Welcome!

Creating a new blog is always exciting, but it can be a bit overwhelming, too. Where does one start? What will be the focus? As a teacher it is so easy to become frazzled with the many demands on our time - authentic assessment, differentiated learning engagements, 21st century learning, empowering students, inquiry based learning, setting smart team goals, articulating professional growth plans, collaborating on unit development - and on and on and on it goes, until sometimes we are spinning so quickly we forget what we were doing in the first place!

I have always been impressed with the teachers I have met who are able to retain a sense of calm amid all of the buzz. These ones who have time to talk and help, even when the pace at school is hectic. I have been very fortunate to have worked with many wonderful educators and it is through my interactions with them that I have learned the most about teaching and learning. Attending workshops and staying up to date on research are important, but I have come to realize that taking the time to reflect about what we do and why we do it, and sharing this with others, is perhaps the most valuable of all professional development opportunities.

And that is why I started this blog. I hope it becomes a place where we can share our reflections about our practice and learn from each other. I'm not sure what format would best support this type of blogging - so any ideas are most welcome!

To get the ball rolling - what (or who) inspires you?