Joanna Lake made me excited about teaching again! I’ll be honest, it has been a long semester with a lot of assignments and minimal time with students or in classrooms. With practicum fast approaching, I feel invigorated and inspired after listening to Joanna speak about connection and the uses of digital assessment.
I really loved her use of media and memes to connect and check-in with students. It’s a great way of connecting with them because it is something they likely look at on their own time and can relate to. Its also really funny and helps create a light-hearted atmosphere in the classroom. This use of popular media also ties in with the emphasis she placed on the use of visuals in classrooms, beyond morning check-ins. Providing students with a visual agenda is a super important way to prepare them for the day and keep them engaged and motivated.
Another thing that really stood out to me were the videos she shared of her student’s projects. The use of technology, students recording videos in this case, really allowed their individual personalities to shine through and creatively express themselves in ways they might not have otherwise been able to. I was really touched when Joanna shared that one student who seemed super outgoing in her video was actually super quiet in class, but this project and Joanna had helped her by giving her more confidence and now she is stepping out of her comfort zone and taking more risks. That is the kind of teacher I want to be, not one who just teaches content but inspires children to take risks and makes a difference.
