Challenges:

*Balance: As I write this blog in the Wake Med emergency room, I struggle to find the balance with school/Kenan Fellows/personal life. When a friend calls and asks you for a ride to the emergency room, the proper response is, “Yes,” not “No, I have to write a blog post.”

*Content knowledge: There is SO much to learn. I feel overwhelmed at times. I haven’t had a Biology class since 2000. (I am loving this challenge, but it is a challenge nonetheless.)

*Product: I want our product to be useful for various teaching settings, so I am challenging myself to think outside of my personal teaching context.

Successes:

*My students participated in a lab from my product this week. (An advantage to year round school. I get to test lessons early! Plenty of time for revision.)

*I’ve learned so much and have made many connections to my curriculum (even at the 5th grade level).

*My students are loving science! Interesting thoughts as I sit here in the ER and wonder if a teacher inspired the medical staff here.

*My latest tweet had a lot of favorites and retweets this week. (A lot is a relative term, but this is still all new to me!)

Today’s takeaway:  Challenges and successes are really the same thing. The only difference is time and hard work.