Metateaching

If metacognition is thinking about thinking, I have been doing a lot of thinking about teaching lately. The new class I am teaching this year, Connections, has made me really question myself as a teacher. I love the class and I love teaching it, but it is the most challenging class I have ever taught. It forces me to constantly assess my teaching methods and assessments, which is a good thing, but I am also constantly planning and creating new material and curricula. I also have 120 students with a vast spectrum of ability and maturity.

I've been spending quite a bit of my time focused on all things Google. One of Google's "rules of thumb" is "to do one thing really well." The most important thing for me to do really well is to be the best mom- and some days I know I am. BUT, I also want to be the best teacher and the best tech ed junkie, and the best professional developer and I can't do all 3 things really well (to my standards). My Google
Reader is full and I have so many great sites and ideas bookmarked in del.icio.us from my Twitter network that I don't know where to start.

Another Google rule of thumb is "great is never good enough." I have started teaching a lot of professional development classes to my fellow teachers. I enjoy it, but there is quite a bit of planning that needs to be done to get everyone to be a Google Guru. My colleagues and friends deserve greatness.

This year has been one of the best years of my professional life. Never in a million years would I have thought I would become a Google Certified Teacher or had the opportunities to learn from so many prolific and intelligent people. I am so grateful for all the choices and opportunities that have come my way and how supportive my family, friends, colleagues, and students have been. I keep thinking to myself that if I just keep working hard and saying yes to every opportunity, I will figure out which hat I really want to wear.

I really need to take off this thinking cap and go to bed!