Every single thing I ever wanted to look at but missed the chance because I didn't have time to do so has now been given into the safe keeping of Pocket. Pocket is an amazing little app that let's you store anything and everything you want to read, watch or listen to and enables you to come back and check it out later in your own time and when you have a free moment. At the moment, I have tonnes of media and news waiting for me to catch up.

The next inspirational tool I've refound is TED talks. Another little app but this one has inspirational talks-of note was Sarah Kay who talked about using spoken word to help students tell their own stories.

The next little muse is edublogs and all of the teaching blogs, columns and media I've been coming across. An amazing mass of stuff I can use, think about and apply to my teaching.

All in all, am so delighted I can access all of this on my phone at any time regardless of having an internet connection thanks to Pocket!

So get downloading!

Finding my inspiration...

Before Thanksgiving Comes The “Disillusionment Phase” For New Teachers

That was awesome. Thankyou. Am nearly at the end of my first year and it sure has been a roller coaster ride. Am always wondering whether it will level out and also, just maybe, get easier. Even with all the support I'm so very lucky to have at my school, I still feel down, still get dissapointed with myself, my abilities and inabilites to teach "well", and of course that ever changing shift in learnimg and teaching. For a first year teacher I've had a Lot of downs but am beginning to see and appreciate the many ups I have too. Thankyou for your column! Alex from NZ.