You may not be able to go to a conference so bring the conference to you in the form of an ed chat.
The first school day is
history. Jitters are abated. Anticipation is gone. Well, two out of three of
these is true. Does coming back to school mean the end of anticipation? As
teachers, we still, hopefully, anticipate every day in the classroom—or most.
But what happens when the fire dims and the first day jitters morph into first
day indifference? Maybe it’s time to reassess our career or maybe it’s time to
reignite the fire.
My
summer was terrific. One of the best I’ve had in ages. I traveled, saw friends
and family, experienced new adventures, and relaxed, a bit. What I didn’t do was prepare as much as I
normally do for school. The result? I wasn’t as stoked about coming to school
as in the past. So what did I do to readjust myself? I entered the world of my
colleagues. Through a few frenetic Twitter chats with #ndedchat and
#westedchat, I felt refreshed, reconnected, and re-energized. The moral of the
story is if you need a jolt in the pants and a readjusted attitude, hang out
with colleagues who are jazzed about school. Their excitement is infectious
and, in my case, led to some fresh ideas to try out in class.
So
the next time you feel a bit down about school or teaching, check out an ed
chat on Twitter. There are tons of them out there, filled with colleagues
excited about their profession, brimming with unique and fresh ideas to try in
the classroom. You may not be able to go to a conference so bring the
conference to you in the form of an ed chat.
We all need a shot of
encouragement. Find yours in an edchat. Check out the edchats in your region or
search Twitter. I couldn’t imagine life
without #gfedchat, #ndedchat or #westedchat. They challenge me to be a better
teacher and inspire me with new ideas. Let them do the same for you.
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