A Big Thanks to all in the Blogging Community

I was on my way into work this morning when I got the email  notification that Dan Meyer had a new post up and the title of the post was very intriguing to me.  But the idea behind the post went in a totally different direction than I anticipated it to go and it started me thinking.

So I want to be sure and send out a big thanks to everyone in the blogging edusphere, whether they teach math or science or english or anything else, for putting themselves and their ideas out there.  I appreciate it more than you could ever know and cannot thank you enough for sharing and inspiring.

It used to be that for me to be inspired to try something in my classroom I would either need to see another teacher at my school or in my district try something or I would read about it in a magazine article or one of the many books we are all handed by our principals.  I still get a lot of motivation and inspiration from some of the math teachers at my school and in my local community, but this has opened a door that without I would feel very isolated and, honestly, scared with the new practices my school is trying this year (SBG).  I know that since my school as a whole is trying it together you would think "uh, Sarah, you're not alone you dummy. You have the entire school trying it with you!"  Well, telling me that doesn't seem to work because I know how some teachers work.

What I also love that I can now share in the edusphere is some of the crazy but perfect ideas some of my coworkers come up with.  In particular a fellow Geometry down the hall from me that we will call the awesome Gayle Taylor.  (She said it was fine to use her name but I feel like the adjective needs to be added).  Awesome Gayle is now in her 37th year teaching and is more than open to new ideas of how to grade and instruct students.  She works early in the morning and into the late hours of the night (I know because I'm usually up here too but I tend to get off track easier than her).  Her tireless efforts show in her students test scores and their new love for the subject.  I can only hope and pray to one day be as awesome a teacher as she is and still have the drive and creativity that she still has.