So energized after our Inspired Writing class this morning!!!

I am so energized after our Inspired Writing class this morning.  Yes, it was a cold and snowy Saturday morning, and it was hard to get out of bed.  However, once I got to class, I found myself so happy to be there.

Every time we meet, I come away with so many new tools and ideas that I can immediately implement in my classroom.  I appreciate how we have time in class to learn something new, experiment with it ourselves, and collaborate with our peers about the best way to implement it.  I especially enjoyed today's sharing time, because that synergy when we gather together and share ideas helps rejuvenate all of us.  I took five pages of notes this morning, and they are filled with stars, circles, and notes to myself, "Do this on Monday!!!"  What an incredibly valuable way to spend our time!

I love the fact that each time we meet, I am learning something completely new.  For example, I have never used Jing before, but after hearing about it this morning, I can't wait to begin exploring all of the possibilities it has to offer.  I also find that even when I have used a tool like Cover It Live or a strategy like Highlighting, this sharing time inevitably provides me with additional ideas for implementation that I would never have thought of on my own.  It motivates me to brainstorm additional ways we can use these tools to help kids learn.

Finally, I appreciate the way Dana and Amy have structured the class.  I find myself taking notes on the little things as well - from the warm-ups we use to the songs on Dana's playlist.  I catch myself thinking, "My kids would LOVE this!" or "I have to try this with my sixth graders next week."

I know we will still have two more personal blogs to write in April and May, but since today was our last official class, I wanted to reflect on this while it was fresh in my mind and say thank you for creating such a motivating and applicable class.  I appreciate the care you took in designing it, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of it!

(Now that I am wrapping up this blog, I'm thinking about the highlighting strategy Dana demonstrated this morning.  I realize that most of my sentences start with the word "I."  However, I'm hoping that since this is a personal blog, that will be acceptable!)  :)