Frustration over tech

Wednesday proved to be a low point in my patience level. In our reading groups, students are working collaboratively on a Google doc. While in class, I had students who did not read the right pages even though they were explicityly stated on the Google doc. Additionally, I had assigned a screencast video on how to add labels to blog posts and how to copy and paste a Google doc into blogger so it was properly formatted. However, upon checking over their work I had about half my class forget to do one blog post. 

Bubbling up to the surface, I felt a great amount of annoyance that the kids did not follow directions. I realized that they are only 10 but in the moment during class I just couldn’t handle it. Clearly they sensed my frustration and most were very quiet during the remaining part of the class period.

After the kids went to lunch, I sat at my desk and had a personal reflection period due to feeling incredible awful in regards to loosing it with my kiddos. I am trying to teach them how to use Google docs, learn independently, create Google forms, write blog posts with tags, upload Google docs, insert images, create iMovies, use Today’sMeet, watch Khan Academy videos on unknown math concepts so I can flip the classroom, work on Edomodo with students in California, and still remain kids. 

I am out of breath simply typing all that I have asked of my students. So upon this realization, I feel that I need to have grace with them when issues come up. Many of these kids never used Google docs before August of this year and now they are soaring. I am impressed inside and out with how much technology they have learned and been able to apply across the subject areas. 

If I think back to my fifth grade year, I remember non of the types of projects I am having my students work on now. My hope is that they look back on this year and feel they truly learned skills that they will utilize beyond 5th grade. 

On that same note I hope that they remain kids this year too. I wonder if I push too hard at times and expect too much. Hopefully reading picture books takes care of that : )