Adventures in Administration

Reflective Teacher 30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 20 Image: flickr.com "How do you curate student work--or help them do it themselves." This is such a great question and is perfect for learning in the digital age since there are so many tools available to do this well.  Having come out of the classroom a couple of years ago now, I honestly didn't do much more than use the more colorful work as classroom "art" to impress visitors.  However, if I were to have the opportunity to go back into the classroom even part-time I would have my students create a digital portfolio (also known as e-portfolio ) of their work.  This method is so popular, you can find numerous LiveBinders on the topic and Cybaryma n has a page dedicated to e-portfolios. As a history teacher, their assessments would take many forms so I would envision something along the lines of a website created by the student where they would have writing samples, pictures of more creative pieces, a...

San Francisco Bay from the water I was shocked to see that it has been almost two months since writing my last post.  Then I began to think about the last two months and realized that I shouldn't be so surprised. Having finished my first "official" year as an Administrator, the final stretch was by far the most challenging.  The reasons why aren't really that important.  We all have our rough patches and challenging moments.  What is important, however, is what the final few months of the year have taught me and that is what I want to reflect on... Starting any new job is always a bit of a crap shoot.  You hope that you have made the right choice.  You hope that your belief in your abilities is not misplaced, and in short, you hope that you are up for the challenge.  Most of us make a few lists: What I need to do, What I want to do, What I would really love to get to if there's time.   My "need to do" included things such as:...

Welcome to my blog!  It actually began as an assignment during a CUERockstar camp (I love tech so watch for it popping up here).  However, after some thought, it actually seemed like it could be more than "just another assignment" and here's why... This is my first year in Administration after 15 years of teaching high school history.  Experience has taught me that the first year of anything is nothing if not an adventure.  Now, those of you who are more seasoned might be saying: "I do not think that word means what you think it means" or "Ha!  That's an understatement!".  My hope is that through my blog, even if no one reads it, I will have the opportunity to reflect on my new position, with all of the ups and downs, and come out on the other end still smiling and looking forward to another year and more adventures.  So thanks for popping in on my journey.  Feel free to leave comments and share your wisdom, your fears, your experiences. ...