The Return of the Blogger

The view from my new office.

This morning a lovely tweet came my way from someone who reads this blog and had noticed that I hadn't posted in over a month.  Thanks @bookchica!

I am indeed alive and well but have been enjoying the first few months of retirement.   It seems this is the time in your life when you wonder how you ever found time to work.  I'm exploring the balance between time for personal projects, family and doing some contract work in various education related ways.

It's interesting to see how stepping out of the system has allowed me to clarify my own thoughts around education.  I am more convinced than ever that the old sage on the stage model of teaching has to go!  Having said that, I know it would have made me very uncomfortable as a beginning teacher.  I needed those texts, worksheets and the structure to shore me up.

This morning I watched "Where Good Ideas Come From and thought that classrooms could be re-defined as spaces for ideas to mingle, share and create new forms.   This would require teachers who were confident, not afraid of taking risks, and learners in their own right.  It's hard for some to let go the reins or even hold them more loosely and turn the learning over to their students.

So the blogger is back.  For how long or in what capacity, time will tell.  There are just so many other interesting things vying for my attention.  Take for instance a simple walk through the park last week which turned into a prolonged stop to watch a film crew shooting a scene for an upcoming TV show featuring a live cougar.  Or my current planning for a mother/daughter trip to Thailand for two weeks.

And if you enjoyed reading this post please thank Tara!