I just got back from presenting at IATE’s fall conference. I’m always honored by the people that come to listen to what’s worked well in my classroom and I hope I can save others some time and frustration. If you’re new to Next Time Teaching, the teal start button to the right is a great place to start and the handouts that I presented are all on the resources page. In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting more resources and sharing some new ones that I discovered at the conference.
Some things that have stuck with me from the conference:
- Code Literacy. I think this is a fascinating topic and I think English teachers definitely have something to add to the conversation.
- The ISU Homecoming that was going on at the same time. At first this seemed like a funny juxtaposition to an academic conference, but then it made me think of how many things are going on in our students’ lives besides just our class. (See also Embrace the Messiness of Teaching.)
- The Lifespan of the English Teacher. It was great to talk to people at all points in their career. Just as we differentiate for students, I feel strongly that professional development needs to be differentiated for teachers.
- The Value of Time to Think. Since I stayed for both days of the conference, I had an evening in a hotel by myself. Not only is that a rare occurrence, it was also a great opportunity to write down all kinds of ideas people had sparked in me, lists of things to research and do, and goals. Sometimes when I’m busy, I feel like I should get something done rather than think or plan. But writing is such great reflection and I always feel better after taking enough time to think and get everything down on paper. And I’m really interested in the ideas in this article on compound time. Teachers are way too busy and unfortunately most of us don’t see the benefits of compound time often enough. (See also To-Done Lists for Teachers.)
So now that I’ve RE-turned RE-inspired, stay tuned to Next Time Teaching for more ideas coming this week!