It has now been 10 days since the start of my PDP program. Needless to say, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions! While last week had left me feeling mentally drained, I found a renewed sense of purpose after our first full day observing in a high school setting. Being able to interact with students in an educational setting was exactly the kind of affirmation I needed, and I feel an increase in motivation knowing that I am on the right career path. I am entering this coming week with an increased sense of self-assurance and a desire to stay on track.
On Friday I had the pleasure of meeting with my fellow POD members. This proved to be an extremely beneficial experience as their queries regarding the course mirrored my own. Together we were able to work through our various questions and guide each other through the weeks task list. I see what a tremendous asset it will be to have a core group of classmates to chat with on Mattermost and meet with regularly via Zoom. It is a relief to know I can check in with my POD whenever I have questions about the class content or want to receive guidance on my current blog posts and assignments. In this time of isolation, having any opportunity to connect with my cohort in any medium, seem like a triumph. I would love to take the skills I am learning in this course to continue developing a professional blog on the various teaching resources I encounter. I hope this type of platform will help me to connect with fellow educators in the future.
Going into the next week, I want to be mindful of all the prolonged screen time my eyes and body are enduring. Valarie, one of our TechED professors, reminded us take care of our eye health over the coming months. I’m going to make a conscious effort to take breaks to stretch my neck and look away from my screen every half an hour. I’ve definitely noticed the constant sitting starting to take a toll.