Blogging Challenge: Days 17-22

I can only get these done in chunks, I think!  Fell a bit behind . . . September is the hardest month!

Day 17

What do you think is the most challenging issue in education today?

For me, it's time management.  To assess the ways I want to and plan the way I want to, I need so many hours before and after a class session.  I am blessed to have two prep periods in our seven period cycle (meaning some days I have 45 minutes of prep and some days I have three hours of prep), but it's still nowhere near enough time.  I work before school, after school, and on the weekends, and I still struggle to do a good job.  I'll just keep fighting the good fight!

Day 18

Create a metaphor/simile/analogy that describes your teaching philosophy. For example, a “teacher is a ________…”

Friend who makes you feel good about yourself and learn something (hopefully).  Maybe this isn't the best definition, or the most rigorous image of teaching, but it's what I think I'm trying to do right now.  

Day 19

Name three powerful students can reflect on their learning, then discuss closely the one you use most often.

I need to work on this.  I used exit tickets, journals, and some metacognitive writing.  

Day 20

How do you curate student work–or help them do it themselves?

I take a lot of pictures and hold on to student work while I still have room for it!  I am trying harder to display more current student work.  I have a good folder of good examples that I use in my classroom of the essays I assign often.

Day 21

Do you have other hobbies/interests that you bring into your classroom teaching? Explain.

I used to bring more music in--I'll need to get into that again.  I try to buy a lot of postcards when I travel and visit museums, and I use those in the classroom.  I have brought in Scrabble quite a bit!

Day 22

What does your PLN look like, and what does it do for your teaching?

I had a terrific time with my PLN over the summer--Twitter fun, EdCamps, etc.  Now that school's back on, there is less time, but I love having friends all over the state (and the country!) that can help me out with new ideas and inspiration!