Never stop learning because life never stops teaching

   This is my first time teaching at the beginning of the school year.  One of the requirements for me as a teacher is to increase my digital knowledge so I can be more effective as a teacher which will not only benefit me but it will also benefit the students in my class. 

There is SO much that I need to learn to the point that I feel like this while my brain currently looks like this!  One word for trying to learn how to use all of the tools that are necessary while learning how to plan appropriately and get organised would be:  overwhelming.

"Welcome to teacher life" ... "Things will get better"... "There will always be things to do"... "Don't worry, you will get there"... 

Those are just a few of the things that I have been told that come to mind at the moment.  While I try to take a deep breath...ok... MANY deep breaths, I wonder if the day will ever come when I look back on how I am feeling now and think ' Ahh yes, I remember when I used to feel like this and things did indeed get better' 

Until that day comes, I talk to other teachers. I try to get feedback on what they do to organise themselves and how they go about doing it.  I get frustrated when I know that I am a part of a team where we are to work collaboratively but instead I feel like I am benefitting from others while they aren't benefitting from me seeing as I am overwhelmed and not giving anything back...at least not at the level that I feel I'm supposed to.

So...what do I do?

STEP 1:

I met with my mentor teacher where I discussed the 2 teacher goals I thought I needed to work on in order to improve my practice.

This was my first goal...

Since having my meeting with my mentor teacher I have spent time going to toolkit PD,  watching various youtube tutorials on the different tools that I will need to learn how to use, as well as meeting with other teachers to ask them questions on things I have been trying to learn.

This was my second goal...

How long is 'too long' to be planning? 

I have no idea. What I do know is that I plan for most of my evening, most of my weekends and that absolutely contributes to my frustration.  

A part of that absolutely has to do with the time that it takes to learn my way around the different digital tools while I am planning and another huge part is looking for resources when planning appropriately for my students. 

Just like my learners, there are some that will understand concepts and learn how to do things straight away, while other learners will either need more time or have things scaffolded to a level that they can understand.  I wish I got this straight away. There is the old saying of  'Fake it till you make it'. The only problem will that is no one can help you if you are faking it.

As teachers, we ask our students to let us know when they don't understand something or if they have any questions.  On a deeper level I realise why students may be reluctant to say they are struggling. 

Onwards and upwards.

I am still learning...