Wish List Reflections

A small, relatively uncluttered prep area.

Since I've embraced technology in my teaching, I have discovered one indisputable fact: I need a bigger desk. My prep time now consists of the standard supplies: My daybook, the various teacher guides and student books that we are accessing (sorted over two subjects and seven grades), the mentor texts or library books that we are modelling with. Now in addition to all that strewn about for easy access are: A netbook, an iPad (the school's) or two (the students'), and my phone (for those things that I know are worthwhile but the Board filter has failed to understand). ;)

Thank God for Google Drive so I can begin to save things in one easy-to-access space without having to remember the flash drive I carried around at the beginning of the year! I am finding a need to schedule my time to ensure I can keep up with all the things I want to learn and do: Check professional email, visit new school Team Site to check school-wide posts, pop by the Teacher-Librarian Team Site and email site, read new articles on worthwhile blogs and check in with the incredible community I've found on Twitter, research how particular apps work and create samples of what I hope students will do before letting them loose, record what I've learned so I don't forget it (ici!), plan how technology will be integrated into previous and new units, plus the standard stuff of daybook completion, unit planning, and assessment (working on bringing that into the digital age too). After I get a bigger desk, can I get a longer day???

But the best part of all this is that I don't feel overwhelmed or exhausted - I feel energized! Continually learning and challenging myself to be more and do more with our students is an excellent motivator.