Activity 2 - Reflection on Learning and Practice

I would never have thought that I would be taking this journey! The younger Sarah Daly is still surprised the older me is a teacher, let alone taking on post graduate study without a death threat or some sort of ransom being held.  But here I am, and...I am learning! This is really what we all signed on for, to learn and grow as we encourage our students with as much enthusiasm as we can. So I guess walking the walk and talking the talk makes my advice to them a little more valid.
Assignments and essay writing aside (lets be honest), I feel that Mindlab has helped me become a better teacher. We have been encouraged from day one to collaborate and master new technology, all the while reflecting on our practice and why we think the way that we do.  While I have been growing as a teacher, I have also experienced that social anxiety of being a student and suddenly asked to collaborate with strangers to complete a task. It can be terrifying to climb out of your safety zone, we ask students to do it every day.

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Sometimes I feel that I have too many balls in the air, as a solo mum, a teacher and now team leader, I have had to really put my self management to the test. I thought life was hard before teaching, now I look back and sigh. I find our ability to adapt and take on more than we thought totally amazing. I have learnt to adjust my sleeping schedule (possibly not intentionally) and I no longer burn the candle at both ends. I try to complete my work during the week so I can have at least one if not two days off in the weekend. It is important to have fun and downtime!

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In the three years that I have been teaching, I have evolved in so many ways. I am able to think on my feet, adapt to changes, learn from my colleagues, learn from my students, have discussions, be more empathetic, analyse my failures and successes, speak up, collaborate and best of all...throw away the script. At university we are taught to follow an example, plan each lesson, refer to our notes and the words of others. After the first two years of finding my way as a Beginning Teacher and constantly reaching for my planning folder, I feel that I have the knowledge and confidence to trust my instinct and go off the beaten track. That has been a huge adjustment for me, I have always been a 'by the book' kind of person. That doesn't mean I don't plan (can you imagine!), I simply don't need a script to follow when I'm in class.  That has been the biggest adjustment of all. At Mindlab have been encouraged to be facilitators not dictators, to collaborate not just instruct. This has been the biggest change in my practice. To think and collaborate. To set goals with my students and work towards them together. To give them the reins.

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During my 24 week journey at MindLab, I have learnt how to use, and implement in my classroom, many fantastic apps such as Aurasma, iMovie, Scratch, Blendspace and Padlet (to name just a few). I have become more technologically competent as the students in turn then teach me as they seem to pick up new information and run with it. The clip below is one of the most inspiring TED talks that I viewed (another Mindlab habit I have acquired) and I cant help wondering when looking to the future of my teaching career, what is next?