And so this is my last blog of 2011 and a chance for me to look back over the last 12 months and think ahead to the future.
Right now I cannot believe that this time last year I didn't blog, tweet or use Facebook. I didn't have an IPhone, had never heard of Edmodo or Plannerlive and had no idea what a Teachmeet was. All of these things have significantly changed how I live, spend my time and influence what I do in the classroom. They have brought me back in touch with some old friends and linked me up with some fantastic people that I would never have come into contact with in any other way. Perhaps most importantly it has reawakened my love of teaching and reinvigorated what I do. My 1st Teachmeet came along at exactly the right time for me and gave me a renewed level of enthusiasm.
Other highlights of the last 12 months have to include Magic School as part of Challenge Week. In those 5 days I saw some of the most inspirational learning of my career. It was a pleasure to be part of and I can't wait for next year's event which promises to be even bigger and better.
So - what's next for the next 12 months. Some things I want to do include continue to experiment with new technology in the classroom. I have felt like I am back at the cutting edge again and want to stay there. Twitter in particular will help with this. I am very interested in 'flipping the classroom' which I have read about on a few American blogs. I think we are closer to doing this already than some schools and need to find a group to try this out on - Edmodo looks like it could be a great tool for this.
I want to pay more attention to detail from now on. I tend to be very good at big, bold ideas but not so hot on the nitty gritty and detail. This is something I will work on. This includes being more organised and tidier and making better use of time by identifying specific periods of time in the day to work in and prioritising what to do. I will also aim to do the most difficult and least appealing jobs (OK - so I mean marking) first.
I know that I am really good at entertaining and motivating students. They like being in my room and enjoy the lessons. I believe that they are learning many important things including a bit of History. But my exam results have not been great in the last couple of years - and whilst they are not the only measure of success I want my students this year to achieve better. Partly for them and, if I am honest, partly for me to vindicate my methods and my approach. This year I will look very hard at the best ways to prepare my kids for success.
I suspect there will be big changes ahead for me this year. It looks like the AST wagon is finally going to run out of steam and will be replaced by something else and I don't know where that will leave me. The new Master Teacher proposals are too vague at the moment to know whether this is what I want to do. This will also be the end of my 12th year at my current school and my beloved tutor group will leave - maybe it is time to look for somewhere else. What I am going to focus on is being positive - there have been lots of ups and downs this year and there will be more of both ahead but I want to keep smiling and keep looking at the positive in everything. That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Thanks to everyone who read any of this stuff in 2011 and particularly those of you who have been kind enough to comment - your words have been a source of inspiration. Happy New Year to you all and best wishes for 2012.
A few specific goals for 2012:
Reach 2,500 Tweets sent
Get to 500 Followers
Post 35 blogs in 2012
Post 1 photo online every day of 2012
Perform 5 acts of kindness every day of 2012
