About+Me

="Person!" = As I walk though the hallways of the high school where I am currently a student teacher, I hear students calling this out. So, a little about myself. Yes, that is my name. Yes, it is that simple. And also yes, I have probably heard that joke. I've had just over 2 decades hearing and making all those person jokes. I've probably heard it...

Now why my students just say "Person?" I am told it is a term of endearment. I sure hope so.

My goal is to ensure that these kids, even those ones that make me want to go home and tear my hair out, can get the best education available. Because I am just starting out, I know that sometimes I show up with a lesson plan that will BOMB. The information goes completely over their heads, I am left with 15 children staring at me with 20 minutes left and nothing to do, I am scrambling to fit that last 30 minutes of planned work into 5 minutes, I'm scrambling to make copies 30 seconds before the bell rings, or I turn my back and a student is pretending to beat another with my classroom phone (sadly, yes this has happened). All of this and MORE happens in teaching, and most of it in your first year.

This Wiki space is my attempt to file the many websites, projects, videos, etc. that helped me in my first year of teaching. I will add more to these as I go, and probably add more classes as well. Not everything is the prettiest, but it's a work in progress.

I'm working on this as a professional development site, where I can organize what I have used in the classroom, and the sources that have lent me ideas and inspiration. The many pages have sources and information relevant to many historical topics, so other educators and students can have access to a lot of different resources. I would love to share this work and my thoughts, and would love to hear from others about their own uses of technology, insights and ideas on education.

Thank you for visiting my work in progress! Teaching will be a lifelong journey, and it's starting now with this small database to collect my achievements, failings, and thoughts for next time...

Feel free to add insightful comments or ideas to these many pages!



Note: As much as I would love this to be my classroom, filled with light and color, and information about Canada, sadly, it is not. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

For the student teachers who are sleep deprived, have no social life, and still find time for extra help sessions: “The secret of teaching is to appear to have known all your life what you learned this afternoon.” ~ Anonymous

And some fun inspiration: “There are three things to remember when teaching: know your stuff; know whom you are stuffing; and then stuff them elegantly.” ~ Lola May

Sometimes, your day feels like this... [|Sleepy Bunny...]