Earlier this summer I created my first Vine. A month ago I would have thought that statement to be an indication that I had taken up gardening as a hobby, but I've since learned that Vine is a social media tool that allows users to create and share a personalized six-second video loop.
Each summer, when the school year comes to a close, I try to evaluate the past year, seeking to understand what worked effectively as well as recognize areas of needed improvement. During my 10 years in the classroom, I have avoided becoming stale by adding new advanced placement, and more recentlyInternational Baccalaureate , classes to my class load. As a result, my end-of-year reflections typically pointed out areas of the new content in which I needed to become more proficient. For two straight years, however, my schedule has not had any new courses, and as a result, content knowledge is not my main priority this year. Rather, I'm currently exploring ways to incorporate my district's goal of personalizing instruction for each and every student.
This June, as I reflect upon my content, my instructional strategies, and my rapport with students, there is one glaring weakness that is potentially limiting my instructional effectiveness. My students are extremely tech savvy and often try to engage me with discussions of what they are interested in, especially in the realm of social media. I have to admit that many times I am embarrassed to tell them that I have no clue what they a