I love it when I read something that takes me back to my "teaching roots" so-to-speak. Part 2 of TLP did just that - it made me realize that although I have done many of those things, I don't do them often enough, and I had to take a hard look at what was happening when I was so in the zone with my teaching like that. The short answer - I was mindful. Those things mattered all the time. I was reading a lot of things that were inspiring me, and I was curious and wanting to learn some things myself about teaching, so I took risks.
I enjoyed reading through the blogs of others, because it seemed like everyone was having their own little epiphanies about the same types of things. What I didn't really see was anyone getting defensive. Burgess was pretty clear about addressing that aspect of his methods. Probably not coincidentally, those are the same kinds of defenses I hear mounted by some teachers about integrating technology into their classrooms. Anything that takes people out of their comfort zones is bound to bring up those feelings. It doesn't necessarily mean those people never want to try anything new (a few really don't), but most are just uncomfortable with it. Whether it's dressing up like a pirate or handing every kid in your room an iPad, for a teacher who has never done those things, it is a risk, and the scary thing about risks is we don't know if they'll work.
Risk taking is scarey for teachers as well as students but I think students love to see us take them and they in turn may feel ready to try. I also don't do enough of the hooks and it shows sometimes, especially in the late afternoon. I am going to really focus on that time frame this week and see how I can improve it with Burgess' ideas.
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