How did the first week go?

So while some of you started sooner than others, most of us are back at school after what always seems like a fleeting summer vacation! Those of you in year-round schools, of course, march to the beat of a different drummer. It is hard to engender much sympathy from those who are not in the education business as our job is often seen as easy what with all the vacations we get! Ha!!

We are all seeing changes in our classrooms as a direct result of the recession. Some of you have nearly 40 students in a class, perhaps there are some with even more. How do you interact meaningful with each of 40 students in a 40-60 minute period?? Even with block scheduling, bigger classes make it that much harder for us to reach the students we need to reach. And we continue to be expected to do more with less - less money, less coverage, less resources in general.

But those of us who have chosen to stay in this profession through thick and thin must have our reasons. Here are just a few of mine:

• I learn as much from my interactions with my students as I hope to teach them.
• Every year I come back there is a student from the previous year who is genuinely glad to see me.
• Every year there is a student (or more) who makes me entirely rethink what I thought I knew about teaching - and that's a good thing!
• There are constant challenges with the changes that continue to be piled on that are often directly in opposition to what we know about learning and students.
• I cannot get complacent!!!
• I have to keep on top of changes in technology in order to keep up with my students.

As director of PODetc, Professional Online Development from the Educational Technology Community, I am thrilled to work with a group of dedicated educators who are at the top of their profession in developing those tools that can help us tap into each of our students' potentials! I learn as much as I teach in working with the dedicated educators who take our course. I encourage you to take a peek at what we offer and consider how we might help you achieve your potential in the use of educaitonal technology.