Today was my very first day of teacher training. It's official, I am a real live staff member. I have a badge with my face on it as proof :-)

My district provides/requires a full week of training for new teachers entering the district. This is a really great resource, and speaks to the quality of the district I'm working for. Not only does it seem to be very child-centered, but it also manages a great deal of concern for its staff. I feel like I"m going to get all the support I could possibly need in my first year, and certainly beyond.

The resources alone are astounding. Today they handed all 50 new teachers in the district brand new Macbooks (upon which I am typing this post) and explicitly explained that the use of technology in this district is NOT optional. The tech director put it this way: our kids are living in the 21st century, and if we're not teaching with technology, then we're not teaching the right way. While this is a crude way of putting it, I tend to agree. Kids learn in so many different ways, and by embracing technology and all the resources it provides we can better meet our students' needs. I already incorporate technology into my teaching, and I was the recipient of a grant through the district to have a SMARTboard installed in my classroom, so accomplishing this should be a breeze this year.

Our training today also involved a sweet road rally where I got to unleash the .5% of me that is competitive. I drove like a mad woman, heckled other teams, honked my horn, and purposely parked like a jerk to prevent other teams from getting to the place on the photo scavenger hunt list. All the while this behavior was encouraged by one of the district administrators who served as our team captain and navigator. He is a rock star.

I'm pretty sure tomorrow won't be nearly as interesting or fun, but will probably be helpful....I guess....