Introductions
By: Nellie Mackay
Tags: First Post, Teaching And Learning, Teaching, Education, Creative Learning

Creator: maroke Courtesy of IPTC Photo Metadata

Imagine a classroom full of students with heads looking down. Tight rows run through the classroom from front to back and wall to window. Quiet fills the room as students read directions that tell them they will be working in small groups. Their teacher stands in the back ready to walk through the small huddles of students while completing the learning task for the day. She was hoping to hear students facilitating and carrying on discussion. Instead? More quiet.

How could I diffuse the tension? How could I do this while grabbing their attention? I didn’t say a word. Instead I stood on my desk and then something interesting happened. A student asked me a question. Laughter and giggling filled some of the quiet from the back of the room as well as some voices engaging in discussion. Standing on my desk did exactly what I needed it to in that moment.

I chose to use “Standing on Desks” as the title of my blog because as a teacher, sometimes you have to be a little ridiculous. There are days and weeks that drag and me standing on a desk was the difference between an effective lesson and a flop.

It was also a chance to be myself in front of my students, and who am I? Pretty weird to be honest. If you can relate, embrace it! Your students will appreciate the little moment you showed them your true self.

So why am I here? I’m here to grab the attention of fellow educators, students, administrators, and parents, and share my teaching experiences, challenges, strategies, and more.

I recently finished my masters at Fordham University GSE and took a course titled “Teaching Writing Across the Curriculum”. As part of the course, we had to write a minimum of three “blog” posts each week during the course of the semester. We wrote journals, poems, stories, and letters; practiced writing different poetic form, using literary devices for attention-grabbing short stories, and reflections on ourselves and our learning. While at first it was challenging to get in a routine of writing that frequently, it got me “in the groove” and I found that writing that often only made me want to write more.

I sort of always knew that I would go into education. In my elementary school years family, friends, and even some of my teachers would tell me they could see me as a teacher. What really got me into education was my youngest sister. I started volunteering at her special needs school and working more with kids in the classroom and on the tennis court. Now I teach middle school and high school social studies, history, and government. I feel a strong passion for my job and for teaching social studies specifically.

Some students say history is boring. Questions such as “why does this matter?” or “why do we need to learn about history?” come up.

These are questions that drive my mission. I want to make learning about history fun and exciting. I want to make learning meaningful and long-lasting. I want my students to know that the information is purposeful and that there are ways to learn about history that will further their inquiry, critical thinking, and creative thinking skills.

I hope to write about and share my experiences teaching, learning, writing, (anything!) here, in the hopes of connecting with others out there who can maybe relate and to learn myself! Making history fun? Challenge accepted!