This Week In Education

So I don't know about you guys, but Student Teaching is rapidly approaching and as the days grow shorter, my homework nights are growing longer! Attending all of these orientations (especially at Cleveland County Schools) has pumped me up with the fact that exciting things are headed our way. I have definitely learned the value in a good night's sleep, though. 

As I was perusing the world wide web for something new, flashy, and exciting, I came across a Scholastic blog. I know I've mentioned Scholastic before but this is a blog dedicated to current events that directly affect education in the United States. There are tons of videos, Twitter feeds, articles, quotes, and other features. Right now, a great deal of the content is related to the election and new shifts that will occur because of new presidential authority. I thought this resource would be a great way to stay up to date with things that are going on in the country, while also seeing how they affect education. Since it is a blog, the information is constantly rolling and new things are being posted. 

While all of the content may not be targeted towards a classroom of children, I think it is definitely worth a look for us classroom teachers. That's a mindset shift I have had to make ever since I got heavily involved in my major, and furthermore, career. There are real world decisions being made that are not only going to affect my life, but the lives of my students in and outside my classroom. 

Along with you, I want to be fully aware of my surroundings as I go about pursuing this thing called teaching, and I want to do it to the best of my ability. Being a classroom teacher encompasses so much more than just showing up at 7:30 every morning and leaving at 3. It is coming in extra early and staying extra late so you can make the best instructional decisions for your students. Just like that, this blog has made me realize that if we want education to be our future, we also need to make it our present. What we do now affects what we will do later. Whether that is voting for a candidate that has the most sound standpoints regarding education or choosing to link your Harris Teeter card to your school to raise funds, everything we do affects our career. I think that was made blatantly clear at the Cleveland County Schools orientation tonight, and I plan to make some minor tweaks and adjustments accordingly. That is a connection to NCTCS standard 1D (advocating for schools and students) and standard 1E. 

After having said all of this, I would like to think that I have been examining those professional aspects of teaching a bit more lately as I prepare for the field. I would also hope this blog would be able to educate me a bit more on it as well.