Don't misunderstand - I'm very much active in my classroom, interacting with students, giving instruction and facilitating learning, and providing feedback. What I mean is that while break is over (a very nice and restful break, I might add) and the action has resumed, I am very much in a state of rest and nourishment intellectually.
Huh?
A little while back, as part of an assignment for our Teaching & Technology cohort, a colleague of mine used farming as a metaphor for technology & education. Going with that thought, I find myself very much like a seed lying fallow, soaking in the nutrients to help me grow. As I've written before in this space, I really enjoy the learning process, of feeling challenged, and looking at ways to improve and grow. While I am between classes for the cohort, I am sitting back, soaking in lots of great information, and taking the time to reflect on everything going on within and outside of my classroom walls. Currently on my mind:
-Grading, standards, and the marriage of the two...
-Tech in my class and beyond - communities of learning...
-Motivation, and its latest paradigms - great stuff Daniel Pink...
-Creativity, and looking at education/schools/learning in a whole new way - Sir Ken...
-My role in all of this, where I am next year/5 years/10 years down the road...
There's a lot to be said for lying fallow. We don't often get to do it, especially in this profession. I will try to marinate in everything I've been taking in lately, hopefully to turn that into great new action down the road.
