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#8

For the final presentation in our Internet for Educators class we had the absolute pleasure of hearing Dean Shareski speak about the joys of teaching and boy it sure was exactly what I needed to hear. This semester I took on the difficult task of both online education classes and teaching grade one part-time. I started to really question whether or not this was the type of career I was cut out for. It felt like I was dedicating every spare minute I had in the day to planning, prepping, or doing assignments. Many questions formed on whether or not I was prepared to be doing this for the rest of my life. Dean put a lot of my questions into perspective by saying "busy is not a badge of honor". I really needed to hear this because I felt like if I wasn't busy doing something then I was slacking. The podcast that I started listening to this semester also talked about how we need to "be present where our feet are" meaning that we can not be worried constantly about school after hours. There needs to be time for joy and it is so important that we are not devoting our entire lives to our job and burning out. I enjoyed hearing everything Dean had to say because it made me remember why I wanted to become a teacher. School is supposed to be a positive experience for both teachers and students and sometimes we just need to take a step back, breathe, and have fun.  

Dean had brought up the idea about how a kid is "only 7 once". Schools sometimes put a lot of emphasis on holding kids to certain standards. I think that we sometimes need to remember that we aren't teaching robots. This year especially has been tough on everyone and kids are no exception to that, they have been exposed to a whole different world than they are used to living in. Taking time out of the day to have fun while learning is so so so important for our students. Our students really are just kids and we shouldn't be forcing them to grow up faster than they are ready to. Dean's talk is something I am going to keep in mind for the length of my career as an educator and I hope that everyone gets the chance to experience the joys of teaching as well. 

You can check out Dean's blog here - Ideas and Thoughts

Here is his Twitter as well - Dean Shareski

And his book - Embracing a Culture of Joy

I just wanted to finish with a few Tik Toks of Kindergarten teacher Kenziie Wenz who in my opinion defines joyful teaching. I encourage you to check her out because she radiates positivity and shows how teaching can be both engaging and fun!

Keeping students engaged online

Today is Day 100!!

Math, literacy, and movement

Daily calendar time

Thank you all for following along on my blogging journey this semester and I wish you all the best in your future careers! 

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