Flowers and Ivy

I spent a good deal of time in my garden this weekend. There are tulips emerging next to crocuses that are eagerly waiting to bloom. The hostas are just now peeking through as they sense that the worst of the cold is behind us. But the healthy blooms didn't get much of my attention this weekend. The real task was tackling the ivy that had grown a little too aggressively. You see, my house is 100 years old. Some of the plants have been there since before I was born.....at least thats what I tell myself.....makes the history teacher feel connected to the previous century. 

When we purchased our home, it had been empty for awhile and the landscaping was neglected. All of the attention and investments put into the flower beds were covered by ivy. The tulips couldn't bloom. The gladiolus bulbs were choked and suppressed. Their potential was limited by their environments. Sound familiar? 

http://quotesgram.com/spring-into-springtime-quotes/

We often see students that are choked by their environment to the point that their potential is
limited. But the reality is the potential is still there.  When I plant bulbs in the garden, I understand that I won't see immediate blooms. It may be a few years until that bulb turns into something bigger than the initial seed. I often feel this way about teaching. As teachers, we can plant seeds of potential within our students. Sometimes we see the growth begin while they are with us. Other times the blooms take longer to develop. Either way, the growth with happen. It is similar to my philosophy in life...."we walk by faith, not my sight" translates to "we teach by faith, not by sight".

To tackle my garden, I use a variety of tools. The classic flimsy metal rake, round pointed shovel, and my favorite spade, and my worn gardening gloves are all a part of my gardening arsenal. Each tool has a time and place. The tool I use just depends on the circumstance that I am in. When faced with a task, I have to ask myself what tool do I need to reach the desired goal?

 Technology in the classroom is just the same. It is one of the tools we use. We don't have to throw out all of our other tools and strategies....we just need to add a few more to suit the environment. As a classroom teacher, I have found different apps that suit my classroom best. Lately, I have used Spiral for class discussions. Students use a Flashcard app to prepare for vocabulary quizzes while other students prefer Quizlet. Symbaloo can be used to provide students with pre-selected sources for a project. Different teachers use different tech tools in a variety of ways. There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach.

Technology provides us with options.....it isn't the only option. No matter the tool I use in my garden, it can't replace two critical things: my hands and my attention.Students need the same. Our kids need us.....all the best tools can't replace the basic needs.  My flowers mainly crave good soil, sunlight, and some water. My kids? Our kids need a comfortable classroom, a positive student-teacher relationship, quality instruction.....and maybe a window open in the Spring.

enjoy the coffee-
Hannah