Summer Opportunities

We have so few opportunities as educators to talk during the school day.  All of us, so focused on our students and our families, neglect to meet our own personal needs of intellectual growth.  The idea of professional learning communities, may seem like just another education trend.  I think in our wold of multitasking we sadly need an official decree to validate how critical it is to hold meaningful, teaching and learning related conversations with other educators.

In a world of facebook, email, twitter and skype, teachers have the opportunity to take the summer and talk to each other as they learn about social technologies that will directly effect the classroom and the way people communicate in our changing world.  This is a win/win situation.  It just takes a few teachers to reach out to other teachers just like we reach out to our students, in a non-threatening exciting new way.  

So this summer, I hope to develop a more personal relationship with other teachers through reading and writing in hopes that it can lead to direct and explicit teaching about reading and writing in our classrooms.  I think that teachers need more time to develop their own understanding of themselves as readers and writers in order for change to happen in their classrooms.  

My hope is that others will see this blog as a possible forum to discuss and reveal their own journeys as readers, writers, teachers and learners.  Even if you are not an educator, many of you may be parents. This role serves a valuable perspective about reading, writing, teaching and learning.

Please post your thoughts!