Journal 2: Join an Affinity Group and Share your Digg Stream

5 TED Talks Every Teacher Should Watch. (2016, October 3). Retrieved from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/10/the-5-excellent-ted-talks-every-teacher.html

Summary/Reflection:

After reading through some of my articles on Digg, the one that stuck with me the most was from the Educational Technology and Mobile Learning group. The article shared five different TED talk videos that teachers should watch. I took the time to watch each of them and I am very glad I did. Rita Pierson was phenomenal. She made some of the most inspiring and truthful statements in her talk. She also made a reference to Stephen Covey and the 7Habits of Highly Effective people, which hit home with me because my school is currently in the process of becoming a Lighthouse school. In the TED talk with Ken Robison he emphasized how there is a need to have an equal weight across the board and not only on core subjects like math and science. This is something I feel our education system is still trying to find a balance with. Angela Lee Duckworth spoke on having “grit” and how to build and utilize it to motivate students. Duckworth also stated that we (educators) have to be “willing to fail, to be wrong, and to start over again “ which I feel is what makes a great teacher because it means that you are constantly reflection and adapting your teaching. Both Dan Pink and Simon Sinek had very good TED talks also, however Pierson, Robison, and Duckworth really resonated with me. If you have chance and are in the education field, I would highly recommend watching al five videos from the article.  

            I do feel that this is a much easier way to stay update with blogs and websites that I am interested in. It allows me to see exactly what I want to see and I can pick and choose what to read much easier than searching through hundreds of various search results.

            The affinity group I “joined” is Edutopia via Facebook. They provide many different topics in education and also provide some motivational/inspirational material for educators.

Q1: Am I being a champion for my students?

A1: I feel that as I continue to develop and grow as a teacher, I am doing my very best to be that champion for each of my students. I know that some of my students have a rough home life and that they may not have the support that is needed, so I do everything I can to make them feel like they are doing a great job and push them to do more. I am constantly trying to build up my students’ confidence and inspire them by being a passionate and positive every day.

Q2: Do I have “grit”?

A2: From my own perspective, I definitely think I have the “grit” that Duckworth described. I am extremely passionate about teaching and I do everything I can for my students. With being a fairly new teacher (it is my third year) I feel that accepting and being willing to fail or make mistakes is vital in my overall development. Do I think I can become “grittier”? Heck yes, in every way possible! I think that one of the best characteristics of a great teacher is not only their passion, but also their constant desire to always do better.