Trying to figure this all out...

Weaknesses.  Lack of confidence in a subject area. We all have them, right?  Well, mine is writing.  Hey people, I'm a math teacher!  I don't write!  I calculate, problem-solve, and see the black and the white.  I blame my biggest weakness on not being pushed while I was in school.  I was molded into the "perfect" student.  I was not pushed to think out of the box.  I was not taught how to be a critical thinker.  I was not asked higher order thinking questions.  The teacher gave me information, I memorized, regurgitated it back and I got my A that I so desperately wanted.  Some laugh, but I still can recite...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

... and the rest of it!!!  Yes.  I remember it was written by Robert Frost.  And yes, I can stand up till this day recite the poem word for word.  You may be shocked to know that I can even throw a little Shakespeare out there to.

So, you may be wondering why I'm "blogging" about all of this.  I bragged on my ability to recite these poems in a conversation with my mentor teacher about what all "we" learned and "how" we learned in high school.  This prompted the questions by her, "What does all that mean?  What was Robert Frost talking about?  How do you interpret the poem?"  Well, at the ripe young age of (to remain a secret), I thought about it and had to think some more.  (For those of you who know me, this is a scary thing).  Never really thought about any of that.  Just happy, happy, happy that I could recite it!  ha

I share this story with you because as a teacher with one year under my belt, I'm about to begin a journey.  A journey that I am excited about.  There's been all kinds of names tossed around.  Project-Based Learning.  Problem-Inquiry Learning.  Discovery-Approach Learning.  Today, we called it Engaged Learning... or something like that...  This is going to be very exciting and I look on to holding on for the ride.  Learning more and experiencing the journey with my students.

You may wonder about my story I shared.  Why I'm talking about my writing abilities, or lack thereof.  A big focus on my campus is literacy.  I TEACH MATH THROUGH LITERACY.  I have my first blog going and I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing.  

Well, here it goes...  It was suggested to me that I should have my students blog.  Keep in mind this is only after I asked for a printer in my classroom so my students could "print" out their research in their projects... blah blah blah...  I thought about it, and said, hey... Why the heck not?  I'll have my students blog about math and their experience in my classroom not experiencing the traditional classroom.  

Sooooo.... If I'm asking them to blog and teachers lead by example - HERE WE GO!  I'm sure their knowledge of "blogging" is higher than mine.  I'm excited to push myself to write in my blog.  I'm excited that I'm including writing in my math class.  Lastly, I am excited about facilitating my students' learning experience!

MORE TO COME!