This morning I was up early(ish) and saw this cartoon from GapingVoid:
I haven’t posted here in quite a while. In my defense, I have been a little busy having a baby, moving countries, and preparing to start a new job. All a little time consuming to say the least.
When I read Hugh’s cartoon, I was reminded that we all have to start somewhere and often, instead of trying to re-write the book, we just need to find one little thing to start with – one thing that can make a big impact. For me, that means just getting started and brushing the cobwebs off this blog. But it is also a philosophy I want to employ in the coming school year.
What can we do as teachers to make the biggest impact? Where is our time best spent in the classroom? What tools can I use that will save me time but also help me know my kids better and meet their needs in a more timely fashion?
In terms of math: Khan Academy
In terms of reading: The Book Whisperer
In terms of everything else, it is a matter of two things: finding the way to connect a student to their passion and finding a way to always choose to be kinder than necessary. In the interest of “starting with the end in mind”, read the following graduation speech (thanks Marty!) to inspire you as you begin a new school year in which you will make a difference.
sonya terborg 
So glad to see you back!
Ha Ha
I’m on a quest myself at the moment, and trying to really work out how it is that I can change my teaching, in the context in which I work, to make the student learning as meaningful, inspiring and truly wonderful as I can. I am following breadcrumbs and happened upon you via the Imagine a School pdf. I’m just starting to use Khan Academy and began my own version of Book Whispering this year. It’s so invigorating to feel like I might be slightly on the right track, as at the moment I’m completely bewildered.
Keep going! I loved Seth’s manifesto (hence, Imagine a School was born). Khan Academy is awesome. If you are just starting and have questions, I would be happy to help you through it (if I can!) with some things that I have learned along the way. Book Whispering – awesome. I hope to extend this a bit further this year with Literature Circles/Book inquiries. I will see how this goes. Hang in there. It gets better! Soon your biggest ‘problem’ will be how to fit all the awesome stuff into each school day!