Evolution

As I sit at my computer, researching the topics that have been discussed during our classes, it dawns on me that when I first gave Alec the proposal for my final project I did not consider how growth that I would experience during the class would cause my project to evolve. My initial proposal was to highlight teachers in our division showcasing what they are doing in their classrooms – particularly with science. I have a set of questions that I ask them to guide their responses, I ask them to ask a question to fellow educators and if they could to share any resources. However now I have ran into a bug, actually its bigger than a bug it’s report cards. I have a few teachers who really would like to be part of this however they are swamped with report cards and getting ready for parent teacher interviews. It looks like I’m not going to get much going until our class is nearly done. However it is my desire that this blog not only be a class project but a site where teachers from my division can visit to see what others are doing.  My wish was to highlight two teachers a month, so hopefully I can get that done before the end of November.

Sharing

I spent most of my day working on setting up the new report card system for our division and the rest of the day going out and about supporting teachers. Although it is understandable that teachers are experiencing a high stress level, they are also understanding while working through the kinks in the system. As our night class wound down, it dawned on me how much sharing goes on in our division. The old adage that teachers are the lone officer on the ship is no longer true or at least it doesn’t have to be. I found teachers in the hallways talking, sharing, expressing thoughts, ideas and finding solutions. Does this alleviate their stress? No, but it sure goes a long way in provide a sense of community. A place where we are not alone in our struggles. And that through collaboration and sharing we grow and develop.

What a great day when you can experience this.

Welcome to Cathy Wallace’s Blog

I have created this blog to showcase teachers. My hope is that I will interview two teachers from my division per month. I want to tell their story. Often teachers feel isolated and alone and many days go by before they have a chance to really connect with another teacher – especially professionally. I know as a teacher I often wonder what was going on in other classrooms. If what was going on in mine was normal?

Another reason for this blog is that teachers are creative! Some spend hours working at creating the next greatest lesson. With all the digital technology that many divisions are supporting, teaching and learning have taken a whole new perspective. It is my hope that the lessons teachers contribute will include engaging materials that will get you excited about teaching!

This site will highlight teachers, what they are working on, resources that they want to share with other educators and they will pose a question to all of you out there. It is my hope and their’s that other educators will take the time to read through their ‘story‘ and take time to comment on it or answer their question. Importantly, let them know if you liked their resources, there is nothing better than finding out all that hard work is appreciated.

Enjoy, if you can think of a way to improve this site, please do not hesitate to comment!