Just another day

Today was an exhilarating and exhausting time in the classroom, blogging with my third graders. I send this chronology along because I think many do not realize the impact, both on the students and the teacher, of what is happening in some corners right now. This was my day:

• Before I even leave for school, ten comments to student blogs come in. I approve them all quickly via email, hop on my bike, and get to school, huff, huff....
• About half an hour before school starts, another six comments come in, one from a teacher at our school, and five from Gordon Brune's fifth graders (I make notes to tell my kids about all this)
• The school day begins. Lots of business, the kids are hyped up very much, although we still have a couple weeks to go.... I tell them about the activity on their blogs, there is a lot of excitement, questions ("Did I get one?", etc). We talk about the obligation to respond in some way to comments (again!), review their options, and then I give half the class read/write time (30 min) on their blogs, and half the class does a math assignment. Later in the day we flip/flop.
• During the day, my kids post twelve new blog articles. I approve ten of them, leave feedback for the rest... These blogs were not directed or assigned by me. I would say some of my kids are in a true writing frenzy, so postings were all over the place, from August's thoughtful I Hear Ya', to an anticipatory School from Jackson, to Hannah's wacky my golf ball named Larry! What teacher would not love this?
• It's a regular day, in that we have math, reading groups, music, recess, lunch, art, journal writing, spelling, and so on...
• During recess and my prep period, I have student news reporters from all classrooms come to my classroom to record news for the podcast version of the May Jr. Seahawk Newsletter - and record their thoughts about the school year for the PODCAST ONLY June edition - a first! (learned a lot in the process - more recording tomorrow)
• During the day, my kids send countless comments to the blogs of their classmates, students around the world, teachers all over the place, and university folk - in response to the comments left on their own blogs. I do my best to screen/edit/help with all comments sent. (Teacher cringes at the thought of all the typos and misspellings missed!)
• As I am writing this at home in the evening, two more comments come in. I approve them.

It amazes me how easily the teaching of my kids has become a round-the-clock proposition. This will sound horrific to some, but I look on it as a very exciting new way of thinking about education. I will still be teaching my third graders after school is out on June 22nd this year. I have told them I'll keep their blogs active (with their parents' OK) through the summer.

Everybody else seems to be in countdown mode, but I'm in this desperate "I've got so much more to show them and there isn't nearly enough time" mode.

Many, many thanks to those who have left comments for my kids!. It excites them, of course, to hear from people in different corners of our planet, but the end product that excites me the most is that they spend a good deal of time really reading and writing with purpose. With a purpose and will I have not seen in 25 years in the classroom.