The number one complaint I’ve heard about using technology in classrooms is TIME.  Teachers don’t feel like they have the time to learn how to use new technologies.  And they don’t feel like they have the time to incorporate them into their lessons, when they have all kinds of common core stuff and essential standards to teach.  But it really doesn’t matter what new curriculum has been developed recently…because there will always be something new!  The state will always tell us what we need to be teaching, and teachers will always think they are so crunched for time by teaching that stuff, that they don’t have time for technology.  So what we need to do is change the views on technology.  It’s shouldn’t be EITHER technology or essential standards.  It should be BOTH!  At the same time!  Technology is a tool that can enhance lessons for whatever curriculum is given to us by the state.  Once teachers and administrators and policy makers embrace that, we’ll be able to advance our education system.

While I’m on here, I also wanted to briefly mention that this summer experience has shown me how thankful I am to have a job as a teacher.  My husband and I used to disagree on who has it better.  He works in a nice office that he doesn’t have to share.  He does communications and public relations for the court system…which means he is on his computer all day.  He used to complain about having to stare at a screen for 8 hours a day…and I would tell him he has it easy!  He doesn’t have to deal with upset parents or cussing teenagers in the hallways.  He can go to Subway for an hour with his coworkers for lunch…while my short lunch period is spent stuffing down my sandwich while trying to answer questions from the 10-20 kids eating in my classroom.  He gets to listen to music while he works and he can go to the bathroom whenever he wants to.  Meanwhile I have to dance around and hold it until a bell rings when I can rush down the hall during my 6 minute break between classes to fight the other teachers for the 1 teacher bathroom on our hall.

However, after working in an office environment for several weeks now, I have to say that I definitely have it better as a teacher!!!!  I never realized how much I walk around on any given school day, until I had to sit down for an entire day.  It’s brutal to have to sit for that long and stare at a computer!!  I have found that I have to go for a 10 minute walk once or twice a day, just to get my blood flowing now!  Luckily, I’m working on UNC’s campus – so this is my view for my mid-morning walk:

I never really thought about how much I like the social and active parts of teaching.  I miss interacting with people and moving around all day long.  Don’t get me wrong – teaching can be exhausting….but I like that tired, satisfied feeling that I get at the end of good day of teaching.  When Craig came to see me for his on-site visit last week, he mentioned that one problem with creating teacher leaders is that they sometimes leave the profession for higher leadership positions like working for DPI.  Well, you don’t have to worry about this teacher leaving.  I have discovered that I am not cut out for an office job!  I hope that when I have a bad day of teaching and I start to think how great my husband has it in his quiet, peaceful office, I’ll remember that I’m really the lucky one!!  I have gained so much from my Kenan experience so far and I’m thankful that recently it has shown me that I need to have more appreciation for what I do on a daily basis.  Teaching really is the greatest job ever.