Update re: Roller Coaster

So back in August, I stepped onto this roller coaster that is basically the longest, steepest roller coaster in the world. I mean, Carowinds or Six Flags has nothing on this behemoth. Anyway, so I got on, pulled the harness over my head, and the ride attendant buckled me in, telling me to have a fun 9 months, as well as to keep all limbs in the ride at all times. I was super pumped to be riding this shiny new roller coaster! As I waited for the "all clear, enjoy the ride", I was getting pumped with my friends who were also super excited to ride this huge, new roller coaster. The coaster started moving and before I knew it, we were going up this super steep hill that I had never experienced before in my life. I mean, the view was amazing, and I could see so much that I had never seen before. It really was beautiful. It's beautiful, but this is also the part of a roller coaster where most of your fear kicks in. You get that feeling of, "Oh my word, what did I step onto?" "How in the world have people rode this and survived?!". 

You know how sometimes you'll get up to what you think is the top of the hill of a roller coaster, only to dip down a little and then continue on the climb up? Well, that's what I've been doing lately, and I'm sure a lot of you can also identify with that. I'm not going to lie, everyone gets scared and wishes they could go back down at one point. Just ask Hannah...she's my roller coaster buddy and I usually scream the whole way up. Things have gotten very real and the view has been insanely amazing, but part of that new view includes taking in everything that education is behind the scenes, or above the clouds if you're still interested in keeping up with the roller coaster reference. I'm pretty sure a roller coaster that tall is very illegal, but whatever. I've seen so much that I never even imagined before hopping aboard. However, it's still an amazing view and no one has convinced me to jump off yet!

To segway away from the roller coaster reference until further necessary, I also want to talk about just how great being in my school has been. My CE recently gave me a reference that has been a lifesaver for not only helping our students learn, but helping me learn new strategies to teach them. The resource is called LearnZillion, and it is an instructional resource aligned with Common Core standards and more. The premise of LearnZillion is that it provides free resources, which are all standard based. 

LearnZillion also offers instructional videos that aid students within your own instruction time. I've used several of their videos in my own instruction, particularly within mathematics instruction. While they are not the most flashy videos, they are rich and strong in content application, and really keep things simple so students can understand. 

The other main resource that LearnZillion has to offer is lesson planning materials. Now, I'm not saying that you simply pull one of their lessons that meets the criteria for whatever standard you're teaching, but seeing the way they have structured their lesson helps me to plan my own. I see myself as stronger with ELA instruction than mathematics instruction, so this resource has really helped me to strengthen my instruction, not just give more videos for my students to watch. Using LearnZillion or something similar would definitely be a connection to NCTCS 3A and 3B, because using this resource is all about making your instruction richer and more relevant for student connections. 

I hope you enjoyed my roller coaster update and can identify with my experiences/laughable moments!