April mid month

The end of the school year is looming before me and I am trying to get it all in before I run out of time. It happens every year. You would think after 29 years in teaching that I would get it by now. Which actually brings me to my topic for the day- time.

I've written in papers and posts about the evil enemy of teachers. Time. Every teacher I know works far more hours than anyone would ever guess. They certainly spend far more than the usual 40 hours a week. Teaching is not a 40 hour week job. If they didn't have families they would probably spend 80 hours a week at their job. Some of them nearly do. And so because of this, finding time to try new things is so very difficult.

I've worked with countless teachers to introduce them to amazing technology tools. They are all so excited when they begin but then that tick of the clock gets louder in their heads and they revert back to the tried and true methods in their classrooms. Please don't think I feel that this is wrong. What they have been doing has worked well for them and children learn. I mostly feel sad that they find it time challenging to use something new and to offer their students a new and engaging way to learn.

This is what I hope to do someday. To help teachers create those lessons that use the "cool tools" of the web. Use those Smart Boards, make a podcast, develop a wiki. There is so much that is just too easy but time time time steals away those opportunities.

24 hours in a day? Never enough.