“You don’t have to do it all” is one of the first things Sally Song, a teacher from Surrey, BC explained to us. This was a rather welcoming and refreshing insight from a relatively new (last 10 years) teacher to a room full of teacher candidates who are constantly being told: “do it all,” “be innovative,” and “step outside of the box and try new things.” While these are all great things to keep in mind and frame our practice around, it is not practical and it causes burnout, frustration, and can seriously hinder your classroom learning environment when you are too focused on doing it all.
Sally explained to us how she tried to do it all in regards to technology during her first few years of teaching. While she learned a lot from this experience it led to burnout on her end by constantly trying to update her classroom twitter or her class blog and website. Sally realized that the content she was putting out there was just because she felt like she had to, not because she actually wanted to. She also realized that this was not necessarily helping the students or parents in her class. Eventually Sally decided to tone back her use of technology in the classroom and focused on technology that was useful and benefitted her students and most importantly was what she liked and made her comfortable.
“You can overdo it with technology,” Sally explained, but you still need to make sure students know it is more than just social media. That technology is a tool for communication and doesn’t always have to be on our devices. Sally left me thinking about the question “How will I use technology in my classroom?” While I still have plenty of time to think about this question, I have quickly realized upon reflection that technology is a tool that students need to learn how to use responsibly and positively. Technology is not just about research, typing, and social media. It is about communication and providing a medium to explore and connect with others on a deeper level in order to communicate learning and ideas with each other.
Brielle, I think you nailed this post! Everything you said is so true. There is a lot of pressure on teacher candidates and new educators to push themselves and be innovative and always be trying something new. As great as that seems, it can be so exhausting. You need to find that balance that works for you and your students. I hope we can have the same accountability for ourselves as Sandra when we become new educators and find our balance!
We got totally different things from that presentation, so I really appreciate having what you got from it available to read here. Indeed, it’s reassuring to know we don’t have to “do it all” to be good and effective educators, nor should we try. Perhaps it’s just a matter of finding what we like and know works for the students in our rooms, even if that changes with time.