This topic is very important. Actually, I was just talking to my wife the other day that I have this feeling that I am running out of idea and I feel burnt out. I have been teaching in the same context nonstop without a break for two or three consecutive years. What is interesting is that I thought about taking a short break and start looking for professional development courses that may engage and refresh my teaching skills again.
I really liked the idea in Paulino's video, which is to follow a blog or two related to the topic of my interest. I already joined two Google+ communities related to using technology in education. Also, it is very important for instructors to be learners themselves of the tool they are trying to implement in their classes in order to be familiar with all the advantages and the disadvantages.
I am interested in trying Twitter. I created an account a while ago but never check it. I hear students talk about it a lot in class to follow each other and. Also, it is huge in my home country, Egypt, where people use it a lot to comment and express their political views. I have a friend who gets all the updates happening around the world by following people on Twitter and liking some pages on Facebook. So my plan is to start playing around with Twitter as a learner myself first and see how I can utilize this as a tool in my language classes.
I really liked the idea in Paulino's video, which is to follow a blog or two related to the topic of my interest. I already joined two Google+ communities related to using technology in education. Also, it is very important for instructors to be learners themselves of the tool they are trying to implement in their classes in order to be familiar with all the advantages and the disadvantages.
I am interested in trying Twitter. I created an account a while ago but never check it. I hear students talk about it a lot in class to follow each other and. Also, it is huge in my home country, Egypt, where people use it a lot to comment and express their political views. I have a friend who gets all the updates happening around the world by following people on Twitter and liking some pages on Facebook. So my plan is to start playing around with Twitter as a learner myself first and see how I can utilize this as a tool in my language classes.
Wessam, it sounds like you're on the right track to avoiding burnout. I understand what you mean about teaching in the same environment for years, but connecting with PLNs, reading blogs, experimenting with new platforms like Twitter and incorporating technology in the classroom is a great way to stay inspired and fresh. It (among other things) is certainly working for me!
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