If you haven’t already seen, I changed the face of my blog this past weekend. And while the “new look” suggests a new focus, the goal remains the same: change education one turn at a time: 180 degrees as I “do, reflect, and do better,” hoping that “my turns” compel and inspire others to make and take their “own turns” to create better learning experiences for kids. That hasn’t changed. That will never change.

And while I have been building to this “new face” for sometime, starting with #myroom standards, recently adding #MyRoomMessage, and now introducing #MyRoomMyRealm to the list, I believe the place where we have always had and will continue to have the biggest impact on kids’ experiences is in our rooms. There is much I can’t control outside my room, but in my room, I have a great deal of control over the experience my kids have as I learn and grow with them for 180 days–in my room.

When kids enter our rooms, they enter our realms. As soon as they cross the threshold, they begin to feel. We are responsible for how they feel. I shared my thoughts about this in a post for Teachers Going Gradeless this past summer: My Room: Accepting the Mantle of Classroom Culture. https://teachersgoinggradeless.com/2018/09/22/syrie-my-room/

As we reach the midway mark of this year, I have discovered that my journey has taken me deeply down the #myroom path. I have entered the “realm of my room,” and it is here I shall tarry and explore the possibilities of changing education within, to challenge tradition and convention without.

And as I linger and learn in my realm, I will seek out what’s possible. Already pushing boundaries with this from how I spend my time to how I measure learning, I will continue to explore ways to make my room a realm of possibility. In my search, I will struggle. I will fail. I will learn. I will succeed. And then I will start again, “chasing better” one step at a time. All I can do.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…reconnecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…continuing Learning Conferences.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.