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As teachers, it is our duty to not only make sure our students are constantly learning and growing, but to also make sure WE are learning and growing. We need to be sure we are always trying to learn more about the subjects we are teaching, the latest research, new teaching strategies, etc. We owe it to our students to give them the best education we can give them, and this is only possible if we are constantly learning new ways to educate them. There are many ways we can accomplish this. For example, there are thousands of websites and online organizations we can join that provide us with new research, teaching strategies, lesson plans, etc. Many of these websites/organizations are even free! It is also important for us to keep in contact with our fellow educators. This allows us to share our ideas and strategies with each other, therefore learning through each others' experiences. As teachers, we should constantly be trying to improve our teaching so our students can become the most educated young members of society possible. After all, it is our job to make sure the next generation learns as much as possible so they can go out into the world and make it a better place. It all starts in the classroom!

Thank you for reminding me about that article, Arlene. I had it downloaded in my library, but I hadn't looked at it in a while. It is such an excellent article on how to use role-playing in the classroom. Dr. Bill Robertson will often have us get up and act out things like molecules during one of his NSTA workshops. I would love to hear how other teachers are using the creative acting skills of their students to help them learn science concepts.

I agree that it is vital that teachers continue to challenge ourselves professionally and to continue to grow throughout their career. The NSTA Learning Center makes it easy with the many resources available. Learning from other career professionals is the best professional development in my opinion. Professional learning communities are springing up everywhere; NSTA has its forums and discussion groups. There is even a book available through NSTA at http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781935155003 called Professional Learning Communities for Science Teaching: Lessons From Research and Practice that you may find helpful in your quest to be a life long learner.

Has anyone joined the Spark community The SPARK Community is where NWEA partners and educators from around the world share ideas and resources, collaborate on education topics and issues, and discover new ways to advance kid-centric learning. Think of it as your online home for connecting with peers on every facet of education. http://community.nwea.org/

Hi Pam,
I was unaware of the spark community; it looks like a good place to gain ideas and resources. Are you familiar with Classroom 2.0? Although the focus is on incorporating technology, I have found it useful.

Patty, I also highly recommend Classroom 2.0. The site focuses on technology, but does a great job of putting technology in the classroom context, and maintains a number of special interest groups (SIGs). It will get you started, and keep your interest at all levels. As a former tech person, I also liked that there are the visionaries and speculators who can see where technology is headed and how to creatively integrate technologies into learning environments, not just bring them into current practice. It's about moving forward! Excellent site.