EduBlogger: ~Against the Wind~

"I blog so that I can share posts with students. They get a deeper understanding of why I teach the way I do, why I conduct the class the way I do, why I do what I do" (Brian Barry).

At the beginning of this term, I took interest in reading posts by Nunavut_tweeter, an educational blogger from Iqaluit, Nunavut. Brian's blog titled, "Against the Wind" has great posts that are both inspirational and enlightening. As pre service teachers we are constantly learning, and I appreciate hearing tips and thoughts by other educational professionals who take pride in sharing their success stories - and even their setbacks.

One of my favorite posts of his was titled Meeting the Needs of Students. (This post was inspired by a conference about William Glasser's Control Theory). What I loved about this post is he not only discussed the 5 needs of students (Survival, Fun, Freedom, Power/Success, Love/Belonging) but he shared some daily lessons he had created that successfully met these needs. A couple examples of these are..

 "Power/success: Ensuring that all students have a chance to succeed is essential. If some are not good at tests, they might be good at debating, acting, music or art. I ensure I give them the opportunity to succeed at their strength"

 "Love/belonging: I greet my students at the door each day. I have a calendar board for the month where I write various birthdays or events the students have that month. This makes each student feel included. Group activities are good too for meeting this need".

Another favorite post of Brian's that I wanted to share was titled, "We Need More Time Flying Days". 

Photo courtesy of Brian Barry

This post was so simple- yet something we may have never thought of! All that is meant by this post is that time flies when you're having fun. The bottom line that he wanted to get across here is that the next time you and your class have a time flying day, take a moment to realize why. What made the day so fun and engaging? Take that and use it to make every class just as fun!

Finally, an idea that I thought was genius for collaborating ideas was a post titled "A Short Conversation With.. " Brian found a website called Teachmeet New Jersey: Fresh ideas for Education, where ideas are presented to educators through interviews, an idea that he loved. This is where he came up with his A Short Conversation With... idea. Now, you can click on this link on his blog and read multiple interviews with different colleagues that discuss tools for being a great educator. 

"Sure, if I had not been exposed to Twitter I could do some of the same things I have

 done. However, social media has made it easier to connect and work with people (StevenAnderson)".

 "I had an administrator that showed she believed in me and it meant everything. That

belief led to me believing that I could do great things in school. My goal as an  

administrator is to continuously do the same thing for my students and staff.

This is not about false optimism, but it is about finding the gifts people bring and 

helping them share them with the world" (George Couros)".

On an end note, here are a few of Brian's tips titled "I wish I had NEVER learned about teaching"... 

    I wish I had never learned that the teacher never admits when he/she is wrong.
    I wish I had never learned that the class must always be quiet.                             
    I wish I had never learned that a student should always stay in his/her seat. 
    I wish I had never learned that school was not a place for fun.                              

I wish I could continue on and share more of Brian's insights, but I can only hope that my classmates and colleagues in the teaching field will follow his blog and be a part of his philosophy. A few of his other great posts not mentioned here (well worth reading!) are:

~Boredom: It's not about the tool; It's about the students~
~Motivational/Inspiring: My 100th Post: My Teacher Checklist~
~Motivational/Inspiring: What is stopping you?~
~Change: Are you learning?~ 

Photo courtesy of Mark Brannon

Brian's optimism, educational insight and honesty is greatly appreciated and valued by many.Thank you, Brian, for sharing your thoughts and I look forward to reading more in the future!