The end of the Road

Wow!  What a road it's been?
We didn't know at all what was happening at the beginning and really underestimated what we were in for.

I've really been challenged and pushed out of my safety net and made to do something.

So..what have I learnt?  What's changed?  I'll look at it in terms of the PTC (Practicing Teacher Criteria) in e-learning.

I think the criterion I could most truthfully speak to would be Criterion 4 and Criterion 5.

4:  Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.  

Well, a year full of readings and learning has definitely got me doing this a bit more.  I really enjoyed learning how to use google scholar as I'd never done that before..Although I could totally do without the stupid 'get full text' button that doesn't give me the full text!!!!  I find study really motivating and deadlines and assignments helpful for me.  That sense of competition or raising myself to achieve a level is really purposeful for me.  Weird, I know...

I hope that now I've learnt how simple it really can be to find research that speaks to situations that I find myself in in my class, that I'll be more quick to do it.  

I know we want to do it in our level team meetings so, maybe this will help me a bit.  

5:  Show leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning.

I feel a bit like just taking this course was showing leadership.  I took a risk and was willing to put myself out there to be challenged and then actually act on those challenges.  It has also meant that Trish and I could bring what we learnt to our teaching and learning in the middle team.  We wanted to do some work on the KC's and helping our middles to cope with the changes they're finding.

Some of the assignments have directly had an influence on what I've done in my class, e.g. a plan about feedback with students, and also a plan for learning to implement learning through play with our class.  These have also been used across the level team.  

I hope that now I continue this, that I plan and use research to help me plan to meet the needs of my kids.  That I share that across my level and encourage others too with what I've learnt.  I have to be careful though that I do it really for what's purposeful but not to be snarky.  

So... I'm excited that now we're done Mindlab and get to get my Wednesday afternoons back.  However, I have also really enjoyed sitting around with my amazing colleagues and chatting over the day, and what we're learning and actually growing our professional learning together.  We've been open to challenges and ready to challenge each other which has been fun and motivating.