I've always been a teacher. Now years and years later . . . I'm back to where I started - plunging back into the joy of teaching again.
My early years on the family farm found me teaching stuffed animals and dolls, gathering live animals and rounding up my siblings and cousins as many days as they would hold still to be my classes. I gave them lessons, lectures, recess and . . . when needed, a few cupcake parties to encourage them to return.
After all these years, a long, long forever wish to live overseas has finally come true. 2019-2020 School Year will be spent in Bahrain at Riffa Views International School as a resident storyteller. Tara Waubly, Superintendent of RVIS, asked and I said YES [aywa] with my heart over-the-moon happy to be teaching again.
Here's a peek into life in Bahrain. We all live on Teacher's Street. So lots of community and fun ahead . . . inshallah which is the beautiful Arabic language expression for "God willing" or "if God wills".
Closing with a question i am getting from friends and family. Where's Bahrain . . . so here's the map so there can be no question of passing the geography test!
Creating a Mighty Vision with an RVIS "Inside-Outside" Team
As a change agent on a mission of refreshing possibilities for teachers and learners, I have presented at conferences and facilitated more workshops than i can count as well as engaged in webinars and online courses to make more possible. Now RVIS feels ready for something deeper and more inspiring in supporting their teachers reaching new horizons. Now I will be co-partnering with an amazing RVIS staff as a team of "Inside-Outside" expertise to take communication skills beyond the traditional writer's workshop to infuse new media literacies.
Ahem . . . I'm the outsider but already feel soooo welcome and staged for success this coming year. Is there anything better than being with people who feel you have something worthy to add to their community.
Together our "Inside-Outside" team will be developing living, inspiring classes incorporating new media literacies beyond JUST text writing throughout their secondary school as Maker Writer's Workshops, mastering reading and writing new media-literacies for authentic audiences.
Accelerating ISTE Student Standard
"Students using new media literacies and self-directed environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others."
It is a kind of "walk-about" that finds me teaching kids again almost as an identical mirror of my first teaching years - same subjects - same grades but power-packed with all that's been learned in between including digital tools.
This blog is my personal journey of living overseas. Be still my heart . . .
Next Posting . . . Learning Arabic and the packing challenge for living overseas for a year that is ahead!
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Teaching in Beta MODE - reflecting and sharing our successes as well as mistakes to avoid
Possibilities of Digital Tools - What tools were used? What benefits? What products created? What lessons learned?