Have You Thanked a Teacher Today?

I found this video and just felt like I needed to share it!



So my plan is to thank a teacher today and at least one everyday!

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Did you notice how your attention was drawn to words and phrases in this video based on the way they were presented or moved?
Did you notice whether your attention was drawn more to the words or the background?
Did you notice the how the colors in this video made you feel?
Did you notice how the soft edges of the shapes fit well with the message?

What are some other things you noticed? .
(You can go back and watch it again ... I watched it 4 times the morning I found it)

Any ideas on ways we can make use of the things we noticed?
How can we help administrators, teachers, and students make better use of the things we noticed?

Seeking Some Advice?

Now that the 2010-2011 academic year is coming to a close, I started thinking back to my first year as a classroom teacher. Even though my colleagues taught me a lot, sometimes its the experience itself that teaches you the most. Looking back I wondered how differently certain situations could have played out "if only I had known" certain things.

My first year was one of the hardest. I remember wondering what the teachers around me were doing to meet the high demands of the job. Perhaps they had something special in their bag of tricks that I didn't? What method did they have for keeping things simple and less overwhelming? If they had answers, I wanted to hear them! I didn't want "textbook" or cookie cutter advice...I wanted some REAL advice from REAL people in the profession. With that said, I decided to reach out to my professional learning network in hopes they could answer a question for me, "What advice do you wish someone had given you as a first year teacher?" A big thank you to everyone who responded. Check out the SlideRocket presentation below to see the top 10 tips given by teachers or click on the Google form to read the responses.