Morning!

I have two days left in the course I'm taking. It's a class to better equip me to teach gifted and talented kids. This is a new program for our school district. I'm excited about it too, if not overwhelmed. The system I'm learning is Universal Design. The planning will allow me to meet the needs of everyone in my classroom. From the academically challenged to the gifted. I like the plan and LOVE the way it connects learning to other subjects. The more connections the more pertainant the information and the better the child learns it.

Anyway, Universal Design takes TONS of planning time especially when you are learning about it. The finished unit, in the long run saves you time though and you get depth in the education instead of surface information which allows more learning to occur. I'm going to start with the unit I'm working on then expand the units until I have eveything I need to cover done. It may take a year to get it done, but I think it will make me a much more effective teacher. The kids will learn more and feel more successful and that is why I teach. I want to be a part of the kids preperation for life. I want to help them achieve thair goals.

No, I'm not a first year teacher. I've been teaching for nine and while sometimes I feel like banging my head against the wall, over all I still have hope for the future. The upcomming generation is bright and totally digital. There's no telling what this generation will be inventing or discovering when they grow up.

Have a great day,
Lori